...Crystal Back THEO 104 December 11, 2010 What It Means to Be a Christian I. Introduction There are three concepts that have helped reshape the perception I have of Christianity: the Christian’s way of life, the Christian’s testimony, and the Church, or the Body of Christ, as it relates to the community. Each of these concepts is very important as independent ideas, but together they strengthen and enhance the life of a Christian. My own life has been strengthened by these ideas, and that is why I believe they are all essential to the growth and maturity of every Christian’s spiritual walk. They assist in defining what it means to be a true Christian. II. Section One: The Life of a Christian The first of these important concepts deals with the lifestyle of a Christian. Every aspect of a person’s physical life is directly involved with their spiritual health whether they realize it or not. It is not only crucial for a Christian to be aware of what they are doing in the presence of others, it is important for them to be aware of the decisions they make without an accountable audience. Choosing to live a lifestyle according to the teachings of Jesus Christ is the best way to genuinely show God and others that His lifestyle is, in fact, the best way. It also shows others, believers and non-believers alike, what a Christian really is and what one represents. For a Christian to truly be capable of living a Christian lifestyle, they must first begin their journey...
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...THE CHRISTIAN LIFE Presented to Dr. Timothy Swinson for BIBL 425 – Romans by J.W. Cullen L23879492 11 Aug 12 Introduction The believer putting to death the corrupted deeds of the body by the Spirit and the renewing of the believer’s mind to discern the things of God characterizes the Christian life, according to Paul’s teaching depicted in Romans 8:13 and 12:2. A Christian must continually put to the death sin, by the work of the Holy Spirit, which originates within their hearts and within their bodies, that is the expression of the sin within the heart. Christians are set apart for God’s use and according to Romans 8:29, God conforms believers to the image of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. The life of every Christian is a continual renewal or development to the likeness of Christ, who is the perfect image of man. Romans 8 depicts a transformation of a life dominated by the flesh to a life led by the Spirit of God. A Christian’s mindset is reshaped by the Spirit and is focused on to the things of God and not on the world. The motive for Christian living is intellectual in which it begins with the mind. What a Christian has been already made in Christ is now what they are called to do. Ultimately, the end result of the Christian life is to bring glory to God. Thus God is glorified when man response to Him by placing his trust in Jesus Christ and turns from a lifestyle of sin, which is characterized by obedience and devotion to Him. Corrupted Deeds...
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...Testimony Lecture: • What is a testimony? Your story about your personal journey with God. It is powerful when it is real. • Why is telling my story important? It reveals where I’ve been and where I am going in my relationship with God. • How do I tell my story effectively? Prayer and by being real and having confidence and being unashamed. • What if they don’t listen to my testimony/story? Share anyway, out of obedience. • Telling your story is… Relevant, unique, and it opens __??__ Truths from Psalm 139: • According to Psalm 139, God has a ___true knowledge__ about me. • Verses 1-6 – God ___knows____ me. • Verses 7-12 – A part of belonging to God means God is _______always with me______. • Verses 13-16 – God ___made__ me. • God made me ______fearfully_______. • God made me to _____reflect_____ His Image Misconceptions: • Relationships – Who I am with, will determine who I am. Truth – Matthew 10:37-39 • Body Image – Who and what I portray will determine who I am. Truth – Peter 3-3-4 • Education – How much I know will determine who I am and who I become. Truth – 1 Cor. 2:9-13 • Future Plans/Profession – What I become/do will determine who I am. Truth – Phil. 3:1-10 • Possessions – How much I have will determine who I am. Truth – Matthew 6:24 • Religion – What I do and how much I do for a system of religious practice will determine who I am. Truth – Matthew 7:21-23 • Hobbies/Activities – What I choose to like will...
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... As a Christian it stands very important to understand the main basis of the faith that guides your life. One’s life is guided every day by the beliefs in God and His Son Jesus Christ. Christians believe that faith in Jesus is the only way to heaven. It is this faith in Jesus that guides every Christian’s life. With the faith in Jesus Christ Christians also strive towards being like Him. If Christians do not understand the gospel essentials of their philosophies they will not be prepared for the questions and tests of the world. God: What is God like? God is loving and supreme. He created everyone and everything in His divine plan. Since God exists as the creator of all things He loves all things like a father...
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...Being a Christian in the workplace is very hard with an ever present changing society. However, having a Christian worldview is important in any field of study and workplace. In this essay I will seek to show how the belief that mankind is created in the image of God is Foundational to the Christian faith, and explain how this belief affects the way I interact with people within my chosen vocation. To begin, a person who has a Christian worldview perceives the world from a biblical standpoint. George Barna wrote in Think Like Jesus, “That having a Christian worldview means that you think like Jesus and practice your faith in every aspect of your life” (Barna, 2003). This is how we make sense of the world, through a Christian worldview and living this life style. We choose to have a Christian worldview. We choose to live a life like...
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...living a Godly life in today’s world. Passage: Romans 12:1-2 Cross-References: Romans 6:13 (NKJV), Hebrews 13:13-15 (The Message), 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NKJV), Romans 12:9-21 (NKJV) Exegetical Idea: Every Christian must change their whole lives must make a change; they cannot be living a worldly life. When Christians commit their whole life to learning the Word and really meditating on the Scriptures their life will change for the better. Pedagogical Idea: With the rest of the world living a sinful life, Christians must learn how to live a sacrificial life for God and take accountability for their actions. Lesson AIM(s): Cognitive (Head): Students will discover and discuss the Christian life in Romans 12. Affective (Heart): Students will make a commitment with each other to stay accountable in their actions. Behavioral (Hands): Students will meet each week to discuss how they took challenge to change their life’s and completely surrender themselves to God. They will also keep in contact with each other through Facebook, by praying for each other daily and discussing what is going on in their lives. Hook: 1. A word association game: a. When you hear the word “sacrifice,” what comes to your mind? b. I think of dying, losing and surrendering. All things that do not exactly warm our hearts. Our hearts on their own are not prone to want to sacrifice anything. Transition: Today we will be discussing how hard it is to be a Christian in today’s...
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...make sense of life and the world. It is a set of values, philosophies and ideas that provides a special or unique understanding of the world. Everyone has a worldview, but not everyone has the same one, because we all grow with different principles and all of us create a different perspective of the world as we mature. However, there is another kind of worldview that can characterize almost all Christians. This is, as its name says, the Christian Worldview. The one that is primarily based in the word of God. It is the one that has the tools that help us to understand the world in a way that we can live and enjoy what the world has to offer without forgetting our main purpose in life, that is follow and believe in the Word and Gospel of God....
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...Final Examination Question How has religion shaped the experience of life and the perceptions of religious practitioners? Religion has shaped the experience of life and the perceptions of religious practitioners in many ways. Christianity and Islam are two religions that truly affect the daily life of their practitioners. In this section of the paper I will explain the daily, weekly, and monthly rituals of the Christians and the Muslims and how it shapes them as people. Starting off with Christianity, Christians focus on Christ. Christian use daily gospel reading and prayer to learn and to communicate with Christ. Christians do prayer alone and also in groups. Most Christians pray when they wake, before meals, and at bedtime. The prayer revolves around thanking God, asking for something, or praying for the ill. The Gospel of Matthew contains one prayer called “The Lord’s Prayer”. The prayer tells Christians how to pray and what to pray for. It is known as the most influential prayer in Christianity. The Christians most sacred book is the Holy Bible which is composed of an old and New Testament. Also, Christians used to follow a strict practice of going to mass every day, but this has phased out a bit in recent times due to modern society. Christians also go to mass on Sunday which is the Sabbath. On a yearly basis there are many sacred holidays or holy days that require Christians to do or refrain from certain acts. An example of one of the holidays is Christmas and Easter...
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...October 16, 2013 CWV-101 Rob Krise My Worldview Essay Introduction Understanding what a person’s beliefs are can help them when making life’s hard decisions. The beliefs a person has are his worldviews. Church, family, society, and knowledge of religion influence worldviews. Worldviews change and develop over a lifetime depending on life experiences and other influences. I will explain my views on God and how they affect not only my thinking, but also every aspect of my life in a positive way. Worldview Assumptions When I began this course, I did not know what to expect. However, I came to this class with my own world assumptions. I believe that in order to reach heaven, I must be baptized, and I must dedicate my life to God. I believe that it takes more than saying a person is Christian to be a Christian. I believe that attending church does not make one a Christian. Finally, I believe that I will go to heaven because my heart belongs to God. Questions and Answers from my Own Worldview Perspective Who is God and what are His Characteristics? God is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, also known as the Trinity. He is the maker and ruler of the earth and all of its inhabitants (Genesis 1:1). God is the only deity that can forgive the sins of man and allow them to enter heaven. The only way to God is through His Son, Jesus. We must accept that he is God’s son and ask him to enter our hearts in order to be saved by his grace. God is humble, compassionate...
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...is dealt with in life. Home life, school, religion, and politics are all factors that contribute to how a person perceives the world. Worldviews are developed based on how a person feels whether it be right or wrong. The Question of Origin answers how we came into existence. Scientists reject God and have different views on how life begins. But the worldview from Christians says that we became into existence through God. Genesis 1:1 points out that God created the heavens and the earth. Christians argue that God created us and He comes first in our lives. Without God, we would not be here. Ephesians 2:10 speaks on how we are God’s masterpieces. If we are Christians living by the Bible, then we are God’s children. The Question of Identify answers the importance of mankind over animals and the meaning of being a human. Christians believe that as a human we should treat everyone fairly. Karma is important to remember in life. John 15:12 points out that we should love one another as God have loved us. “If you do good deeds then you will be rewarded, but if you do bad deeds the end result will be negative in your life.” (Page 58) Galatians 6:7 gives references to the saying “you reap what you sow” and Christians live by this belief. The Question of Meaning or Purpose answers our reason for existing and why. Christians believe that our purpose of existing is to know God personally. The Bible is the way to understand what our purpose is and what God has plan for our...
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...Ella Washington Apologetics 104 week 3 June, 4/2012 What is a worldview? : In my opinion a worldview is one's perception of the world, and how it affects the manner in which he/she responds to the world in which they live. Ken Funk (Kenneth H. Funk II, PhD, and Associate Professor at Oregon State University) in his paper “What is a worldview?” cited the German word Weltanschauug which means “worldview” as… “Seems self-evident: an intellectual perspective on the world or universe.” As well as the 1989 edition of the Oxford English Dictionary defines “Weltanschauug” as …”literally, a perception of the world…” as a particular philosophy of life; a concept of the world held by an individual or a group…” Weltanschauug is also cited in “Weider and Gutierrez’s’ text Consider as a widely accepted term and was first coined by the Prussian philosopher, Immanuel Kant in his Critique of Judgment published in 1790.” It appears that many philosophers will agree that “Worldview” is one’s perception of the world. Everyone has a “worldview” but may not be aware of this view. Conscience or not it dictates how they live or act in the world…Worldview does not necessarily have to do with a perception of the world or the planet but instead it deals with a thought process that is developed from several sources. Our culture, our environment, Parents, teachers, beliefs, and our own reasoning affect our worldview. One can have many worldviews; however the worldview that” most” allow to dictate or...
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...Introduction to a Christian worldview A course in thinking Christianly about the whole of life Chris Gousmett (c) Chris Gousmett, 1996 This edition is produced solely for use as a course manual and is not to be sold, copied or otherwise reproduced in any form. i Contents Introduction 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7 8. 9. 10. The nature and function of worldviews Religion true and false . . . . . . . . .. . . . 1 16 30 The problem of dualism and synthesis in Christianity Major themes in a worldview: Human nature, truth, meaning, purpose . 46 Scripture as the source of a Christian worldview The contours of a Biblical worldview . . . . . . .. . . . . . 59 70 87 104 119 136 157 Structure and direction. Sin and evil. Common grace The task and calling of humankind: to care for the creation . The nature of Christian community. A Christian view of society. The Kingdom of God: God's righteous rule over the whole creation . Bibliography . . . . . . . . ii Introduction The creation of the Father, fallen in sin, is redeemed by the death of the Son of God and is being transformed by the Holy Spirit into the kingdom of God. Herman Bavinck This series of studies is designed to provide a basic introduction to a distinctively Christian worldview that seeks to see the whole gospel applied to the whole of life. This Christian worldview makes a difference, because it is significant for our life in the world. It shapes and directs our lives in important ways, because...
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...Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian counseling: McMinn 4-MAT Erin Liberty University Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian counseling: McMinn 4-MAT Summary Psychology, theology, and spirituality in Christian counseling (McMinn, 2011) is about ways Christian counselors can integrate practical concept of psychology, theology, and spirituality when faced with real-world problems, challenges, and questions in the counseling office. An emerging approach for Christian counseling is intradisciplinary integration, which incorporates the Christian faith into counseling practices (McMinn, 2011, p.26). McMinn describes six challenges of intradisciplinary integration such as competency of psychology, theology, and spiritual formation. A major theme of this book emphasizes the importance of establishing a therapeutic relationship in counseling, with the key components in the therapeutic relationship being the counselor’s own spiritual life and walk with God. Introspection of Christian counselors’ own spiritual lives will direct counselors to recognize their own weaknesses, while encouraging dependency on God (McMinn, 2011, p12). The desire to obtain a better understanding of Spiritual wisdom and the Spiritual life for the counselor and client can be guided by a map for Spiritual growth. The map should be scripturally and theologically sound, yet not so simple that it is inadequate for understanding challenges of mental and Spiritual health by...
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...Worldview I. What is a worldview? Worldview is a framework of beliefs by which a person views the world around them. It can also be defined as a person’s philosophy of life, a way to help him make his decision on a situation. Which can be a grid or filter, a person uses to interpret life and the world around them. II. The Question of Origin: How did life begin? How did mankind come to existence? Christians believe that the origin of how life and mankind developed was from God, our Creator. Genesis 1-12 describes how this world began. God created this world out of nothing. God spoke the world into existence. In book of Consider by Dr. Lew Weider and Dr. Ben Gutierrez stated that “The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (the Trinity) were all actively working as One in this beautiful creation story.” (pg. 73). God is transcendent; He is not part the creation but separated from it. During the creation process, God declared that it is good (Gensis1:4). Saying everything in His liking was good enough to be shown. So the Christian worldview is that the origin is deep rooted in God. The Question of Identity When God made man He created him in His likeness (Genesis 1:26-27). He created mankind to have charge over the animals and all of God’s creations. And yet God created new man in righteousness and true holiness (Ephesians 4:24). Christians is to see themselves as a child of God and likeness. The Question of Meaning/Purpose Christian’s purpose is to have a personal relationship...
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...the world mostly due to the Roman Empire and apostles such as Paul (Early Christians, n.d.). Holy sites in Christianity include Jerusalem, where Jesus Christ died and rose again on the cross and Bethlehem, which is the place where Jesus was born. Another holy site is Nazareth, which is where Jesus Christ grew up as a child and today where the largest Christian church in the Middle East is located. Rites of Passages/Rituals A confirmation in Christianity is where an already baptized person strengthens their relationship with God and becomes a full member of the Christian community. During this ceremony, the individual...
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