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Jesus |
Light Our purpose and significance would be impossible to understand without the light of the Bible. God's Word is a "lamp to my feet and a light for my path" (Psalm 119:105). The Bible contains everything necessary for shedding light on our lives. |
World |
Darkness God compares life without Jesus Christ to living in the darkness. It's a world without light, without understanding, without joy. Yet we're told that although Christ came to bring salvation to everyone, some prefer to reject Christ and live in spiritual darkness. |
Pharisees The Pharisees were the most influential Jewish leaders while Jesus was on earth. They tried to perfectly uphold the law, and they imposed that expectation on others. Yet as carefully as they defined the law, they went one step too far and made it the epicenter of their faith. Jesus was not impressed with their law - abiding ways; in fact he harshly criticized them for burdening people with unnecessary rules and forgetting how to love others. |
Life This is where Jesus enters the picture. He came to give us abundant life. He tells us to give him our cares and stop worrying because worrying doesn't add a single hour to our lives. Jesus also tells us to stop selfishly hoarding our lives; instead, we are to freely give them away by serving him. In a strange paradox, it's only when we lose our lives to him that we gain them back. Jesus reminds us that if we get everything the world has to offer, yet lose our souls, we haven't really lived. |
Witness |
Judge |
Right |
Father As children of God, we can expect to be disciplined if we err. And we shouldn't be discouraged when this happens because discipline shows that God loves us. Just as good parents teach their children not to do things that will hurt them, so our Father in heaven teaches us what is best for us. |
Teach |
Temple The temple Solomon built for God was permanent and incredibly beautiful. Sadly, wicked kings later filled the temple with idols. God's glory left that place, and it was finally destroyed by the Babylonians. The Jews rebuild a less spectacular version of the temple after they returned from the Babylonian captivity. In the New Testament period, Jews worshiped in the temple rebuilt by King Herod. The Romans destroyed it in A.D. 70, just as Jesus predicted. After Jesus' death and resurrection, god no longer dwelt in a building made by human hands, but in the believing human heart. Because the Holy Spirit lives in each believer our very own bodies are his temples. Today a church building is not the temple, but it is where many "temples" of the Holy Spirit gather to worship God weekly. |
Time God has a clear understanding of time. In the Bible, he warned that all people should live for him because the time is coming when he will return to the earth. While some believe they can delay serving God, we are commanded to serve God now. We are to take advantage of the moments God gives us to share the gospel. |
Sin |
Death |
Jews Jews are the physical descendants of Abraham through his grandson Jacob, the father of the Israelites. The label "Jew" came into use after the Babylonian captivity. The stories of Ezra, Nehemiah and Esther highlight God's protection of the people in the midst of great danger and opposition. |
Believe Merely "believing" in God does not make someone a Christian any more than believing in exercise keeps one in shape; a person must actually exercise to stay in shape. Demons "believe" in God (James 2:19). They know he exists, but they don't choose to follow him. Believing that Jesus Christ is your Savior means believing that Jesus' death pays the penalty for your sin. As a result of this belief you repent-you turn away from your sin-and obey Jesus Christ. |
Son |
Faith Faith is essential to eternal life; it is the way we have a relationship with God. First, when we receive Jesus Christ as Savior, we are exercising faith that he is the way to heaven, the one who makes us God's child. Second, because we cannot see God now, we live our lives by faith. We make our decisions and follow desires based on God's character and his promises. |
Disciples In the Bible, the word "disciple" can apply to followers of John the Baptist, students of the Pharisees or the broader circle of people who believed Jesus' teachings. But it most often refers to the twelve disciples whom Jesus asked to follow him. They lived with him night and day and learned from his teaching and lifestyle. The Bible makes it clear that Jesus' followers were not perfect, but they knew enough to recognize that leaving everything they had in order to follow Jesus was worth the price. |
Truth Humans, on the other hand, tend to try to cover up their blemishes, present themselves in the best light or skew the truth to reveal only the details that make their case. But nothing we do can change the truth. When we try to cover it up, we are imprisoned by our lies, But because we know God's forgiveness is available, we can dare to confess our sins and admit that we do not measure up to God's standards of perfection. Only then are we truly free to let ourselves be known- because our sins, ugly as they may be, are forgiven. Jesus said, "You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free". |
Family |
Belong |
Forever Unlike the boss who retires or the president whose term is complete, nothing will force God out of power. In fact, the Bible tells us that God will always rule, and whatever he establishes cannot be altered by anyone. When everything else seems to change so quickly, God will always be the same. |
Word |
Freedom |
Abraham |
Slavery |
| The validity of Jesus’ testimony 12.
When Jesus
spoke again to the people, he said, “I am the light
of the world.
Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness,
but will have the light
of life.” |
24.
I told you that you would die
in your sins;
if you do not believe
that I am {the one I claim to be}, you will indeed die
in your sins.” The Children of Abraham 31.
To the Jews
who had believed
him, Jesus
said, “If you hold to my teaching,
you are really my disciples. |
Topic:
Jesus
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| The
world's most influential person
Can you imagine anyone else saying, "I am the light of the world"? When we look at the impact of Jesus, we can see that these words speak profound truth. He began his life in obscurity, born in a small village, the child of a peasant woman. He worked as a carpenter until he was thirty and then, for the next three years, became an itinerant preacher. He never owned a home. He never wrote a book. He never held an office. He never had a family. He never traveled more than two hundred miles from the place where he was born. He was turned over to his enemies and executed on a cross between two thieves. While he was dying his executors owned - his coat. When he was dead, he was laid in a borrowed grave. Nineteen centuries have come and gone, and today he is the centerpiece of the human race. All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that were ever built, all the parliaments that ever sat and all the kings that ever reigned put together have not affected the lives of people upon this earth as powerfully as has Jesus, one solitary life. Jesus has transformed the world by changing one life at a time, alone day at a time. How is he changing your life? More
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13 THE STARTING POINT STUDY BIBILE New International Version The Luis Palau Evangelistic Association / www.luispalau.org |