Essential Christianity Practical Steps for Spiritual Growth

Essential Christianity Copyright © 1998 by Willow Creek Association Requests for information should be addressed to: Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530 ISBN-10: 0-310-26604-1 ISBN-13: 978-0-310-26604-4 All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible: New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means-electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other- except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher. Interior design by Rick Devon & Michelle Espinoza Printed in the United States of America 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 /?DCI/ 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 SESSION 1 ESSENTIAL CHRISTIANITY KNOWING CHRIST THE BIG PICTURE Have you ever wondered what you might say to the people you love if you knew you had only one more chance to communicate with them? What would you say? What would you want to communicate? If I knew I could write only one more book, teach only one more class, preach only one more message, or write only one more small group study guide, it would be on the topics contained in the following pages. I am referring to the absolute basics. Not basics in terms of simplistic thoughts or truths, but basics in terms of the core building blocks of life. It is not difficult for me to get motivated to prepare messages on a whole variety of subjects. I love to teach on themes that traverse the landscape of human experience. Over the years I have tackled topics such as Christians in the marketplace, Christians in a sex-crazed culture, handling personal finances, and developing healthy relationships. I have been privileged to give messages on many books of the Bible and speak on a vast array of themes and topics. But of all of these, none is more important than what we will focus on in this study. From time to time we need to strip away all the extraneous material and get right to the heart of the Christian message. This core message of the Christian faith has transformed my life. It grips me every time I have an opportunity to communicate it. Whether I am talking with one person over a cup of coffee, leading a small group, or teaching a few thousand people, it really doesn't make any difference-it is the same life-changing message every time. A WIDE ANGLE VIEW 1. If you knew it was your last chance to speak your heart, what would you say to a family member or friend who was not a Christ follower? A BIBLICAL PORTRAIT 2. After Adam and Eve ate the fruit and disobeyed God, the way they looked at everything changed. What shift occurred in the way they viewed one of the following: - How they viewed themselves - How they viewed each other - How they viewed their God 3. Adam and Eve saw God slaughter innocent animals so that He could make clothing to cover their nakedness and shame. What did Adam and Eve learn about one of the following: - Their condition - God's view of sin - The price of sin SHARPENING THE FOCUS Read Snapshot "The Passover Lamb" THE PASSOVER LAMB God had told Moses that every Israelite family must sacrifice a lamb and place the blood of that lamb on the doorpost of their home. If they would not, the firstborn male of their home would die when the angel of death came over Egypt. Imagine you are transported back in time to Egypt in the days of Moses. You are in a pasture as a Jewish father is taking his twelve-year-old son out to find a one-year-old lamb. "What are we doing, Dad?" the boy asks. "We are going to get aHybels, Bill is the author of 'Essential Christianity Practical Steps for Spiritual Growth', published 2005 under ISBN 9780310266044 and ISBN 0310266041.