Fundamentals of the Faith: 13 Lessons to Grow in the Grace and Knowledge of Jesus Christ

by Grace Community Church, John MacArthur (Introduction)

Overview

"On Sunday mornings at Grace Community Church, small groups of people gather together in Fundamentals of the Faith classes to use this manual of thirteen lessons, which blends basic biblical truths with personal obedience and service. Many young believers take these classes to grow in their understanding of biblical truths." For the first time ever, Fundamentals of the Faith is available to the trade. With topics ranging from “God: His Character and Attributes” to “The Church: Fellowship and Worship,” this study is ideal to disciple new believers or to realize afresh what it means to believe in Jesus.

Each lesson is loaded with learning tools to help you engage Scripture- a link to 13 free downloadable messages by John MacArthur himself, study questions, memory verses, and suggestions for practical application.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781575673226
Publisher:	Moody Publishers
Publication date:	02/24/2009
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	96
Sales rank:	139,183
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

GRACE COMMUNITY CHURCH was founded on July 1, 1956 as a nondenominational church with an emphasis on the basics of Christianity. Dr. John MacArthur has served as pastor since February 1969, continuing to build on the strong foundation of sound doctrine, spiritual leadership, and active service to God and the community.

Read an Excerpt

Fundamentals of the Faith

13 Lessons to Grow in the Grace & Knowledge of Jesus Christ

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By John MacArthur, Dave Amandus

Moody Publishers

Copyright © 2009 Grace Community Church
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-57567-322-6

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CHAPTER 1

Lesson 1

Introduction to the Bible

Prepare for Your Assignment

1. Along with this workbook, you will need a Bible and a journal or notebook for personal notes from the message you will hear.

2. Download message #1, "Our God-Breathed Bible," from www.gty.org/fof.

3. Using your Bible, fill in the answers on the following pages.

Memorize 2 Timothy 3:16

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.

* I hope you have an appreciation for the Scripture. I hope you have an appreciation for it not as a fetish but because it is the greatest treasure, apart from God Himself, that we have. It is His very word, His very self-revelation. When people ask me why it is that I systematically teach through book after book, why it is that I pay so much attention to detail and to every verse and every phrase and touch all the words, I tell them it's because I understand them to be the words of God revealed to us from Him. And I would not second-guess the necessity of those words being then presented, taught and understood by all of us.

John MacArthur

The Bible is the Word of God. It claims to be the truth, the message from God to man. Second Peter 1:21 says that "men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God."

* The Scriptures were written by approximately 40 different men.

* These men lived in several different countries and cultures.

* They lived in different eras (1400 B.C. through A.D. 90).

* They wrote in three languages: Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek.

Despite these differences, God moved the writers to focus on His glory in man's redemption through one central figure—Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

I. The Old Testament (39 books)

A. The Pentateuch (5 books)

The first five books of the Old Testament were written by Moses around 1400 B.C. They often are referred to as the "Five Books of Moses" or the "Pentateuch."

List the books of the Pentateuch in the order you find them in your Bible.

1. The book of beginnings: Creation, man, sin, redemption, God's nation

2. God delivers His people from Egypt

3. Atonement, holiness, and worship through sacrifice and purification

4. God's people continually disobey and wander in the wilderness for 40 years

5. Moses' great discourses to prepare Israel to enter the Promised Land

B. History (12 books)

The historical books were written between 1400 and 450 B.C. and describe God's dealings with His chosen people, Israel, the Hebrew nation.

List these books in order.

1.____________________

2.____________________

3.____________________

4.____________________

5.____________________

6.____________________

7.____________________

8.____________________

9.____________________

10.____________________

11.____________________

12.____________________

C. Poetry (5 books)

The following five books are poetic, describing in poetry and song God's greatness and His dealings with men.

List these books in order.

1.____________________The suffering and loyal trust of a man who loved God

2.____________________Songs of praise and instruction

3.____________________God's practical wisdom for daily life

4.____________________The emptiness of an earthly life without God

5.____________________A celebration of marital joy

D. Major Prophets (5 books)

A prophet was a person commissioned by God to deliver His message to men. These books are called "Major Prophets" because they generally are longer than the writings of the "Minor Prophets." The Major Prophets were written approximately between 750 and 550 B.C.

List these books in order.

1.____________________

2.____________________

3.____________________

4.____________________

5.____________________

E. Minor Prophets (12 books)

The last 12 books of the Old Testament were written approximately between 840 and 400 B.C.

List these books in order.

1.____________________

2.____________________

3.____________________

4.____________________

5.____________________

6.____________________

7.____________________

8.____________________

9.____________________

10.____________________

11.____________________

12.____________________

II. The New Testament (27 books)

The New Testament, or New Covenant, reveals Jesus Christ, the Redeemer of men. In it we find:

* The life of Christ

* The way of salvation

* The beginning of Christianity

* Instruction for Christian living

* God's plan for the future

A. History (5 books)

1. The Gospels (first 4 books)

a.____________________The life of Christ, written especially for the Jews, revealing Jesus Christ as their

long-awaited Messiah

b.____________________The life of Christ, revealing Jesus as the obedient Servant of God; written

especially to the Roman world

c.____________________The life of Christ, revealing Jesus as the perfect man, emphasizing His humanity; written by Luke, a Greek, to the Greek world

d.____________________The life of Christ, revealing Jesus as the Son of God, stressing His deity; very evangelistic

What two reasons are given for the writing of John's Gospel (John 20:31)?

1.______________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

2.______________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

2. History of the Early Church (1 book)

____________________The beginning and spread of the Christian church; it could be called the "Acts of the Holy Spirit," and was written as an evangelistic tool

B. Letters or Epistles (21 books)

These books were written to individuals, to churches, or to believers in general. The letters deal with every aspect of Christian faith and responsibility.

List them in order.

1. Paul's Letters (13 books)

a.____________________

b.____________________

c.____________________

d.____________________

e.____________________

f.____________________

g.____________________

h.____________________

i.____________________

j.____________________

k.____________________

l.____________________

m.____________________

2. General Letters (8 books)

a.____________________

b.____________________

c.____________________

d.____________________

e.____________________

f.____________________

g.____________________

h.____________________

C. Prophecy (1 book)

The last book of the New Testament tells of future events.

* Return of Christ

* Reign of Jesus Christ

* Glory of Jesus Christ

* Future state of believers and unbelievers

This book is called.

III. Christ in the Bible

A. The Old and New Testaments should be seen together, as both portray Jesus Christ as the central figure.

Read the following verses and fill in the blanks.

1. Luke 24:27. Christ is seen in______________________________________________________________________________

2. John 5:39. Jesus said the Scriptures "bear witness of____________________."

B. The key is Jesus.

IV. Why Is the Bible Important?

When tempted by Satan, Jesus alluded to Deuteronomy 8:3: "Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God" (Matthew 4:4).

A. What does 2 Timothy 3:16 say about the Bible? (Choose the correct answer.)

[] Some of the Bible is inspired by God.

[] There are a few parts that are not inspired.

[] The entire Bible is inspired by God.

[] Only those parts that speak to us in a personal way are inspired by God.

B. How do the following verses show the importance of God's Word?

1.2 Timothy 3:15____________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

2. Hebrews 4:12____________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

C. What four things does God's Word do?

1. Psalm 19:7a___________________________________________________________________________

2. Psalm 19:7b___________________________________________________________________________

3. Psalm 19:8a___________________________________________________________________________

4. Psalm 19:8b___________________________________________________________________________

V. Application

Based on what you have learned about the Bible, what should your response be?

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

Use the following chart to picture the relationships between the various books of the Bible.

CHAPTER 2

Lesson 2

How to Know the Bible

Prepare for Your Assignment

1. Download message #2, "How to Study Scripture," from www.gty.org/fof.

2. Use your notebook to take notes on the message.

3. Work through the questions and tasks on the following pages.

Memorize 2 Timothy 2:15

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.

* It is very obvious, I think, to every Christian, that the Bible is the revelation of God. That God has written His word for us. It is the only rule we have for life. It is the only standard we have for behavior. It is the only authority. There may be other things you learn in life that help you through life but they don't have the authority that God's Word does. When the Bible speaks, that is the voice of God. And it is authoritative and it becomes, then, for us, the standard of life.

There are some Christians who read all kinds of books rather than the Bible. And we say they study about the Bible but they don't study the Bible. The primary thing to do is to study the Word of God. Through it God speaks. Now there are other good books that other men speak through with emphasis on Scripture and application and interpretation but there is no substitute for the Bible. So in the life of every Christian there must be that daily nourishing in the Word of God. It is critical.

John MacArthur

The "how" of learning and applying Scripture to life is something every Christian should know. This lesson covers five ways to make the Bible yours: hearing, reading, studying, memorizing, and meditating. Compare those five methods of learning Scripture to the fingers on your hand. If you hold the Bible with only two fingers, it is easy to lose your grip. But as you use more fingers, your grasp of the Bible becomes stronger.

If a person hears, reads, studies, memorizes, and then meditates on the Bible, his grasp of its truths becomes firm; they are part of his life. As the thumb is needed in combination with any finger to complete your hold, so meditation combined with hearing, reading, studying, and memorizing is essential for a full grasp of God's Word.

HEAR THE BIBLE

So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.—Romans 10:17

READ THE BIBLE

Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near.—Revelation 1:3

STUDY THE BIBLE

Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so.—Acts 17:11

MEMORIZE THE BIBLE

How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word. With all my heart I have sought You; do not let me wander from Your commandments. Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You.—Psalm 119:9–11

MEDITATE ON THE BIBLE

But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither; and in whatever he does, he prospers.—Psalm 1:2–3

I. Why to Know the Bible

List five reasons for knowing God's Word.

* 2 Timothy 2:15________________________________________________________________________

* 1 Peter 2:2___________________________________________________________________________

* Psalm 119:11__________________________________________________________________________

* Psalm 119:38__________________________________________________________________________

* Psalm 119:105_________________________________________________________________________

We study Scripture because it is sufficient.

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness.—2 Timothy 3:16

II. How to Know the Bible

A. Hear It

"So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17).

1. Whom did Jesus say would be blessed (Luke 11:28)?

________________________________________________________________________________

2. In proclaiming the Word, what should pastors and teachers do (Nehemiah 8:7–8)?

________________________________________________________________________________

B. Read It

"Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and heed the things which are written in it; for the time is near" (Revelation 1:3).

1. Write Revelation 1:3 in your own words.

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

2. To what did Paul ask Timothy to give his attention (1 Timothy 4:13)?

________________________________________________________________________________

If you do not have a daily reading plan, start with the Gospel of Mark or John. At the rate of two chapters each day, you will complete the New Testament in 19 weeks!

_______________________________________________________________________________

C. Study It

When the apostle Paul left Thessalonica, he came to Berea and shared the gospel with unbelieving Jews. What he found was that they "were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so" (Acts 17:11).

Attitudes toward Bible study:

1. According to Acts 17:11, what two traits did the Bereans demonstrate as they received the Word of God?

________________________________________________________________________________

2. How should we search for wisdom or understanding (Proverbs 2:4)?

________________________________________________________________________________

Bible study is more than just reading the Bible; it involves careful observation, interpretation, and application. Reading gives you the overall picture, but study helps you think, learn, and apply what you read to your life.

D. Memorize It

"How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word.... Your word I have treasured in my heart, that I may not sin against You" (Psalm 119:9, 11).

1. How did God command Israel to remember His Word?

a. Deuteronomy 11:18a__________________________________________________________________________

b. Deuteronomy 11:19___________________________________________________________________________

2. Read Matthew 4:4, 7, 10.

a. During the three confrontations with Satan, what did Jesus do to overcome His temptations?

________________________________________________________________________________

b. How might you apply this example to your own life?

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

3. Write Psalm 40:8 in your own words.

________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________________________

It is easier to memorize with a purpose. Understanding the meaning or application of the passage will make memorizing easier.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Fundamentals of the Faith by John MacArthur, Dave Amandus. Copyright © 2009 Grace Community Church. Excerpted by permission of Moody Publishers.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Introduction
How to Use the Lesson Assignments

Lesson 1: Introduction to the Bible

Lesson 2: How to Know the Bible

Lesson 3: God: His Character and Attributes

Lesson 4: The Person of Jesus Christ

Lesson 5: The Work of Christ

Lesson 6: Salvation

Lesson 7: The Person and Ministry of the Holy Spirit

Lesson 8: Prayer and the Believer

Lesson 9: The Church: Fellowship and Worship

Lesson 10: Spiritual Gifts

Lesson 11: Evangelism and the Believer

Lesson 12: Obedience

Lesson 13: God's Will and Guidance