Christianity 101

POWER OF GOD MONOTHEISIM One God whose power is: (1) Omnipotent (all powerful), (2) Omnipresent (all present) (3) Omniscient (all knowing) God is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. He created the Heavens and the Earth, as well as everything on the earth, including man. God created everything in six days, and rested on the seventh day, thus establishing the first Sabbath day Christianity is monotheistic – there is only one God – however, Christians affirm the doctrine of the Trinity. This concept has been misunderstood and misinterpreted, applying a polytheistic (more than one God) quality to Christianity that is undeserved. Christians do not believe in three different gods. The Trinity is the doctrine that states that God consists of three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), yet one Essence. Each person of the Trinity is fully God, but there is only one God. (Admittedly the Trinity is difficult to understand.)

"Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts "Thus the heavens and the earth were completed, and all their hosts. By the seventh day God completed His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done" Genesis 2:1-2

HOLY TRINITY The Trinity is the doctrine that states that God consists of three persons (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit), yet one Essence. Each person of the Trinity is fully God, but there is only one God

HUMAN FALL= CONCEPT OF ORIGINAL SIN The fall of man occurred when Adam and Eve disobeyed God. Because of that one act of disobedience, sin entered the world, and from that time forth, man is inherently sinful, possessing a natural tendency to further disobey God. God’s solution to man’s sinfulness and separation from God lies in the person of Jesus Christ. "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;" Romans 3:23

ROLE OF JESUS The entire Christian faith is centred on Jesus Christ, and the very name Christian originates from Him. DEATH OF JESUS BRIDGED THE GAP BETWEEN MANKIND AND GOD It is by the very blood of Jesus that we have access to God. "He made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him" 2 Corinthians 5:21

The Bible says that Jesus is the MESSIAH, whose coming was prophesied in the Old Testament portion of the Bible. Story of Jesus Jesus was born to virgin Mary; conceived by the Holy Spirit At age 30 Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist Jesus had 12 disciples/apostles Preached to huge crowds, performed miracles Jesus is the way to God: “I am the way, the truth, and the life” Jesus was crucified, died, and buried He rose from the dead three days later 40 days after his resurrection he ascended into Heaven Great Commission: Jesus told his disciples to preach the “good news” Pentecost: Holy Spirit http://christcenteredmall.com/kids/story/prologue.htm = story of Jesus

THE BIBLE Christians believe that the Bible is the Holy, inspired Word of God. "All Scripture is inspired by God, and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work" 2 Timothy 3:16-17

OLD TESTAMENT: Old Covenant Spans over 4,000 years of the history of the Jewish people. There are 39 books in the Old Testament. The Old Testament: 1) shows humans in their sinful conditions/ separation from God 2) Stories, parables, prophecies, prophets pertaining to God’s powers and faith of mankind 3) points the way toward the coming Messiah "Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, and a branch from his roots will bear fruit. The Spirit of the LORD will rest on Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and strength, the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD" Isaiah 11:1-2. There is a period of about 400 years between the writing of the last Old Testament book (Malachi about 400 B.C.) and writing of the first New Testament book (the gospel of Mark, approximately 45 A.D.) The books of the Old and New Testaments are not listed in the Bible in chronological order, and some books overlap others as far as chronological dating is concerned.

The New Testament: The New Covenant There are 27 books in the New Testament. The books were written in approximately 50 years, all within the first century C.E. Central to the New Testament is the message that salvation is available through Jesus Christ. "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him" John 3:16-17.

Gospels Mark: oldest gospel, acquaintance of Peter who was one of Jesus’ apostles Matthew: was a Jew, refers to OT (connect to Judaism) Luke: Greek doctor, educated, wrote about Jesus’ teachings, stories, and was meticulous in details John: uses metaphors to explain to people who Jesus was Acts: History of the early Church Epistles: Letters Paul wrote to different Churches Revelations: Written by the same John who wrote the gospel, discusses end times in the future. In the fight between good and evil, good will triumph.

Worship "For just as we have many members in one body and all the members do not have the same function, so we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another“ Romans 12:4-5 The Christian Sabbath is traditionally observed on Sundays. This is a change from the Jewish Saturday observance at the founding of the Christian church because of the belief that Jesus rose from the dead on the first day of the week. The idea of church is for believers to come together as a body, and to have fellowship with other believers. "Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much" James 5:16.

The Ten Commandments Handed down from directly from God to Moses on stone tablets, the Ten Commandments are still part of the moral law that Christians should be observing in their daily lives. The first four commandments refer to the way we should love God, while the last six refer to the way we should love our neighbour. Jesus summed up the law in two commands, in Mark 12:28-31 "One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, ‘What commandment is the foremost of all?’ Jesus answered, ‘The foremost is, "Hear, O Israel! The LORD our God is one Lord; and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength." [Deut. 6:5] ‘The second is this, "You shall love your neighbour as yourself." [Lev. 19:18] ‘There is no other commandment greater than these.’"

The Lord’s Supper The first Lord’s Supper was established by Jesus Himself, the night before he was crucified. He commanded the disciples to continue this practice. "And when He [Jesus] had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me." And in the same way He took the cup after they had eaten, saying, "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood" Luke 22:19-20. Many churches incorporate an observance of the Lord’s Supper into their regular worship service, usually the Sunday morning service. At this time bread and wine [grape juice usually substituted] are passed out to the congregation, as everyone remembers the words of Jesus and the sacrifice He made at the Cross.

Recap What are the major similarities and differences between Christianity and Judaism? Describe the concept of the ‘Holy Trinity’? What do you believe is the most important aspect of Christianity? If God is all powerful, why does evil exist? What is free will? Why did God empower man with free will? How does this affect our relationship with God?

Activities Read the story: The Room Clips from Bruce Almighty Clips from Bruce Almighty - Chapter 7 (arrival to the building)- water - chapter 11 – newcast - chapter 13 – prayers - chapter 14 – party and free will = end