The idea that all we must do is pray a simple prayer and we are then free to live as we please while claiming to be “saved” is a ridiculous concept, yet unfortunately also a very popular one in the church today. The Bible teaches that the Gospel, when it is truly received, not only saves us, but CHANGES our very nature. Any creature who’s nature has been changed will, by consequence, experience a clear change in thought, appetite, behavior and conviction, since these are all things the creatures nature affects. If we claim to be “saved” and yet still live as slaves to the flesh and its sinful desires, what have we been saved from? What is the point of being “born again” if we are just going to live as the original man lived? What glory does God receive from the life of one who is unchanged by His Spirit upon receiving it? In truth, to live as one who has never been touched by God is to DENY the power of God all together. Gods touch affects change in ALL things it encounters. ANYONE touched by God will change, not because they choose to, but because they ARE CHANGED by Gods touch. Change of nature and behavior is the bi-product of truly receiving the Gospel. If you have not changed, it is because are not changed, and if you are not changed, you HAVE NOT truly received the Gospel.
Purple Book – ch2: lesson2THE NARROW DOORThe Bible teaches that we are saved by God’s grace, not by our own good deeds. We cannot earn eternal life by good behavior. We must receive the gift of Jesus’ work on the cross. However, when true salvation occurs, the evidence of our changed lives should be obvious. Read Matthew 7:13-20 to find out what Jesus had to say about what it means to be his true follower.
1. What does Jesus say about entering the kingdom of God? v. 13-14 ____________________________________________________ 2. How can we tell who is a real follower of Jesus and who is not? v. 16 ____________________________________________________ 3. According to Jesus, what is the destiny of those who bear bad fruit? v. 19 ____________________________________________________ “Bad fruit” is a metaphor for a sinful lifestyle. Sin is lawlessness. It’s breaking God’s commands.4. Centuries before Jesus was born, God gave his people the Law-summed up in the Ten Commandments.
What are God’s Ten Commandments? Exodus 20:1-17
v3 ____________________________________________________ v. 4-6 ____________________________________________________ v. 7 ____________________________________________________ v. 8-10 ____________________________________________________ v. 12 ____________________________________________________ v. 13 ____________________________________________________ v. 14 ____________________________________________________ v. 15 ____________________________________________________ v. 16 ____________________________________________________ v.17 ____________________________________________________
5. What did Jesus say about those who disregard these laws? Matthew 5:17-19________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________
The Bible declares that Jesus Christ is the source of our righteousness (right standing with God). Yet God’s laws have not been done away with. There is still such a thing as right and wrong. When we break these laws it is still called “sin.” The difference is that now as Christians we not only can be forgiven, but we also have a new abillity to say no to sin.6. How did Jesus say we could sum up all of God’s law? Matthew 7:12
_________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ 7. What is the difference between those who love Jesus and those who do not? John 14:15, 23-24_________________________________________________________________
8. What does Paul say must not be in our lives as believers? Ephesians 5:3-5________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________
9. What did paul warn would happen to those who practice such things? Galatians 5:19-21_______________________________________________________________
10. What is the reason people live in sin and still think they are christians? 1 Corinthians 6:9-10________________________________________________________________ These warnings remind us that we are not just new people in theory, but that we are called to live in a new way. As humans, We certainly wont be perfect, but because of Christ, we are on a journey that will lead to greater and greater victories over the sins and weaknesses that previously dominated our lives. This process is called sanctification.And that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God – 1 Corinthians 6:11 (TNIV)
APPLICATION AND REFLECTION What did you learn from this lesson? How will you apply it to your life?_______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________ _______________________________________________________________
No one had a problem with Jesus the “savior”, the “provider”, even Jesus the “healer”. He was sought after and celebrated when her functioned according to these titles. It wasn’t until he began to proclaim His LORDSHIP, supremacy and equality with GOD that he was hated and feared. It was these claims that actually led to his execution by the jews demands upon a roman cross. Both Jews and Gentiles alike mocked his LORDSHIP and participated in his execution, proving that ultimately the world as a whole hated God and would rather get rid of Him than acknowledge His Lordship over them. Ive noticed the same thing in my many years of ministry. people usually have no issue with Jesus as a “good man” or even a “great prophet”. He is often embraced by many as these things, even atheists and other religions at times will have no issues giving Christ these watered down titles. Once Jesus’ divine LORDSHIP over ALL creation is brought up, then the uproar and rebellion begins. At the heart of every sinful man is the desire to be his own GOD. original sin involved man and woman wanting to decide for themselves what is right and wrong and to do what pleases them rather than what pleases GOD.
We must understand that Jesus is only able to be our savior BECAUSE HE IS LORD. To rebel against His LORDSHIP is to deny Him all together. we cant have a savior, but not a LORD, and without the LORD, we have no savior. If we truly believe in Him, we will acknowledge and obey Him as LORD.
Purple Book – ch2: lesson 1JESUS IS LORD1. What did Peter proclaim about Jesus? Acts 2:36Lord is another word for “master.” Messiah means “annointed one” and is a special term for Jesus, indicating that He’s the deliverer God had promised to send2. What did paul write about Jesus? Phillipians 2:6-11 V.6 ___________________________________________ V.7 ____________________________________________ V.8 _____________________________________________ V.9 ____________________________________________ V.10 _____________________________________________ V.11______________________________________________
3. What does paul say we should do after we receive Jesus? Colossians 2:6_____________________________________________ _____________________________________________ 4. What did Jesus say is the result of obeying Him? Luke 6:46-49 ______________________________________________________ 5. According to Jesus, who will enter the kingdom of Heaven? Mathew 7:21-23___________________________________________________
APPLICATION AND REFLECTION What did you learn from this lesson? How will you apply it to your life? ____________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________–“Here I Am LORD. Send Me, I’ll Go” Psalm 138: 1-8 –
Gods word commands us to worship God “in spirit and truth”. in order to do this we must then know him and in knowing Him we will learn not only what He does and Why, but also the HOW as well. they “how” of salvation gives us tremendous insight into the true nature of Gods sovereignty and also the POWER He has to change the hearts and minds of men. it also requires us to humble ourselves because we learn that there is absolutely nothing we can do in terms of “good works” to save ourselves from Gods wrath. lets see what the bible sais about HOW we are saved.
Purple Book Ch1 Lesson5 Grace Through FaithIt is critical to understand that we cannot save ourselves. The foundation of our Faith is Jesus’ death and resurrection. That’s what paid the penalty for our sins. As a result of God’s work in Jesus, we are new people with a new heart and a new Lord.1. Is it possible to be saved by the things we do – our “works”? How are we saved? Ephesians 2:8-9
2. Does God save us because of the good things we do? if not, they why does he save us? Titus 3:4-5
3. What does God’s grace teach the believer? Titus 2:11-12
4. Shall we continue to sin because of God’s grace and forgiveness? why? Romans 6:15
5. What are we created for as Christians? Ephesians 2:10
6. What did jesus say to those who believe in Him? Matthew 16:24As we have learned in this chapter, we are spiritually dead and cannot save ourselves. Regardless of who we are, we need a savior. Jesus Christ is the only true savior. By receiving Jesus as Savior and Lord, we can be delivered from the power of sin and it’s consequences. Our salvation is based on what jesus did for us, not on our own efforts.We must therefore….Realize that we are sinners without excuse (Romans 1:20) and that it is only through the death and resurrection of Christ that we can be saved.Respond by turning from sin and putting our faith in him and following Him as Lord. In the next two chapters, we will thoroughly examine what it means to now be followers of Jesus.
Application & Reflection: What did you learn from this lesson? How will you apply it to your life?
As far as I can tell, if there is ONE principle teaching that separates Christianity from EVERY other world religion it is this: Man CAN NOT, by his own good works, contribute to the salvation of his soul. Although good works can be the evidence that a man is saved, what saves any man is not a work of his own. I often look at it this way…. Since we know that man is by nature a dirty creature, it would make no sense to assume that he can make himself clean. With what? He is dirty, and when has dirt been able to clean dirt? Without introducing a purifying or cleaning agent, the dirt would simply be transferred and reapplied and an even larger mess would be made. True Christian doctrine teaches that man can NEVER be cleansed by his own efforts, but rather Christ, the pure one, the cleaning agent if you will, makes us new and cleanses us from all our sin. Salvation as a grace given to men that is achieved ONLY by putting our Faith in Christ to save us. In essence we must abandon faith in ourselves as our saviors and humble ourselves before God as our ultimate savior and righteous judge. Let’s look at what the word has to say about this fact of salvation. Man has always tried to force his way into the equation in an effort to share in Gods glory. But the truth is, we have no right to do so. We are fallen and have failed. We have gone our own way and yet God has made a means by which to bring us home. It is GOD and God alone who deserves credit and honor and glory from the salvation of men. Understanding this will greatly enrich your worship and also your reverence for the sovereign God of all creation.
Purple Book Ch1 Lesson5 Grace Through FaithIt is critical to understand that we cannot save ourselves. The foundation of our Faith is Jesus’ death and resurrection. That’s what paid the penalty for our sins. As a result of God’s work in Jesus, we are new people with a new heart and a new Lord.1. Is it possible to be saved by the things we do – our “works”? How are we saved? Ephesians 2:8-9
2. Does God save us because of the good things we do? if not, they why does he save us? Titus 3:4-5
3. What does God’s grace teach the believer? Titus 2:11-12
4. Shall we continue to sin because of God’s grace and forgiveness? why? Romans 6:15
5. What are we created for as Christians? Ephesians 2:10
6. What did jesus say to those who believe in Him? Matthew 16:24As we have learned in this chapter, we are spiritually dead and cannot save ourselves. Regardless of who we are, we need a savior. Jesus Christ is the only true savior. By receiving Jesus as Savior and Lord, we can be delivered from the power of sin and it’s consequences. Our salvation is based on what jesus did for us, not on our own efforts.We must therefore….Realize that we are sinners without excuse (Romans 1:20) and that it is only through the death and resurrection of Christ that we can be saved.Respond by turning from sin and putting our faith in him and following Him as Lord. In the next two chapters, we will thoroughly examine what it means to now be followers of Jesus.Application & Reflection:What did you learn from this lesson? How will you apply it to your life?
HOG MOB STUDY – WEEK 4 What if for your entire life you had health complications that affected every aspect of your life? Imagine going to the doctor and being told that every issue you have ever experienced stemmed from one thing: a bad heart. Would you spend a life time spending huge amounts of money and going through painful surgeries and treatments that deal with the EFFECTS of your bad heart? OR, would you want the doctor to replace your bad heart all together and in doing so the rest of your issues would naturally fade away? What we must understand is that spiritually this is our situation. We were all BORN with a bad heart! A heart that loves sin and its own passions and this heart issue affects every aspect of our lives. The sad part is, many of us have spent our whole lives seeking worldly “treatment” for the issues caused by our bad hearts but not ever truly surrendering ourselves to the process of having our heart replaced by God with His heart. We try to change our behaviors or our thought processes but are unwilling to allow God full access to us to change us completely from the inside out. Many of us lack the faith that it requires to do this. To go under the knife of the Holy Spirit and trust Him completely. We are also the type, like many who avoid the doctor because they fear bad news, to avoid fellowship with God and His Word because we don’t like to be told something is wrong with us. But we must remember that it’s not the doctor who GIVES you the disease, but rather REVEALS it so it can be dealt with. In the same way it’s not GOD who gives us this bad heart, not at all, its Him who reveals it and ultimately has the power to transform it into a heart that pursues Godliness above all things and will naturally lead you into a deeper and more intimate relationship with the one who created you and can reveal the true purpose for your life. Many believe the Devil is our biggest enemy. Although that makes for great movies and stories, according to the bible that is simply NOT TRUE. Satan is our enemy for sure, however, our heart for this world and its sinful and destructive passions are our GREATEST enemy against a life of love for God and His commands. If it were not for a heart that seeks its own way above Gods way, Satan would have no means to tempt us by. Remember this, something it only truly a temptation to you, if YOU WANT IT. If we didn’t have a heart that wants these things, Satan would have no way of leading us into sinfulness. The ONLY way to be free from sin and even the desire to sin, is to have your heart changed and replaced with one that truly loves God above all else. Receiving the Gospel and submitting your life to Christ will produce this new and clean heart with in you. It’s a process for sure, but the same God that began the work, will complete it. We must have faith and trust His process and submit ourselves to his hand.
Let’s look at the process of receiving this new heart and what it produces.
Purple Book: ch1 lesson 4Receiving God’s Gift: A New HeartAs a result of receiving God’s sacrifice, Jesus Christ, as the payment of our sins, we not only experience forgiveness from the past, but we are given a new heart and a new life as God’s children.1. What did God promise he would give His people? Ezekiel 36:26
2. What does God do when he rescues us from our state of spiritual death? Ephesians 2:4-6
3. What happens when we receive Jesus as Lord and savior? John 1:12-13
4. What did Jesus say MUST happen before we can enter the Kingdom of God? John 3:3-7
5. What do the following passages tell you about being “born again” and “born of God”?John 1:12-13
1 Peter 1:23
1 John 3:9
1 John 4:76. What does Paul say about those who are “in Christ”? 2 Corinthians 5:17
7. What is the destiny of those who are “born of God”? 1 John 5:4APPLICATION & REFLECTION: What would you do if someone could offer you a whole new start in life?Have you truly received God’s gift of new life? How do you know?
Last week we looked at SIN and its consequence… DEATH. This week we will take a look at Gods solution for the mess that we have made by choosing our own way rather than obeying God. As a result of sin man has continued to attempt to be his own provider and protector both physically and spiritually. Look at the 1st thing man did after they sinned, hid themselves and covered themselves. In hiding they hoped to provide protection from Gods wrath and in covering themselves they hoped to provide their own means of escape from the guilt and shame of losing their innocence and being exposed as law breakers. Man’s attempt to cover himself using fig leaves is one of the first times we see a form of false religion in scripture. Rather than run to God and repent, he chose to hide himself and cover his own guilt through works of his own hands. Adam and Eves behavior represent not only all of our behavior when bound to sin, but also demonstrate how inadequate our attempts to make ourselves righteous really are. The leaves that Adam chose to cover him and his wife with would not only have become rotten and moldy over time making them even more foul than the already were, but, their nakedness wasn’t even their real issue, their loss of innocents was. Their guilt before GOD was something that those fig leaves could never solve. Regardless of how much they attempted to cover themselves, they were still guilty before a Holy and all-knowing GOD. Nothing could undo what they had done or the consequence God had promised. Spiritual and physical death were the penalty for Sin and now that sin had been committed, something HAD TO DIE for God’s word to hold true and His righteous anger to be satisfied. Yet as angry as God was with mankind, he still made a way for us to be spared, but not without the debt of death being satisfied. Lets look at what Gods justice and mercy require for the penalty of our sin.
Purple book Ch1 lesson 3GOD’S SOLUTION FOR SIN: JESUS’ DEATH AND RESURRECTIONThe penalty for sin is death, both spiritual and physical. God’s ultimate solution for sin was foreshadowed in the original story. After Adam and Eve sinned, they tried to hide themselves with their covering. And Humanity has been hiding from God every since. God, however, provided the real covering, and he did so By spilling the blood of an innocent animal.The concept of sacrifice (the idea that because of sin, someone has to pay the penalty) is seen throughout The Bible. Sin was forgiven only as a result of shedding blood, a sacrifice offered in the place of a sinful Human beings. The sacrifice had to be one without defect. 1. What is necessary for the forgiveness of sins? Hebrews 9:222. How did God cover Adam and Eve’s first sin? Genesis 3:213. How were “unclean” things made “clean?’ Hebrews 9:224. Can the blood of animals ultimately take away our sins? Hebrews 10:4Read Isaiah 53.5. Why would the promised savior be “pierced?” Isaiah 53:56. How does the prophet Isaiah say we will be healed? Isaiah 53:57. How did John the baptist, the last prophet before Jesus, introduce Jesus publicly? John 1:298. What did the prophet Isaiah predict God would do? Isaiah 53:69. What does Jesus’ blood, his sacrificial death, do for us?Romans 5:9Ephesians 1:71 John 1:7Revelation 1:510. What did Jesus do for us on the cross?1 Corinthians 15:3-42 Corinthians 5:21 Galatians 3: 13-141 Peter 2:24 11. According to the bible, what makes Jesus unique that he can do this for us?John 1:18 Colossians 1:15-20 Hebrews 4:15 Jesus’ blood, his sacrificial death, is God’s solution for humanity’s sin. He pays the penalty for your sin. He wants to wipe the slate clean, forgiveness. But Jesus didn’t just stay in the grave. He rose from the Dead. 12. What is the significance of Jesus’ resurrection? What if there was no resurrection? 1 Corinthians 15:14-19 v. 14 v. 15 v.16 v.17 v.18 v.19 What makes God’s gift of grace so costly is that Jesus paid for it. What makes it so powerful is that he Came back from the dead. Proving that he is the Son of God and showing that God accepted his sacrifice As a payment for our sin.He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification.Romans 4:25 (TNIV) God’s law demands that sin be punished by death. Year in and year out, innocent animals would die in thePlace of God’s people, reminding them that sin is costly. However, God’s plan was to send his ultimate Sacrifice, Jesus Christ, as a “lamb” to be offered for the sins of the whole world. Even more amazing is the Fact that the Bible calls Jesus “Immanuel,” which means “God with us.” God became a man in Jesus Christ And died for the sins of his own creation. Application & Reflection What did you learn from this lesson? How will you apply it to your life?
We hope last week’s study blessed you. This week we will be taking a look at “SIN”. What is it? And what effect does it have on us as individuals and also as a species. It has always been a sobering thought that EVERY SINGLE act of wickedness EVER done; weather rape, child abuse, murder, genocide, torture and the countless other terrible things we as humans have done and continue to do to each other, is all the result of ONE SINGLE act of SIN. We are all living in the ripple effect of just ONE sin. This should cause us to never look at our sin as a small thing. There are consequences to every sin that will ripple through out time and the effects will be felt in eternity. We need to pray that the Lord helps us keep this perspective as we journey through life. There is NO SMALL SIN…. Only small people who make BIG messes of a beautiful world God made for us to enjoy. BIBLE READING: We are going to be reading through the entire bible over the course of this year. We encourage you all to join us. In order to complete the bible in a full year you will need to read at LEAST 3 chapters a day. We suggest that as you do this you make notes about the things that minister to you or also any questions you may have. This will help you be able to reflect and do research to help further your biblical education.HOG MOB MINISTRIES
PURPLE BOOK CHAPTER 1 – LESSON 2THE RESULT OF SIN:The act of disobeying God is called “sin”. One definition of sin is to “miss the mark”, as when you fail to hit a target in a sporting event.Obviously the Bible’s understanding of sin is much more serious than that. , In fact, Scripture has a couple of different ways of expressing this idea. Sin is sometimes decried as a “trespass”, something that involves crossing forbidden lines or boundaries that God has set up for our protection.The concept of “iniquity” speaks of sin’s most troubling and destructive result: to twist and pervert our inner nature. This is gravely serious because the Bible said God’s nature is “holy”- that is, completely free from evil or defect, absolutely pure in love and goodness.in·iq·ui·ty [ih-nik-wi-tee] 1. gross injustice or wickedness.2. a violation of right or duty; wicked act; sin. 1. What state does the Bible describe us as being in? (Ephesians 2:1)2. Why ultimately is our sin so serious to God? (Leviticus 11:44) 3. What does iniquity do to our relationship with God? (Isaiah 59:1-2) 4. Describe sinful humanities desperate condition: (Romans 3:9-20, 23) 5. Describe the impact sin has on our heart: (Jeremiah 17:9) 6. What are the “wages” of sin? (Romans 6:23) 7. What does the Bible say happens after we die? (Hebrews 9:27)8. How does the Bible describe eternal judgement?matt. 25:41 rev. 20:11-15 rev. 21:89. What does Paul, the writer of Romans, call himself? (Romans &:24)In Romans 7 Paul describes his own state and cries out on behalf of all humanity with the most important question ever asked: “who will rescue me from this body of death?” Humanities deepest need is for salvation – not just from the evil in the world, but from the evil in our own hearts.APPLICATION AND REFLECTION:Obviously God takes sin very seriously, what about you? What do you think you deserve for your sin?John Piper – sermon on “SIN”
Thank all of you for singing up to receive weekly studies from our ministry. Over the course of time we will be going through many studies on various different topics as well as checking out articles and even videos that we believe are relevant, thought provoking and also edifying for todays believer. Some will be material that we have put together as a ministry, others will be things that other ministers and ministries have created, and some will be a combination of the 2. We are still working on a full year’s curriculum and we hope when it is finished you will all join us in taking it as a educational coarse. Until then we would like to start as a ministry by helping to lay a solid biblical foundation that we encourage you to build upon in your own time.
For this first week we will begin diving into a study book that HOG MOB has been using for years with much success. The “PURPLE BOOK”. The “PURPLE BOOK” is used all over the world in small group and discipleship studies. Each week we will study a lesson from this book in the hopes that you will gain from it as well as use the knowledge God brings to teach others more and more about the Gospel. We will be sending out weekly studies every Monday and we hope you participate in them as much as possible. We have much more to come so stay with us and thank you again for your time and support. GODBLESHYA. BIBLE READING: We are going to be reading through the entire bible over the course of this year. We encourage you all to join us. In order to complete the bible in a full year you will need to read at LEAST 3 chapters a day. We suggest that as you do this you make notes about the things that minister to you or also any questions you may have. This will help you be able to reflect and do research to help further your biblical education.HOG MOB MINISTRIES
SIN and SALVATION: CHAPTER 1″In the beginning YHWH created the heavens and the earth…… Through HIM all things were made; without HIM nothing was made that has been made…….. All things have been created through HIM and for HIM.” – Genesis 1:1; John !:3; Colossians 1:16 (TNIV)the Earth, humanity – all we see around us – had a beginning.YHWH declared each phase of creation “good” until He created the first man, Adam, and said it was “not good” for him to be alone.So Eve, the first woman, was created, and the original couple was given everything to enjoy. They were only forbidden to eat the fruit on ONe tree. “the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”The fatal decision that followed and its tragic results have affected all of human history. humanity would pass down this fatal flaw, this inner corruption, from generation to generation. the power of evil and darkness would have prevailed except for YHWH’s intervention. His plan of salvation and deliverance from evils power began to unfold in the very Garden of Eden. This “Gospel” of salvation is the primary story of the entire Bible.LESSON 1: 1. what was creation like in the beginning? Genesis 1 v. 10 v. 12 v. 18 v. 21 v. 25 2. how many commands did YHWH give Adam and Eve? Genesis 2:173. what was YHWHs command to the first human beings? Genesis 2:16-17Read Genesis 3:1-13 and find out what happened next. 4. how did Adam and Eve respond to YHWHs command? Genesis 3:6-75. in light of this, do you think you would have responded differently? (before you answer, consider your life now. have you obeyed all Gods commands in your life?)note: Think about what YHWH attempted to shield Adam and Eve from: the knowledge of good and evil. As a loving parent, YHWH attempted to shield us from hazardous information and material. Our rebellion caused our destruction.6. Who tempted Eve? Genesis 3:1Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit- in essence saying to God, “we don’t need your rules.” they disobeyed God. They sinned.7. How did Adam and Eve react when their eyes were opened and they realized they were naked? v. 7v. 8 v. 108. Why do you think they reacted this way?9. How did God respond to Adam and Eve’s sin? Genesis 3:8-9notice the two very different responses to mans sin: a. humanity covered up in fear and shame and hid from God.b. God in grace, love and sovereignty sought out man.Things have not changed at all since the beginning. after thousands of years and billions of people, humanity still hides from God. and God still seeks his people. this is the starting point to understanding the gospel of salvation.Application and reflectionwhat did you learn from this lesson?how will you apply this knowledge to your life?
We hope this video helps to educate and encourage you as we look at the 6 day account of Gods creation.
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME TO STUDY WITH US THIS WEEK. WE HOPE IT BLESSED YOU. BE SURE TO TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO SIGN UP WITH US AS WE WILL CONTINUE TO SEND OUT FREE STUDIES EVERY WEEK. REMEMBER TO APPLY WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED TO YOUR LIVES AND CONVERSATIONS. GODBLESHYA!
