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Week of 4/17/2016

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Verse to memorize: 1 John 2:24 Let what you heard from the beginning abide in you. If what you heard from the beginning abides in you, then you too will abide in the Son and in the Father.

Day 1: Read Jude verses 3-4; 2 Corinthians 11:3-4; 1 Timothy 4:1-5; and Colossians 2:6-8

Dig In: What does Jude define as truth? What is "the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints"? What two examples of false teaching does Jude give? In 2 Corinthians, Paul was very concerned that believers were being tolerant ("putting up with") false teachers. What do you think Paul meant by a different Jesus? a different Spirit? a different gospel? Are false teachers rare and unexpected, or are they expected and common in today's world? What types of false messages did Paul warn us about in 1 Timothy and in Colossians? Does Paul give us any advice on staying faithful to the true gospel?

Take Root: "Orthodoxy" comes from the Greek word "orthos" which means straight or standard. The Bible is the trustworthy and constant benchmark against which we measure what people teach. "Heresy" comes from a Greek word meaning "choice" or "deliberate decision". Heresy is choosing to believe something that goes against the standard of Scripture.

Cultivate: In order to discern heresy, a believer must know what the Bible says. In Acts 17:11, the Christians of Berea were commended because they "received the word with all eagerness" and they examined "the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so." Challenge yourself to be like the Bereans this week. Carefully compare what you read and hear to the Bible. Pray that God will give you wisdom and discernment as you look for truth.

Journal: List some ideas or thoughts you've heard this week (or recently) that you have found to be false according to Scripture. Write down the Bible passages that refute those ideas. List some thoughts or ideas that you have found to be true when compared to Scripture. Again, write down the verses that support those views.

Day 2: Read 1 John 4:1-3 and 6; 1 Peter 2:1-3; Matthew 12:33-37; and Matthew 7:21-23

Dig In: How can we discern false prophets (a false teacher)? What shows us that a person is false teacher? Does a person's message indicate if he (or she) is a false teacher? Do a person's actions help believers know if he is a false teacher? How do false prophets react to the truth of the Bible?

Take Root: One of John's concerns in his first epistle is that believers do not get fooled by false teachers. John gives us at least two ways to decide if a teacher (or "prophet") is not from God. As Jesus indicated, a person's actions can sometimes appear to be godly. Christians must carefully listen to what is said to know if a teacher is from God.

Cultivate: Orthodox teachings come from the Bible (not other sources or later writings claiming to be part of the Bible), have stood the test of time (faithful Christians have discussed the truths of the Bible for two thousand years, so that we can read their writings and thoughts), and are reasonable (the teaching agrees with the whole of the scripture, and is not a teacher's thoughts on an isolated verse of the Bible that don't agree with other passages in the Bible). Consider reading a blog (like Bruce's blog) that teaches true doctrine, or reading about some of the discussions and thoughts of early Christians, or reading about the heresies that early Christians faced and what they did to fight them.

Day 3: 2 Timothy 2:14-16; 1 Timothy 6:3-4 and 20-21; and 2 Peter 3:15-17

Dig In: What are the "words" that Paul writes to Timothy about? What do these "words" lead to in unbelievers? In believers? Peter states that some of Paul's writings are hard to understand. What does Peter warn about false teachings for believers and non-believers?

Take Root: "Doctrine" is defined as a set of beliefs. While the word "doctrine" may considered old-fashioned, exactly what you believe is important! The damages that result from false doctrine are real, and the importance of correct (true) beliefs is found over and over in the New Testament.

Cultivate: Have you ever had belief in or about something that you later found out to be false? What was it like to find out the truth? Have you ever believed something about God, Jesus or the Bible that was wrong? What or who helped you learn the truth? Do you pray for the Holy Spirit to guide you in all truth (John 16:13)?

Journal: Have you read "What we Believe" on the FBC website? They are listed as "The Essentials". Write your thoughts and reactions to these statements. Do you have any questions about these? How can you get your questions answered?

Day 4: Read Genesis 3:1-6 and Romans 1:18-25

Dig In: What did the serpent say to Eve about eating the forbidden fruit? Why did Eve eat it? What do humans (in their normal sinful state) do with truth about God? Do people have any excuses for not knowing about the existence of God? Who do people worship when they decide not to believe in God? Whom do they serve? How do they act?

Take Root: Perhaps the biggest lie of all is that we are in control; we can choose what is truth; we can be our own "god" and decide what is right (and wrong) for us without listening and heeding the true God.

Cultivate: In what aspects of your life are you perhaps tempted to listen to your own feelings or ideas instead of God's word? Have you ever found yourself agreeing with someone because "it feels right"? Ask God to protect you from deceitful lies from both your thoughts and from others.

Day 5: 1 Corinthians 2:1-2; Matthew 5:43-45; and 2 Timothy 4:3-5

Dig In: What instructions does Paul give us as we face false teachers and their followers? How should we treat the enemies of God's truth? What should we always be prepared to do? How are we to act when sharing the truth?

Take Root: We must know the truth and then we must share the truth. As Pastor Ben said on Sunday, we must show the truth in how we live, and we must also tell the truth with gentleness and respectfulness.

Cultivate: Are you prepared to share your belief in Jesus Christ with others? Are you living out the truth? Are you willing to pray for your enemies? Are you willing to share the truth with love and respect for those that deny the truth?

Journal: Who do you know that needs to hear the truth of the gospel? Write down the name or names. How can you show them God's truth? How can you tell them God's truth? Pray for an opportunity to share the gospel with someone on your list.

Cultivating the Soil

  • How do you tell is someone is telling a lie (any sort of lie)? Can you use similar criteria to determine a lie about Jesus or the Bible? Does the Bible give us instructions in discerning truth or lies about God and Jesus?

  • What might you say to someone who denies that Jesus is both divine and human, or that he didn't rise from the grave? In what way (or manner) does the Bible instruct us to share? Can you give examples of ways not to share the good news of Jesus? Can you give some examples of good ways to share the gospel of Jesus?

  • What are some popular cults today that claim to be following the Bible? Do you know why these "religions" are considered to teach false doctrines or heresies? Can you find Bible verses to refute one of the false teachings?

Small Group Questions

  • Read the Nicene Creed or one of the other early Christian creeds. These early creeds were concise statements of belief (or doctrine) to help people know exactly what Christians accepted as true. Do you agree with the statements of the creed? Would you add anything? Would you leave anything out? Would you change anything? Do you believe what the creed states?

  • There are many false teachers today, just as the Bible promises. They can be very subtle, mixing correct doctrine with a few fabricated and counterfeit thoughts. What is a teaching that you've heard that was untrue? How did you know it was a false teaching? Do you have any scripture to back you up?

  • If you were to write a creed for yourself, what would include? What are the essentials of Christian doctrine for you? What scriptures would affirm your personal creed?

  • The FBC website lists "The Essentials" of "What we Believe". Some doctrinal points are essential to the Christian faith--those crucial points distinguish our faith! Others points of doctrine are a bit more confusing (see 1 Peter 3:15-17) and can have more than one interpretation. Each interpretation must still be within the bounds of what the Bible teaches, of course. Can you think of some indispensable, non-negotiable elements for Christian faith? Can you think of some points that may have different but biblically-defensible interpretations? How should we treat other Christians that may differ slightly from us in their beliefs?


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