Tonight is not only the last night of our Credo Series, but also the last night of Elevate for the year. I would be bummed but it’s not the end of the world, just the 4th Wednesday in April. Last week Paul covered the middle section of the Apostles Creed, and this week Kyle will be covering the rest of the remaining lines starting at “I believe in the Holy Spirit.” This last section basically sums up the creed stating the foundational beliefs of the Church. The church isn’t necessarily the Catholic Church like it says but is referring to the body of believers, brothers and sisters in Christ, everyone who follow’s Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. The next line reads, “The communion of Saints” which I thought meant the communion of the Lords Supper where you eat of the bread that represents Christ and drink the wine, the Lord’s blood. The reason we have communion is to remember what Christ did for us on the cross, talking our sins away. However this is not that communion, “the communion of saints,” refers to the fellowship of the believers. The early churches used to meet in houses and would mostly consist of small groups of people so great relationships would be founded and they would keep each other accountable and strong in their faith. The next part says “the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body,” which goes over Jesus’ death on the cross and rising from the dead on the 3rd day to take away our sins. Finally “the life everlasting” is what we know as eternal life in Heaven with God.
1. Kyle mentioned the Catholic Church as a body of believer’s, fellow Christians. Who is in your, “body of believers,” some people that you think share your faith and believe with you?
2. The line, “the communion of saints,” Kyle mentioned talk about the fellowship, the hanging out of fellow believers talking about God. Do you ever have a communion of saints, and what are some things you can do and say to other people that believe in God to encourage them and learn more about God.
3. Jesus Christ died on the cross and rose again to forgive us from our sins. Knowing this, do you ever ask for forgiveness for you sins? What seems to be a sin that you have a hard time asking forgiveness for?
4. The line, “the life everlasting” Kyle mentioned refers to life in Heaven. How do you know if you are going to Heaven? How can you be sure? In John 3:16 Jesus says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” That means Jesus is the only way to achieve eternal life and not go to hell.
5. The Apostles Creed is a very old creed written a long time ago but it was written to also be a prayer. To close at the end of the night, pray the creed together.
6. This is the last Wednesday so be sure to bring up your attendance and offering. Love you all.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Monday, April 21, 2008
Wednesday April 16th
1. Start by reading the Creed together in your small group. Maybe have each person read a line aloud. Start each week of the series this way so we become more familiar with it and learn it.
The Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.
who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
born of the Virgin Mary.
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand
of God the Father Almighty.
From thence he shall come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.
2. Paul started tonight with “and in Jesus Christ, His only Son our Lord.” This is the second part of the Trinity (three parts of God; God the Father, the Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit). John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
Because God is a Mind, Body, and Spirit; in what ways can you see yourself being like God. Perhaps feelings, The pain Jesus would have felt on the cross?
3. Leaders read the question, have them respond and then read your answer.
Q. Why do you think it was so important that Mary was a Virgin and that she would give birth to Jesus?
A. Because if Joseph was the real father of Jesus it would mean that He wouldn’t be the Son of God, He would be just like you and me, born into a world of sin with a sinful nature.
4. The line that says, “He descended into Hell” describes Christ gaining dominion over ever area of life. Knowing that Christ had to go into Hell and be completely separated from God, how does that make you feel about what He did for us, to take away our sins? Ephesians 4:8-10; 8Therefore it says,
"(P)WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE (Q)LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN." 9(Now this expression, "He (R)ascended," what does it mean except that He also had descended into (S)the lower parts of the earth? 10He who descended is Himself also He who ascended (T)far above all the heavens, so that He might (U)fill all things.)
5. Why is Jesus seated on the right hand of God? What does this show about Jesus? Mark 14:62
"I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."
6. 2 Timothy 4:1
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge.
Q. How can God a person that is living and a person that is dead?
A. A living person is someone who will not die because they accepted Christ and believed in Him as the Son of God and a dead person is someone who rejected Christ and will spend eternity separated from God in Hell.
The Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord.
who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
born of the Virgin Mary.
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand
of God the Father Almighty.
From thence he shall come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.
2. Paul started tonight with “and in Jesus Christ, His only Son our Lord.” This is the second part of the Trinity (three parts of God; God the Father, the Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit). John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
Because God is a Mind, Body, and Spirit; in what ways can you see yourself being like God. Perhaps feelings, The pain Jesus would have felt on the cross?
3. Leaders read the question, have them respond and then read your answer.
Q. Why do you think it was so important that Mary was a Virgin and that she would give birth to Jesus?
A. Because if Joseph was the real father of Jesus it would mean that He wouldn’t be the Son of God, He would be just like you and me, born into a world of sin with a sinful nature.
4. The line that says, “He descended into Hell” describes Christ gaining dominion over ever area of life. Knowing that Christ had to go into Hell and be completely separated from God, how does that make you feel about what He did for us, to take away our sins? Ephesians 4:8-10; 8Therefore it says,
"(P)WHEN HE ASCENDED ON HIGH, HE (Q)LED CAPTIVE A HOST OF CAPTIVES, AND HE GAVE GIFTS TO MEN." 9(Now this expression, "He (R)ascended," what does it mean except that He also had descended into (S)the lower parts of the earth? 10He who descended is Himself also He who ascended (T)far above all the heavens, so that He might (U)fill all things.)
5. Why is Jesus seated on the right hand of God? What does this show about Jesus? Mark 14:62
"I am," said Jesus. "And you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Mighty One and coming on the clouds of heaven."
6. 2 Timothy 4:1
In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who will judge the living and the dead, and in view of his appearing and his kingdom, I give you this charge.
Q. How can God a person that is living and a person that is dead?
A. A living person is someone who will not die because they accepted Christ and believed in Him as the Son of God and a dead person is someone who rejected Christ and will spend eternity separated from God in Hell.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
CREDO 3/09/08
He guys, this is John.
CREDO 3/09/08
The Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
born of the Virgin Mary.
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand
of God the Father Almighty.
From thence he shall come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.
We begin our series CREDO, a look at the Apostles Creed. This week we will examine the top two lines in particular, “I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.” But before we delve into specifics I think a quick overview of the Creed, and the purpose of a creed would be good. The Apostles Creed is a description of the basic principles of Christian Faith. It was created mainly to refute a particular theology called Gnosticism. This can be seen in the specific nature of almost every phrase. And although the Creed isn’t scripture (from the Bible) each phrase is rooted in it. For example:
“who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin, Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.” (Luke 1:26-31; 23:14-25, 24:46-56).
By simple definition, a creed is a system of principles, or beliefs of a group that are generally accepted by that group. The Apostles Creed does just that, citing Christian beliefs and basic doctrine (teachings). And depending on your Church back you may or may not be familiar with it. If you’ve grown up at CPC you’ve no doubt heard it from time to time. Something similar, and more commonly heard, is the Lord’s prayer “give us this day our daily bread...” These, along with other things we recite, all serve the same purpose - to remind us of something that we think is very important. In fact, most early Christian beliefs, like the Creed, would have been memorized because paper, ink, distribution, etc..., were incredibly hard to come by and because the literacy rate was dramatically low. Therefore, the early Christians came up with a simple way to pass on teachings and beliefs from one person or group to another.
Back to this week’s focus on the Creed:
(1) I believe in God, the Father almighty,
(2) creator of heaven and earth
As we talked about before, this is rooted in scripture.
(1) Isaiah 44:6 ...I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.
(1)Isaiah 45:5 I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God.
(2) Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
(2) John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
(2) Acts 14:15 Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them.
These, and many more verses from the Bible support this section of the Creed. In this week’s talk we will do a refresh on what the Creed is, why it is important, and break down what it means to believe the first two lines of the Creed.
Small Group Questions
Start by reading the Creed together in your small group. Maybe have each person read a line aloud. Start each week of the series this way so we become more familiar with it and learn it.
Why was it important for the early Christians to have/and memorize the Apostles Creed? Why would you think the Creed is something important for us to remember? What could we get out of it?
When you step back and think about God being the creator or heaven and earth, what sort of thoughts about him come to mind? (powerful, big, in control....) Then when you think about the fact that the same God created each person in your small group, knows everything about them, and loves them more than we can possibly imagine, what comes to mind? (loving, close, friend, etc...) Then talk about what it means that we have a God who is so great and powerful, yet so close and intimate.
CREDO 3/09/08
The Apostles Creed
I believe in God, the Father almighty,
creator of heaven and earth.
and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord.
who was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
born of the Virgin Mary.
suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended into hell.
On the third day he rose again from the dead.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand
of God the Father Almighty.
From thence he shall come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the holy catholic Church,
the communion of saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen.
We begin our series CREDO, a look at the Apostles Creed. This week we will examine the top two lines in particular, “I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.” But before we delve into specifics I think a quick overview of the Creed, and the purpose of a creed would be good. The Apostles Creed is a description of the basic principles of Christian Faith. It was created mainly to refute a particular theology called Gnosticism. This can be seen in the specific nature of almost every phrase. And although the Creed isn’t scripture (from the Bible) each phrase is rooted in it. For example:
“who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin, Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried.” (Luke 1:26-31; 23:14-25, 24:46-56).
By simple definition, a creed is a system of principles, or beliefs of a group that are generally accepted by that group. The Apostles Creed does just that, citing Christian beliefs and basic doctrine (teachings). And depending on your Church back you may or may not be familiar with it. If you’ve grown up at CPC you’ve no doubt heard it from time to time. Something similar, and more commonly heard, is the Lord’s prayer “give us this day our daily bread...” These, along with other things we recite, all serve the same purpose - to remind us of something that we think is very important. In fact, most early Christian beliefs, like the Creed, would have been memorized because paper, ink, distribution, etc..., were incredibly hard to come by and because the literacy rate was dramatically low. Therefore, the early Christians came up with a simple way to pass on teachings and beliefs from one person or group to another.
Back to this week’s focus on the Creed:
(1) I believe in God, the Father almighty,
(2) creator of heaven and earth
As we talked about before, this is rooted in scripture.
(1) Isaiah 44:6 ...I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God.
(1)Isaiah 45:5 I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God.
(2) Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
(2) John 1:1-3 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.
(2) Acts 14:15 Men, why are you doing this? We too are only men, human like you. We are bringing you good news, telling you to turn from these worthless things to the living God, who made heaven and earth and sea and everything in them.
These, and many more verses from the Bible support this section of the Creed. In this week’s talk we will do a refresh on what the Creed is, why it is important, and break down what it means to believe the first two lines of the Creed.
Small Group Questions
Start by reading the Creed together in your small group. Maybe have each person read a line aloud. Start each week of the series this way so we become more familiar with it and learn it.
Why was it important for the early Christians to have/and memorize the Apostles Creed? Why would you think the Creed is something important for us to remember? What could we get out of it?
When you step back and think about God being the creator or heaven and earth, what sort of thoughts about him come to mind? (powerful, big, in control....) Then when you think about the fact that the same God created each person in your small group, knows everything about them, and loves them more than we can possibly imagine, what comes to mind? (loving, close, friend, etc...) Then talk about what it means that we have a God who is so great and powerful, yet so close and intimate.
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