Outreach Booklet (for Christians)

servant Joseph · On-Fire Member

Outreach Booklet (for Christians)

servant Joseph · On-Fire Member

How Deep

is

Your Love?

*for dear God*

-- Edited by servant Joseph at 11:27, 2004-10-26

servant Joseph · On-Fire Member

How do you feel?

Which words best describe your current experience as a Christian?

always happy

lack of surprises

struggling

100% satisfied

life-transforming

boring

dutiful

no change

powerful

empty

vital

discouraged

not satisfied

stuck

happier than with my bf/gf

so so

no idea

-- Edited by servant Joseph at 11:20, 2004-10-26

servant Joseph · On-Fire Member

Julie:

You¡¦ve

Got

The

Power! Tim: do I?

-- Edited by servant Joseph at 11:28, 2004-10-26

servant Joseph · On-Fire Member

Julie: Yes you do! Indeed God has promised you repeatedly:

1. A 100% life

1. a life that is 100% happy, meaningful, & purpose-driven!

2. able to laugh out loud at all times!

3. no lacking anything!

¡§I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.¡¨ (John 10:10)

11I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. (John 15:11)

2. +ve. Changes

¡§The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control¡¨ (Galatians 5:22,23)

3. Extreme Joy

Greatest happiness ever- 44"The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. 45"Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it. (Matthew 13:44-46)

servant Joseph · On-Fire Member

l 100% Total satisfaction- Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:35)

l Joy that even surpasses suffering- 22The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. 23After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison¡K 25About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. (Acts 16:22,23,25)

Tim: oops¡K a¡K a¡K are you serious?

Julie: yes, 100% true, all in the Bible! That¡¦s the real power of every Christian!

Tim: but¡K a¡K I can¡¦t really feel it. Where does my power go?

servant Joseph · On-Fire Member

Julie:

Satan+

its

Worldly Barriers!

Tim: Satan?

-- Edited by servant Joseph at 11:28, 2004-10-26

servant Joseph · On-Fire Member

Julie: Yes indeed, fearing we will get our ¡§real¡¨ power, Satan continually sets up a lot of barriers between God & us that we might not even aware!

1. Our Worldly Obsessions

1. Satan always tempts us to focus on ¡§seemingly¡¨ important & good stuff and diverts our attention from God!

l 18Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful. (Mark 4:18,19)

l 18A certain ruler asked him, "Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" 20You know the commandments: 'Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.'" 21"All these I have kept since I was a boy," he said. 22When Jesus heard this, he said to him, "You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."

23When he heard this, he became very sad, because he was a man of great wealth. (Luke 8:18, 20-23)

Our barriers can be anything, e.g. body shape, six packs, dieting, overly hitting the gym, wanting to be a millionaire, be popular, sexual indulgence, drinking, too busy, too lazy¡K that blocks us from receiving energy from God!

servant Joseph · On-Fire Member

2. Our Lack of Growth

l We are intended to continually everyday feed on God¡¦s word and grow in God, from a baby (little power) to Jesus-like (powerful)!

1. 2Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it (Bible) you may grow up in your salvation, (1Peter 2:2)

2. 19 It (Bible) is to be with him, and he is to read it all the days of his life so that he may learn to revere the LORD his God and follow carefully all the words of this law and these decrees (Deuteronomy 17:19)

l Our lack of growth in God is like 1) not having food everyday, 2) a computer without regular anti-virus updates, extremely vulnerable to Satan¡¦s attack!

1. 16Others, like seed sown on rocky places, hear the word and at once receive it with joy. 17But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. (Mark 4:16,17)

2. 29Jesus replied, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. (Matthew 22:29)

3. 6 my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge¡K (Hosea 4:6)

l Without constant spiritual workout, our passion for God will gradually die out and we have 0 defense to Satan!

Tim: Ooops! Dangerous! Help!

servant Joseph · On-Fire Member

Julie: don¡¦t worry!

The

Solution!

Tim: Thanks God J

-- Edited by servant Joseph at 11:29, 2004-10-26

servant Joseph · On-Fire Member

1. Crack the Myth

LCommon myth- ¡§the more you focus on yourself, the more successful & happy you will be¡¨, told by men

Vs.

JUncommon truth- ¡§the more you focus on God, the more successful & happy you will be¡¨, told by God

Tim: O, so weird. Why?

Julie: 1. coz God holds the ¡§perfect¡¨ plan for you! Plans that are ¡§best¡¨ for you and give you ¡§real¡¨ freedom & ¡§true¡¨ happiness!

l 11 ¡§For I (God) know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD , "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11)

l Jesus said, "If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. 32Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." (John 8:31,32)

Julie: 2. when you buy a car, you read the manufacturer¡¦s manual to know the best way to run it. In the same way, you read your creator¡¦s manual (Bible) to know your best, happiest way to live!

servant Joseph · On-Fire Member

Julie: 3. God suggests you to ask him instead of relying on our own wisdom or our own plans, for the recipe to your ¡§biggest¡¨ happiness

l 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans (non-believers) run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. (Matthew 6:31-33)

l 21 Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the LORD's purpose that prevails. (Proverbs 19:21)

Tim: but¡K it seems not so much fun focusing on God¡K

Julie: hey Watch out! that¡¦s Satan again!

Julie: think about your dear girlfriend. multiply the happiness by n times. that¡¦s is the ¡§real¡¨ joy of being with God!

Julie: in the same way, the Bible is like a ¡§love letter¡¨ from your dear honey, yet even sweeter!

Tim: evil Satan! How can I kick it out?

servant Joseph · On-Fire Member

2. Personal Defense System

l put on your armor!

1. know the truth (Bible)

2. faith in God

3. live by the Holy Spirit

4. pray everyday

5. fellowship everyday (teamwork)

10Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes.

16In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.

17Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God (Bible).

18And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. (Ephesians 6:10,11,16-18)

l grab your gun!

1. reload- Bible verses are like bullets in your gun. The more you read/remember, the more you can shoot at Satan when he comes. So Tom, a pistol or a rocket launcher?

11Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. (Acts 17:11)

servant Joseph · On-Fire Member

2. update- Every day bible reading is essential. So Tom, a rifle or a laser gun?

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
and on his law he meditates day and night.
3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers. (Psalm 1:2,3)

l 100% trust your commander!

13 Consider what God has done: Who can straighten what he has made crooked? (Ecclesiastes 7:13)

l over over! maintain intimate communication with the base & follow commands!

- 17pray continually (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

- ¡Kwhen he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth¡K (John 16:13)

l teamwork!

- 17 As iron sharpens iron,

so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17)

- 9 Two are better than one,
because they have a good return for their work:
10 If one falls down, his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! (Ecclesiastes 4:9,10)

- 46Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts¡K (Acts 2:46)

servant Joseph · On-Fire Member

Tim:

I¡¦ve

Got

The

Power! Julie: Thanks God J

-- Edited by servant Joseph at 11:30, 2004-10-26

servant Joseph · On-Fire Member

Dear :

Are you now ready to surrender control of your life to your Lord Jesus Christ? (Romans 12:1-2)

Are you ready to step out of your comfort zone and experience the ¡§total¡¨ joy as promised by God?

We, with love, sincerely pray that God¡¦s mercy touches you and fills you up abundantly, forever & ever, amen.

We are always ready to help out & hear your good news.

servant Joseph · On-Fire Member

14"I am the good shepherd;

I know my sheep and my sheep know me¡X

15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father¡X

and I lay down my life for the sheep.

16I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen.

I must bring them also.

They too will listen to my voice,

and there shall be one flock and one shepherd.

(John 10:14-16)

For further information, www.geocities.com/reasonsabc/1

*made by 2 servants of God with passion & love 26 Oct 2004