Working Definitions:
Faith – Trusting and acting on what God has done and promised. It is acting like God is telling the truth.
God – the eternal creator and ruler of the universe and source of all moral authority; the Supreme being: Absolute Being.
Kingdom – Where God’s rule and reign is obeyed in a certain place. Thus, we experience the blessings of God’s Kingdom when God’s people honor God’s rule and authority on any place on earth. End time study teaches that the Kingdom will be permanently established at Jesus second coming.
God’s Word – the Bible, Scriptures, – God’s revealed will in written form for mankind concerning the truth about himself, salvation and living. God’s Word (Bible) is not so much a book of rules as it is a book of principles based on God’s nature.
Jesus – Jesus is everything God is but in the flesh. He is the rescuer of our spirit soul and body.
Sin – living independently of God’s standard (moral law)
Holiness – refers to the absolute moral purity of God and the absolute moral distance between God and his human creatures.
Disciple – (apprentice) someone who is not just saved but spends time with Jesus to live the life he did and rearranges their life to keep doing this.
Saved – being rescued from the consequences of sin that separates us from God. Salvation is only the beginning in a new life that is followed by becoming more like Jesus in Spirit, Soul and Body (1 Thessalonians 5:23)
Repentance -“Repentance means turning from as much as you know of your sin to give as much as you know of yourself to as much as you know of your God, and as our knowledge grows at these three points so our practice of repentance has to be enlarged.”
Evil – is usually thought of as that which is morally wrong, sinful, or wicked; however, the word evil can also refer to anything that causes harm, with or without the moral dimension. For example, “natural evil” is any disaster, tragedy, or calamity. Evil behavior includes sin committed against other people and God. Essentially, evil is a lack of goodness. Moral evil is not a physical thing; it is a lack or privation of a good thing. As Christian philosopher J. P. Moreland has noted, “Evil is a lack of goodness. It is goodness spoiled. You can have good without evil, but you cannot have evil without good.” “Human freedom was used in such a way as to diminish goodness in the world, and that diminution, that lack of goodness, that is what we call evil.” Greg Koukl
Growth (Sanctification) – the process where God changes me to be set apart to become more and more like Jesus Christ. God does the changing but uses the “avenues” of His Word, Prayer, Worship, Giving, and Serving. “continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.” Philippians 2:12-13
Obedience – the act of submitting to the commands (laws) of God, the highest authority, creator, and Father of mankind. If you have faith in God and believe Christianity is the truth, obedience is the practice of living by faith, obeying the teachings of the Bible. Truth believed always lives. We only obey what we really believe.
Temptation – is a solicitation to do evil and disobey God. Sinning is when we give in to that temptation and live independently of Gods standard.
Prayer – Communicating with God our hearts desire and needs. Prayer also involves praise for God and confession of sin. “Earthy permission for Heavenly interference.” Tony Evans
Worldview – a lens on how we perceive (see) the world to be and function.
Biblical Worldview -A biblical worldview is based on the infallible Word of God. When you believe the Bible is entirely true, then you allow it to be the foundation of everything you say and do.
Truth – God’s opinion on any subject. (or) that which conforms to reality. Truth is found in God’s Word. Jesus said, “Sanctify them in the truth, your Word is truth.” John 17:17