Let’s Get Down to Basics: An Introduction to Christian Living

64 page, soft cover

$5.00 cost plus $2 postage. (PayPal or checks accepted.)

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Let’s Get Down to Basics—An Introduction to Christian Living is a 64 page book for persons wanting to investigate the Christian faith. It is also good for new Christians who want a good beginning for a life-time commitment to Christ and for mature Christians who want to review some basic teachings of the Christian faith.

The biggest problem with this book is the small print size. I used the small print so I could get all the text into only 64 pages to save money and because I was young and had better eyesight.

 “Basics” is written from the Wesleyan-Arminian perspective as curriculum for a new Christians’ class but also works well as a stand-alone read. Here is an outline of the chapters with short explanations about what each teaches.

Chapter One: Bible Study is Basic, teaches the importance of regular and sustained Bible study for those who want to live a Christ-like life.

Chapter Two: Am I Really a Christian? This chapter helps the new Christian to confirm their relationship with Christ so they can live with assurance so they will not be confused when Satan tries to tempt them to doubt their faith and dessert it.

Chapter Three: I am Stronger than Temptation. Chapter 3 deals with the reality of temptation and helps the new Christian know how to face it victoriously and defeat it any time it rears its ugly head.

Chapter Four: Prayer is My Privilege. Prayer is the greatest privilege we have as the people of God and is our greatest help for normal everyday living. God gave us prayer because he loves us and wants to be constantly available to us. Prayer is his method.

Chapter Five: I Can Discover God’s Will. This chapter introduces and explains the concept that God’s will for us is what is best for us and that when we seek and find God’s will, we also find the best life has to offer.

Chapter Six: What Do You Mean…Stewardship? Giving to God through tithes and offerings is an important part of Christian living, but it is sometimes difficult for the new believer to accept. It is important and this chapter will help you understand why.

Chapter Seven: A Second Step. Salvation is not the end of the Christian life, but the beginning, or first step. Step two is learning to surrender our lives to the leadership of the Holy Spirit and allow him permanent residence in our heart, mind and life. He is the comforter, counselor and guide for whom we are most grateful.

Chapter Eight: I Have a Spiritual Gift? Explains the concept of spiritual gifts, how we receive them as gifts from God and how to develop them for greater effectiveness to bless our own lives and the lives of those in our sphere of influence. We don’t choose them. They are gifts from God, given at his discretion to bless our lives and build his kingdom.

Chapter Nine: Living Holy. God’s plan is for his Spirit to live in us and our call from God is to surrender our lives to him so he can make us holy, like he is. As Christians, we are sacred temples in which God lives when we allow him access or invite him in. This chapter tells in understandable language how to make this happen.

Chapter Ten: I Can Tell Others! Evangelism: sharing our faith with friends and family, is one of the greatest joys of the Christian life, but one that causes the most consternation and feelings of failure. This chapter will help you to understand it and hopefully help you to witness to your faith with greater confidence.

Chapter Eleven: Symbols of My Faith. Ordinances practiced by many Christian groups include baptism, communion and foot-washing. These are symbols of faith—symbolic actions that are living pictures of spiritual realities. You will learn their importance and how to practice them in the church.

Chapter Twelve: My Faith as a Parent. Parenting is at the same time, the most difficult and most rewarding task you will ever attempt. The Christian is privileged to parent under the leadership of God, who is the best parent and is both our parent and our best example for parenting.

Chapter Thirteen: The Last Chapter. This title has a double meaning. The literal last chapter of the book, it deals with the church age, the last chapter in Kingdom history. It gives an amillenial view of last things or the way God plans to finish his earthly program.
   

I Believe! Part 4

 

I believe in the symbolism of the ordinances. The ordinances of the Church are symbolic expressions of living realities. Baptism is a symbol of salvation which has already taken place in the believer’s life. Communion is a symbol of the fellowship of the believer in a oneness with God and with the saints. Foot-washing is a symbol of service and the servant role of the believer, as exemplified by the Lord Jesus.

I believe in the principle of stewardship. Everything belongs to God by reason of creation, and we are to recognize this Divine ownership, accepting responsibility to replenish the earth as well as subdue it for the good of mankind. The Old Testament standard of the tithe is a minimum for Christian giving to God’s work.  The tithe is actually a symbol of Divine ownership of all our "possessions" rather than being merely that part of the income that belongs to God.

I'm Rick Blumenberg . . . and that's My View from Tanner Creek.
  

Giving, and How to Encourage it

A year or so ago in board meeting a member asked, “Why we don’t do as well in our regular giving as we do with Faith Promise?” I didn’t answer very well due to a lack of preparation, but I’ve thought about it a great deal since then and in a recent staff meeting, when asked a similar question, I shared very candidly. I thought it might be helpful to share here, what I have learned through the years about teaching people to give.
 I recently read a book that helped me find words to describe what I have been doing through years of teaching stewardship. The title is Primal Leadership, learning to lead with Emotional Intelligence, by Boyatzis and McKee. They explain the difference between resonance (harmony) and dissonance (discord) in leadership. The first inspires followers, but the second discourages them and may even create deserters.

People respond better to encouragement, praise, and other positive stimuli than they do to need, emergency, guilt, criticism, or other negative stimuli.

Negative stimuli actually discourage giving even when used to ask people to give. In an old familiar joke the preacher says ‘The good news is we have enough money to meet our budget! The bad news is it’s still in your pockets.’ When I first heard it, I laughed, but it is the worst possible joke if you want good results. Such put-down humor hurts and it especially hurts giving. It doesn’t make people feel like giving. It makes us hold on tight to our money because we know dissonant means are being used. We may not know the word, but we know the feeling and none of us like it.

The best way to get people to give is first, teach biblical concept of tithes and offerings, or biblical stewardship. Secondly, let the Holy Spirit convict their hearts. Do not, under any circumstances, try to do the work of the Spirit to create that conviction. When we try to do his work we always do it badly and it often comes across as condemnation, which is not a godly work. Finally, when people give, leaders should give the congregation encouragement and praise for a job well done. Even if they are not doing as good as they should, if they give anything that should be openly appreciated by those in leadership. With consistence, in different ways and with positive words, and if done with tact and love over time, this will build a strong, financially healthy congregation of generous, happy people.

Here are some other important points:

1. Offerings are an important part of worship. The way offerings are received at many churches announces they are not important. Some offering statements even imply we’re ashamed to ask, but we need the money, etc. Offerings should be acts of worship, adoration and praise, to God. Whoever came up with the idea of saying “This offering is just for the home folks and if you’re a visitor you don’t need to give” has wasted time and insulted God by saying something they have no right to say. What if God is telling one of those visitors to give? How do we know he isn’t?

2. Teach about giving before every offering. A short comment or prayer such as, “When we give generously we are most like God.” Or, “Giving our tithe to the church is our way to recognize every good thing comes from God.” These and other such positive reinforcements week after week builds resonance (harmony) within the church and with biblical living, and produces people who give tithes and offerings, generously, and happily.

3. Pray for God to anoint the offering. Just as we pray for salvation, sermons and worship, we can also pray God will bless church giving. God wants to bless. The prayer of faith is his method.

4. Offerings should be well received. Worship Leaders have other things to think about and almost never give offerings the time they deserve. Pastors, or whoever receives the offerings should be trained in how to give a warm and positive encouragement to give as God directs. Time should be given to do the offertory well—with the dignity required for an act of worship and devotion to the most High God. People will never give enough to the church, but they will give to God. They just need to be inspired so they give from a heart bursting with the joy of the Lord.


I'm Rick Blumenberg . . . and that's My View from Tanner Creek.