Conversion & Calling, Student Workbook, SW01

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C O N V E R S I O N A N D C A L L I N G

* Does presentation style or the manner in which the Word of God is preached or taught affect its convicting power? How so? * What practical ways can we help others to understand that Jesus Christ himself is the master theme and primary subject of the Scriptures? Can something be convincing spiritually speaking and it not relate in some way to Jesus Christ? Explain your answer. * Why is it necessary to believe in the integrity of the Apostles and the prophets in order to hold that the Scriptures are true and reliable witnesses to God’s work in Christ? * Why is it absolutely critical to understand Scripture’s ability to convict others as one ministers to the lost in the city? In honor of multi-cultural development and cooperation among religions in the community, you have been invited to come and share your view about “the nature of religious truth in a pluralistic society.” In other words, in a community where so many different kinds of religion are practiced and believed, what does it mean to “seek and tell the truth” as a Christian believer? Some of your colleagues believe you should go and simply say that all other religions are false; only Christianity is true, Christ is Lord, and that’s it. You want to be as clear about your faith as possible, while, at the same time, remaining sensitive to the purpose of the program, which isn’t preaching but sharing your view. How would you go about sharing the beliefs of the Scriptures in this setting, especially about Christianity’s claim of Jesus’ unique place among all those claiming to speak for God. Is Christianity Unique among All the Religions?

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Whatever Became of Sin?

One of the young adults in the church asks to speak to you about the subject of “sin.” As a social worker for the state, she has repeatedly been told not to allow her own personal religious faith to interfere with her job of offering counseling and information to her “clients,” many of whom are from the projects and who desperately need to know Christ. One of the main reasons for these restrictions came out recently in a discussion where her supervisor called into question the idea of “sin” altogether. In defending his position against sin, the supervisor said that