Building Blocks to a Strong Christian Life Full Series

Building Blocks to a Strong Christian Life

Thank you for downloading this eBook. I hope it is a help and blessing to you in your ministry or personal study. If you would like more resources including full text messages, preaching tips, and small church how-to's be sure to visit and sign up for our email news letter. Grace and Peace through Jesus, Pastor Ronnie Brown

Copyright ? 2015 by Ronnie Brown Ministries. All rights reserved.

Published by Ronnie Brown Ministries 82 Vandiver Road, Rossville, GA 30741



Table of Contents Salvation - The Confidence of Our Faith.................................................................6 Baptism - The Commencement of Our Faith........................................................30 Church Membership - The Convening of Our Faith .............................................. 42 Prayer - The Communication of Our Faith ........................................................... 55 Tithing - The Contribution of Our Faith ................................................................ 69 Serving - The Commission of Our Faith ................................................................ 80 Friends - The Companionship of Our Faith...........................................................94 Prophecy - The Consummation of Our Faith ...................................................... 106

Introduction

When my wife and I were first married in 1998, we moved into a house that had been built in the 1920's. It had not been lived in since the 1970's, being used pretty much for storage over the last 20 years. We went through the process of renovating the house and updating it. We had to re-wire it, re-plumb it, sheet rock in, and build closets. It was a huge task. But the first thing that we did was work on the foundation.

The large timbers the house was built on were basically sitting on rocks. Not blocks, or bricks, but rocks. In some cases rocks stacked on top of each other. This left huge gaps where the house was unsupported. My Dad and I dug out areas between these rocks and poured a slab of concrete then stacked blocks up to the frame of the house. We did this all the way around the house giving it a complete foundation.

When I reflect on that project, I am reminded of many people's lives. We live in a day and time where everything seems to be optional: Do you want fries or tater tots; coffee or tea, car or truck, rural or city, work at home or in the office? Many people approach life as a choice of what they want, without any concern that there may be essentials in life that are not a choice but are an absolute necessity. There are essential building blocks to the Christian live that cannot be over looked, else the life as a whole may crumble and falter.

In the twentieth verse of the little letter of Jude, the halfbrother of the Lord Jesus writes: "...But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith..." Like the blocks on the foundation of a home, we must build on the foundation of Jesus Christ. In the following chapters, I offer some essential building blocks for every individual that will make for a strong Christian life.

Chapter 1

Salvation - The Confidence of Our Faith

1 John 5:11-13 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

I read about this little fellow that was standing on the side of the road when a stranger came by that was lost. He said, "Say, fellow, how do you get to town?" The little boy said, "I don't know." "Where is route 20?" "I don't know." "Where does this road go?" "I don't know." "What is the name of this road I'm on?" "I don't know." "Boy, you don't know much, do you?" The little fellow replied, "I know I ain't lost."

Well when it comes to many Christian's spiritual lives, they cannot sing with confidence the great hymn by blind Fanny Crosby,

"Blessed assurance Jesus is mine, Oh what a foretaste of glory divine."

For many in our churches, there is an uncertainty, a hesitancy when it comes to standing up and singing from the depths of their heart,

"Saved by His pow'r divine, Saved to new life sublime! Life now is sweet and my joy is complete, For I'm saved, saved, saved!"

But the confidence of knowing that we are born again is essential to having a strong Christian life. During the early construction of the Golden Gate Bridge, 23 men fell to their deaths. But then a safety net was added and some 19 men lives were saved as a result of the safety net. What was interesting is that work increased 25% once the nets were added. The net gave the men assurance that they were safe.

When a person is uncertain they are saved and are struggling with doubts in their life it hampers their growth as a child of God. But the child of God does not have to live that way. John the beloved writes this very epistle to assure is that we can know that we are saved! We can have not a hope-so, a maybe-so, a think-so, but a know-so salvation! In these verses John gives us three guides to follow that will settle the uncertainty over our salvation once and for all.

I. Remember the Source of Salvation

1 John 5:11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

If we were to develop a compass for the book of 1 John, then north would be Jesus Christ. This little epistle starts with pointing to

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