THE BASICS OF FAITH: PART 2

IMPERATIVES:

#1 Determine Your Goal;

#2 Pick A Point (It’s important to have a one point message. That way you only have one thing to remember.);

#3 Create A Map (Me-We-God-You-We);

#4 Internalize The Message (Tell a story that takes them on a journey) (Whether it’s a journey to your childhood home or a journey to a life-changing truth, it’s a story that will take you there.) (People make it difficult when they try to communicate points instead of telling a story.) (When you stand up and speak without notes and without having to read your sermon, you’re saying, “This is so important that it’s a part of me — and I think you should make it a part of you, too!”);

#5 Engage The Audience;

#6 Find Your Voice;

#7 Find Some TractionPrayer, Checklist Questions: What do they need to know?Why do they need to know it?What do they need to do?Why do they need to do it?

MAP:

ME - Explain who you are and what you’re all about. Pastor in his church uses as introduction of idea or topic.

WE - It takes me from what I’m thinking or feeling to what WE are thinking and feeling. I have to find an emotional common ground with them around the topic or idea of the message. My goal is to raise a felt need with as many people in the audience as I can

GOD - where I take this emotional common ground I’ve established and introduce biblical truth into the discussion. Now I’m providing a solution to the need I just raised. Remember, we are not teaching the Bible to people; we’re teaching people the Bible. First, we connect with the people; then we move to the Bible.

YOU - Once I’ve introduced God’s view on the subject as the answer to the need, it makes it easy for me to then ask, ‘What are you going to do about it? This becomes the application segment, and if I’ve followed my map well, instead of having to stir up interest in making the application, the application comes as a relief or it’s always the answer to a question they’re already asking. Communicate the challenge at a personal level because life-change is going to come when people apply the truth to their lives. You just go back, and everywhere you raised a need, now you make an application and make sure you don’t raise a felt need that you aren’t going to cover from God’s Word and answer with an application. The worst thing a communicator can do is overpromise and under-deliver. You’re building trust with your listeners. Not just trust in the information, but trust in the relationship.

WE - the place to cast a common vision. A vision of what our lives, our church, and even our world would look like if only we would apply the truth of God’s Word. It’s the inspirational part of the message. My goal at this point is to inspire people to make a change. Sometimes being faced with God’s Word can leave the listener feeling defeated, if all they think about is how far they have to go. But, if I can give them a picture of what life will be like once they apply the truth, then they have a little hope.

GOAL: What are the basics of FAITH? What is most important when it comes to FAITH? (What we put our faith in) The Bible . . . the Word of God!

POINT: Who is God?

INTRODUCTION

Greetings Everyone!

(ME)/(WE)

MESSAGE (GOD)

Who Is God?

Definition of Faith: Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary.

Definition of Faith: central to biblical thought.

What Is Most Important When It Comes To Faith? (What we put our faith in and why)

The Bible - The Word of God!

1. God Has Revealed Himself Through the Bible - Indication of Supernatural Origin.

a. Nature and the entire Cosmos are evidence of a powerful designer. (This didn’t happen by chance.)

b. Through history God has revealed himself, particularly in his dealings with Israel and the nations surrounding it.

c. The words of the prophets were also instruments of God’s revelation as they interpreted their circumstances and sought God’s will.

2. God Provided a Written Record Through the Bible

a. The 39 books of the Old Testament

1) 1100 years to write

b. The 27 books of the New Testament

a. 100 years to write

3. God’s Word Is Inspired

a. A book of over 2,000 years history and it has a single theme.

b. The Bible originated in God’s mind, not in human minds . . . it is inspired! Inspired literally means “out-breathed” (from the mouth of God).

4. God’s Word is the Primary Source of Religious Belief

a. Out of 4 possible sources (1. Tradition, 2. Human Reason, 3. Existential Encounter [an emotional experience], and 4. the Bible itself) the Bible is the recognized, supported, and verified by rational investigation, historicity of Jesus Christ himself. All the other possible sources must be submitted to the message of Scripture.

b. Based upon repeatedly accredited evidence of modern archaeology, we can trust the Bible with confidence.

(YOU)

What About You?

CONCLUSION

(WE)

In a moment we are going to pray, but