To the average person, Christian words like “saved” and “salvation” hold little meaning. They sound like some sort of strange religious speech- it’s like the mysterious professional jargon used by medical practitioners or economists or engineers. Yet according to the Bible, understanding and embracing salvation is foundational to spiritual growth. This first study explores this essential truth.

You might wonder why we completely dunk a person in water in our service of baptism. Many Canadians are raised in a tradition where a bit of water is sprinkled on the head of an infant, so they find the Baptist tradition strange and a bit amusing! This second study explores what believer baptism in a Baptist tradition is all about.

 So who was Jesus? Was he simply a great man and spiritual leader? Or was he something more? Since we are saved by grace through faith in Jesus, it is vital that we understand the nature of the person in whom we believe. This study will explore the question, “Who is Jesus?”

The Bible describes followers of Jesus as being “in Christ,” and when we are “in Christ” things change. 2 Corinthians 5:17 states that, “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” Now that is powerful! This study will investigate the meaning of this wonderful new reality.

The moment we put our faith in Jesus Christ, we enter a new and living relationship with God through the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God is God’s gift to us. He transforms us into the image of Christ. In this study we will explore the person and the work of the Holy Spirit.

Communication is vital for any relationship to remain healthy and grow, and this includes our relationship with God. Prayer is a means of communicating with Him. In fact, a very simple definition of prayer is that it is “talking with God.” In this study we’ll look at what it means to communicate with God.

As amazing as it sounds, God really wants to connect with us often. He wants to speak into our lives and he wants to share our lives with him. Simply put, prayer is our means of communicating with God and the Bible is his way of communicating with us. Because the Holy Spirit lives within us, we can also experience the direct leading of God. In this lesson we will discover how to listen to the voice of God through the Bible.

From the moment we receive Jesus Christ into our lives we are given a new strength that comes from God that enables us to grow up in the faith. 1 John 5:4 tells us that “everyone born of God overcomes the world.” This means that we will be given the strength to overcome temptation and surrender ourselves more fully to God’s will in our lives. Temptation is like a craving, only it’s for something that is neither good for us nor pleasing to God. This study is about winning the spiritual battle, and learning effective battle strategies.

It is not God’s design for us to live as spiritual lone rangers. We have been saved into a community, and we need that community to grow up in the faith. This study will help us to understand the implications of living within the context of God’s family, the Church.

In Jesus’ great commission, he commands believers to “go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, son and Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” If you believe in Jesus and follow him in your life, you are a disciple. Disciples of Jesus are commanded by Jesus to make more disciples, and sharing your faith is essential part of living for Jesus.