1. religion and spirituality
2. christianity

Table of Contents
Steps to Completing the Missional Membership Process
2
Section One – Missional Membership at CedarCreek
Why Missional Membership?
3
Section Two – CedarCreek Core Values
Our CedarCreek Mission
The Values of CedarCreek Church
Our Vision for the Future
What We Believe
We Agree
5
6
7
8
11
Section Three – Missional Membership
Loving Jesus: God’s Grace
Loving Jesus: Pursuing Christ-like Virtue
Loving Jesus: Generously Sharing God’s Resources
Loving Jesus: Constructing a Biblical Worldview
Loving Jesus: Developing Intimacy with God
Serving Others: Developing Your Spiritual Gifts
Serving Others: Connecting to God’s Family
Telling the World About Christ: Proclaiming the
Love of Christ
Section Four –Confirmation
Personal Response Section
Completing the Process
Missional Membership Commitment
Let’s Celebrate and Annual Renewal of Your
Membership
Section Five –Leadership Development
Personal & Spiritual Leadership Development
Leadership Opportunities
Spiritual Gift Assessment
Am I Ready to Lead a Small Group?
Group Leader Questionnaire
P.E.A.C.E. Plan
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16
20
26
30
34
37
44
49-57
58
59-62
63
64
68
69-86
87
88
91
Steps to Completing the
Missional Membership Process
Step 1 - Missional Membership: Bible Study
This is the CedarCreek Church Missional Membership Bible study. We’re thrilled
that you’ve made the decision to investigate Missional Membership. While some of
you aren’t quite sure about what this could mean for your life, we want to
acknowledge that this is a big step and we want to congratulate you for taking this
step.
This page outlines the steps to the Missional Membership process beginning
with this manual, which contains a Bible study designed to solidify your understanding
of the Bible, as well as, our CedarCreek mission, vision and values.
Each section of the manual includes Bible verses and questions about those
verses. This is a great Bible study no matter where you are at in your faith.
After you complete the Bible study portion, there are Personal Response
questions. These will help you to determine where you are at in relation to the
different aspects of your spiritual journey. Our desire is to help you see what it means
for you to love Jesus, serve others and tell the world about Christ.
We also want to help you identify how God wants to use you at CedarCreek
Church. You have a God-inspired purpose and we have included an appendix to help
you narrow down that purpose as well as some on-ramps to help you get started.
Step 2 - Missional Membership: Commitment
Once you complete the Missional Membership Bible Study and are ready to become a Missional Member, you have two options to complete your Missional Membership. Option 1: You can go to pages 59-62, fill them out and return those pages to the
Welcome Center at your campus. Option 2: You can complete the confirmation online,
by going to www.cedarcreek.tv/membership.
Within 10 to 14 days of our receiving your commitment, you will receive either a
phone call or a letter in the mail informing you of your membership status. If you have
not heard from us by then, please call to make sure we received your submission.
Got Questions?
If you have any questions that came up through the Bible study, want to talk
through your answers to a personal response question or have any other concerns,
please contact your Campus Pastor or Campus Spiritual Formation staff.
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Why Missional Membership?
So we, who are many, are one body in Christ,
and individually members one of another. -Romans 12:5
Chances are, you’ve picked up this Missional Membership book as a result of
a weekend message or someone in your LifeGroup or serving team suggested it to
you. Most people who pick up the Missional Membership book are involved in some
way at CedarCreek Church. Some of you are very involved at the church. So, it’s
natural that some people might ask this question: Why should I become a
Missional Member?
Do Missional Members get special parking spaces? No.
Do they receive special discounts? Sometimes. It depends.
Do they get personalized mugs? No. (But, our café has great beverages!)
So, why Missional Membership?
That’s a great question!
Did you realize that the act of committing to something can actually make you
MORE committed? Most of us are really busy. We’ve got many obligations pressuring
our time. However, most of us understand that making a commitment means that we
agree to prioritize our time and resources around that commitment. So, when we
make a commitment to something, we become more committed.
In fact, at CedarCreek, we checked to see if our Missional Members were more
committed than non-member. This is what we discovered:
Members
Non-Member
Attendee
Giving
75%
28%
Serving
65%
22%
The data in this chart reveals that Missional Members demonstrate a
significantly higher level of commitment as compared to a non-member attendee.
Important: This data doesn’t demean the contributions of non-members who serve or
give. We value the contributions of everyone who attends our church. However, this
data strongly demonstrates a high correlation between Missional Membership,
serving and giving.
We think that it is fair to say that Missional Membership makes people more
committed. Additionally, we think that there’s a good chance that their commitment
has had a very positive on their spiritual growth. As a result, we developed the
following statement about Missional Membership:
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Missional Membership is the highest level of commitment at
CedarCreek Church.
Notice, that we didn’t say that Missional Membership is the highest level of
commitment to Christ. That’s not it. However, we need highly committed individuals to
help us live out our CedarCreek mission, a Jesus-inspired mission, to reach the world
with the gospel message. The more committed together, the more we can get done in
the name of Christ!
How does the Missional Membership process help our church?
Missional Membership isn’t specifically identified in the Bible, but New
Testament Christians were encouraged to join a local body of believers specifically
for the purpose of pursuing Jesus’ Great Commandment. Early church leaders would
strategize and plan by utilizing the gifts, talents and resources of those early
believers. They would mobilize those believers and send them out into the world.
As your church leaders, we count on the Missional Membership process to help
us identify the highly committed. Again, we celebrate all of our volunteers and
everyone who supports our mission with prayer or generosity, but as a leadership
team, we need to be able to plan and allocate resources.
Our Missional Members are called upon to vote upon important matters in our
church such as voting for senior leadership, acquisition of property and approving the
annual budget. These are all very important activities that shape and mold the life of
our church.
One more thing to remember…
Becoming a member of CedarCreek Church is voluntary and might change in
the future. You might be called to start a church, support a church plant, move for
your job or God calls you to be a part of another ministry. However, your Missional
Membership status at CedarCreek is separate and distinct from your eternal
membership status. Once you proclaim Jesus Christ as your Savior and Lord, you
are a forever member of God’s kingdom. Nothing will ever change that.
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Our CedarCreek Mission
CedarCreek Church exists to help spiritually restless and
unchurched people love Jesus, serve others,
and tell the world about Christ.
At all of our CedarCreek Campuses, we have this mission statement on
prominent display. Why? We don’t ever want anyone coming through our doors to be
confused about why we exist. At CedarCreek Church, we are a Biblical community
with a Jesus-inspired mission:
“Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in
the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach them to
obey the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with
you always, even to the end of the age.” -Matthew 28:19-20
We take the call to disciple every nation seriously because it was Jesus’ last
and most expansive command to His church. Matthew 28:19-20 is known as the
“Great Commission” and so we want to make Jesus’s Great Commission our
greatest priority.
It stands to reason that if Jesus calls us to do something, then we should do it
well. So, how do we know if are living out Matthew 28:19-20 effectively? How do we
measure this? The Bible gives us a measuring stick. People who are fully devoted to
living for Christ share the following characteristics:
They LOVE Jesus with all of their heart…
They SERVE others selflessly and generously…
They boldly TELL the world about Christ.
While it might be difficult to measure a person’s true heart condition, we think
that there are some definite markers to distinguish the truly devoted versus those
who are casually involved.
When we look at the New Testament, the prevailing theme is LOVE GOD,
LOVE OTHERS. That is what we live for! Furthermore, our love for God should
always be growing and our love for others should always be growing as well.
Missional Membership is many things, but most of all, it is your commitment to
continuous spiritual growth in association with a local church, specifically
CedarCreek.
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The Values of CedarCreek Church
We believe that anointed biblical teaching is the
primary catalyst for spiritual growth.
Hebrews 4:12, 2 Timothy 3:16, Acts 2:42, 2 Timothy 4:2
We believe that lost people matter to God so much
that we can’t even imagine His love for them.
John 3:16, Romans 5:8, Luke 15:7, Ephesians 3:18
We believe that loving relationships are at the heart
of a Biblically functioning community.
Galatians 5:14, Ephesians 4:25-27, Acts 4:34-35, Mathew 18:15-17
We believe that each Christian should take responsibility for their own spiritual
growth, and it should be a consistent process throughout a believer’s life.
Romans 12:1-2, 2 Corinthians 13:11, Colossians 2:6-7
We believe that personal spiritual disciplines are highly catalytic and essential
for growth as a Christ-follower. They include prayer, solitude, daily scripture
reflection and/or study.
2 Peter 1:5-9
We believe that every member should strive
to serve out of his or her spiritual giftedness.
1 Corinthians 12:28, Ephesians 4:11-13, Titus 1:6-9
We believe that Life Groups provide a great setting
for genuine life transformation.
Acts 2:46, Acts 5:12, Acts 20:20, 2 Timothy 2:2
We believe that prayer is the very
atmosphere of the Christian life.
Ephesians 6:12-19, Philippians 4:6, 1 Thessalonians 5:17, 1 Peter 4:7
We believe that excellence honors God
and inspires people.
2 Corinthians 8:7, Colossians 3:17, 1 Corinthians 9:22
We believe that people deserve integrity in our
financial matters, so we keep our books open.
2 Corinthians 8:20
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Our Vision for the Future
“The Son of Man has come to seek and to save
that which was lost.” -Luke 19:10
If Jesus calls us to live out the Great Commission in Matthew 28:19-20, then
how does that look for our church? Our mission statement reflects our desire to create
disciples, but how will we do this? When the early New Testament Christians talked
about Jesus’ Great Commission, chances are they didn’t just leave the house and
wander down the street. No, they talked about the different areas and populations
they would target in order to have the maximum impact.
The same goes for us. We want to have the maximum impact by leveraging the
opportunities that God has given us. As we reflected on these opportunities, our vision
for the future came into view.
In January 2014, Lee announced our vision for the next few years of our church.
We called this vision, Beyond Ourselves. We believe that living Beyond Ourselves,
especially as Missional Members, positions us to do the greatest good that we’ve ever
done for the glory of God.
Our Vision for Living Beyond Ourselves
Our Beyond Ourselves Initiative is about a bunch of people
being kingdom minded, desiring to do God’s will, thus starting
two more CedarCreek campuses, planting multiple churches
in the states and abroad, training and equipping leaders for
those churches and accomplishing unprecedented levels of
ministry to the poor, locally and around the world.
What’s the
strategy for
our vision?
Check out our
P.E.A.C.E. Plan
on page 91.
Over the next few years, we’ve identified several goals that reflect Jesus’ Great
Commission and impact many lives for eternity. We will have the chance to share the
gospel in communities and countries where people don’t know Christ. Not only will we
share the gospel, but we’ll have a chance to serve them in a way that lets our light
shine so that others in those communities will come to know Christ through our
actions. We’re inspired by Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:16:
In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that
everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
We are counting on everyone at CedarCreek to be a part of our Beyond
Ourselves Initiative, but our Missional Members will be on the front lines leading the
charge. Our Missional Members will be in LifeGroups, serving teams and in other
leadership roles setting the pace and inspiring those who are only marginally involved
in changing our world and challenging them to go “all-in” for the cause of Christ.
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What We Believe
Anyone who goes too far and does not abide in the teaching of Christ,
does not have God; the one who abides in the teaching,
he has both the Father and the Son. -2 John 1:9
The CedarCreek Statement of Faith summarizes our beliefs as a church. We
have mentioned in other places that our theology is not innovative. Anyone familiar
with historic Christian doctrine will find that these statements fall in the center of
orthodox evangelical theology. In other words, it is Biblical theology rather than
speculative theology, or theology rooted in tradition. We try not to be dogmatic about
matters on which Bible-based believers have held divergent views. We want our core
beliefs to be centered on Christ and His message as found in, and supported by, the
clearest passages in the Bible. More obscure doctrine, or teachings with less support,
are left to individuals to sort out on their own – we take no official position in these
areas.
The following pages contain our Statement of Faith. Do not try to hurry through
these pages, but read them slowly and thoughtfully. Ask yourself throughout, “What
difference does this truth make in my life? If I didn’t know or believe this, would it
matter?”
The Bible
The sole basis of our belief is the Bible, comprised of the 66 books of the Old
and New Testaments. We believe that Scripture in its entirety originated with God and
that it was given through the instrumentality of chosen men. Scripture speaks with the
authority of God and reflects the backgrounds, styles, and vocabularies of human
authors. We hold that the Scriptures are infallible and inerrant in the original
manuscripts. They are the unique, full, and final authority on all matters of faith and
practice, and there are no other writings similarly inspired by God. 2 Timothy 3:16
God
We believe that there is one true, holy God, eternally existing in three persons Father, Son, and Holy Spirit - each of whom possesses equally all the attributes of
deity, and the characteristics of personality. In the beginning, God created the world
out of nothing and all the things therein, thus manifesting the glory of his power,
wisdom, and goodness. By his providence, he is operating throughout history to fulfill
His redemptive purposes. Genesis 1:1, Isaiah 7:14 and Luke 1:34-35
Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ is the eternal second person of the Trinity. We believe in his deity
and in his miraculous conception and virgin birth. He lived a life of perfect obedience
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to the Father and voluntarily atoned for the sins of all by dying on the cross as their
substitute, thus satisfying divine justice and accomplishing salvation for all who trust
in Him alone. He rose from the dead in the same body, though glorified, in which he
lived and died. He ascended into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of the
Father, where he, the only mediator between God and man, continually makes
intercession for his own. He shall come again to earth, personally and visibly, to
consummate history and the eternal plan of God. John 1:1-5
The Holy Spirit
As believers submit to the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, they are
enabled to live a life of holiness and obedience. The Holy Spirit was sent into the
world by the Father and the Son to apply to mankind the saving work of Christ. He
enlightens the minds of sinners, awakens in them recognition of their need of a
Savior and regenerates them. At the point of salvation, he permanently indwells
every believer to become the source of assurance, comfort, strength and wisdom. He
uniquely endows each believer with spiritual gifts for the building up of the church.
The Holy Spirit guides believers in understanding and applying the Scriptures. His
power and control are appropriated by faith, making it possible for the believer to lead
a life of Christ-like character and to bear fruit to the glory of the Father. John 16:5-15
Salvation
The central purpose of God’s revelation in Scripture is to call all people into
fellowship with him. Originally created to have fellowship with God, man defied God,
choosing to go his independent way, and so was alienated from God and suffered the
corruption of his nature, rendering him unable to please God. The fall took place at
the beginning of human history, and all individuals since have suffered these consequences and are in need of the saving grace of God.
The Salvation of mankind is, then, wholly a work of God’s free grace, not the
result, in whole or in part, of human works or goodness, and must be personally
appropriated by repentance and faith. Salvation is available to all, but it must be
received to become a child of God (John 1:12). When God has begun a saving work
in the heart of any person, he gives assurance in his Word that He will continue
performing it until the day of its full consummation. John 3:16, Romans 10:9
Human Destiny
Death seals the eternal destiny of each person. For all mankind, there will be a
resurrection of the body into the spiritual world and a judgment that will determine the
fate of each individual. Unbelievers will be separated from God into condemnation.
God’s judgment will reveal his justice in consigning them to perpetuate in eternal
retribution for their own rejection of God. Believers will be received into eternal
communion with God and will be rewarded for works done in this life. Romans 6:23
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The Church
The result of being united with Jesus Christ is that all believers become
positional members of his body, the Church. There is one true universal Church,
comprised of all those who acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. The
Scriptures command believers to gather together to devote themselves to worship,
prayer, and the teaching of the Word of God. The Scriptures command believers to
devote themselves to the observance of Baptism and Communion as the
sacramental ordinances established by Jesus Christ. We believe that Baptism by
immersion, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, is commanded by God. It
is subsequent to conversion and is not a saving ordinance but an obedient outward
expression of an inward work of the Spirit of God. (Matthew 3:13-17).
We believe that Communion is a symbol of the broken body and shed blood of
our Lord Jesus Christ. It representing the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord,
and a looking forward to the second coming of Christ to receive his own (1
Corinthians 11:23-24). The Scriptures also command believers to devote themselves
to fellowship, service to the body through the development and use of talents and
gifts, and outreach to the world. Every member of Christ’s body should share their
Christian witness with others. (Acts 2:42)
Faith and Practice
Scripture is the final authority in all matters of faith and practice. This church
recognizes that it cannot bind the conscience of individual members in areas where
Scripture is silent. Rather, each believer is to be led in those areas by the Lord, to
whom he or she alone is ultimately responsible.
We believe the Statement of Faith to be an accurate summary of
what Scripture teaches. All members shall refrain from advocating
doctrines that are not included in the Statement of Faith in such a
way as to cause dissension.
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The Five Agreements
“We Agree…”
To no one’s surprise, one distinction of growing churches is clarity of mission.
But one study on church growth found that while mission clarity is important to
growth, so is unity behind even the methods of that church. That is, there is generally
strong agreement as to the way in which the church accomplishes its mission,
including music style, staff attitudes, and other unique expressions of the church. We
desire and value such unity at CedarCreek. Even the Apostle Paul elevated unity in
the church in Philippians 2:2. “Agree wholeheartedly with each other, loving one
another, and working together with one heart and purpose”.
By now, you have a pretty good sense of what we are about and how we
accomplish our mission at CedarCreek. The following five statements unify us
beyond the “way” in which we live out our mission at the Creek. It’s possible you may
not agree with these statements, and that’s okay, but it also means you should
probably stop the membership process because being a Missional Member at
CedarCreek includes agreement with these statements.
We agree that the cause of the church is the greatest cause on the planet.
(Matthew 28:19-20, Matthew 6:33). Note: The cause of the church is worth our very
lives!
We agree to do anything short of sin to reach people who don’t know Christ.
(1 Corinthians 9:22, 10:33) Note: This, of course, includes music styles and outreach
methods. Remember, anything short of sin; nothing sinful.
We agree that the church can never get too big!
(Acts 1:8) Note: If we obey the commands of Jesus, the church will grow! To say a
church is too big, is to give up on the mission of Christ.
We agree to be an example of Jesus love behind and beyond the walls of
CedarCreek. (Galatians 6:10, Matthew 5:16) Note: We want to be known as a church
that expresses radical love to our own, as well as to others.
We agree to do more with less.
Note: The average mega church in America spends $2,250 per person, per year.
At CedarCreek, we spend a third of that, or $760 per person. In addition, the average
church in America has one full-time staff member for every 80 people. At the ‘Creek
our ratio is 1 to 140.
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Loving Jesus
God’s Grace: Receiving the Gift of Eternal Life
In the introduction, we identified that individuals who were living for Christ
shared the following characteristics:
They LOVE Jesus with all of their heart…
They SERVE others selflessly and generously…
They boldly TELL the world about Christ.
In this first section of Loving Jesus, we are going to explore God’s grace and
how our understanding of God’s grace radically transforms our lives. You may have
come from a spiritual tradition where the term had a usage different from what is
found in the Bible. So, we all need to understand the Biblical meaning of grace, and
then solidify our understanding of our own beginning with God. For some of you, this
study maybe the first time that you truly understand the power of God’s grace. Our
prayer is that at the end of this section, each one of us will be able to proclaim: “I
understand God’s grace and I know that I am a recipient of it.”
Our Need for God’s Grace
Are you a good person? Most people pride themselves on being better than the
next guy. However, if we don’t think we’re any worse than the people around us, that
can erroneously lead us to believe that we don’t need any special help from God.
Read Romans 3:10-18, 23 and explain how the Bible describes our human
condition and our need for God.
10
As the Scriptures say, “No one is righteous—not even one. 11 No one is truly
wise; no one is seeking God. 12All have turned away; all have become useless. No
one does good, not a single one.” 13“Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open
grave. Their tongues are filled with lies.” “Snake venom drips from their lips.” 14“Their
mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” 15“They rush to commit murder.
16
Destruction and misery always follow them. 17They do not know where to find
peace.” 18“They have no fear of God at all.”...23For everyone has sinned; we all fall
short of God’s glorious standard.
Answer:
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To forgive someone literally means to release that person from
indebtedness. But if you forgive a debt, the money must then come from
somewhere else - usually you, the debt-forgiver. In the spiritual realm, God’s
forgiveness means we’re released from spiritual debt. But our sins don’t just
vanish into thin air, so God had to provide a solution.
What do we deserve because of our sin? What does God offer and how?
Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal
life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Answer:
Read Romans 5:8. How and when did God show his love for us?
Romans 5:8 – But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die
for us while we were still sinners.
Answer:
Our life as a Christ-follower should never be attached to shame! Why
don’t we have to be ashamed about being honest when admitting our sinful
condition?
Romans 8:1 – So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ
Jesus.
Answer:
No matter what you’ve been told, you can’t—and you don’t have to earn
God’s favor! Unfortunately, there are lots of Christians who think that they have
to “earn” God’s love. Read Ephesians 2:8-9 and complete the statement below.
Ephesians 2:8-9 – God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And
you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9Salvation is not a reward for the
good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
Finish this statement: I can’t or don’t have to earn God’s favor because…
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Recognizing Our Need for Salvation
Once we’re at that position where we’ve been honest about our need for
God’s help and forgiveness, what does the Bible say is the next step? (See also
John 1:11-12, Acts 16:30-31 and Galatians 2:16)
Romans 10:9 – For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and
believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Answer:
Baptism: The Outward Sign of God’s Grace
While we respect the religious heritage of those who have been baptized as
infants, we believe Scripture teaches that baptism should come after a person has
personally received Christ.
We, therefore, require that a person be baptized by his or her own choice to be
a Missional Member at CedarCreek (although that baptism does not need to have
occurred at CedarCreek). (If you have not yet been baptized since you became a
Christian, we ask that you do so at one of our baptism services so that we can
celebrate your commitment to Christ with the rest of the church members.)
When should someone be baptized?
Many people, maybe you, too, were baptized as a child. But the pattern in
the New Testament (example: Acts 18:8) is “believe - then be baptized”. Why do
you think it would be appropriate for a person to be baptized AFTER his or her
conversion instead of before it?
Acts 10:47-48 – “Can anyone object to their being baptized, now that they
have received the Holy Spirit just as we did?” 48So he gave orders for them to be
baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Afterward Cornelius asked him to stay with
them for several days.
Answer:
According To Romans 6:4-5, what is signified by baptism?
Romans 6:4-5 – For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just
as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also
may live new lives. 5Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be
raised as he was.
Answer:
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According to the following verses, what was the response of new
believers, those who had recently received God’s grace, which visibly
demonstrated what God had done in their lives? (See also Acts 8:36-38 and Acts
16:14-15)
Acts 2:37-38, 41 – 37 Peter’s words convicted them deeply, and they said to
him and to the other apostles, “Brothers, what should we do?” 38 Peter replied, “Each
of you must turn from your sins and turn to God, and be baptized in the name of
Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy
Spirit.” 41Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the
church—about three thousand in all.
Answer:
Summary Statement on “God’s Grace”
Christ-followers understand and have individually received Christ’s saving
grace. They have abandoned all attempts to earn God’s favor through
accomplishments of their own and find security only through Christ’s sacrificial death
on their behalf.
In obedience to Christ’s command, they have undergone water baptism as
believers, giving outward witness to the inner cleansing and renewal experienced in
Him.
Note: Much misunderstanding exists about what it means to be a “Christian.” Church
attendance, belief in God, strong commitment, etc. are all good but none of them
make you a Christian in the Biblical sense. If you’re at all unclear as to whether or not
you’re a Christian, we’d like to clear up any confusion you have. Please don’t feel
embarrassed if you’re not sure. Do not go any further on this response sheet for now.
Set up a time as soon as possible to meet with your Life Group leader, your Ministry
Team leader, or a staff person to discuss your uncertainties. This matter is of vital
importance to every Missional Member (every person, really!).
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Loving Jesus:
Pursuing Christ-like Virtue
There is a point at which we must recognize that there is a God and it is not us.
Yet, the Bible calls us to reflect God’s character in our lives. What does that mean?
How do we do it? One thing is sure, we cannot guess or apply our own definitions.
In this section, we are going to unpack the following definition of what it means
to live like Christ: to think, speak and act as if we were Jesus. Another phrase for that
definition is Godly character or Christ-like virtue.
The value of developing Christ-like virtue is that as we imitate Christ in our
homes and workplaces. Every interaction with others has the potential to draw people
to Christ. Furthermore, we get to tap into a divine supply of strength, integrity, love
and hope that only comes from Christ.
Let’s take a look at what it takes to develop the type of character God wants us
to have.
The Battleground
Do you struggle with wanting to do the right thing, but sometimes choosing to
do the wrong thing? It’s frustrating, isn’t it. Why do we still struggle even though we’ve
proclaimed ourselves as followers of Christ.
The Bible describes a battle between two natures raging within us: our old
nature before coming to Christ, referred to as the flesh, and our new nature now that
we are in Christ, referred to as the Spirit.
In the spaces provided after the verses, list the deeds, or “fruits”, of the
flesh and Spirit according to Galatians 5:16-26. (Also see Romans 8:5-9)
Galatians 5:16-26 – So I advise you to live according to your new life in the
Holy Spirit. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. 17The old sinful
nature loves to do evil, which is just the opposite from what the Holy Spirit wants.
And the Spirit gives us desires that are opposite from what the sinful nature desires.
These two forces are constantly fighting each other, and your choices are never free
from this conflict. 18But when you are directed by the Holy Spirit, you are no longer
subject to the law. 19When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, your lives will
produce these evil results: sexual immorality, impure thoughts, eagerness for lustful
pleasure, 20idolatry, participation in demonic activities, hostility, quarreling, jealousy,
outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, divisions, the feeling that everyone is wrong
except those in your own little group, 21envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other
kinds of sin. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life
will not inherit the Kingdom of God. 22But when the Holy Spirit controls our lives, he
will produce this kind of fruit in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
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faithfulness, 23gentleness, and self-control. Here there is no conflict with the law.
24
Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their
sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25If we are living now by the Holy
Spirit, let us follow the Holy Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. 26Let us not
become conceited, or irritate one another, or be jealous of one another.
Fruit of the Flesh
(Underline the ones that are
your biggest struggles)
Fruit of the Spirit
(Circle the ones that
you already practice)
Notice how the “Fruit of the Spirit” is bundled together. The Holy Spirit
intends to nurture all of these in our lives. So, no matter the area where you
struggle, God intends to grow that area of your life. Look at verse 22. What
does it mean for us to allow the Holy Spirit to control our lives?
Answer:
Pursuing Christ-like Character…
Read Romans 12:1-3. The most important part of pursuing Christ-like
character is allowing God permission to change and transform your life. The
Apostle Paul gives us some instructions in this verse as it pertains to our role
in the transformation process. What is our role? (also see Philippians 4:8-9;
Colossians 3:1-2 and Ephesians 4:20-24))
Romans 12:1-3 – And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your
bodies to God. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will accept. When
you think of what he has done for you, is this too much to ask? 2Don’t copy the
behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by
changing the way you think. Then you will know what God wants you to do, and you
will know how good and pleasing and perfect his will really is. 3As God’s messenger, I
give each of you this warning: Be honest in your estimate of yourselves, measuring
your value by how much faith God has given you.
Answer:
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Remember, there is nothing that you can do to earn God’s favor.
Additionally, once you come to faith in Christ, you are already pure and holy in
God’s eyes through Christ (Isaiah 1:18). However, God wants you to live up to,
and live out, these standards in your everyday life here on earth. Read
Ephesians 4:25-32. What should you practice and what should you avoid?
Ephesians 4:25-32 – So put away all falsehood and “tell your neighbor the truth”
because we belong to each other. 26And “don’t sin by letting anger gain control over
you”. Don’t let the sun go down while you are still angry, 27for anger gives a mighty
foothold to the Devil. 28If you are a thief, stop stealing. Begin using your hands for
honest work, and then give generously to others in need. 29Don’t use foul or abusive
language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an
encouragement to those who hear them. 30And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy
Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he is the one who has identified you as his
own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. 31Get rid of all
bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of malicious
behavior. 32Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just
as God through Christ has forgiven you.
Practice
Avoid
EXTRA: Of the behaviors you’ve listed, put a check mark beside the ones you need
to focus on most.
The word “holy” means “set apart.” Therefore, Christ-like virtue should
be a defining characteristic of anyone who calls them self a follower of Christ—
not so that we can position ourselves as better than others, but so that we can
reflect Christ to our world. How does holiness manifest itself in Colossians
3:12-14?
Colossians 3:12-14 – Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he
loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility,
gentleness, and patience. 13You must make allowance for each other’s faults and
forgive the person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must
forgive others. 14And the most important piece of clothing you must wear is love. Love
is what binds us all together in perfect harmony.
Answer:
What is it that creates unity? _____________
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If one word could describe Jesus Christ, it would be “love.” His love is selfless
and centered on others. He desires His followers to love the same way. 1 Corinthians
13 is perhaps the greatest love chapter in the Bible.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7 – Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful
or proud 5or rude. Love does not demand its own way. Love is not irritable, and it
keeps no record of when it has been wronged. 6It is never glad about injustice but
rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7Love never gives up, never loses faith, is
always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.
Which of the characteristics in that passage are EASIEST for you to
practice?
Which of the characteristics in that passage are HARDEST for you to
practice?
Summary Statement on Pursuing Christ-like Virtue
Christ followers are committed to being conformed to the image of Christ and
developing Godly characteristics in their thoughts, actions, words, and relationships.
They are under the control of the Holy Spirit and subject themselves to the Spirit’s
promptings, being quick to flee from temptation or anything that is dishonoring to
God.
As Christ followers seek to be Christ-like in all their behavior, they will respond
in a positive way when confronted by others regarding areas of their lives that do not
demonstrate Godly character. They will seek help and support from their LifeGroup
members or other trusted Christians to be accountable in areas of concern.
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Loving Jesus:
Generously Sharing God’s Resources
Money.
If there ever was a topic that most people don’t like to discuss, this is it.
Especially when we talk about money when we’re talking about God or church. What
makes us so uncomfortable talking about money? Do you feel a little warm right
now?
God knows that money would play a big role in our lives. There’s a natural
tension that accompanies the subject of money—a tension that we must manage.
God knows this and that is why the Bible comes with so much instruction about how
to handle our money. Did you know that the Bible talks about money more than
anything else? There are over 800 verses about money in the Bible.
God instructs us to handle money in a way that honors Him and blesses us as
well. We love what well-known pastor and author, Andy Stanley, says about God’s
attitude toward us and money:
God doesn’t want to take your money.
He just doesn’t want your money to take you.
In this section, we’re going to discuss what the Bible has to say about the topic
of money. We’re also going to look at what your response should be and how you can
honor God in this area of your life. There is a significant tie between your faith and
your view of money. For some of you, this portion of the study might be an
unexpected spiritual breakthrough for you.
We recognize that people come from various attitudes and backgrounds when
it comes to the topic of giving. Our desire is to help you understand what the Bible
says about living generously and providing a tool to help you understand what it looks
like as well as how to apply it to your life in a practical way.
PRIORITY, PERCENTAGE and PROGRESSIVE
One of the major themes in the Bible, especially as it pertains to money, is the
concept of “generosity.” Biblical generosity is giving as a result of a transformed
heart. So, what does that look like in your life? How can you know if you are growing
spiritually in this area of your spiritual journey?
In his best-selling book, How to be Rich, Andy Stanley provides an easy-toapply framework for us to consider when deciding how we can honor God with our
money. There are three concepts that we can apply when it comes to becoming
generous in a way that honors God: PRIORITY, PERCENTAGE and
PROGRESSIVE.
We’ll explain these in detail now:
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Priority giving means that no matter how rich or poor you might feel, right now
is the time to be generous. Andy Stanley explains, “If you wait until you’re rich, you’ll
never start, because rich people live in denial that they’re rich. The best way to make
giving a priority is to make it the very first check you write every month.”
Percentage giving means knowing what your percentage is, instead of just an
amount. If you just focus on amounts, you’ll either become discouraged when it isn’t
very much or you’ll become prideful if you feel it’s a lot. Statistics show that as people
increase in wealth, their percentage of giving goes down. They have more, but they
give less. Why? Because the amount of money they give away is going up, so they
rationalize that they are being more generous while they keep a greater percentage
for themselves.
Progressive giving means that you continue to grow in generosity as you grow
in your faith. This simply means that over time you raise the percentage of giving.
The generosity ladder is the perfect example of the progression that needs to be
made by each of us to reach a level of generous giving.
*In the Personal Response section, you’ll have an opportunity to
assess exactly where you are at with regards to the “3 P’s.”
What does the Bible say about how we should manage our
money?
Look around at your home, car, clothes and other belongings. You might
have paid for these articles by cash, check or credit as a result of your job. But,
do they really belong to you? Read Psalm 24:1. Who owns all of your stuff?
Why is this true whether you believe it or not?
Psalm 24:1—1 The earth is the LORD’s, and everything in it. The world and all its
people belong to him.
Answer:
God calls us to manage his stuff…
Everything is God’s, yet He gives it to us to watch over and manage.
Jesus tells a story to the crowd about three individuals who managed their
boss’ money in different ways. This is a long reading, but an important lesson
about being a good wealth manager for God should emerge. What do you learn
about God’s expectations for how we manage the resources that He gives to
us?
Matthew 25:14-30- 1 4“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven can be illustrated by the
story of a man going on a long trip. He called together his servants and entrusted his
money to them while he was gone. 15 He gave five bags of silver to one, two bags of
silver to another, and one bag of silver to the last—dividing it in proportion to their
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abilities. He then left on his trip. 16 “The servant who received the five bags of silver
began to invest the money and earned five more. 17The servant with two bags of
silver also went to work and earned two more. 18 But the servant who received the
one bag of silver dug a hole in the ground and hid the master’s money. 19 “After a
long time their master returned from his trip and called them to give an account of
how they had used his money. 20 The servant to whom he had entrusted the five bags
of silver came forward with five more and said, ‘Master, you gave me five bags of
silver to invest, and I have earned five more.’ 21 “The master was full of praise. ‘Well
done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small
amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s celebrate together!”
22
“The servant who had received the two bags of silver came forward and said,
‘Master, you gave me two bags of silver to invest, and I have earned two more.’
23
“The master said, ‘Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful
in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let’s
celebrate together!’ 24 “Then the servant with the one bag of silver came and said,
‘Master, I knew you were a harsh man, harvesting crops you didn’t plant and
gathering crops you didn’t cultivate. 25 I was afraid I would lose your money, so I hid it
in the earth. Look, here is your money back.’ 26 “But the master replied, ‘You wicked
and lazy servant! If you knew I harvested crops I didn’t plant and gathered crops I
didn’t cultivate, 27 why didn’t you deposit my money in the bank? At least I could have
gotten some interest on it.’ 28 “Then he ordered, ‘Take the money from this servant,
and give it to the one with the ten bags of silver. 29 To those who use well what they
are given, even more will be given, and they will have an abundance. But from those
who do nothing, even what little they have will be taken away. 30 Now throw this
useless servant into outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of
teeth.’
Answer:
Why do you think the master was so angry with the third servant who
tried to keep his money safe? What spiritual application should we draw from
the third servant?
Answer:
The reason why this section has so many verses is because the Bible has
A LOT to say about money. Why? Because we need guidance to deal with the
thing that we will struggle most with in life. What’s the moral of the story Jesus
summarized in Luke 16:10-12?
Luke 16:10-12 – “Unless you are faithful in small matters, you won’t be faithful
in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won’t be honest with greater
responsibilities. 11And if you are untrustworthy about worldly wealth, who will trust
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you with the true riches of heaven? 12And if you are not faithful with other people’s
money, why should you be trusted with money of your own?”
Answer:
Attitudes toward Money and Giving
Do I give? How much do I give? Will I have enough if I do? Read the
following scripture. How are believers instructed to approach giving? How can
this approach decrease some of the tension AND increase the chance we will
be motivated to honor God with our money?
1 Corinthians 16:1-2 – Now about the money being collected for the Christians
in Jerusalem: You should follow the same procedures I gave to the churches in
Galatia. 2On every Lord’s Day, each of you should put aside some amount of money
in relation to what you have earned and save it for this offering. Don’t wait until I get
there and then try to collect it all at once.
Answer:
Did you realize that you are rich? Why yes, you are. If you make $35,000
per year, you are in the top 4% of earners in our world. If you make $15,000 per
year, you are in the top 20%. Read 1 Timothy 6:6-10, 17-19 with the
understanding that you are the rich people that the scriptural author is talking
about. What kind of responsibility comes with being rich?
1 Timothy 6:6-10, 17-19 – Yet true religion with contentment is great wealth.
7
After all, we didn’t bring anything with us when we came into the world, and we
certainly cannot carry anything with us when we die. 8So if we have enough food and
clothing, let us be content. 9But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are
trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and
destruction. 10For the love of money is at the root of all kinds of evil. And some
people, craving money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with
many sorrows. 17Tell those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust
in their money, which will soon be gone. But their trust should be in the living God,
who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. 18Tell them to use their money to
do good. They should be rich in good works and should give generously to those in
need, always being ready to share with others whatever God has given them. 19By
doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so
that they may take hold of real life.
Answer:
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Our giving response is directly related to our attitude. What attitudes
should characterize giving according to 2 Corinthians 9:6-7?
2 Corinthians 9:6-7 – Remember this—a farmer who plants only a few seeds
will get a small crop. But one who plants generously will get a generous crop. 7You
must each make up your own mind as to how much you should give. Don’t give
reluctantly or in response to pressure. For God loves the person who gives cheerfully.
Answer:
Biblical Tithing
We uphold the Old Testament instruction that God’s people give back the
first 10% of his income to Him. Furthermore, in response to Christ’s lavish
grace, the New Testament goes on to teach proportional giving, and spurs us
to doing even more to advance the kingdom locally—and beyond—as God
individually prospers and leads.
What percentage is common to the following biblical stories of giving?
Leviticus 27:30, 32 – 30“A tenth of the produce of the land, whether grain or
fruit, belongs to the Lord and must be set apart to him as holy.” – 32The Lord also
owns every tenth animal counted off from your herds and flocks. They are set apart
to him as holy.
Answer:
In this next passage of scripture, God provides some harsh words to
those who do not recognize His lordship over all things. However, God also
invites us to challenge Him in the area of giving. Why does God use such harsh
language to the people? What is God’s purpose behind issuing that tithe
challenge?
Malachi 3:8-10 – “Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! But
you ask, ‘What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?’ You have cheated me of
the tithes and offerings due to me. 9 You are under a curse, for your whole nation has
been cheating me. 10 Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough
food in my Temple. If you do,” says the Lord Almighty, “I will open the windows of
heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won’t have enough room to
take it in! Try it! Let me prove it to you!”
Answer:
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What has shaped CedarCreek’s position on generosity and
giving?
One of the most common questions we receive is “Is ’tithing’ only an Old
Testament principle or should we still tithe today?” The answer is “yes!” The Old
Testament provides the backdrop, by instructing God’s people to give the first 10% of
their income back to Him. In Matthew 23:23, Jesus affirms tithing, with the warning
that people don’t neglect the utmost importance of a righteous heart attitude and
living by faith.
In response to Christ’s lavish grace, the New Testament goes on to teach
proportional giving, and spurs us to doing
even more to advance the kingdom
locally—and beyond—as God prospers
and leads.
However, we know that not everyone
can go from giving zero to tithing or
beyond, so this is why we recommend
using the “Generosity Ladder” as an
on-ramp in this process. We introduced
the “Generosity Ladder” at the beginning
of this section. As you reflect on this
graphic, as yourself these three questions:
1. Where am I at now?
2. Where do I want to be one year from
now?
3. What will it take to get there?
*In order to become a Missional Member, you will need to be an “Intentional Giver”
with a desire to move toward a Tithing Giver and Bold Giver.
Summary Statement on Generosity
Followers of Christ realize that God is the owner and giver of all things and that
we are God’s managers of all that he has entrusted to us..
In light of this, they desire to be responsible caretakers of the material
resources that God has entrusted to them. When it comes to generosity, our
Missional Members understand that giving should follow the “3P’s”: Priority,
Percentage and Progressive.
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Loving Jesus:
Constructing a Biblical Worldview
Why do you believe what you believe about God, Jesus Christ or the Bible?
Having a solid Biblical foundation is so important to maintain and growing a vibrant
life in Christ. In this section, we are going to look at the foundation that God wants to
put into your life. The foundation of our faith is based on what we believe. Ultimately,
we need to understand that right beliefs will lead to right behaviors.
Loving God with all of your mind seems to be academic, as if love and intellect
contradict each other. However, the reality is that people who struggle with one
particular sin or another tend to have one or more flawed beliefs. A flawed belief is
like a weak spot in a foundation because it makes the rest of the house unstable and
vulnerable to damage.
As we engage in the process of establishing a correct foundation or what we
refer to as a “biblical worldview,” the goal is for us to make sure that we have a correct understanding of who God is and the role that the Bible plays in our lives.
The clearer God becomes to us – as well as how He works - the more solid our
foundation becomes and the clearer our personal mission will be.
The Doctrine of the Bible, God, Jesus and Holy Spirit
This seems basic, but we’re going to say it anyways: The Bible is God’s
main method of communication to us. It’s important for us to understand how
we got the Bible. Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Where did scripture originate?
2 Timothy 3:16-17 – All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us
what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens out and
teaches us to do what is right. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do
what is right. 17God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.
Answer:
Our Bible isn’t just a book or online app that we casually read when convenient. Read Hebrews 4:12. What makes the Bible different than other books?
Hebrews 4:12 – For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than
the sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires.
Answer:
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GOD IS OMNIPRESENT, OMNISCIENT, OMNIPOTENT
God exists in three Persons; the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, also known as
the Trinity. In this section, we will take a closer look at three of the major doctrines in
which every follower of Christ should be grounded.
How would you describe God’s character to someone who needed to
know? What do these Biblical authors say about God’s omnipresence (allpresence)? (See Jeremiah 23:23-24)
Psalms 139:7-10 – I can never escape from your spirit! I can never get away
from your presence! 8If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the place of
the dead, you are there. 9If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest
oceans, 10even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.
Answer:
Hebrews 4:13 – Nothing in all creation can hide from him. Everything is naked and
exposed before his eyes. This is the God to whom we must expose all that we have
done.
Answer:
Matthew 19:26 – Jesus looked at them intently and said, “Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.”
Answer:
The Bible gives us an extraordinary picture of how Jesus entered into life
on earth. Read Matthew 1:18, 22-25. What is unique about Mary’s conception?
Matthew 1:18, 22-25 – Now this is how Jesus the Messiah was born. His mother, Mary, was engaged to be married to Joseph. But while she was still a virgin, she
became pregnant by the Holy Spirit.... 22All of this happened to fulfill the Lord’s message through his prophet: 23“Look! The virgin will conceive a child! She will give birth
to a son, and he will be called Immanuel (meaning, God is with us).” 24When Joseph
woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord commanded. He brought Mary home to
be his wife, 25but she remained a virgin until her son was born. And Joseph named
him Jesus.
Answer:
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Most every major religion acknowledges Jesus Christ. However, many believe that Jesus was a “wise man,” “good teacher,” or “good moral authority.”
However, they are missing something very important: Jesus was fully divine.
What do the following verses tell you about the Deity of Christ? (Also see
Matthew 1:23)
John 1:1-3, 14, 18 – 1In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word
was with God, and the Word was God. 2He existed in the beginning with God. 3God
created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. 14 So
the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love
and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only
Son. 18 No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near
to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us.
Colossians 2:9 – For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body…
Answer:
Jesus’ claim of deity fueled the religious leaders’ desire to kill him. According to this verse, why did the Jews want to kill Jesus?
John 10:33 – They replied, “We’re stoning you not for any good work, but for
blasphemy! You, a mere man, claim to be God.” (Also see John 5:18)
Answer:
The word “Trinity” means “three-in-one” and references the unity of God the
Father, God the Son (Jesus Christ) and God the Holy Spirit. Of the three members of the Trinity, people are the least familiar with the Holy Spirit. What do the
following verses say about the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives? (See also
Ephesians 1:13-14)
Romans 8:9-11 – But you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that
those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)
10
And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the
Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. 11The Spirit of God,
who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised Christ Jesus
from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this same Spirit living within
you.
Answer:
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Since the Holy Spirit lives within us, he is there to accomplish a specific
purpose. There are several verses listed for you to read. After each of those
verses, answer how does the Holy Spirit help us to live out our faith? (Also see
John 14:16-18, 26; 1 Corinthians 2:10-11; 1 Corinthians 12:5-11)
John 16:13-14 –13When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all
truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you
about the future.14He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me.
Answer:
Acts 1:8 – “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you.
And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere –in Jerusalem,
throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the Earth.”
Answer:
Romans 8:26 – And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t
know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings
that cannot be expressed in words.
Answer:
1 Corinthians 12:4 – There are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but the same Spirit is
the source of them all..
Answer:
Just as you came to Christ of your own free will, you can also choose to
follow or reject the Spirit’s promptings. What is the warning given to Christ followers? (Also see 1 Thessalonians 5:19)
Ephesians 4:30 – And do not bring sorrow to God’s Holy Spirit by the way you
live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be
saved on the day of redemption.
Answer:
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Loving Jesus:
Developing Intimacy with God
The purpose of this section is to discover a balance between owning the responsibility to grow, which requires resisting what keeps us from growing, and trusting in the help and power of the Holy Spirit to bring about Christ-like character in us.
That tension will be with us all of our lives. But if we commit to move forward, we will
experience the blessings of God’s grace active in our everyday lives—and marvel at
the resultant miracle of our spiritual growth.
In Colossians 2:6-7, the Apostle Paul uses several different words or
phrases to describe the quality of faith the people had. List as many terms as
you can find from those verses.
Colossians 2:6-7 – And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord,
you must continue to live in obedience to him. 7Let your roots grow down into him and
draw up nourishment from him, so you will grow in faith, strong and vigorous in the
truth you were taught. Let your lives overflow with thanksgiving for all he has done.
Answer:
In Ephesians 4:14-15, Paul describes two contrasting scenarios: traits
that should no longer characterize believers, and then traits that should be evident in a Christian. Complete the lists that follow these verses.
Ephesians 4:14-15 – Then we will no longer be like children, forever changing
our minds about what we believe because someone has told us something different
or because someone has cleverly lied to us and made the lie sound like truth. 15Instead, we will hold to the truth in love, becoming more and more in every way like
Christ, who is the head of his body, the church.
Traits that should no longer
characterize believers…
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Healthy traits a Christian
should possess…
30
What is Jesus saying about growing as a Christian in John 15:4-5?
John 15:4-5 – “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce
fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me. 5Yes, I am
the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce
much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”
Tools for Developing Intimacy with God
THE BIBLE
What do the following verses teach about the importance of Scripture in the life
of a growing Christian? (Also see 1 Peter 2:2-3, Psalm 1:2-3 and Psalm 119:9-24)
Hebrews 4:12 – For the word of God is full of living power. It is sharper than the
sharpest knife, cutting deep into our innermost thoughts and desires. It exposes us
for what we really are.
Answer:
PRAYER/SOLITUDE/WORSHIP
While God does the transforming, Jesus modeled how we can regularly
initiate a connecting with God. What does Luke 5:16 tell us about Jesus’s prayer life and his need to be alone periodically? What are the implications for you
personally?
Luke 5:16 – But Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer.
Answer:
Some of us have grown up in traditions where prayer was only at certain
times and under certain conditions. However, Ephesians 6:18 gives us some
direction. How and when are we instructed to pray?
Ephesians 6:18 – Pray at all times and on every occasion in the power of the
Holy Spirit. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all Christians everywhere.
Answer:
Spiritual disciplines, like prayer and Bible study are practices that can
help us connect with God. In 1 Timothy 4:7-8, the scriptural author draws a correlation between the importance of physical fitness and spiritual fitness. What
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kind of enduring benefits does spiritual fitness offer us that far exceeds physical fitness?
1 Timothy 4:7-8 – Do not waste time arguing over godless ideas and old wives’
tales. Spend your time and energy in training yourself for spiritual fitness. 8Physical
exercise has some value, but spiritual exercise is much more important, for it promises a reward in both this life and the next.
Answer:
One of the popular questions that people ask is, “If I am saved, then does
it matter if I keep on sinning. Won’t God just forgive me?” Read Romans 6:1-11.
As long as we’re forgiven, why does it make any difference whether we sin or
not?
Romans 6:1-11 – Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show
us more and more kindness and forgiveness? 2Of course not! Since we have died to
sin, how can we continue to live in it? 3Or have you forgotten that when we became
Christians and were baptized to become one with Christ Jesus, we died with him?
4
For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised
from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.
5
Since we have been united with him in his death, we will also be raised as he was.
6
Our old sinful selves were crucified with Christ so that sin might lose its power in our
lives. We are no longer slaves to sin. 7For when we died with Christ we were set free
from the power of sin. 8 And since we died with Christ, we know we will also share his
new life. 9We are sure of this because Christ rose from the dead, and he will never
die again. Death no longer has any power over him. 10He died once to defeat sin, and
now he lives for the glory of God. 11So you should consider yourselves dead to sin
and able to live for the glory of God through Christ Jesus.
What is the encouragement that verses 9-11 gives us about being free
from the power of sin?
Answer:
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No matter how hard we try, we’re going to make mistakes sometime. We
will sin. When that happens, to whom should we confess our sins? What
should be the result of confession?
Psalms 32:3-5 – When I refused to confess my sin, I was weak and miserable,
and I groaned all day long. 4Day and night your hand of discipline was heavy on me.
My strength evaporated like water in the summer heat. 5Finally, I confessed all my
sins to you and stopped trying to hide them. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone.
Answer:
Summary Statement on Developing Intimacy with God
Christ-followers know the grace of God that saved them is only the beginning of
his work in them. They gratefully respond by actively pursuing a lifelong process of
spiritual growth in Christ and seek to become conformed to his image. To this end,
they consistently nurture their spiritual development through prayer, worship, and Bible study.
They regard the Bible as the final authority in all areas that it teaches about and
desire to be wholly obedient to it. Christ-followers honestly confront areas of personal
sin and engage the Holy Spirit’s power in seeking to turn from sin.
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Serving Others
Developing Your Spiritual Gifts
Who doesn’t like receiving gifts? There’s nothing like getting handed something
wonderful that you didn’t have to pay for and that you don’t have to share. The best
kind of gifts can be shared with others.
There are lots of gifts that God gives us. We already talked about receiving the
gift of grace. Now, we’re going to talk about the gifts given by God’s Holy Spirit at the
time we became believers. These gifts arrive in the form of special abilities given to
us by God in order to carry the gospel message into the world. Each believer
receives a unique combination of spiritual gifts, decided by God himself. When we
understand and use our different gifts in harmony with each other, the Church
functions in unity and has the greatest impact in our world today.
One of the key concepts of Missional membership is the recognition that every
member is on a mission and regularly, intentionally fulfilling the role God has
specifically wired them to fulfill. People often ask about finding out about their spiritual
gifts and what to do once they figure out what those gifts are.
In this section, we are going to look at how our spiritual gifts are distributed and
the importance of understanding the impact of using our spiritual gifts. We’ve also
included the spiritual gifts assessment so that you can discover your spiritual gifts.
The Need For and the Privilege of Serving
Read Matthew 9:36-38. Now imagine Jesus visiting a weekend service at
CedarCreek. After the service, you and he sit in the back and watch the
hundreds of people walk out. He sighs as he sees the streams of attendees
pass by – and then says to you the exact words from Matthew 9.
Explain in your own words what you think is on Jesus’ mind and heart at
that moment.
Matthew 9:36-38 – He felt great pity for the crowds that came, because their
problems were so great and they didn’t know where to go for help. They were like
sheep without a shepherd. 37He said to his disciples, “The harvest is so great, but the
workers are so few. 38So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to
send out more workers for his fields.”
Answer:
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What was Paul’s attitude toward working in God’s service in 1 Timothy 1:12?
1 Timothy 1:12 – How thankful I am to Christ Jesus our Lord for considering
me trustworthy and appointing me to serve him…
Answer:
Different Parts, One Body
The Bible compares the Church to a human body, with Christ as the head and
all of us as different parts, or members, of the body.
Summarize, in a sentence or two, what Paul is trying to convey in 1
Corinthians 12:14-26:
1 Corinthians 12:14-26 – Yes, the body has many different parts, not just one
15
part. If the foot says, “I am not a part of the body because I am not a hand,” that
does not make it any less a part of the body. 16And if the ear says, “I am not part of
the body because I am only an ear and not an eye,” would that make it any less a
part of the body? 17Suppose the whole body were an eye—then how would you
hear? Or if your whole body were just one big ear, how could you smell anything?
18
but God made our bodies with many parts, and he has put each part just where he
wants it. 19What a strange thing a body would be if it had only one part! 20Yes, there
are many parts, but only one body. 21The eye can never say to the hand, “I don’t
need you.” The head can’t say to the feet, “I don’t need you.” 22In fact, some of the
parts that seem weakest and least important are really the most necessary. 23And the
parts we regard as less honorable are those we clothe with the greatest care. So we
carefully protect from the eyes of others those parts that should not be seen, 24while
other parts do not require this special care. So God has put the body together in such
a way that extra honor and care are given to those parts that have less dignity. 25This
makes for harmony among the members, so that all the members care for each other
equally. 26If one part suffers, all the parts suffer with it, and if one part is honored, all
the parts are glad.
Answer:
According to 1 Corinthians 12:4-7, what is the ultimate reason we each
have differing abilities within the church? (See Romans 12:4-8)
1 Corinthians 12:4-7 – Now there are different kinds of spiritual gifts, but it is
the same Holy Spirit who is the source of them all. 5There are different kinds of
service in the church, but it is the same Lord we are serving. 6There are different
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ways God works in our lives, but it is the same God who does the work through all of
us. 7A spiritual gift is given to each of us as a means of helping the entire church.
Answer:
Every Person a “Difference-Maker”
What do you think Jesus meant by “bearing fruit” in John 15:8, 16-17?
John 15:8, 16-17 – My true disciples produce much fruit. This brings great
glory to my Father. 16You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and
produce fruit that will last, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using
my name. 17I command you to love each other.
Answer:
Why would Jesus make such a close connection between bearing fruit
and showing ourselves to be His disciples?
Answer:
What does 1 Corinthians 15:58 have to say about the standard for all
believers for participation in ministry? What is a key motivating factor?
1 Corinthians 15:58 – So my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and steady,
always enthusiastic about the Lord’s work, for you know that nothing you do for the
Lord is ever useless.
Answer:
Summary Statement on Your Spiritual Gifts
Christ followers recognize that the church is composed of interdependent
members, each uniquely gifted by the Holy Spirit for the purpose of building up
the body and furthering the ministry of the church.
You are encouraged to discover, develop, and deploy those God-given
gifts and to seek a place of service within the church, with the support and
affirmation of the body.
A spiritual gifts assessment follows this section and you should talk over
your spiritual gifts results with your campus pastor or group leader before,
during or after you complete this Bible study. If you already know your spiritual
gifts, we’ve also got a page of opportunities that you can select from to get
involved at CedarCreek. That list follows the spiritual gifts assessment.
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Serving Others
Connecting to God’s Family
A home is a place for two groups of people: family or friends and guests. How
you interact with and “love others” is based on your understanding of what it means
to be a healthy family/friend. In other words, it is based on your definition and expectation of community.
We’ve seen in the previous study that God gave us his Word, the Bible,
prayer, and His Holy Spirit to live in us and help us grow. These are valuable tools.
But they aren’t all He’s given us. He also gave us each other!
When we sit with members of our Life Group or Ministry Team, someone can
powerfully remind us of what we may be unable to see - that God is working in us,
that we’re going to make it, that the affection of God is not just for “the world,” it’s for
me.
It is easy to come to large group gatherings and get a false sense of your spiritual or personal condition. Furthermore, large meetings where anonymity is honored
give us no opportunity to enter into someone else’s needs and be God’s agent of help
to them. The value of connecting to God’s family is that somewhere, on a regular basis, with a few other believers, all missional members have face-to-face meetings that
help shape them – places they give and receive care.
We believe that a CedarCreek Life Group or close Ministry Team is an optimal
place for that to happen. But we realize that some individuals may be committed to
the value of significant relationships without, for various reasons, being in a formal
group at a particular time. So we give a lot of latitude as to what kind of group this
might be. At a minimum, it must be with other believers where you get to know them
and they get to know you, and Christ is central to the group. We would also consider
groups not formally connected with CedarCreek, but there are some disadvantages to
those, and groups here at CedarCreek will most clearly mirror our values. The key,
however, is to get in a Life Group or Ministry Team and grow to become a more mature disciple of Jesus Christ.
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The Community of Believers
The early believers in Christ did not want to live the new life they’d found
alone. What do you learn about their relationships with each other from the following verses?
Acts 2:44-47 – And all the believers met together constantly and shared
everything they had. 45They sold their possessions and shared the proceeds with
those in need. 46They worshipped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for
the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—47all the
while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord
added to their group those who were being saved.
Answer:
Acts 4:32-35 – All the believers were of one heart and mind, and they felt that
what they owned was not their own; they shared everything they had. 33And the apostles gave powerful witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God’s great favor was upon them all. 34There was no poverty among them, because people who
owned land or houses sold them 35and brought the money to the apostles to give to
others in need.
Answer:
In Hebrews 10:24-25, the writer of Hebrews actually gave a command
about community life. How would you rephrase this passage in modern terms?
Hebrews 10:24-25 – Think of ways to encourage one another to outbursts of
love and good deeds. 25And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people
do, but encourage and warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming
back again is drawing near.
Answer:
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The Few in the Midst of Many
In addition to large groups, where else did Christians get together according to Acts 2:46?
Acts 2:46 They worshipped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for
the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity.
Answer:
What do you suppose they got out of
these smaller, house-sized group meetings
that they didn’t get out of bigger gatherings?
Answer:
Mark 6:30-32 reveals that Jesus often
withdrew from the larger crowds to be
alone with His few disciples. What are
some benefits of being in a smaller group?
Mark 6:30-32 – The apostles returned to
Jesus from their ministry tour and told him all
they had done and what they had taught.
31
Then Jesus said, “Let’s get away from the
crowds for a while and rest.” There were so
many people coming and going that Jesus and
his apostles didn’t have time to eat. 32They left
by boat for a quieter spot.
Do you care about people?
Are you willing to invest 4-6
hours each week helping
people grow in their faith as
well as learn how to navigate
life’s challenges?
Consider becoming a
group leader!
We’ve got different kinds of
groups at CedarCreek!
Find out more information
about the group leader
inquiry form on page 87.
Answer:
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What would you be missing out on if you only came to CedarCreek
Church on the weekends? Why are small group-style relationships so important to the pursuit of God-honoring lives?
Galatians 6:1-3 – Dear brothers and sisters, if another Christian is overcome
by some sin, you who are godly should gently and humbly help that person back onto
the right path. And be careful not to fall into the same temptation yourself. 2Share
each other’s troubles and problems, and in this way obey the law of Christ. 3If you
think you are too important to help someone in need, you are only fooling yourself.
You are really a nobody.
Answer:
When Jesus traveled, large crowds often gathered around him. However,
there were times when Jesus needed just a few people by His side. What is the
relational significance of what Jesus did in Mark 14:32-35?
Mark 14:32-35 – And they came to an olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said, “Sit here while I go and pray.” 33He took Peter, James, and John with him,
and he began to be filled with horror and deep distress. 34He told them, “My soul is
crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and watch with me.” 35He went on
a little farther and fell face down on the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the
awful hour awaiting him might pass him by.
Answer:
Christ-like Attitudes in Every Relationship
Read Philippians 2:1-8. Verse 5 says that we should have the same attitude that Christ did. Describe that attitude, using verses 3, 4 and 7 as references.
Philippians 2:1-8 – Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any
comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender
and sympathetic? 2Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each
other, loving one another, and working together with one heart and purpose. 3Don’t be
selfish; don’t live to make a good impression on others. Be humble, thinking of others
as better than yourself. 4Don’t think only about your own affairs, but be interested in
others, too, and what they are doing. 5Your attitude should be the same that Christ
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Jesus had. 6Though he was God, he did not demand and cling to his rights as God.
7
He made himself nothing; he took the humble position of a slave and appeared in
human form. 8And in human form he obediently humbled himself even further by dying a criminal’s death on a cross.
Answer:
What do the following Scriptures teach about the characteristics of a
good follower in the church? (See also 1 Corinthians 16:15-16)
1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 – Dear brothers and sisters, honor those who are
your leaders in the Lord’s work. They work hard among you and warn you against all
that is wrong. 13Think highly of them and give them your wholehearted love because
of their work. And remember to live peaceably with each other.
Answer:
Hebrews 13:17 – Obey your spiritual leaders and do what they say. Their work
is to watch over your souls, and they know they are accountable to God. Give them
reason to do this joyfully and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your
benefit.
Answer:
2 Timothy 2:23-24 points out that, unfortunately, quarreling can happen
among members of the church. How would you put into your own words what
our attitude and response should be?
2 Timothy 2:23­-24 – Again I say, don’t get involved in foolish, ignorant arguments that only start fights. 24The Lord’s servants must not quarrel but must be kind
to everyone.
Answer:
Even though we are all members of the body of Christ, relational difficulties will arise. Yet, Jesus already gives us a framework for resolving our conRevised 4/27/15
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flict. How does Jesus outlines the procedure conflict resolution in Matthew
18:15-17?
Matthew 18:15-17 – “If another believer sins against you, go privately and point
out the fault. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person
back. 16But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back
again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses. 17If
that person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. If the church decides
you are right, but the other person won’t accept it, treat that person as a pagan or a
corrupt tax collector.
Answer:
What is the issue the following verses have in common?
Romans 16:17 – And now I make one more appeal, my dear brothers and sisters. Watch out for people who cause divisions and upset people’s faith by teaching
things that are contrary to what you have been taught. Stay away from them.
James 4:1-3 – What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Isn’t it the
whole army of evil desires at war within you? 2You want what you don’t have so you
scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous for what others have, and you can’t possess
it, so you fight and quarrel to take it away from them. And yet the reason you don’t
have what you want is that you don’t ask God for it. 3And even when you do ask, you
don’t get it because your whole motive is wrong—you want only what will give you
pleasure.
Answer:
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Summary Statement on Connecting to God’s Family
A Christ follower honors God’s call to participate, to express and receive love,
and to carry out the ministry of the church in order to grow closer to the image of
Christ.
For this reason, Christ followers give priority to attending the corporate
gatherings of the church for the purpose of worship, teaching, and participation in the
sacrament of Communion, and are connected relationally to a small group of
believers for the purpose of mutual encouragement, support, and accountability.



Christ followers also:
Pursue Christ-honoring relationships at home, within the church, and in the
marketplace, and are committed to pursuing the Biblical pattern of reconciliation
when conflict arises.
Support the leadership of the church and are Biblically submissive to it.
Scripture does not suggest blind submission – we are all under the authority of
God and His Word. Missional members must be willing to go directly to the
appropriate leader when issues of concern arise, with the desire to engage in
honest and respectful dialogue. Complaints should never be taken to
uninvolved members of the body in ways that promote rumor or divisiveness.
Affirm and uphold the fundamental truths of Scripture (as summarized in our
Statement of Faith) and refrain from promoting other doctrines in ways that
cause dissension.
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Tell the World About Christ
Proclaiming the Love of Christ
“I HAVE A DREAM”
Who can forget Martin Luther King, Jr.’s dramatic speech at the base of the
Lincoln Memorial? The words are familiar to many, yet the dream is sadly, in some
places, still just a dream. One hundred years earlier, President Abraham Lincoln had
signed the Emancipation Proclamation, which announced, “All persons held as
slaves…shall be then, thenceforth, and forever free.” King, on that day in August
1963, once again called people back to live out that proclamation and looked forward
to a time when that dream would become reality—“when the nation would live out the
true meaning of its creed, that all men are created equal; that one day people would
be judged, not by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.” On that
day, he called people to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to
jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that one day they would be
free at last. This speech became the launching pad for many organizations that continued to fight for freedom long after King’s death.
Jesus Christ also has a dream. The dream is recorded in the Bible a number of
times, but is articulated most clearly in Matthew 28:19-20, “…go and make disciples
of all nations, baptizing them…and teaching them to obey everything I have
commanded you.” It is called the Great Commission, and it is the reason behind
everything we do at CedarCreek.
At CedarCreek, everything we do is designed to fulfill the dream Jesus has for
the world. Our Vision, Core Values, strategy, ministries, etc. – even our membership
process - are designed to help unchurched people meet the loving God of the Bible,
to begin a relationship with Him, become conformed to His character and then grow
in obedience to all that He has asked us to do. This is the reason we work together,
pray together, struggle together. It is the reason that we exist as a church.
IT’S OUR DREAM!
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Motivation to Reach the World
In Acts 1:6-8, Jesus makes it clear that God plans to use His followers to
spread the message of salvation. Like the apostles, we can get distracted by
other things, but Jesus gives us clarity in verse 8. What is our laser-focused
mission?
Acts 1:6-8 – When the apostles were with Jesus, they kept asking him, “Lord,
are you going to free Israel now and restore our kingdom?” 7”The Father sets those
dates,” he replied, “and they are not for you to know. 8But when the Holy Spirit has
come upon you, you will receive power and will tell people about me everywhere—in
Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Answer:
2 Corinthians 5:17-21. How do you feel knowing that God’s plan to reach
the world involves you being His messenger?
2 Corinthians 5:17-21 – What this means is that those who become Christians
become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new
life has begun! 18All this newness of life is from God, who brought us back to himself
through what Christ did. And God has given us the task of reconciling people to him.
19
For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s
sins against them. This is the wonderful message he has given us to tell others. 20We
are Christ’s ambassadors, and God is using us to speak to you. We urge you, as
though Christ himself were here pleading with you, “Be reconciled to God!” 21For God
made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be
made right with God through Christ.
Answer:
Share the Gospel with People
Making connections may be one of the big obstacles that you are facing in becoming
involved in the Great Commission. It is sometimes difficult to find the time and energy
to build new relationships. Still, to fulfill the Great Commission, we have to expend the
energy to build these new friendships and then let people know what Christ has done
on their behalf. For some reason, this scares people. It shouldn’t! It should be the natural outcome of a life of full devotion to Christ. If we don’t open our mouths and verbally share the Gospel message with those who need to hear it, all our other efforts
are worthless.
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Read Romans 10:14-17 and explain why actually sharing the message of
Christ, not just living a good life in front of others, is absolutely necessary to
see people come to know Christ.
Romans 10:14-17 – But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they never heard about him? And
how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? 15And how will anyone go
and tell them without being sent? That is what the Scriptures mean when they say,
“How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” 16But not everyone welcomes the Good News, for Isaiah the prophet said, “Lord, who has believed our message?” 17Yet faith comes from listening to this message of good news—the Good
News about Christ.
Answer:
Understanding the message of the Gospel is the first step in telling others. Read each passage below and paraphrase the important points that each
one has to teach us about the Gospel message.
John 1:12 – But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to
become children of God.
Answer:
John 14:6 – Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can
come to the Father except through me.”
Answer:
Acts 4:12 – There is salvation in no one else! There is no other name in all of
heaven for people to call on to save them.
Answer:
Romans 3:23 – For all have sinned; all fall short of God’s glorious standard.
Answer:
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Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal
life through Christ Jesus our Lord.
Answer:
Romans 10:9-10 – For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and
believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10For it is
by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing
with your mouth that you are saved.
Answer:
Ephesians 2:8-9 – God saved you by his special favor when you believed. And
you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. 9Salvation is not a reward for the
good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
Answer:
Eternity is in the balance….
Another motivating force for becoming an effective ambassador for Christ is the
reality of hell. Even though you may hate to think about it, hell is a real place and real
people go there. There are many people in your life who will face a Christ-less eternity
if they don’t find forgiveness in Christ. The stakes are “sky high” and eternity is hanging in the balance.
As you read the following two passages about hell from the Bible, what
things do you learn about hell and what feelings do you experience?
Matthew 13:41-42 – “I, the Son of Man, will send my angels, and they will remove from my Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil, 42and they will
throw them into the furnace and burn them. There will be weeping and gnashing of
teeth.”
Answer:
Revelation 20:15 – And anyone whose name was not found recorded in the
Book of Life was thrown into the lake of fire.
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Answer:
Does the reality of hell motivate you to share your faith? If so, how? If not,
why do you think it has no motivational power on you?
Answer:
A third, more positive motivating force for becoming an effective ambassador for
Christ is the joyous celebration that occurs when someone comes to know Christ as
their Lord and Savior. Just imagine what it would be like – what an incredible thrill you
would have – if someone you had been praying for looked you in the eye and said to
you, “Thanks for being faithful to what God called you to do. Thanks for reaching out
to me. Thanks for praying for me. Thanks for putting up with my rebellion. Thanks for
loving me when I wasn’t all that loveable. Jesus saved me, but thanks for leading me
to His cross.”
Once you have led a spiritual seeker into a right relationship with God through
Christ, you will never be the same. The passion to reach out grows each time you experience the joy of seeing a seeker become a devoted follower of Christ. Absolutely
nothing compares!
Summary Statement on Sharing the Love of Christ
Christ followers realize that they have been commissioned by the Lord himself to
spread the Good News of Jesus and his death on the cross for the forgiveness of sins.
Each follower has the responsibility to pray for lost people, reach out to them, and
then share a verbal witness of what Christ has done.
We are well aware of the lack of Christian witnessing that goes on in the church
at large, so we have created an environment that is conducive to allowing unchurched
spiritual seekers to come and investigate the claims of Christ at their own pace. We
put large amounts of time, talents and financial resources toward attracting these
“seekers” to church. Each Christ follower plays an important part in our strategy to win
these “seekers” to Christ. By serving during our services and inviting friends, neighbors, co-workers and family members, the members of our church “team up” to spread
the Gospel.
We encourage you to attend campus evangelism seminars designed to help you
become more confident in sharing the love of Christ with your friends and family
through your actions and words.
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Personal Responses
These Personal Response Questions are an opportunity for you to assess where
you are when it comes to the three areas of Missional Membership: Loving Jesus,
Serving Others and Telling the World about Christ.
SECTION ONE...God’s Grace
1. In this section, we discussed what it means to accept God’s grace in our life.
How does someone become a Christian in the true sense of the word?
When and how did you come to faith in Jesus Christ?
2. Have you been baptized as a believer? (Meaning, AFTER you came to faith in
Christ.)
____ Yes, I have been baptized since coming to faith in Christ. (This does not include
baby baptism.)
____ No, I have not been baptized since accepting Christ.
What questions, concerns or hesitations do you have about baptism?
3. Who is ultimately responsible for your spiritual growth? ______________
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4. What are you currently doing to grow in your relationship with Christ? What
types of regular spiritual disciples are a part of your life (prayer, reading the Bible, Bible Study, solitude, fasting, etc). Do these disciplines help you connect
with God or do you tend to just “check them off” your daily list of duties?
5. How would you describe God working in your life lately? How do you see
Him influence your thoughts, behaviors and attitude?
6. What are some of the things that make it difficult for you to sense God’s activity in your life?
SECTION TWO...Biblical Worldview, Developing
Intimacy and Pursing Christ-Like Virtue
1. Do you regard the Bible as God’s final authority in all areas of the Christian
life, and do you desire to be wholly obedient to it?
____Yes
____Yes, except for…
____No
As with all of the questions, we want to encourage you to be open and honest
with your self-evaluation. No one will see these responses, unless you want us
to. Please explain any concerns with any areas of the Bible:
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2. Rate your level of competency on a scale of 1 (little) to 5 (excellent) regarding the major doctrines of the Bible below and on the next page. In other words,
how comfortable are you with them. Could you explain these to another person?
Bible
1
2
3
4
5
God
1
2
3
4
5
Jesus Christ
1
2
3
4
5
Holy Spirit
1
2
3
4
5
Salvation
1
2
3
4
5
Church
1
2
3
4
5
3. In which doctrinal issues do you feel you need additional training?
4. In your pursuit of becoming more Christ-like, what areas are most difficult
for you and most frequently need more attention? (If you need a refresher,
use 1 Corinthians 13 on page 32.
How will you address the areas that concern you most?
5. No one is perfect. We’re not expecting that our Missional Members will live
perfect lives. However, we are all called to pursue Godly character. Will you
seek to model Godly character in all aspects of your life?
____ Yes
____ No
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6. Are you intentionally moving closer to God in the places where you are
struggling with sin?
____Yes.
____No.
(Examples: sexual activity outside of a marriage relationship between a man and a
woman, addictions (ALL addictions, such as to drugs, alcohol, pornography, gambling, video games etc.) lying, stealing, gossiping, coarse language, prejudice and so
on.)
Note: This question is a very hard one to face because we are all wrestling with something, and
none of us has reached sinless perfection. But there may come a time for some of us when we
just quit trying. Either through discouragement, or maybe a hardened will, we just stop trying to
grow and give up the fight. Christ’s reputation is far more likely to be marred when his followers
engage in willful sin with no thought of repentance than when a sincere believer falls to a temptation he or she desperately wants to overcome. Those Christ followers with yielded hearts who
honestly confront areas of personal sin with the help of the Holy Spirit please God – what more
could anyone do? If you’re not open to change, not ready to have at least one other person help
and offer accountability or other support, or if you’re only at the early stages of confronting a sinpattern, then it may be best to defer Missional Membership until time shows growth has occurred.
If you have any hesitation, please contact your campus spiritual formation staff person for your
campus pastor to discuss.
SECTION THREE...Generously Sharing
1. What is your understanding of how the Bible calls you to live out your faith
when it comes to using your money to honor God?
2 . We believe that the Bible teaches a Biblical tithe and that Jesus affirms the
tithe and more in the New Testament. Do you think Christians should tithe
(giving 10% of income) as an act of worship?
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3. In light of what the Bible teaches about tithing and generosity, are you willing
to make giving a priority?
____ Yes
____ No
What are your reservations in this area?
4. Since the Bible identifies a specific percentage as a benchmark (10%), then
we should be aware of percentages as well. Are you aware of your current giving percentage?
_____Yes
_____No
If no, can you take a moment to calculate it right now using this formula:
Current monthly income
Current monthly giving
=
Giving
Percentage
5. Once you’ve made giving a priority and understand your current percentage,
are you willing to give progressively as you grow in your faith?
_____Yes
_____No
Here is the “Generosity Ladder” that we introduced in the Loving Jesus: Generously
Sharing Your Resources. There are five levels in the “Generosity Ladder.”
Identify the level you are currently at:
 Bold Giver—Giving beyond a tithe.
 Tithing Giver—Faithfully giving 10% of income.
 Intentional Giver—Giving a set amount
on a regular basis, but less than a full
tithe.
 Occasional Giver—Giving, but not consistently.
 First Time Giver—Not yet giving, but intending to break the ice.
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God has entrusted each of us with “stuff” (cars, homes, belongings). Do you
believe the way you use your material wealth is God-honoring in all respects?
____ Yes
____ No
If no, in what areas are you lacking? What action are you taking to make changes?
6. What challenge is presented in 2 Corinthians 9:6-7? What promise?
7. If proportionate giving becomes possible for you (that is, giving beyond 10%
of your income), what dreams do you have of using your resources so the
Kingdom can expand locally and around the world?
SECTION FOUR...Serving Others
1. Are you responsibly using your spiritual gifts in a place within the church in
a manner that maximizes the gifts given to you by the Holy Spirit?
____ Yes
____ No
If yes, in what area? If no, is there a specific reason? Do you intend to pursue
some form of service in the near future? In what area?
2. Do you have any dreams when it comes to participating in other serving opportunities that build the kingdom of God?
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SECTION FIVE...Connected in Community
1. Do you regularly participate in the corporate gatherings of CedarCreek
Church (weekend services as well as special New Community and Baptism services)?
____ Yes, I regularly attend weekend services.
____ No, I do not regularly attend weekend services.
If not, is there a specific reason?
2. Are you connected to a Life Group or Ministry Team here at CedarCreek for
the purpose of growth, loving support, accountability, and service?
____ Yes
____ No
If not, please explain why.
3. Describe the quality of your Life Group life or Ministry Team experience and
how it is impacting your spiritual growth.
4. Relational breakdowns are usually complex matters. We recognize and respect that. At the same time, Missional members should be willing to engage in
the strenuous process of conflict resolution. They should display humble
hearts, a willingness to examine and address personal issues that may have
contributed to the conflict and openness to receiving counsel where appropriate.
As far as it is up to you, are you committed to pursuing the Biblical pattern of
conflict resolution as described in Matthew 18:15-17 to rectify any current or future relational conflicts?
____ Yes
____ No
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If not, please explain.
5. Do you have any relationships anywhere, such as within the church, at work,
or at home, that are dishonoring to God (i.e. persistent unforgiveness or impure
relationships)?
____ Yes
____ No
If so, please describe your situation.
6. Are you willing to accept correction from other believers regarding any area
of your life that is not God-honoring?
____ Yes
____ No
SECTION SIX...CedarCreek’s Mission, Vision and
Statement of Faith, Telling the World about Christ
1. Do you affirm the specific mission and objectives of CedarCreek?
____ Yes
____ No
If not, what areas of our mission, vision or values concern you?
2. Do you agree with CedarCreek’s overall strategy of reaching out to unchurched people in as many creative ways as possible? Will you support these
practices and seek to build relationships with unchurched people in order to
share your faith in Christ with them? (See pages 8-9 and 13)
____ Yes
____ No
3. Will you cooperate with the elders of the church and those in leadership positions?
____ Yes
____ No
If not, why?
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4. The CedarCreek Statement of Faith summarizes the basic truths of Scripture.
Do you wholeheartedly affirm that statement? (See pages 10-12)
____ Yes
____ No
If not, what are your specific reservations?
5. Will you avoid from promoting doctrines/beliefs not found in our Statement of
Faith in ways that cause dissension?
____ Yes
____ No
6. Why do you think the Bible is so passionate about its message not to cause
divisions or factions in a church?
7. Knowing what the Bible says about God, about human nature, about Christ’s
actions, and about each person’s need for forgiveness, write out a concise
presentation of the Gospel message. If it helps you, imagine you are sitting in
front of a friend who needs to hear about Christ and all that He has done for
them.
8. Do you presently have a specific group of people that you are actively praying for, and connecting with, for the purpose of sharing the Gospel with them?
____ Yes
____ No
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Completing the
Membership Process
Missional Membership Commitment Form
Now that you have completed the Missional Membership Bible Study, including the
personal response questions, and are ready to become a Missional Member, fill out
the Missional Membership Commitment on pages 59-62 of the manual, tear them out
and return it to the welcome center at your campus, or mail it to the appropriate address below. If you prefer to complete the confirmation online, go to
www.cedarcreek.tv/membership. You will need to either create an account, or logon
using your email and password that you use to register for a class or give online.
Within 10 to 14 days of our receiving your commitment, you will receive either a
phone call or a letter in the mail informing you of your membership status. If you have
not heard from us by then, please call to make sure we received your submission.
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58
Missional Membership Commitment
Name ________________________________
Campus you attend: □ Findlay
□ Whitehouse
□ Perrysburg
□ South Toledo
□ West Toledo
1. I regularly attend CedarCreek Church as my primary place of worship. □ Yes □ No
2.I have completed the Missional Membership manual and the personal response
questions. □ Yes □ No
3. I have read and agree with our CedarCreek “Five Agreements.”
□ Yes □ No
Baptism
4. Select the statement that best describes you. (check one)



I have been baptized SINCE accepting Christ as my Savior. (Date: ______)

I have not been baptized and would like to talk to someone about baptism.
I have not been baptized, but will do so at the next baptism service.
I was baptized as an infant or child, but not since making the personal decision to
accept Christ as my Savior.
Personal Discipleship
5. Select the statement that best describes you. (check one)

I have established a regular pattern of Bible study and prayer in my life most days
of the week.

I do not have a regularly established pattern/or have lapsed, but I am committed to
developing a regular personal daily discipline (Bible study/prayer) over the next
year.
6. Are you intentionally moving closer to God in the places where you are struggling
with sin? □ Yes □ No
7. I would like to talk with someone about my personal discipleship. □ Yes □ No
Relational Life
8. Select the statement that best describes you. (check one)

I have extended forgiveness to the people in my life who might have caused me
harm or hurt me in any way.

I find myself unable to forgive some people who have hurt me, but I would like help
to get started on this difficult process.
9. If for some reason I drift off track spiritually, I will allow other Christ-followers to
speak God’s truth into my life in a loving and respectful way. □ Yes □ No
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10. If another believer in my relational circle drifts off track spiritually, I will lovingly, yet
respectfully, confront him or her with God’s truth. □ Yes □ No
11. I would like to talk to someone about my relational life. □ Yes □ No
Generosity
12. I understand and commit to applying the
biblical definition of “generosity” as explained by the 3Ps on page:
Priority, Percentage and Progressive.
□ Yes □ No
13. I have identified my current level on the
generosity ladder
*You must be at the Intentional Giving
level at the time of completing this Missional Membership Renewal.
My Current Giving Level: (check one)





Bold Giver—Giving beyond a tithe.
Tithing Giver—Faithfully giving 10% of income.
Intentional Giver—Giving a set amount on a regular basis, but less than a full tithe.
Occasional Giver—Giving, but not consistently.
First Time Giver—Not yet giving, but intending to.
14. I commit to moving toward the next level of giving until I have at least reached a
tithe (10%). Then, I will give as God progressively leads.□ Yes □ No
I would like to talk to someone about generosity. □ Yes □ No
Personal Ministry
16. Select the statement that best describes you



I am currently involved in a LifeGroup and/or serving at CedarCreek Church.

I would like to talk to someone about my personal ministry.
I am not in a LifeGroup or serving.
I am currently involved in a LifeGroup and/or serving inside CedarCreek, or outside of CedarCreek through one of our strategic partnerships such as Vision Ministries, Impact NWO, or others.
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Evangelism
17. I have people that I am currently praying for the opportunity to share the gospel
with or to invite to church. □ Yes □ No
18. I will commit to inviting unchurched or spiritually restless individuals to church to
hear the Gospel message.
□ Yes □ No
19. I will be prepared and willing to share my spiritual journey and explain the gospel
message if the situation arises. □ Yes □ No
20. I would like to talk about someone about evangelism.
□ Yes
□ No
STATEMENT OF COMMITMENT
I hereby affirm that I have completed the personal study materials and filled out the
Personal Responses and Affirmations. I commit myself to the vision and values of
CedarCreek Church, specifically, to love Jesus, serve others, and tell the world about
Christ. I now desire to be confirmed as a Missional Member. I also authorize the
church to store and use the information I’ve provided below.
____________________________
Signature
_____________
Date
I, _______________________________________, after interviewing the above applicant do hereby confirm him/her as a Missional member of CedarCreek Church and
confer all the rights and responsibilities that come with full membership in the local
church.
________________________
Signature of Confirmer/
Relationship to applicant
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________________
Date
61
Please print all information below
Last name ________________ First name__________________ MI ____
Address ____________________________________________________
City _______________________ State ____________ Zip ____________
Phone: Home ________________________ Mobile __________________
Email Address _______________________________
Sex: Male _____ Female _____
Birth date ____________________
Marital Status: Single ___ Married ___ Divorced ___ Widowed ___
Spouse’s name if married _________________________________
Is spouse a member? Yes _____ No _____
The month/year I started attending CedarCreek ______/_______
My home campus is:___Findlay ___ Perrysburg___ South Toledo___ West Toledo
___ Whitehouse
Before coming to CedarCreek, I was a born-again Christian: Yes__ No __
Before CedarCreek, I was active in another church: Yes ___ No ___
Name of the church I previously attended: ____________________________
I now serve in the following ministry area(s)
1. ____________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________
My ministry team leader is:
______________________________________________________
My spiritual gifts are:
1. ____________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________
Your Occupation ________________________________________
I am in a CedarCreek Life Group: Yes _____ No _____
My Life Group Leader(s) __________________________________
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Let’s Celebrate!
“Rejoice with those who rejoice.”
-Romans 12:15
Church life is community life; therefore, significant events in the life of the
church happen in community. Acknowledging that we have a new missional member
among us is almost as significant as rejoicing over someone’s salvation. They are
both celebrations tied to someone joining Christ: a new believer is connecting with
Christ’s invisible body – a new member is joining His visible one.
Each year, we will hold a Missional Membership celebration and during this
event, we will recognize our new members. This celebration usually occurs in the Fall
and you’ll receive an invitation about four weeks prior to the event.
.
Annual Renewal of Your
Missional Membership
At CedarCreek, we want our membership list to accurately reflect who is participating and who is not. To ensure this accuracy, we annually renew everyone’s membership. In this way, we can be sure we don’t lose touch. The names on our roles represent people, real people. Every one of them continues to affirm that he or she is a
Missional Member in the church, not just a face we see at weekend services or a series of bytes on the database in the church’s computer. We think it a matter of integrity, both for the church and for each member, to be sure our Missional member information truly reflects reality.
Toward the end of each fiscal year, prior to our annual business/vision meeting in
June, you will be sent a renewal form. We will ask you to affirm that you are still a Missional Member as defined in our membership process. This is a good time to reflect
on your involvement at CedarCreek. We hope you may confidently say, “Yes, I am still
an active participant, and I am loving Jesus, serving others, and telling the world
about Christ to the best of my ability.”
If a situation arises that prevents you from meeting the requirements of a Missional
Member, please make note of that when you send your renewal form to the office.
Your Life Group leader, or a member of the staff, would like to assist you with any
questions or problems you may have.
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PERSONAL & SPIRITUAL
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
The Leadership Pipeline is designed to help move people from where they currently are in the church leadership development process to higher levels of leadership
and influence.
Most people are NOT at their fullest potential as a leader and can increase their
leadership capacity which is what we hope this pipeline will accomplish. In fact, almost
everyone can advance at one or more levels through learning, studying, practice, application and surrounding yourself with the right people. Interestingly, studies show
that you have a high probably of becoming like the five people closest to you, so pick
your closest acquaintances carefully!
In the rare event an individual is actually working at their capacity, there is the
danger for burnout or boredom if they stay in that spot long term and cease to grow.
They need a challenge. The best antidote for this is that they would invest in helping
others at lower levels move up through the pipeline, possibly even surpassing them.
This follows the 2 Timothy 2:2 principle where the Apostle Paul passed on to his
young disciple, Timothy everything he could with the expectation that Timothy would
do the same. We are to train others!
We never want to see leadership development stop. It’s also imperative that a
leader’s position is matched well with their capacity. When this happens, not only does
the individual flourish but so do the church and eventually even the world. What we
hope is that as leaders grow and advance that they will bless the world with their lives
by possibly even considering becoming part of other existing churches where there is
need and opportunity for them or even assist in starting new churches. It is unrealistic
that one church can place every qualified leader in a staff position and fulfill all of their
dreams. The world is big. The Great Commission is bigger than one church can handle. Therefore, be Kingdom minded and “bless the world!”
Commit today to growing in your personal leadership development as well as
helping others in their journey.
On the following pages, you will have an opportunity to review the different
levels of our CedarCreek Church Leadership Pipeline. Even if you start at the lowest
level, we believe that God can use this information to cast a vision and hopefully inspire you to develop your leadership gifts.
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Leadership Pipeline
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65
STEP ONE: Lead Self (Mostly Do)
In this beginning role, an individual takes responsibility for his or her own
personal, spiritual, and leadership development. Here are some qualities that
define the features of someone who successfully leads self:
a. Self-Disciplined - Identifies and works towards areas of improvement.
b. Teachable - Is open to feedback and able to follow leadership loyally.
c. Faithful - Can be trusted to complete tasks/objectives.
d. Commitment - Membership Process/Agreement.
e. Initiative - Self-starter, not waiting on others to lead/feed them.
f. Self-awareness- Sets and follows self-imposed boundaries.
PRACTICAL STEPS TO SUCCESSFULLY LEAD YOURSELF:
1. Establish regular personal daily disciplines.
2. Commit to regularly attending weekend services and weekly Bible study.
3. Complete Spiritual Gifts Assessment (page 69) and begin serving.
4. Take advantage of leadership training opportunities and resources such as
Leadership Summit, Lead On Series and recommended books.
STEP TWO: Leading Others
(Do and Delegate)
In this developmental area, an individual understands that each person is
called to influence and invest in others. In addition to the continued attention to
the necessary attitudes and behaviors of leading one’s self, Leading Others
requires the following skills:
A. Recruit - Identifying and asking self-lead people to join team/organization.
B. Train - Able to demonstrate, coach, and train others on the mission and
objectives.
C. Delegation - Takes responsibility for task and accomplishes that through
others providing adequate feedback.
D. Influence - People feel motivated and inspired to be a part of the team.
E. Shepherding- Taking responsibility to help others grow spiritually and
personally.
PRACTICAL STEPS TO SUCCESSFULLY LEADING OTHERS:
1. Activate leadership abilities. Check out list of leadership opportunities at
CedarCreek on page 68.
2. Take advantage of leadership training opportunities and resources such as
Leadership Summit, Lead On Series and recommended books.
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STEP THREE: Leading Leaders
(Some Do, Delegate & Develop)
As leadership responsibilities grow, developing leaders recognize the
importance of moving away from time-consuming hands-on tasks in order to
pour maximum time and energy into delegating responsibilities and developing
leaders who will over see task completion. Leading leaders requires the ability
to attract, empower, and develop leaders in ministry.
To lead well at this stage, individuals must maintain the attitudes, knowledge
and skills developed in Step One and Step Two. Additionally, Step Three skills
responsibilities include:
A. Developer - Recruit, influence, and train leaders utilizing the tools listed
above.
B. Team Builder - Creating synergy through leaders/teams working together.
C. Shepherding - Taking responsibility to help others grow spiritually and
personally.
D. Focus - Learning to “do what only you can do,” delegating and developing
the rest
E. Identifying new talent through application of the 4-Cʼs [Character,
Competency, Chemistry, Commitment].
STEP FOUR: Leading Ministries
(Less Do, Some Delegate & More Develop)
*Usually Staff from this level on






Ownership - Feels responsible to seize opportunities, solve problems, and
implement ministry strategy/plan
Empowering - Equips and releases leaders to execute the ministry plan.
Collaboration - Seeking to learn best practices through sharing ideas.
Conviction - Paying attention to the spiritual health of your ministry, volunteers,
and team.
Creative//Innovative - Discovering new ways to create excitement and momentum.
Place the right people in the right places.
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Leadership Opportunities at
CedarCreek Church
Leadership Roles Requiring
Missional Membership













Greeter/Usher Leader
Parking Lot Leader
Security Team
Sparkle Crew Leader
Brew Crew Leader
Prayer Team Leader
CedarVille Preschool or Elementary
Teaching Teams


CedarVille Large Program Host
Campus Administrator
Classes & Seminars Instructor
LifeGroup Leader

Fusion Weekend Facilitator - MM (if out
of high school) - SLT (if in high
school)

Vertical LifeGroup Group Facilitator - At
least 1 year out of high school

Fusion LifeGroup Group Facilitator - 16
and at least a sophomore in high
school

Fusion Weekend Group Facilitator - 16
and at least a sophomore in high
school




Fusion Weekend Check-in
MOMentum Campus Lead Mom
MOMentum Mentor Mom
Celebrate Recovery TEAM (Campus
Celebrate Recovery Open Share
Group Leader

Celebrate Recovery Step Group
Leader



Worship Leader

Vertical Class Director
Fusion Class Director
Fusion Camp Community Group
Leader
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CedarVille Volunteer Coach
Leadership Roles not Requiring
Missional Membership
Medical Team Leader
Ministry Coach, Training Coach,
Encourager Coach and Assimilation
Coach)


Fusion LifeGroup Check-in
Vertical LifeGroup Check-in
Fusion Camp Cabin Leader - 16 and at
least a sophomore in high school
Next Steps: Check off any roles that
interest you. Talk to your campus
pastor or any campus staff about any
qualifications or getting involved in
one of these leadership positions.
68
Spiritual Gifts Assessment
Directions:
1. Respond to each statement on the Spiritual Gift Assessment pages, which follow
these directions, according to the following scale:
3 = Consistently, definitely true
2 = Most of the time, usually true
1 = Some of the time, once in a while
0 = Not at all, never
2. Using the Spiritual Gifts Scoring Sheet at the end of the statements, write your
response to each statement in the block whose number corresponds to that number
statement in the Spiritual Gift Assessment. Hint: You will want to pull out the Spiritual
Gifts Scoring Sheet before you begin so that you can fill it out as you read the
statements.
3. Important: Answer according to who you are, not who you would like to be or think
you ought to be. How true are these statements of you? What has been your
experience? To what degree do these statements reflect your usual tendencies?
BEGIN: SPIRITUAL GIFTS ASSESSMENT
1. I like to organize people, tasks, and events.
2. I would like to start churches in places where they do not presently exist.
3. I enjoy working creatively with wood, cloth, paints, metal, glass, or other materials.
4. I enjoy challenging people’s perspective of God by using various forms of art.
5. I can readily distinguish between spiritual truth and error, good and evil.
6. I tend to see the potential in people.
7. I communicate the gospel to others with clarity and effectiveness.
8. I find it natural and easy to trust God to answer my prayers.
9. I give liberally and joyfully to people in financial need or to projects requiring
support.
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10. I enjoy working behind the scenes to support the work of others.
11. I view my home as a place to minister to people in need.
12. I take prayer requests from others and consistently pray for them.
13. I am approached by people who want to know my perspective on a particular
passage or biblical truth.
14. I am able to motivate others to accomplish a goal.
15. I empathize with hurting people and desire to help in their healing process.
16. I can speak in a way that results in conviction and change in the lives of others.
17. I enjoy spending time nurturing and caring for others.
18. I am able to communicate God’s word effectively.
19. I am often sought out by others for advice about spiritual or personal matters.
20. I am careful, thorough, and skilled at managing details.
21. I am attracted to the idea of serving in another country or ethnic community.
22. I am skilled in working with different kinds of tools.
23. I enjoy developing and using my artistic skills (art, drama, music, photography,
etc.)
24. I frequently am able to judge a person’s character based upon first impressions.
25. I enjoy reassuring and strengthening those who are discouraged.
26. I consistently look for opportunities to build relationships with non-Christians.
27. I have confidence in God’s continuing provision and help, even in difficult times.
28. I give more than a tithe so that kingdom work can be accomplished.
29. I enjoy doing routine tasks that support the ministry.
30. I enjoy meeting new people and helping them to feel welcomed.
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31. I enjoy praying for long periods of time and receive leadings as to what God
wants me to pray for.
32. I receive information from the Spirit that I did not acquire through natural means.
33. I am able to influence others to achieve a vision.
34. I can patiently support those going through painful experiences as they try to
stabilize their lives.
35. I feel responsible to confront others with the truth.
36. I have compassion for wandering believers and want to protect them.
37. I can spend time in study knowing that presenting truth will make a difference in
the lives of people.
38. I can often find simple, practical solutions in the midst of conflict or confusion.
39. I can clarify goals and develop strategies or plans to accomplish them.
40. I am willing to take an active part in starting a new church.
41. I enjoy making things for use in ministry.
42. I help people understand themselves, their relationships, and God better through
artistic expression.
43. I can see through phoniness or deceit before it is evident to others.
44. I give hope to others by directing them to the promises of God.
45. I am effective at adapting the gospel message so that it connects with an
individual’s felt need.
46. I believe that God will help me to accomplish great things.
47. I manage my money well in order to free more of it for giving.
48. I willingly take on a variety of odd jobs around the church to meet the needs of
others.
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49. I genuinely believe the Lord directs strangers to me who need to get connected to
others.
50. I am conscious of ministering to others as I pray.
51. I am committed and schedule blocks of time for reading and studying scripture, to
understand biblical truth fully and accurately.
52. I can adjust my leadership style to bring out the best in others.
53. I enjoy helping people sometimes regarded as undeserving or beyond help.
54. I boldly expose cultural trends, teachings, or events, which contradict biblical
principles.
55. I like to provide guidance for the whole person – relationally, emotionally,
spiritually, etc.
56. I pay close attention to the words, phrases, and meaning of those who teach.
57. I can easily select the most effective course of action from among several
alternatives.
58. I can identify and effectively use the resources needed to accomplish tasks.
59. I can adapt well to different cultures and surroundings.
60. I can visualize how something should be constructed before I build it.
61. I like finding new and fresh ways of communicating God’s truth.
62. I tend to see rightness or wrongness in situations.
63. I reassure those who need to take courageous action in their faith, family, or life.
64. I invite unbelievers to accept Christ as their Savior.
65. I trust God in circumstances where success cannot be guaranteed by human
effort alone.
66. I am challenged to limit my lifestyle in order to give away a higher percentage of
my income.
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67. I see spiritual significance in doing practical tasks.
68. I like to create a place where people do not feel that they are alone.
69. I pray with confidence because I know that God works in response to prayer.
70. I have insight or just know something to be true.
71. I set goals and manage people and resources effectively to accomplish them.
72. I have great compassion for hurting people.
73. I see most actions as right or wrong, and feel the need to correct the wrong.
74. I can faithfully provide long-term support and concern for others.
75. I like to take a systematic approach to my study of the Bible.
76. I can anticipate the likely consequences of an individuals’ or a group’s action.
77 I like to help organizations or groups become more efficient.
78. I can relate to others in culturally sensitive ways.
79. I honor God with my handcrafted gifts.
80. I apply various artistic expressions to communicate God’s truth.
81. I receive affirmation from others concerning the reliability of my insights or
perceptions.
82.I strengthen those who are wavering in their faith.
83. I openly tell people that I am a Christian and want them to ask me about my faith.
84. I am convinced of God’s daily presence and action in my life.
85. I like knowing that my financial support makes a real difference in the lives and
ministries of God’s people.
86. I like to find small things that need to be done and often do them without being
asked.
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87. I enjoy entertaining people and opening my home to others.
88. When I hear about needy situations, I feel burdened to pray.
89. I have suddenly known some things about others, but did not know how I knew
them.
90. I influence others to perform to the best of their capability.
91. I can look beyond a person’s handicaps or problems to see a life that matters to
God.
92. I like people who are honest and will speak the truth.
93. I enjoy giving guidance and practical support to a small group of people.
94. I can communicate scripture in ways that motivate others to study and want to
learn more.
95. I give practical advice to help others through complicated situations.
96. I enjoy learning about how organizations function.
97. I enjoy pioneering new undertakings.
98. I am good at and enjoy working with my hands.
99. I am creative and imaginative.
100. I can identify preaching, teaching, or communication which is not true to the
Bible.
101. I like motivating others to take steps for spiritual growth.
102. I openly and confidently tell others what Christ has done for me.
103. I am regularly challenging others to trust God.
104. I give generously due to my commitment to stewardship.
105. I feel comfortable being a helper, assisting others to do their job more effectively.
106. I do whatever I can to make people feel that they belong.
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107. I am honored when someone asks me to pray for them.
108. I discover important biblical truths when reading or studying scripture, which
benefit others in the body of Christ.
109. I am able to cast a vision that others want to be a part of.
110. I enjoy bringing hope and joy to people living in difficult circumstances.
111. I will speak God’s truth, even in places where it is unpopular or difficult for others
to accept.
112. I can gently restore wandering believers to faith and fellowship.
113. I can present information and skills to others at a level that makes it easy for
them to grasp and apply to their lives.
114. I can apply scriptural truth that others regard as practical and helpful.
115. I can visualize a coming event, anticipate potential problems, and develop
backup plans.
116. I am able to orchestrate or oversee several church ministries.
117. I am able to design and construct things that help the church.
118. I regularly need to get alone to reflect and develop my imagination.
119. I can sense when demonic forces are at work in a person or situation.
120. I am able to challenge or rebuke others in order to foster spiritual growth.
121. I seek opportunities to talk about spiritual matters with unbelievers.
122. I can move forward in spite of opposition or lack of support when I sense God’s
blessing on an undertaking.
123. I believe I have been given an abundance of resources so that I may give more
to the Lord’s work.
124. I readily and happily use my natural or learned skills to help wherever needed.
125. I can make people feel at ease even in unfamiliar surroundings.
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126. I often see specific results in direct response to my prayers.
127. I confidently share my knowledge and insights with others.
128. I figure out where we need to go and help others to get there.
129. I enjoy doing practical things for others who are in need.
130. I feel compelled to expose sin wherever I see it and to challenge people to
repentance.
131. I enjoy patiently but firmly nurturing others in their development as believers.
132. I enjoy explaining things to people so that they can grow spiritually and
personally.
133. I have insights into how to solve problems that others do not see.
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Spiritual Gift Assessment Scoring Sheet
Record the answers to the questions in the corresponding boxes.
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Spiritual Gift
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Spiritual Gift Assessment Scoring Results
A = Administration
B = Apostleship
C = Craftsmanship
D = Creative Communication
E = Discernment
F = Encouragement
G = Evangelism
H = Faith
I = Giving
J = Helps
K = Hospitality
L = Intercession
M = Knowledge
N = Leadership
O = Mercy
P = Prophecy
Q = Shepherding
R = Teaching
S = Wisdom
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DESCRIPTION OF SPIRITUAL GIFTS
THE GIFT OF ADMINISTRATION
Contributes – EFFICIENCY
1 Corinthians 12:28, Acts 6:1-7, Exodus 18:13-26
Goal: Lead by example not manipulation, Initiator
Weakness: Expects too much, “frustration”, Inflexible
The divine enablement to understand what makes an organization function, and
the special ability to plan and execute procedures that accomplish the goals of the
ministry. People with this gift: develop strategies or plans to reach identified goals;
assist ministries to become more effective and efficient; create order out of
organizational chaos; manage or coordinate a variety of responsibilities to
accomplish a task; organize people, tasks, or events.
THE GIFT OF APOSTLESHIP
Contributes - NEW MINISTRIES
1 Corinthians 12:28-29, Ephesians 4:11-12, Romans 1:5, Acts 13:2-3
Goal: Grow people
Weakness: Pushes too hard, misuse of authority
The divine ability to start and oversee the development of new churches and
ministry structures. People with this gift: pioneer and establish new ministries and
churches; adapt to different surroundings by being culturally sensitive and aware;
desire to minister to unreached people in other communities or countries; have
responsibilities to oversee ministries or groups of churches; demonstrate authority
and vision for the mission of the church.
THE GIFT OF CRAFTSMANSHIP
Contributes – SKILL, HANDY
Exodus 31:3, 35:31-35, Acts 9:36-39, 2 Kings 22:5-6
Goal: Create things to glorify God/others, not self
Weakness: Fail to see as significant
The divine enablement to creatively design and/or construct items to be useful for
ministry. People with this gift: work with wood, cloth, paints, metal, glass, and other
raw materials; make things which increase the effectiveness of others’ ministries;
enjoy serving with their hands to meet tangible needs; design and build tangible
items and resources for ministry use; work with different kinds of tools and are skilled
with their hands.
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THE GIFT OF CREATIVE COMMUNICATION
Contributes - ARTISTIC EXPRESSION
Psalms 150:3-5, 2 Samuel 6:14-15, Mark 4:2, 33
Goal: Teach lessons rather than focus on talent
Weakness: Easily hurt, takes personal
The divine enablement to communicate God’s truth through a variety of art
forms. People with this gift: use the arts to communicate God’s truth; develop and
use artistic skill such as drama, writing, art, music, dance, etc.; use variety and
creativity to captivate people and cause them to consider Christ’s message;
challenge people’s perspective of God through various forms of art; demonstrate
fresh ways to express the Lord’s ministry and message.
THE GIFT OF DISCERNMENT
Contributes – CLARITY
1 Corinthians 12:10, Acts 5:1-4, Matthew 16:21-23
Goal: Get more information, responding
Weakness: Harsh, critical, prideful, too quick to share
The divine enablement to distinguish between truth and error, to discern the
spirits, differentiating between good and evil, right from wrong. People with this gift:
distinguish truth from error, right from wrong, pure motives from impure; identify
deception in others with accuracy and appropriateness; determine whether a word
attributed to God is authentic; recognize wrong doctrine in a teaching, prophetic
message, or interpretation; are able to sense the presence of evil.
THE GIFT OF ENCOURAGEMENT
Contributes – AFFIRMATION
Romans 12:8, Acts 11:22-24, Acts 15:30-32
Goal: To encourage
Weakness: Too simplistic, talks too much, not willing to
confront, counsels when not asked
The divine enablement to present truth as to strengthen, comfort, or urge to
action these who are discouraged or wavering in their faith. People with this gift;
come to the side of those who are discouraged to strengthen and reassure them;
challenge, comfort, or confront others to trust and hope in the promises of God; urge
others to action by applying biblical truth; motivate others to grow; emphasize God’s
promises and have confidence in his will.
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THE GIFT OF EVANGELISM
Contributes - THE GOOD NEWS
Ephesians 4:11, Acts 8:26-40, Luke 19:1-10
Goal: Win people to Christ
Weakness: Don’t expect all to be budding evangelists,
don’t use guilt, zeal without knowledge
The divine enablement to effectively communicate the gospel to unbelievers so
they respond in faith and move toward discipleship. People with this gift:
communicate the message of Christ with clarity and conviction; seek out
opportunities to talk to unbelievers about spiritual matters; challenge unbelievers to
faith and to become fully devoted followers of Christ; adapt their presentation of the
gospel to connect with the individual’s needs; seek opportunities to build relationships
with unbelievers.
THE GIFT OF FAITH
Contributes –CONFIDENCE
1 Corinthians 12:9, 13:2, Hebrews 11:1, Romans 4:18-21
Goal: Optimism, deeper dependence
Weakness: Don’t look down on those who use reason and logic
The divine enablement to act on God’s promises with confidence and
unwavering belief in God’s ability to fulfill his purposes. People with this gift: believe
the promises of God and inspire others to do the same; act in complete confidence of
God’s ability to overcome obstacles; demonstrate an attitude of trust in God’s will and
his promises; advance the cause of Christ because they go forward when others will
not; ask God for what is needed and trust him for his promises.
THE GIFT OF GIVING
Contributes – RESOURCES
Romans 12:8, 2 Corinthians 6:8, Luke 21:1-4
Goal: Godly stewardship
Weakness: Not your money, agenda set by leaders
The divine enablement to contribute money and resources to the work of the
Lord with cheerfulness and liberality. This person does not ask, “How much money do
I give to God” but “How much of God’s money do I keep?” People with this gift:
manage their finances and limit their lifestyle in order to give as much of their
resources as possible; support the work of ministry with sacrificial gifts to the
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advance the Kingdom; meet tangible needs that enable spiritual growth to occur;
provide resources, generously and cheerfully, trusting God for his provision; may
have a special ability to make money so that they may use it to further God’s work.
GIFTS OF HEALING
Contribute - WHOLENESS
1 Corinthians 12:9, 28, 30, Acts 3:1-16, Mark 2:1-12
Goal: Focus on God’s power not your gift
Weakness: God does not promise healing to everyone
The divine enablement to be God’s means for restoring people to wholeness.
People with this gift: demonstrate the power of God; bring restoration to the sick and
diseased; authenticate a message from God through healing; use it as an opportunity
to communicate a biblical truth and to see God glorified; pray, touch or speak words
that miraculously bring healing to one’s body.
THE GIFT OF HELPS
Contributes – SUPPORT
1 Corinthians 12:28, Romans 12:7, Acts 6: 1-4, Romans 16:1-2
Goal: Be a servant not a martyr
Weakness: Can feel used, resentful, finds it hard to say no
The divine enablement to accomplish practical and necessary tasks which free
up, support, and meet the needs of others. People with this gift: serve behind the
scenes wherever needed to support the gifts and ministries of others; see the
tangible and practical things to be done and enjoy doing them; sense God’s purpose
and pleasure in meeting everyday responsibilities; attach spiritual value to practical
service; enjoy knowing that they are freeing up others to do what God has called
them to do.
THE GIFT OF HOSPITALITY
Contributes – ACCEPTANCE
1 Peter 4:9-10, Romans 12:13, Hebrews 13:1-2
Goal: Do without sacrificing family
Weakness: Intrudes on family life
The divine enablement to care for people by providing fellowship, food and
shelter. People with this gift: provide an environment where people feel valued and
cared for; welcome new people and help them feel valued and cared for; create a
safe and comfortable setting where relationships can develop; seek ways to connect
people together into meaningful relationships; set people at ease in unfamiliar
surroundings.
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THE GIFT OF INTERCESSION
Contributes – PROTECTION, POWER, CHANGE
Romans 8:26-27, John 17:9-26, 1 Timothy 2:1-2, Colossians 1:9-12, 4:12-13
Goal: Put feet on prayers, do what needs done
Weakness: Not an escape to avoid responsibility also pride,
everyone should be so spiritual
The divine enablement to consistently pray on behalf of and for others, seeing
frequent and specific results. People with this gift: feel compelled to earnestly pray on
behalf of someone or some cause; have a daily awareness of the spiritual battles
being waged and pray; are convinced God moves in direct response to prayer; pray
in response to the leading of the Holy Spirit, whether they understand it or not;
exercise authority and power for the protection of others and the equipping of them to
serve.
THE GIFT OF KNOWLEDGE
Contributes – AWARENESS
1 Corinthians 12:8, Mark 2:6-8, John 1:45-50
Goal: Change lives rather than impress
Weakness: Makes others feel inferior or ignorant
The divine enablement to bring truth to the body through a revelation or biblical
insight. People with this gift: receive truth which enables them to better serve the
body; search the scriptures for insight, understanding and truth; gain knowledge
which at times was not attained by natural means; have and unusual insight or
understanding that serves the church; organize information for teaching and practical
use.
THE GIFT OF LEADERSHIP
Contributes – DIRECTION
Romans 12:8, Hebrews 13:17, Luke 22:25-26
Goal: Lead by example and willingness to serve
Weakness: Using people, too demanding
The divine enablement to cast vision, motivate and direct people to
harmoniously accomplish the purposes of God. People with this gift: provide direction
for God’s people or ministry; motivate others to perform to the best of their abilities;
present the “big picture” for others to see; model the values of the ministry; take
responsibility and establish goals.
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THE GIFT OF MERCY
Contributes – CARE
Romans 12:8, Matthew 5:7, Mark 10:46-52, Luke 10:25-37
Goal: Communicate and show love
Weakness: Too sensitive, ignores sin
The divine enablement to cheerfully and practically help those who are
suffering or are in need, compassion moved to action. People with this gift: focus
upon alleviating the sources of pain or discomfort in suffering people; address the
needs of the lonely and forgotten; express love, grace and dignity to those facing
hardships and crisis; serve in difficult or unsightly circumstances and do so
cheerfully; concern themselves with individual or social issues that oppress people.
THE GIFT OF MIRACLES
Contributes - GOD’S POWER
1 Corinthians 12:10, 28-29, John 2:1-11, Luke 5:1-11
Goal: Trust God with or without the miracle
Weakness: Expecting God to perform on command
The divine enablement to authenticate the ministry and message of God
through supernatural interventions that glorify Him. People with this gift: speak God’s
truth and have it authenticated by an accompanying miracle; express confidence in
God’s faithfulness and ability to manifest his presence; bring the ministry and
message of Jesus Christ with power; claim God to be the source of the miracle and
glorify Him; represent Christ, and through the gift point people to a relationship with
Christ.
THE GIFT OF PROPHECY
Contributes – CONVICTION
Romans 12:6, 1 Corinthians 12:10, 28, 13:2, 2 Peter 1:19-21
Goal: Declare truth, don’t divide Christians
Weakness: Be careful with words, fighter
The divine enablement to reveal truth and proclaim it in a timely and relevant
manner for understanding, correction, repentance or edification. There may be
immediate or future implications. People with this gift: expose sin or deception in
others for the purpose of reconciliation; speak a timely word from God causing
conviction, repentance and edification; see truth that others often fail to see and
challenge them to respond; warn of God’s immediate or future judgment if there is no
repentance; understand God’s heart and mind through experiences he takes them
through.
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THE GIFT OF SHEPHERDING
Contributes – NURTURE
Ephesians 4:11-12, 1 Peter 5:1-4, John 10:1-18
Goal: Strong leadership, not manipulative
Weakness: Overbearing
The divine enablement to nurture, care for and guide people toward on-going
spiritual maturity and becoming like Christ. People with this gift: take responsibility to
nurture the whole person in their walk with God; provide guidance and oversight to a
group of God’s people; model with their life what it means to be a fully devoted
follower of Jesus; establish trust and confidence through long-term relationships; lead
and protect those within their span of care.
THE GIFT OF TEACHING
Contributes – APPLICATION
Romans 12:7, 1 Corinthians 12:28-29, Acts 18:24-28, 2 Timothy 2:2
Goals: Reveal truth, don’t exhaust it
Weakness: Dig too deep over heads
The divine enablement to understand, clearly explain and apply the word of
God causing greater Christ-likeness in the lives of listeners. People with this gift:
communicate biblical truth that inspires greater obedience to the World; challenges
listeners simply and practically with the truths of Scripture; present the whole counsel
of God for maximum life change; give attention to detail and accuracy; prepare
through extended times of study and reflection.
THE GIFT OF TONGUES
Contributes – INSPIRATION
1 Corinthians 12:10, 28-30, 13:1, 14:1-33, Acts 2:1-11
Goals: Edify self and others
Weakness: Disruptive, overbearing, confusing
The divine enablement to worship or pray in a language unknown to the
speaker. People with this gift pray to God in a language they have never learned and
may not understand (understanding comes only with the gift of interpretation). This
gift edifies the user without an interpretation and others with an interpretation.
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THE GIFT OF WISDOM
Contributes – GUIDANCE
1 Corinthians 12:8 James 3:13-18, 1 Corinthians 2:3-14, Jeremiah 9:23-24
Goal: Consistently trust God for wisdom
Weakness: Speak down to others
The divine enablement to apply spiritual truth effectively to meet a need in a
specific situation. People with this gift: focus on the unseen consequences in
determining the next step to take; receive an understanding of what is necessary to
meet the needs of the body; provide divinely given solutions in the midst of conflict
and confusion; hear the Spirit provide direction for God’s best in a given situation;
apply spiritual truth in specific and practical ways.
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Am I Ready to Lead a Small Group?
If our mission is to help the spiritual restless and church learn to love Jesus,
serve others and to tell the world about Christ, then it makes sense that as we reach
people, more leaders will be needed to shepherd those new believers.
As a Missional Member, we hope that you will strongly consider whether or not
God might be calling you to lead a LifeGroup. If so, please complete the following LifeGroup inquiry and turn it in with your Missional Membership Commitment form.
Do you know anyone that could be in your LifeGroup? Who would come?
Chances are that many unconnected people exist in every area of your life.
These are individuals who would benefit from a weekly opportunity to connect with
other believers, grow in their faith and be encouraged. How many of those individuals
exist in your sphere of influence? The answer is: More than you think!
Here’s a quick exercise: On page 90, there is a worksheet that you can use to
compile a list of the people in your life who are currently unconnected to a LifeGroup
or unconnected to a local area church. Once you have the list of names, then pray
about whether or not God would have you lead or host a LifeGroup.
If you’d like to know more about leading a LifeGroup, complete the Group Leader questionnaire on following page. Forward your completed questionnaire to your
campus pastor or campus spiritual formation staff.
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Group Leader Questionnaire
Whether you complete the hard copy commitment form in this booklet or you have an
in-person interview, make sure to turn in this form at the time of the interview.
CAMPUS: ___Findlay ___Perrysburg ___South Toledo ___West Toledo
___Whitehouse
Section One—Personal Information
First Name______________________ Last Name _________________________
Address
___________________________________________________________________
City ____________________________ State ________ Zip Code __________
Email Address ____________________________________________________
Best phone number to contact you ___________________________________
Marital Status:
Single
Married
If married, spouse’s name:
Section Two—Spiritual Journey
When did you come to faith in Christ?
How would you describe your current spiritual disciplines?
Where do you see God currently working in your life?
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What are some of the highlights of your spiritual journey?
Section Three—Church Involvement
How long have you attended CedarCreek Church?
Please check if you’ve done the following:



Baptism (as a believer)
Spiritual Gifts test
Missional Membership Bible study
How have you been involved at CedarCreek Church?
If you’ve attended another church before CedarCreek for less than two years, where
were you involved?
Section Four—Groups
What groups do you currently attend?
What type of group would you like to lead?
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