Next week, Lambchow will begin a new series called Start Here/Grow Here. The current plan is for a nine-week series of lessons designed and intended for those new to faith in Christ. Every week we receive responses to our Gospel presentation page called “How to Receive God’s love.” At this time, we have limited, on-point material to respond with. This series of lessons is intended to help fill that gap. Those lessons will then be published as an eBook and made available for free on our website.
Our guiding scripture for this study is the Parable of the Sower. “And He spoke many things to them in parables, saying, “Behold, the sower went out to sow; and as he sowed, some seeds fell beside the road, and the birds came and ate them up. “Others fell on the rocky places, where they did not have much soil; and immediately they sprang up, because they had no depth of soil. “But when the sun had risen, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. “Others fell among the thorns, and the thorns came up and choked them out. “And others fell on the good soil and yielded a crop, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty. “He who has ears, let him hear.” (Matthew 13:3–9, NASB95) The goal of these lessons is to prepare, water, and weed the soil to give the good seed a chance to thrive.
Our assumptions are that those newly trusting in Christ believe in God, feel that something was or is lacking in their lives, they have trusted Jesus in some way, they may not fully understand salvation, they may or may not have an understanding of the Bible, and they may or may not have a church background. The one thing we do know is that there is a seed of faith planted in their heart.
This series of lessons, however, is not a theological primer. It is not designed or purposed to be a catechism before baptism or confirmation. It is instead designed and purposed to provide the spiritual tools necessary for growth in Christ.
The lessons we intend are…
- The Good Seed
- What to Expect (in your faith in Christ)
- Sonlight – talking to God
- Water – Holy Spirit Guided Word
- Roots – Connectedness and Stability
- Cultivation – anti-weeds – sin
- Choices – Growing towards the Son
- Who do we listen to?
- Real Growth
- What’s Next?
Each lesson will be Bible-based, short, and as free of jargon as possible. The ebook version will also include some “think about this” kinds of questions, but we won’t be including them during this initial run on Lambchow.
Here’s where you, as Lambchow readers, come into this. Pray for us while we write the lessons so that they are helpful and effective. Provide us with feedback about the lessons so that we may sharpen them even more. And later on, when the eBook is ready, share it with those for whom it may be helpful.
- Promises: Brings Hope - November 20, 2024
- Promises: Forgiveness - November 18, 2024
- Promises: Imparted Faith - November 13, 2024