INTRODUCTION

‘’ Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,* baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age”. (Matthew 28:18-20 – NLT)

Becoming a Christian, a born again Christian requires a decision, we chose to follow Jesus, we were not born as Christians. The scriptures say that “in sin did my mother conceive me”, neither are we Christians because we live in a Christian society or in a Christian community nor because we believe in God, attend church services, are baptised, confirmed or do good things.

We are born again Christians because we have confessed with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and we have believed in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9, 10).

But after being born again, what next? As newborn babes, we should desire the sincere milk of the word of God so that we can grow (James 2:2)  and this is easily achieved through discipleship, this is why the new life in Christ discipleship workbook has become a very essential tool for every believer as Jesus said, if you continue in my word, then are you, my disciples, indeed (John 8:31).

We have designed the New Life in Christ (NLIC) workbook in a manner that it can be used on a one to one basis or in a group with a mentor ensuring that the bible passages and topics are applied in a way that meets with an individual situation

SO WHO IS THE NEW LIFE IN CHRIST COURSE FOR?

• For the person in search of God and who cares about the eternal destiny of their soul
• For those who have come to faith in Christ and who want to be established and rooted in the faith
• For those who are religious but do not understand the things of God Acts 8:30-31
• For those who are very zealous for God but need to understand the things of God more perfectly — Acts 18:24-26
• For those who though they know these truths need to be reminded of them — 2 Pet 1:12

OBJECTIVES OF THE NEW LIFE IN CHRIST (NLIC) COURSE:

• Believers are born of God (John1:12) but disciples are made, being a disciple will cost us (Luke 9:23) .
• The main goal of the NLIC is to make disciples  and becoming a disciple involves a continuance in the truths and disciplines of God’s Words

In order to therefore benefit maximally from the NLIC discipleship course, we recommend the following disciplines which are not to be seen as legalistic ideas but as principles of life transformation

• Read each study carefully and prayerfully and answer the questions
• Read all the Bible references and spend at least one hour praying the scriptures and meditating on them
• Make a life application of each study
• Aim to read the whole Bible through in one or two years, you can use any convenient bible reading guide
• Set a goal of making 12 disciples, we have included at the end of this study, on how you can lead others to Christ and a prayer of salvation
• Set the goal of at least 1 hour of prayer and communion with God each day
• Above all, God’s desire is that as we remain faithful to His teachings so shall we be His disciples indeed (John 8:31)

PHASES OF STUDY

• Phase 1 – Salvation in Christ Jesus (Lessons 1 & 2)
• Phase 2 – Victorious Christian Living (Lesson 3 – 10)
• Phase 3 – Living in the Spirit (Lessons 11 – 20)
• Phase 4 – The Fruit of the Spirit  (Lessons 21 – 30)

MODE OF STUDY

The following are available:

• Mentor-led NLIC course. You will be assigned a mentor on a one-to-one virtual forum
• Hybrid  NLIC course. This will involve a self-study on a phase-to-phase basis with the help of a mentor
• Self-study NLIC course. You will be expected to submit the completed answer for each lesson.

HOW TO RECEIVE JESUS CHRIST AS OUR LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOUR

FIRST, you must recognise that God loves you so much that He gave His Son to die on the cross. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

SECOND, you must repent of your sins.   Jesus said: “Except you repent, you shall… perish.” Luke 13:3;  He said: “Repent… and believe.” Mark 1:15.  Repentance does not mean being sorry for the past, as just being sorry is not enough, you must repent meaning you must make deliberate effort by the grace of God to turn your back on sin going forward.

THIRD, you must receive Jesus Christ as Saviour and Lord.   “But as many as received Him, to them He gave power to become the sons of God.” John 1:12.  This means that you accept God’s offer of love, mercy, and forgiveness. Stop trying to save yourself.  Just trust Him completely, without reservation, as your Saviour and Lord.

FOURTH, you must confess Christ publicly.   Jesus said; “Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. ”Matthew 10:32

It is extremely important that when you receive Christ as your Saviour, you tell someone else about it as soon as possible.

It is important that you make your decision and commitment to Christ NOW. “Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation” 2 Corinthians 6:2. If you are willing to repent of your sins and to receive Jesus Christ as your Saviour you can do it now. At this moment you can either bow your head or get on your knees and say this prayer:

“Lord Jesus, thank you for dying on the cross for me. Right now I repent of my sins and trust in your shed blood as full payment for all my sins. I believe that you are the Son of God and that God has raised You from the dead. I now receive You as my personal Saviour and commit my life unreservedly to You as Lord. Thank You for hearing my prayer, forgiving my sins, and coming into my life as You promised. Amen.”

If you prayed this prayer in sincerity and faith, welcome to the family of God! Jesus Christ has promised to come into your life when, in repentance and faith, you invite Him to be your Lord. The Bible says, ‘And this is the record, that God has given to us eternal life, and this Life is in his Son. He who has the Son has life; and he who has not the Son of God has not life (1 John 5:11-12).

For further information on the New Life In Christ  Discipleship Course

Write to:

The Coordinator

New Life in Christ Discipleship Course

No 1 Matthews lane

Manchester

M12 4QW

United kingdom

Mobile: +447903483168

 Or

email nlic@nccmanchester.com

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New Covenant Church, Manchester

The New Life in Christ Discipleship Course is now available in several languages

Please check on our website www.nccmanchester.com

Truly yours in His Service,

New Life in Christ Discipleship Team