Living the Christian Life – Chapter 1: Living Abundant Life

But just as the serpent tried to deceive Adam and Eve, he is still at work trying to hinder us in our relationship with God. The Bible calls this ancient serpent Satan, or the devil. He is the enemy of God and His people. He is the evil master of the kingdom of darkness.

Scripture shows us this important contrast between the Kingdom of God and the realm of Satan. The apostle Peter warns us:

“Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls
around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Resist
him, firm in your faith” (1 Peter 5:8-9 ESV).

Concerning this contrast Jesus declared:

“The thief [Satan] comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came
that they may have life and have it abundantly” (John 10:10 ESV).

God wants to protect you from Satan’s deception and attacks. He also wants you to live an abundant life in relationship with Him. This course is designed to show you how to know God as your Father, and how, through following the principles of the Bible, you can experience the abundant life that Jesus promised.

God has created each person with a purpose, but we can only bear fruit in our lives if we “abide in Christ” (John 15:4-5). So how do you do that? In this course, you will learn about the Christian lifestyle and the discipline it takes to be a disciple of Jesus—things like daily prayer, worship, and Bible reading. Living the Christian lifestyle also includes regular church attendance and fellowship with other believer through Bible study and affinity groups—which are groups of people gathered for a common interest like sports, art, or music.

In these lessons you will also learn:

• What it means to put God first in your life.
• What happens when you are baptized and why you should be.
• How the Holy Spirit is your counselor and guide.
• How the Word of God leads us into the truth and provides us with peace and strength.
• How prayer and worship build our relationship with God.
• How we are strengthened and encouraged through fellowship with other believers.
• How overcoming sin leads to a fulfilling and victorious life.
• How to hear the voice of God in making decisions.
• How to develop the discipline of daily Bible reading.
• How to have God’s kind of success in life.

If you don’t have a Bible, you will want to find an easy-to-read, modern translation. Some good choices include the New Living Translation (NLT), the English Standard Version (ESV), and the New American Standard Bible (NASB).

We also invite you to be a part of the Inspiration Ministries Facebook prayer community. Click on this link (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1087389478138800) to join the conversation and receive prayer for your needs—and pray for others, too! You can also send a private prayer request to the Inspiration Ministries Prayer Center (https://inspirorgdev.wpengine.com/pray/prayer-request).

If you would like to speak to one of our prayer counselors, you can call:

US  +1 (803) 578-1800  •  INTL: +44 (0) 84 5683 0584

God loves you. He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for you. If you were the only one to receive what He did on Calvary, Christ still would have gone to the cross for you.

The Christian life is a wonderful adventure! Let’s begin the journey in chapter 2!