OUTLINE:

NCC Curriculum
- Why Are the Apostles So Encouraging?
- With God All Things Are Possible (2 parts)
- When Subjectivity Becomes the Culturally Accepted Norm (7 parts)
- American Dating Is a Counterfeit (5 parts)
- Special India Mission Messages
- Peace and Stability From Honoring God’s Authority (2 Parts)

Big-Picture Freedom
‘Seeing the forest through the trees’ is critical to understanding the very mind of Christ (1Co 2:16). Our Lord, Himself, sees a much bigger picture than we ever could (Ro 11:33); yet, it behooves us to seek His Truth, for this is freedom in Him (Jn 8:32 - “the truth will make you free”).

To understand the truth is to understand the PERSON of Christ.

“I never knew you”
These are Jesus’ words. He is saying that He doesn’t acknowledge some people as His own. He is the Great Shepherd, and He knows His sheep, and His sheep know Him (Jn 10:27) - this is an intimacy that doesn’t exist with others.

Gal 5:1
It was for freedom that Christ set us free;

“I and the Father are one”
This not only means that Jesus Christ is God; it also implies that His mind is intrinsically the same as the mind of His Father. What the Father wants, the Son wants. What He plans, the Son executes and the Spirit empowers. Such is unity.

Big-Picture Freedom
‘Seeing the forest through the trees’ is critical to understanding the very mind of Christ (1Co 2:16). Our Lord, Himself, sees a much bigger picture than we ever could (Ro 11:33); yet, it behooves us to seek His Truth, for this is freedom in Him (Jn 8:32 - “the truth will make you free”).

Big-Picture Freedom
So many enjoyed the India Mission lessons because there is peace and stability from honoring God's authority. Humble people love and crave authority orientation. They possess a, ”tell me the right way to do it and I'll do it,” kind of attitude.

Honoring All Authority
Wisdom tells us to honor authority and it will be well with us. Honor divine authority and you will be blessed. And all authority is ultimately from God (Ro 13:1-7).

Honoring All Authority
The Spirit is training all of us to stop kicking against authority; to accept it as being from God and humbly honor it, accepting the rewards of God in the process.

The Virtuous Woman
Her greatest attribute is that she fears the Lord. She loves Him and serves Him always. Every other task in her daily walk is a function of serving Him. For this she is praised, rightly.

Good Advice
For more introspection about your role as the bride of Christ, read Pr 31:10-31, and insert yourself in there as the virtuous woman to your Lord and Savior.

We Are Escape Artists
In general, people don’t WANT the Truth. Truth is light, but the darkness in them hates the light. “For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed” (Jn 3:20). This is why many turn away, leave the faith, or ignore conviction.

Faith-Based Freedom
When sinful people hear the Truth, in their arrogance, they reject it. Grace is given to the humble, resulting in freedom (Jn 8:32). Remember, you may “have” the Truth, but you may not “possess” it - there’s a difference (one is knowledge, one is faith).

Deserved Suffering
If you continue to disregard the Word of God, refusing to submit to it in humility so that faith results, then you are setting yourself up for pain. This is self-inflicted in the same sense that if you walk into a lion’s cage, you can expect to be bitten (is that the lion’s fault???).

The Beginning of Discipline
When a person chooses a sinful lifestyle, they immediately take on the daily pressure of living outside of the will of God. This robs them of their peace and contentment, for an unsettled conscience serves as an agitator. If they aren't agitated, they may have a bigger problem (salvation?).

The Gift of Life
True satisfaction is a gift from God. If we charge through life with sinful abandon, we risk ruin. There are many things to enjoy, but they must be enjoyed in faith and obedience. (Ecc 11:9)

The Baby and the Bathwater
While contemplating evil, never lose sight of eternal life in Christ. In order to “see it all as truth”, we must, at times, venture down some “dark” passageways; however, do not become myopic, losing sight of the big-picture, for you will suffer unnecessarily if you do.

Perspective!
You’ll never have divine perspective if you refuse to accept things for what they are, at face value. This means two basic things:  enjoy the Light and the knowledge of darkness (not the darkness, but rather the knowledge/understanding of it that produces wisdom).

Life Is Short
Ask anyone over the age of 50 years old if this is true. Time seems to accelerate as we get older (ala Ecc 12:1-2), so we ought to make the most of our time as servants of the Lord. The right perspective motivates us to live this way (e.g., understanding the big-picture).

Losing Freedom
Sin is designed to create ties that bind us to worldly things; it is designed to rob us of the freedom that Christ has afforded every believer (Gal 5:1).

Freedom
Freedom exists in those moments when we lose our ties to the world and cling solely to Christ.

True conviction passes through real discomfort.
(ref: Ro 5:3-5; Jas 1:2-4; 5:11; 1Pe 1:6-9)

“Why Are the Apostles So Encouraging? By Grace, They Were Prepared”

“Lord, to whom shall we go?”
Peter's words epitomize the one thing that separated the Apostles from the rest of Jesus' "disciples" (some of which weren't yet saved - ala Jn 6:64; 1Jn 2:19) - HUMILITY! Submission/surrender are fruit of humility, the essence of God's grace in salvation.

“By Grace, They Were Prepared”
Jesus taught His disciples to have their OWN convictions! He then gave them His Spirit to teach, encourage, and empower this. We all have the Word of- and the Spirit of Christ, by grace.

Sending the Apostles Out
- Jesus called them
- Jesus trained them (academically & OJT)
- Jesus sent them out

By Grace, They Were Prepared
The great work for any believer is to spread the Gospel. We all need to be literally changed by grace through faith in order to accomplish this good work. Jesus has left His precious salvation ministry to His sheep to carry on.