1. Do you believe in God?
2. How would you describe God?
The Bible describes God in five ways that are of crucial importance to us.
a. Creator
Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
b. Holy
Isaiah 6:3 Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.
1 John 1:5-6 “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.”
c. Lawgiver
Isaiah 33:22 “The LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; it is he who will save us.”
d. Just
1 Peter 4:15 “They will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.”
e. Love
1 John 4:16 “God is love.” Psalm 100:5 “The LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”
3. What does God expect of us?
God expects us to keep his commandments.
Deuteronomy 6:6 “These commandments I give you today are to be upon your heart.”
1 John 2:4-5 “The man who says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him.”
Mark 12:30-31 “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
4. On a scale of 1–10, how well are you meeting those expectations?
The Bible teaches that no one comes anywhere close to meeting God’s holy standards.
Romans 3:23 “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”
The Bible describes the spiritual condition of humanity: People are separated from God, dead in sin, and falling short of keeping his commandments.
5. Does only one religion provide the true path to God?
Jesus described himself as the unique image of God on earth. He also stated that he was the only way back to God.
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
6. Do you believe in heaven?
Matthew 6:9 “Our Father, in heaven…”
John 14:2-3 “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
7. Does everyone go?
The Bible clearly speaks to the reality that not everyone will go to heaven. All people will face judgment, which will determine their eternal fates. Christ Himself will be the judge.
Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘LORD, LORD,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
Hebrews 9:27 “Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.”
8. Do you believe you will go to heaven?
9. Why or why not?
10. Would you like to know what the Bible says about these questions?
The Home Stretch of the God Test begins with a summary of the Human Problem.
The Human Problem
The upshot of what the Bible says is that humans have an insurmountable problem. We are separated from God and unable to save ourselves.
Isaiah 59:2 says, “Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you.”
Present the chasm illustration, part one. Draw on paper or describe: There is a great chasm between us and God. God and mankind are separated by sin.
All our efforts at being good fall short of what he requires.
Illustration: Trying to be good enough for God is like trying to swim from California to Japan. It is impossible. Some will swim farther than others, but no one can make it there.
God’s Solution for the Human Problem
God has provided a solution for the human problem.
Romans 5:8 says, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
God became man in Jesus Christ.
He lived the life we should have lived,
and died the death we should have died—in our place.
Days later, he rose from the dead,
proving that he is the Son of God,
and offering the gift of salvation and forgiveness of sins
to anyone who repents and believes in him.
Present the chasm illustration, part two. Again, draw on paper if possible. Jesus covers sin and removes the chasm between a person and God.
Give a brief personal testimony of your conversion (60–90 seconds).
Your Response
Would you like to become a follower of Jesus?
If so, you must do four things: believe, surrender, turn, follow.
Believe: John 3:16 says, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
Surrender: Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Turn: Acts 2:38 says, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.”
Follow: John 8:31–32 says, “Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”
2. How would you describe God?
The Bible describes God in five ways that are of crucial importance to us.
a. Creator
Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
b. Holy
Isaiah 6:3 Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.
1 John 1:5-6 “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth.”
c. Lawgiver
Isaiah 33:22 “The LORD is our judge, the LORD is our lawgiver, the LORD is our king; it is he who will save us.”
d. Just
1 Peter 4:15 “They will have to give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.”
e. Love
1 John 4:16 “God is love.” Psalm 100:5 “The LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.”
3. What does God expect of us?
God expects us to keep his commandments.
Deuteronomy 6:6 “These commandments I give you today are to be upon your heart.”
1 John 2:4-5 “The man who says, ‘I know him,’ but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him.”
Mark 12:30-31 “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.”
4. On a scale of 1–10, how well are you meeting those expectations?
The Bible teaches that no one comes anywhere close to meeting God’s holy standards.
Romans 3:23 “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”
The Bible describes the spiritual condition of humanity: People are separated from God, dead in sin, and falling short of keeping his commandments.
5. Does only one religion provide the true path to God?
Jesus described himself as the unique image of God on earth. He also stated that he was the only way back to God.
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
6. Do you believe in heaven?
Matthew 6:9 “Our Father, in heaven…”
John 14:2-3 “My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.”
7. Does everyone go?
The Bible clearly speaks to the reality that not everyone will go to heaven. All people will face judgment, which will determine their eternal fates. Christ Himself will be the judge.
Matthew 7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘LORD, LORD,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.”
Hebrews 9:27 “Man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment.”
8. Do you believe you will go to heaven?
9. Why or why not?
10. Would you like to know what the Bible says about these questions?
The Home Stretch of the God Test begins with a summary of the Human Problem.
The Human Problem
The upshot of what the Bible says is that humans have an insurmountable problem. We are separated from God and unable to save ourselves.
Isaiah 59:2 says, “Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you.”
Present the chasm illustration, part one. Draw on paper or describe: There is a great chasm between us and God. God and mankind are separated by sin.
All our efforts at being good fall short of what he requires.
Illustration: Trying to be good enough for God is like trying to swim from California to Japan. It is impossible. Some will swim farther than others, but no one can make it there.
God’s Solution for the Human Problem
God has provided a solution for the human problem.
Romans 5:8 says, “God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
God became man in Jesus Christ.
He lived the life we should have lived,
and died the death we should have died—in our place.
Days later, he rose from the dead,
proving that he is the Son of God,
and offering the gift of salvation and forgiveness of sins
to anyone who repents and believes in him.
Present the chasm illustration, part two. Again, draw on paper if possible. Jesus covers sin and removes the chasm between a person and God.
Give a brief personal testimony of your conversion (60–90 seconds).
Your Response
Would you like to become a follower of Jesus?
If so, you must do four things: believe, surrender, turn, follow.
Believe: John 3:16 says, “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”
Surrender: Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Turn: Acts 2:38 says, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.”
Follow: John 8:31–32 says, “Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, ‘If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”