GROWTH 1 and 2

CATHOLIC CHARISMATIC RENEWAL IN THE
HOLY SPIRIT
The
First
Steps 1 and
2
FOR THE NEWLY BAPTIZED IN THE SPIRIT
Digitization: Gabriel Rendón email:
greccco@gmail.com 10/04/2009
FP. MERCEDARTOS
"-A Quatomale, July 4, 1975.
Ne do do it work entitled the jyiww rim rt-neral .del.curno.

Partreotmnbutiradonenal.
ada I have found that ■* opong " la fa. the coetuabres or that makes the
publication inopportune. On the contrary, the work, in the best fidelity or
openness to the directives of the Magisterium - to the prodigies of the Holy
Spirit in our time, is an instrument to fill a void in our communities and prayer
groups. I highly recommend that those who have been baptized in the Holy
Spirit follow these courses for the reciecism of yld* E ZL ESrMIT. A, Va

2£u-*****5
Pore. Jom6 Marfa Delgado Vards
Doctop in Ton Jorfe
ARCHBISHOP PALACE OF GUATEMNLA DE LA ASUNCION, July 4, 1995.
Artoblopal Delegate and Auxiliary Bishop
Document digitized electronically to report syntax and spelling errors to greccco@gmail.com.

I will gladly grant the Imprimatur.
+ Fr. Philip J. Cueto. O.FM.
Bishop of Tlalnepantla.
MARANATHA.
With great joy and satisfaction we thank the Lord that our first steps in the
knowledge and love of Him in this new life, in the Renewal in the Holy
Spirit, although slow, are becoming more and more solid.
The result is this booklet "First Steps", which, with difficulties and through
experience. We have been forming in this Community of San Juan
Bautista.
Its study, and above all "LIVING IT", will hopefully be a path that will lead
us to receive the Lord Jesus, who will lead us to the Father. We want
everyone who studies and lives it to say "Come" and whoever hears it to
say "Come". May this entire Community, through this little book and the
following ones that will soon follow, be a continuous chorus of praise and
expectation: "Come, Lord Jesus".
Salvador García, O.F.M. Pastor of San Juan Bautista. Coyoacán, Mexico.

INTRODUCTION
The Teaching Team of our Community, following the teachings of St. John
the Baptist, who invites us to conversion and preaches to us that it is
necessary to make ourselves smaller so that the Lord may grow in us,
thought that the instruction in this Center should be directed to simple
people, to people who would like to be like children in order to better
understand the things of the Kingdom of God.
It was thus that the Lord inspired us this course "First Steps", which we
have used for Growth 1 and 2, in which we have tried to continue the
simple language of the Life in the Spirit Team Manual, removing
everything that could be an intellectual or literary embellishment, leaving
only what should be lived by those who receive it.
After experiencing this Course for a year, and having realized that it has
really helped people baptized in the Holy Spirit who had only received the
Preparation Course, or "Life in the Spirit", and then did not know how to
continue on their way in this new life, we decided to print this Manual for
Growths 1 and 2, which we hope will be useful, not only in our community,
but also in other Spanish-speaking Communities that have had the same
problem of how to continue in this new life.We decided to print this Manual
for Growth 1 and 2, which we hope will be useful, not only in our
community, but also in other Spanish-speaking communities that have
had the same problem of how to continue helping people who have
experienced a new encounter with Christ through our Renewal in the Holy
Spirit.
We consider that this Manual is an essay that has no other purpose than
to be a help at this time of our Renewal in which there is nothing published
in this field, and we do not doubt that later, other communities published
better things, since the Holy Spirit that helps and enlightens the people of
God, will surely continue inspiring us what is useful for the Spanish-
speaking people.
We place this modest work at the disposal of all the Communities, aware
that each one will have to make the adaptations it deems necessary for it
(Eph. 1:17-19) and we ask the Lord to bless it, making it useful to all who
wish to make use of it.
Mexico, D. F., July 5, 1975.

THE TEACHING TEAM OF THE SAN JUAN BAUTISTA COMMUNITY

"THE FIRST STEPS"
FOR THE NEWLY BAPTIZED IN THE SPIRIT
GROWTH I and II
Table of contents:
A) PURPOSE
B) CONTENTS
C) PRACTICAL APPLICATION
D) THE TEAM THAT WILL WORK
E) DURATION, VARIATIONS, COMMENTS
A) PURPOSE
The basic purpose of this course is to guide the newly baptized in the Holy
Spirit, to take the first steps in the Life in the Spirit, confirming their Faith,
and directing them to pray and read the Word of God, motivating them to
practice new teachings. (Heb. 6: 11). It is also to prepare and warn them
about the problems they will have to face.
B) CONTENTS
1, -The course is divided into two cycles: GROWTH I
AND GROWTH II.
GROWTH I
1a. week....................... Introduction
2a. week....................... Class 1
3a. week....................... Class 2
4a. week....................... Class 3
5a. week....................... LIVING AND SHARING
6a. week....................... Class 4
7a. week....................... Class 5
8a. week....................... Class 6
9a. week....................... Class 7
10a. week...................... LIVING AND SHARING
11a. week...................... MASS OF THANKSGIVING (A week of rest or
spiritual retreat for leaders, shepherds and sheep).
GROWTH II
MARANATHA..........................................................................4
INTRODUCTION.............................................................................5
"THE FIRST STEPS"........................................................................6
FOR THE NEWLY BAPTIZED IN THE SPIRIT....................6

GROWTH I and II......................................................................6
A) PURPOSE.......................................................................6
B) CONTENTS....................................................................6
GROWTH I................................................................................6
GROWTH II...............................................................................6
MEMO APPOINTMENTS......................................................11
EXTRA TASKS:......................................................................11
EXTRA TASK.........................................................................11
GROWTH 2.............................................................................12
C) PRACTICAL APPLICATION.....................................12
D) the team that will work..................................................13
E) DURATION. VARATIONS, COMMENTS......................15
SAN JUAN GROUPS AND ISAAC GROUPS......................15
GROWTH 1.............................................................................15
NOTE:......................................................................................17
"GROWTH COURSES I and 2"..............................................18
"GRAZING EQUIPMENT"....................................................18
WITHIN THE CLASSROOM:................................................18
OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM:.............................................18
REMARKS...............................................................................19
GROWTH INTERVIEW What have you learned from the talks
at this seminar?.........................................................................20
FIRST CYCLE GROWTH 1...........................................................22
B.-The new life............................................................................23
E. -The steps you have to take are:..............................................24
GROWTH No. 1 CLASS No. 1 "TEETHING PROBLEMS". 25
TASK:......................................................................................28
MEMORIZE:...........................................................................28
A) GOD WILL ALWAYS HELP YOU............................30

B) WHAT IF YOU HAVE SINNED AGAIN?.................30
C) WHAT CAN YOU DO AS A CHILD?........................31
D) GOOD CHRISTIAN HABITS......................................32
TASK:......................................................................................33
MEMORIZE:...........................................................................33
MOTTO QUOTE:....................................................................33
GROWTH No. 1 CLASS No. 3 "THE FIGHT BEGINS".......34
A) WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?.................................35
B) NOW THE FIGHT BEGINS!.......................................36
C) WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?.......................................37
TASK:......................................................................................38
MEMORIZE:...........................................................................38
GROWTH No. 1 CLASS No.4 THE SPIRITUAL MAN........35
FOLLOWING THE LORD MEANS:.....................................36
MAKE YOUR COMMITMENT TO THE LORD TONIGHT.
..................................................................................................37
TASK:......................................................................................37
MEMORIZE:...........................................................................37
MOTTO QUOTE:....................................................................37
GROWTH No. 1 CLASS No. 5 "SONS AND HEIRS OF
THEIR WEALTH"...................................................................39
A-YOURPRIVILEGES AND YOUR DUTIES AS A SON.. .39
8- HOW SHOULD YOU PRAY?.........................................40
C.- WHAT IS YOUR INHERITANCE?................................40
D. -TO FORMGOOD PRAYER HABITS..............................41
TASK:......................................................................................42
MEMORIZE:...........................................................................42
MOTTO QUOTE:....................................................................42
PRAYER AND PRAYER........................................................44

GUIDE FOR SHEPHERDS.....................................................47
LET THE SPIRIT FLOW FREELY........................................47
GROWTH No. 1 CLASS No. 7 THE TEMPTATION............48
TEMPTATION AND HOW IT PRESENTS ITSELF.............48
A-YOUR FACES.....................................................................48
B -THEIR INFLUENCE ON YOUR MIND:..........................49
C-UNMASK IT:.......................................................................50
D.- THE PLAN OF ATTACK:................................................50
TASK:......................................................................................51
SECOND CYCLE GROWTH 2..................................................53
GROWTH 2 CLASS No. 1 FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD............54
A. -GRACE........................................................................54
B. - THE DEVIATIONS....................................................54
C- THECONFESSION............................................................55
D-THECOMMUNION............................................................55
CONCLUSION OF THE CLASS:...........................................56
TASK:......................................................................................57
MOTTO QUOTE:....................................................................57
GROWTH No. 2 CLASS No. 2 FRIENDSHIP WITH
SIBLINGS................................................................................60
A-YOUR FIRST COMMUNITY YOUR HOME...................60
B- THECOMMUNITY............................................................60
C-COMMUNITY NEEDS.......................................................61
D - LIVING AS BROTHERS..................................................61
E-YOUR PLACE IN THE BODY...........................................61
MEMORIZE:...........................................................................62
TASK:......................................................................................62
MOTTO QUOTE:....................................................................62
GROWTH No. 2 CLASS No. 3 "THE ENEMIES OF THE

COMMUNITY".......................................................................64
MEMORIZE:...........................................................................67
TASK:......................................................................................67
SUBJECT QUOTE:.................................................................67
GROWTH No. 2 CLASS No. 4...............................................69
"HOW TO SHOW OUR LOVE TO OUR BROTHERS".......69
MOTTO QUOTE:....................................................................71
GROWTH No. 2 CLASS No. 5 "HOW TO FOLLOW THE
VOICE OF GOD"....................................................................73
A.- ACTION OF GOD THAT GOES UNNOTICED BY US.73
B-WHERE TO START............................................................74
C -IMPEDIMENTS TO RECEIVING THE LORD'S
GUIDANCE.............................................................................76
D - GIFTS AND WONDERS..................................................76
MEMORIZE:...........................................................................77
TASK:......................................................................................77
GROWTH No. 2 CLASS No. 6 BREAKING TIES................79
A- GOD ABSOLUTE OWNER..............................................79
B - TITHING IN MEXICO......................................................79
C.- TWO TYPES OF PERSONS.............................................80
D -WE MUSTGIVE AS THE LORD ASKS US TO GIVE....81
MEMORIZE:...........................................................................83
GROWTH No. 2 CLASS No. 7 WITNESSES OF CHRIST...85
A- OUR MISSION AS CHRISTIANS....................................85
D. -BEING FISHERMEN........................................................87
PRACTICAL E-TIPS...............................................................88
PLAN FOR USING THE BIBLE IN WITNESSING.............89
GROWTH No. 2 CLASS No. 8 WATCH AND BE VIGILANT
..................................................................................................90
B.- THE PROMISED MESSIAH............................................90
C.-THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST..............................91
D.- THE COMING OF CHRIST FOR EACH OF US............91
E.- WATCH AND BE VIGILANT..........................................92
10th week................. LIVING AND SHARING

11th week...................... MISA OF THANKSGIVING
3, -Each class is aimed at achieving certain things, so it consists of:

THEORETICAL TEACHING - CLASSES.
PRACTICAL TEACHING - EXPERIENCES.
THEORETICAL TEACHING: This includes the teachings, readings,

examples or advice that you will receive during the class.
PRACTICAL TEACHING: For this, we have a questionnaire by means of

which each person will apply (with His effort) the teachings received, and
which, taking into account that it is only one class a week, will be a good
reason to dedicate to the study a time of each day, besides that it will
instill in them. The habit of reading the Bible (since they will have to do it
before or after answering it) and in this way they will be "Living the Class"
during the week and assimilating it more deeply, with which we can expect
a change in all the faithful people. In addition, by means of the
questionnaires, we will be able to know the degree of interest and
dedication that each sheep shows for its growth.
MEMO APPOINTMENTS
At the end of some of the classes, we will provide some Bible verses,
which help to remember the theme of the class, so that during the week,
you can try to learn them. We suggest to memorize these, write each one
down, taking it everywhere you go to read it (to work, to school, to the
kitchen, etc.) remembering it until it is engraved in your minds and hearts.
EXTRA TASKS:
In order to be able to distinguish which people will be qualified for each
ministry, in each class they will be given an extraordinary task, that is to
say, that we do not expect everyone to do it, but that will show us the
commitment, dedication, and capabilities of each person. We can suggest:
CLASS EXTRA TASK

GIVEN
Class 1. Begin the Bible reading by recommending the MONTHLY
MESSAGE or, in order, in a "BIBLE READING TABLE", to mark
the order of the readings.
Class 2. Try to receive the Eucharist at least once a week.

Class 3. MAKE a list of the "Old Man's" weaknesses and what remains to
be achieved.
Class 4. Make a special intercession list, to pray for Brothers, friends or
relatives in need.
Class 5. Write your personal testimony, for the glory of God, putting in it
what "I was yesterday", what "I am now" and what "isbut be
tomorrow".
Class 6. Make the decision to forgive your offenders, putting on paper the
offenses received and the offenders; placing all the papers in a
container and burning them with the intention of forgetting them
and forgiving, thus receiving the Lord's forgiveness and the
healing of the resentment that we had.
Class 7. Written renunciation of the causes of sin in their lives; for
example. Vices, gossip, lies, bad habits, etc.
GROWTH 2
Class I. Offer one communion a week for some need, or for some person,
who seems to us to be acting badly (even within the community).
Class 2. Offer to work in one of the services of the community and begin
to pray to find each one his or her ministry.
Class 3. Propose not to participate in critiques during this week.
Class 4. During this week, let us strive to accept our brothers and sisters
as they are, showing them our love.
Class 5. Review our lives to realize how the Lord has guided us and thank
Him for it.
Class 6. Letting go this week of something we were especially attached
to; for example. A dress, an amount of money, a person, etc.
(These can be handed out in class and then distributed to those
in need).
Class 7. Talk about Christ with a person you meet on the road this week
whom the Lord inspires to witness; share this in the small group.
Class 8. Think about what you have gained during the course, and take
stock of your life, putting in one column "what I achieved and in another
"what I lack".
NOTE: In classes 4 and 5 that deal with prayer, all those who do not pray
in tongues, and who wish to do so in order to complete their prayer life,
will be invited to stay after the class, and once the group is already
gathered, make a short explanation, leading them to put their faith in God
after which all will pray yielding to the Lord.Once the group is gathered,
make a short explanation, leading them to put their faith in God, after
which all will pray yielding themselves to the Lord. (The leader will only
help those who see the need).

C) PRACTICAL APPLICATION
At the beginning of the course, the corresponding cards will be distributed
and filled out among those who WISH TO COMMIT TO TAKE THE
COURSE. The teacher must make it clear that each class is indispensable
(as they are linked to each other) so it is necessary that they commit to
take ALL CLASSES, as with two absences per cycle, they will not be
allowed to move on to the next Growth course and will have to repeat the
same.
NOTE: Also for other circumstances, when the pastor deems it necessary,
the students will be asked to repeat the cycle, such as: lack of personal
growth, late arrivals to classes, immaturity, etc.
Classes will have a maximum duration of 45 min. And the Assistant

Leader will see that all appointments that the class has are written on slips
of paper and distributed among the attendees, as this will keep the
attention of the participants and make the class run more smoothly. We
will begin with songs and community prayers, and once the talk is over,
the "shepherding groups" will begin, in which doubts about the class, the
experiences obtained in the previous ones, and mutual help will be
presented. This small group should last 15 minutes. And the pastor should
not allow the topic to be diverted to personal problems. (These should be
addressed by the Pastor outside of class).
If this is not possible, the groups should be selected, preferably by sex

and age, so that they are homogeneous, as well as their pastor (LADIES,
LADIES, YOUNG PEOPLE, ETC.), which will be done in public in the first
class.
NOTE: With the V.E.S. cards. The number of sheep can be estimated and
distributed to the shepherds in time so that if any sheep are missing, the
shepherd can talk to them and invite them to continue in the Growth
Course.
It will be in the small groups, where the sheep will receive and hand in
their questionnaires and extraordinary tasks.
When it is a week corresponding to SHARING AND COEXISTING the

group will use all the time of the class to participate freely in it. The pastor
will recall the classes given, making a survey aimed at making them
reflect on the importance of "living" and "obeying" what they have heard,
(Mat. 7:21) and will end up praying for one another.
The course will end with a mass, together with the participants of the other
courses.

D) the team that will work
There will be a person with the recognized Teaching Gift, who can be
responsible and in charge during the whole course (in its two cycles) and
will be the Leader of the course. There will also be an assistant teacher,
who will be in charge of all the organizational details, and his duties will
be, among others:
a) Keeping track of sheep and shepherds.
b) See that there are class quizzes.
c) Distribute the biblical quotations to the class (to the people who will
read them).
d) Call pastors to the team meeting and monitor their work.
e) See that the room is available and clean. {) Taking care of the order
during the class.
g) Check that there is a blackboard, and post on it the memory verses,
extra assignments, and Course announcements.
The Shepherds shall be appointed by the leader or his assistant in
proportion to the number of sheep in the V.E.S. (an average of 10 sheep
per shepherd), and the shepherd should have a brief interview with each
of the shepherds, in order to find out their degree of maturity in the spirit,
their capacity, etc.
You should inform them of the obligations they acquire when accepting
the growth shepherding, giving them the "SHEPHERD GUIDE" that is
attached to the course, and explaining that they are committed to: a)
Attend team meetings.
b) Attend each class from start to finish.
c) Talk to each member of your group and shepherd them.
d) Contact those who miss classes.
Before starting the course, the leader should call all the pastors for a team
meeting, in which they will explain the content of the course, its duration
and the way it will be given; they will review the goals of the classes and
the objective of the course, and they will pray together committing
themselves. The "SHEPHERD GUIDE" will be discussed in detail.
The team meeting will be held weekly and will include the following:
a) Review past class (problems, suggestions, etc.)
b) The questionnaire (give them the correct answers).
c) The class to be taught (questions, goals, extra assignments).
d) General sheep problems.
The whole team must agree to have such a meeting, at a fixed time, day
and place, but always before the class.
During the course, the shepherd must carry a control card for each sheep,
by means of which we will obtain the personal, spiritual and delivery data
of each person. The pastor should show these cards to the assistant
(when requested) so that the general status of the group and the pastor
can be known. These cards will be called: GROWTH CARD I and
GROWTH CARD II.
In turn, the leader's assistant will keep track of the shepherds, asking
them for a list of all their sheep with telephone numbers and addresses; a
list of which each shepherd will make as many copies as the number of
sheep he has plus two, one for the leader's assistant and one for
himself.The list of which each shepherd will make as many copies as he
has sheep plus two, one of which will be for the leader's assistant and the
other for himself; the others will be to distribute among his sheep so that
they can begin to talk to and get to know each other.
In the control of shepherds that the assistant will keep, he will make an
evaluation of each shepherd, which he will do with a card or list, in which
he will write down: the personal data of the shepherd, No. of entry ewes,
name and phone number of each of your ewes, ewes' absences from
class, No. of finishing ewes, general condition of the group, etc.
At the end of the course, the team will make an evaluation of the course,
looking at the overall work, problems and fruits, and make suggestions in
order to adapt and improve the course more and more.
E) DURATION. VARATIONS, COMMENTS

The "First Steps" course has a total duration of 6 months (approx.) in its
two cycles, and is programmed in two cycles of 11 weeks each.
Both the leader and the team may continue with the same group during
these two cycles.
SAN JUAN GROUPS AND ISAAC GROUPS

At the beginning of growth II, each shepherd will begin to meet with his
sheep, on another day of the week, at a time and place convenient to all,
to begin a meeting of prayer and praise to the Lord, which will be called as
they have agreed, trying to promote Christian unity and friendship among
the group.
(An essay by Isaac Group). When evaluating the 2nd cycle, a part will be
added for the "GRUPO SAN JUAN", so that at the end of the course and
when moving on to Growth III, those with good results can be permanently
formed as "ISAAC GROUPS". Those that do not turn out will be
incorporated into those that are bearing good fruit. We consider that any
person who takes "First Steps" growth faithfully and joins Growth III,
already belonging to a group, will already be aware of his or her
commitment to God and will be a good member of the Community.
NOTE. The names of the groups may be different in each Community,

and also the leaders may remain in Growth I and Growth II, instead of
continuing in both growths ^as suggested here. The topics of the classes
and their goals are:

GROWTH 1
SUBJECT META
INTRODUCTION Clarify what the course has and
lead them to make a commitment to
God.
1. - "START-UP PROBLEMS Encourage them to move forward,
warn them.
2. - "GOD WILL HELP YOU". Make them feel God's protection as

a Father.
3. - "THE FIGHT BEGINS". Show them what is still wrong with

their lives.
4. -THE SPIRITUAL MAN" To decide them to follow Christ,

rejecting sin in the world.
Show the need and power of

5. -CHILDREN OF GOD, AND prayer.
HEIRS OF HIS WEALTHS
6. -HOW TO TALK TO OUR Learn and practice different

FATHER? sentence forms and their
appropriate uses.
7. - "TEMPTATION". Show them some of the methods

Satan will use against them and
how to deal with them.

GROWTH 2
SUBJECT META
1. "FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD". To teach them a new approach to
the grace that is in confession and
communion and how to maintain
their Christian life in righteousness.
2. - "FRIENDSHIP WITH THE The need for community and love of

BRETHREN"... our brothers and sisters
3. - "THE ENEMIES OF THE To show which are the factors of

COMMUNITY"... division in a community and how not
to participate in them, achieving
union through Love.
4. -HOW TO DEMONSTRATE OUR - The way in which our works, TRO

LOVE TO OUR BROTHERS can demonstrate love.
5. -HOW TO FOLLOW THE VOICE Make them aware that God guides
OF GOD". us, encouraging them to be docile,
and teach them how to distinguish
the voice of the Lord.
6._ "BREAKING TIES". Teach the newly baptized to

participate in the work of the Lord
and the blessings this brings.
7. - "WITNESSES OF CHRIST". To be always prepared for the

coming of the Lord Jesus.
Teach them how to be witnesses of
8. - "WATCH AND BE READY". Christ before the world and how to
bring
a new people to get to know and
accept it.
NOTE:
The CONVIVIALS AND SHARING will be conducted by the leader,

according to the classes that precede him/her: their main objective will be
to ensure that the classes that have already been taken are used to the
best advantage and to learn about their application in the lives of each
one will serve to edify the group.

"GROWTH COURSES I and 2".
"GRAZING EQUIPMENT".
The Growth Courses 1 and 2 have as their norm and objective, to be the
means by which the Holy Spirit changes the way of life of all new
believers, and to form all of them into the image of Christ. (Philippians
2:5).
The members of the shepherding team have a very important role in the
life of the "Newborns" since they will be directly in charge of the attention
they will receive and much of their future as children of God will depend
on the care they receive at this age.
In this way we will see that his obligations to his sheep are:
WITHIN THE CLASSROOM:
a) Encourage, pray, be cheerful, be kind, be solicitous, etc.

b) Take attendance of your sheep, checking to see who is attending,
without taking roll call, and see that all are in a good place to pay
attention.
c) In the small groups collect the completed questionnaires and hand in
the ones that have already been graded.
d) Hand out the class questionnaires, explaining if there are any doubts,
and collect them. (Explain why it is charged, if necessary).
e) See that they bring their Bible and notebook and that they are taking
quotations.
f) Encourage and advise your sheep about the talk.
OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM:
a) Contact those who were absent and make up the class.

b) Talk to those who are in need of help and teach them how to get
ahead according to the Lord's teachings.
c) Grade your questionnaires and give them personal marks for each
one.
d) Have love and interest for each other and show it. (With de-tails, such
as inviting them to lunch, visiting them, etc.).
e) Pray with them and fast (in special cases).
f) Monitor that everyone puts the class into practice.
But the most important thing is that they should be aware of what it
means to be Pastors, since they can be the means by which God will pour
his grace on his children.
The requirements that pastors must fulfill are:

a) LOYALTY. -He must be a person faithful to the Lord and someone who
can be counted on.
b) CAPACITY. - Aptitude to guide people, gift of convincing.
c) COMMITMENT. -Committed to the Community, to renewal and to the

Church.
d) DEDICATION. -With time dedicated to shepherding, with a desire to

help the brethren, striving to ensure that nothing impedes their work.
e) DELIVERANCE, -No problems, no strings, no prejudices. Having

already decided to follow the Lord all his life; to be living what is taught, to
have a life of prayer and to be a faithful witness of the fruits of the Spirit.
(To be taking some type of growth).
f) OSADIA. -To be willing to face any kind of problems, not to be afraid of

circumstances, determined to overcome evil by doing good.
Their attitudes during shepherding will be very important for each person;
and that is why they need to be nourished in turn, not neglecting their
growth and their relationship with the Lord, their attendance to the
community, prayers, mass, sacraments, not accepting or living in sin.
They should be ready to listen, slow to judge and slow to anger, being
docile to the Word, practicing it and testifying to it. They should be open to
the gifts of the Spirit, and be manifesting the fruits, striving for perfection in
them.
Any person who has these qualities, even if he is "new" can be a good
servant of the Lord (as long as the new person is showing maturity and is
being shepherded) and the basis, in anyone who is going to work as a
Pastor, must be Faith. (Gal. 3:5). If he does not have this FAITH he will
not please God and much less men, since he will do more harm than the
good he is trying to do.
He should give all the glory to God, remembering what José Ma. Escrivá:
"Squeeze with your will, helped by Grace, each of your actions, so that
nothing remains in them that smacks of human pride or complacency of
your ego" (WAY).
REMARKS
A specific title for the different "positions" of the servers in the
communities has not been achieved. -Each one chooses the one that best
suits them at the general level and ministries, for example: Leader,

Responsible, Leader, Coordinator, Administrator, Treasurer, Manager.
In teaching: Teacher, Catechist, Helper, Shepherd, Elder Brother,

Younger Brother, Sheep, Disciple.
The groups that form after the presentation are called Small Discussion or
Sharing Groups.
In some communities it is customary that the Course Coordinator and his

Assistant are the only ones to present the topics and the Alamán
Teachers or Catechists, the other servants called Elder Brothers,
Shepherds, or Coordinators of the Sharing or Discussion Group are in
charge of "Shepherding" the Disciples, Sheep or Participants.
In other communities where there is a shortage of servers because they

are new, the topics or part of them are distributed among the most
suitable ones, watching them so that they do not make mistakes and
training them, since one of the objectives of Evangelization is the
formation of evangelizers and catechists.
Another problem has been the nomenclature of the citations, some

brothers use commas (,) to separate the chapter from the verses, others
opt for colons (:) and still others indicate the verses with smaller numbers
and a hyphen underneath:
Zech 8:16-17 Zech 8:16-17 Zech 8:16-17 Zech 8:16-17
It is suggested to print the questionnaires in letter size sheets and provide

them to the disciples so that they can answer them and once corrected,
they can be passed on to those who bring the books.
Sample programs to facilitate course control and a final interview are

attached.
GROWTH INTERVIEW What have you learned from the talks at this
seminar?
What testimony do you give in your home: Do you know how to love?
Can you forgive?
Do you know how to share? How is your sacramental life: Mass,
confession, communion; how often? Do you already do your daily prayer?
Do you read the Bible every day?

Publications of the
San Juan Bautista Community
Centennial Park No. 8-A
Coyoacán 21, D. F.
Mexico

FIRST CYCLE
GROWTH
1

INTRODUCTION CLASS
GROWTH NO. 1
KNOWING YOURSELF
GOAL: To inform about what the Course contains and the

commitment they will acquire with God.
A. - In the Life Course in the Holy Spirit they saw: That they had
to be born again in order to be God's; He fulfilled HIS promises and
gave them His Spirit and calls them sons. (Jn. 1:12-13). Some have
already begun to see the work of God in their lives, through very
deep changes, but there is still a long way to go and much to learn
about the Christian life.
B.-The new life.

Many of you are still spiritual children (1 Cor. 3:1-3), but they must
already be wondering things like: What happened to my new life?
Where is the abundance of which I was told? And other things like
this. You should know two things:
1. -That life is already yours. (Jn. 10-10).
2. -You must learn to live it. (Rom. 6:4).
C. -Plan: God has a perfect plan for each child of His; we must
start with:
1. -To know our Father God. (To have full confidence in Him). 2. -
Begin to understand what your personality is in Spirit. 3. -Transform
the world around you. (Isaiah 42:16).
All this you do not achieve alone, nor in a moment; the Holy Spirit,
who from now on will guide you to the complete truth, will know
how to lead you.
You should know that:
a) You must learn to behave as a child of God. (Rom. 8:14).
b) You must make an effort. (Example of school enrollment).
c) Your commitment to the Lord is very serious. (Many are called
and...) (Mt. 22; 14).
D. -Method: In this course you will find "the first steps" to take, -
you will find solutions to apply to your problems that will help you to
solve them, etc.
1. -To achieve all that, you will have in the Course:
a) The talks, whose topics are: (List them).
b) Study the word. (Hand out and explain table of readings).
c) Questionnaires. (Explain).

d) Memorization, prayer. Community. etc.
e) Internships.
E. -The steps you have to take are:
1. -Make a firm commitment to attend all classes.
2. -Resolve the questionnaires.
3. -Bring your Bible to class and begin to underline it carefully.
4. -Bring a notebook for notes.
TABLE OF BIBLE READINGS
1 .- MATEO12 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 14 15 16 17 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27
28
Jesus fulfills the Scriptures.
2 .-I Peter 1 2 3 4 | Status of Christians
3 .-II PETER 1 2 3 ' Fulfilling the Sacraments
4 .-GALATIANS 12 34 5 6 Fulfill the Old Testament Laws.
5 .-EPHESIANS 12 3 4 6 Christ, head of the Church and goal of humanity.
6 .-PHILIP 1 2 3 4 Be generous.
7 COLOSSIANS 12 3 4 Christ, head of the Church and goal of humanity.
8 MARK 1 2 34 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Jesus. Son of God.
9 I CORINTHIANS 1 2 3 4 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1314 1516 Jesus crucified.
10 II CONRINTHIANS 1 2 3 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Jesus crucified.
11 I JOHN 1 2 3 4 5 The Son of God in us.
12 II JOHN 1 The Son of God in us.
13 IIIJOHN 1 The Son of God in us.
14 JUDAS 1 The Faith of the Apostles in Jesus.
15 - LUKE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Christ Jesus.
16 .- FACTS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
25 26 27 28 The Church of Christ - Community.
17 ROMANS 1 2 3 4 4 5 6 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 Church - Community
18 .- I TESALONISENSES 1 2 3 4 5 Community
19 IITESALONISENSES 1 2 3 Community
20 .- I T1MOTH 12 3 4 The Early Church
21 II TIMOTHY 1 2 3 4 The Primitive Church
22 TITUS 1 2 3 The Primitive Church
23 FILEMON 1 Community - Freedom
24 JOHN 1 2 3 4 5 6 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Christ Jesus
25 .- HEBREWS 12 3 45 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 FAITH
26 .- APOCALYPSE 1 2 3 4 5 6 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
20 21 22 Christ Jesus
27 .- SANTIAGO 12 3 4 5 FAITH
ENSENANZA:
a) The table is divided into 4 parts which are set out 4 main topics.
b) Number of New Testament books
c) Number of chapters per pound
d) Number of Evangelists
e) Acts is the 2nd. part of Lucas Libra
f) Paul's letters are 14, Peter's are 2, John's are 3, Jude's is 1 and Jude's is 1.
Santiago is 1
g) Reading 2 weekly chapters of the Gospel takes us 43 weeks out of the 52 weeks of the
year. - It is recommended to read the INTRODUCTION of each pound.
h) The total number of N.T. Chapters. are 258 that can be read in less than 1 year, 1 daily.

GROWTH No. 1 CLASS No. 1
"TEETHING PROBLEMS"
GOAL: To encourage them to move forward, to encourage them to act in

faith, and to warn them.
Last week we had an introduction to the course, in which we saw that it is

necessary for you to know that when you were "born again", you became
a "newborn" (1 Cor. 3:1) and that your immediate concern should be to
grow. (1 Ped. 2:2-3); your attitude should therefore be like that of a child,
and you should not, therefore, try to be a spiritual adult, when you cannot
yet be one.
VACCINES
It is natural that as a child you are not yet able to do great things, and that
you are rather totally dependent on your Heavenly Father, who, like all
loving parents, will take care of you and protect you against all spiritual
sickness.
Like every child, you will be exposed to diseases that hinder growth, but
God wants you to be properly protected, so that these diseases do not
harm you, and for that you will have to be immunized or vaccinated, and
this you will do with the WORD OF GOD, PRAYER, the SACRAMENTS,
etc..
DOUBT - ANTIDOTE = FAITH IN GOD'S WORD
The immediate problem you will face will be the disease of DOUBT, which
can be very dangerous (even deadly to your spirit) if you are not properly
protected. We are going to give you the main doubts that will come to your
mind, and you will see how the word of God will answer them:
a) Why should you trust God? (Heb. 6:17-19).
b) Why should you believe in Jesus as your son? (1 Jn. 5:9-12).
c) Why believe in God's promises through Jesus? (Gal. 3:29).

d) Because by believing in Him, you became conscious of being a child of
God? (John 1:12).
As you can see, God gives you the guarantee of His protection and that
you will be heir to His promises, which are written in the Bible. Faith and
trust in his word, in his truthfulness, can make these and other doubts
disappear. Now that you know it, you are a new man and you must grow
to know it more and more. You can now rest assured that you are a child
of God and that you can count on his great LOVE.
RANCOR - ANTIDOTE = FORGIVENESS AND RECONCILIATION
Rancor is a serious illness, because it originates other illnesses;

especially it leads us to apathy, it prevents us from having love for our
brothers, it distances us from God, it distances us from His forgiveness
and makes our prayers and offerings unacceptable to God. (Mat. 5:23). If
you have recognized in your heart that there is a grudge against a person
or a situation, you must sincerely forgive them and seek in the sacrament
of RECONCILIATION a healing so that this spiritual evil does not hurt you
anymore.
Nusiom
APATHY - ANTIDOTE = COMMUNION AND PERSEVERANCE
Apathy is a disease that generally attacks new Christians, or Christians

with new fervor. What are we going to work and put effort into things we've
never been involved in before? It is a lack of desire or encouragement to
move forward in our Christian life. Through communion the Lord can ^talk
to us and encourage us to go forward, to seek growth in our spirit, to
PERSEVERE in prayer and to know Him more and more each time. (1
Ped. 5:8-9).
INCAPABLE OR UNWORTHY
ANTIDOTE = PRAYER
This disease can be very healthy. We are incapable of doing God's work,
both in ourselves and in others. But it can also be very dangerous, for not
only will it prevent us from being instruments of the Lord, but it can also
hide feelings of selfishness, pride or lack of love.

That is why our trust should not be in ourselves, but in Him who is all-
powerful. Through prayer, through the sacraments, through our
willingness to serve Him, through our unconditional surrender to Him, we
possess His strength and power, and therefore, without any fear, we can
undertake any work of the Lord that the Holy Spirit inspires us and to
which the community sends us. (Phil. 3:13), (Rom. 8:31), (Phil. 4:13),
(Heb. 13:6)
LACK OF FAITH
ANTIDOTE = PRACTICING PRAYER, FREQUENTING
COMMUNION AND READING THE WORD OF GOD
It could be thought that lack of faith is the same as Doubt, but " now, we
are referring to that Faith that makes us be sure that God is going to act in
us and for us, not because of our merits, but because He wants it and
promised it. This disease can make us believe that "our Faith", and not
God's mercy, is the one that works wonders, and therefore, not feeling
that we have "much Faith", we do not pray, or we cannot be instruments
of God, not knowing that, even if it were like a mustard seed, we can
move mountains. (Mat. 17:20), (Heb. 11:1 y 6). We must be sure that
through us, if we believe, he will heal the sick, send messages and spread
the Faith to others.
SEED: Eff. 4:30
FE FRUIT: Gal. 5:22
CHARISMA: 1st Cor.

12: 9
Faith is a GIFT from God, and is given to us at our baptism as a seed. But
that Faith that knows what God wants, is a FRUIT, product of a life of
exercise of Faith, which is making this, our Faith, to be greater and
greater, until it can become, in some, like that of Abraham, who based on
the promise of God, did not hesitate to sacrifice his only son, (in whom all
his promises were to be realized) sure that if God so commanded,
powerful was He to realize them in another way. However, this Faith
would never be enough to perform miracles, if God did not give a Faith as
CHARISMA, by means of which man stops trusting in himself, in the
normal circumstances, and surrenders himself trusting totally in the power
of God, charisma that at that moment is given to him and manifests itself.
We could talk about other diseases that can attack us, such as
selfishness, self-sufficiency, falsehood, irreligiousness, vainglory,
sectarianism, self-pity, etc., but if you continue to belong to one of these
diseases, we will not be able to find a solution.
community, the Pastors of this community, the brethren mature in the
and the Spirit, can help you to come out healed from all them, counting
of them always with the strength of GOD.
TASK:
Begin Bible reading in an orderly fashion.
MEMORIZE:
I Ped. 2:2-3, Heb. 6:17-18, Phil. 4:13, I John 4:4.
MOTTO QUOTE: Rom. 12:21.
"DO NOT BE OVERCOME BY EVIL, BUT OVERCOME EVIL BY DOING

GOOD".

GROWTH 1 QUESTIONNAIRE NO. 1
Answer each of the following questions and mark the correct answer. Locate in
your bible the quotes you are given and underline each one of them. Write down in
your notebook the quotations that you consider important and that you want to
learn later on. Pray before you begin.
1- Did Christ come to bring condemnation (Jn. 10:10 and Jn 3:17) IF

NO
2.- What must a Christian do to have eternal life?

(Jn.5:24).....................................................................................
3.- On whose power does our salvation depend? (1 Pet 1:5)

4.- St. Paul in the first letter to the Corinthians 3:1 and St. Peter in
1 Pet 2:2-3, we are told that we are .............................. and that we
should feed ourselves with the ........................................
5.- We have to combat the3 DOUBT AS by means of Faith, which is: (Heb.
11:1)………………………………………………………………………
6.- Resentment damages our spiritual life. Jesus taught us that we must
forgive those who offend us in order to receive His forgiveness: ( )
a) The Creed b) The Lord's Prayer c) The act
of contrition.
7.- Hebrews 6:11-12 makes three recommendations that combat

Apathy:
Manifest up to ..................................................................
Do not turn to ..........................................................................
What imiten.................................................................................
8.- When we feel inadequate or unworthy, we must remember that: ( ) I can

do all things through Him who comforts me. a) Rom. 8:31
( ) Because God did not give us a spirit of timidity. b) Phil 4:31
But a spirit of fortitude.
( ) If God is for us, who is against us? c) 2 Tim 1:7
9.- Indicate to what kind of Faith each of the following three quotations
refers: Seed, fruit or charism.
Rom. 12:3...........................................
1Cor 12:9 ...........................................
Gal 5:22 .............................................
10.- Why did Abraham obey God's command? (Heb. 11:8) ( )

a) Out of fear b) For convenience c) By Faith

"HOW TO FEEL CONFIDENT THAT YOU HAVE EMBARKED
ON THE PATH."
GOAL: To show how God will help them.
A) GOD WILL ALWAYS HELP YOU

In the last class we saw how "spiritual diseases" can damage or
sometimes kill a new "spiritual life" and how you could prevent (vaccinate)
yourself against some of them by using prayer, the word of God, the
Sacraments, etc.
As with every child, illnesses will not be your only complications but your
other problems are common, and we have all gone through them at some
point, so don't think you are the "only one" going through all of this
(remember 1 Ped. 5:9) and you must learn to take advantage of all these
trials, the teaching that God will give you in each one. (Rom. 5:3). It
should encourage you to know that God will never subject you to trials
greater than your strength (1 Cor. 10:13). Think that God is a Father who
knows the time you need to learn, and that according to your age He will
submit you to the tests that you will be able to endure, and for which He
Himself will prepare you:
B) WHAT IF YOU HAVE SINNED AGAIN?

It is logical that you are not yet perfect, you are too weak to walk alone,
but God knows it and does not ask you to do it yet. He understands that
you are not perfect, and forgives you even if you fall many times, if you
understand that you need his help, and repenting you ask him to "clean
you up". With an example you will understand it better:
IF YOU AND HE
HAVE WILL
STAINED MAKE
AGAIN YOU
ASK GOD FOR

FORGIVENESS
If a child, after soiling his clothes and hands, recognizes his fault and
humbly asks his mother for forgiveness, she will not only forgive him, but
will also clean him up. But if he does not recognize his fault, and does not
want to admit his guilt, blaming it on others, his attitude will cause his
mother to give him a severe correction. So God asks you to recognize
your weaknesses, to confess them, to repent of them, and HE WILL
FORGIVE YOU, and will help you to move forward, cleansing you from
every stain. (I Jn. 1:9), (2 Cor. 12:9).

Therefore, when you stain yourself, when you know that you have
offended him, when you recognize that you have turned away from his
presence out of rebellion, do not believe that all is lost or that God can no
longer forgive you.
Go to Him, recognize yourself as weak, and just as the child, by

recognizing his fault, obtains forgiveness and is cleansed, you will be able,
if you are "like a child", to obtain the cleansing of your faults and the
forgiveness of your sin.
A child is helpless, and must rely on his parents, God promises to help
you, if you are weak, if you recognize before Him, that in every minute of
your life, you will need Him to help you.
C) WHAT CAN YOU DO AS A CHILD?

Just as a little child, when he sees the responsibilities that his parents
have, will ask himself, "What is my turn? What can I do? You will be
asking yourself the same question in this new stage of your life. Well,
there is not much you will have to do for the time being, but at your "age",
it will be what will satisfy your immediate needs and that is: CRIE, FEED
AND REST.
1 LLORAR = to pray, to cry out to God, to ask, etc.
The cry expresses that the child has some need, it is a call, with this you
can understand what it means for you, cry to God, seek Him, ask Him for
help, (Jeremiah 33:3) ask Him to supply your needs, to relieve your pain,
to quench your hunger, your thirst to recognize the truth, to forgive your
miseries (Matthew 33:3). 7:7-8) asking him for everything as his son.
(Rom. 8:15), asking him in the name of Jesus, his beloved son. (Jn.
16:23-24).
2 AUMENTARTE = to grow, to mature spiritually.
It is indispensable for every creature to be nourished, and according to its

age, the food will be more and better; God gives us spiritual food in his
Word the Bible, (Deuteronomy 8:3) that makes us grow, and the more we
read it the stronger we will be. He also gives us the Bread of Life,
nourishment (vitamins) for our Faith, that is, he gives us his son Jesus
Christ in the EUCHARIST. (Jn. 6:35).
THE
WORD I AM
OF GOD THE
IS ALIVE BREAD
OF LIFE

3 REST = To trust, to walk in faith, not to worry or worry, to believe.
Resting in the Lord is like the confidence that a child has when he wakes
up and knows that his parents will take care of all his needs that day, it is
to be able to say as the psalmist did "my soul rests in God alone..."
(Psalm 62:2). Have confidence that He will take care of you, as of a
beloved child, and do not let the cares and worries of this world make you
doubt Him, but rather, place them in Jesus, (I Pet. 5:7) to walk in faith and
trust in God. (Psalm 91:1-2) Believe that if he has promised you
protection, you can rest in HIS PROMISES, for he will keep them. Your
faith will grow, the better you get to know your Father God, and you will
feel more and more confident that you will not be disappointed, trusting
that God is truthful and that he always fulfills his promises.
promises and his word.
TRUST, WALK IN FAITH, DO NOT WORRY OR FRET, BELIEVE IN
D) GOOD CHRISTIAN HABITS

God wants you to be a steadfast Christian and to be able to face the
enemies of this world; therefore, you must begin by preparing yourself to
be a good soldier of Christ (2 Timothy 2:3). To do this you must practice
good habits (example. discipline in the army).
Like every child, you were not born knowing the good Christian habits, you
will have to learn to know and practice them and like every child, you will
not like these rules very much at the beginning, but later you will
understand and be grateful that you have been taught to live as children of
God.
Some of these Christian habits are:

1 .- Bible reading (Explain the table)
2 .- Personal prayer
3 .- Internship = witness to the world of your transformation.
4 .- Memorization (of the word of God).
Jesus gave us an example of obedience to the Father, of communication

with his disciples, of daily prayer, of humility, etc.; our goal is to reach the
same feelings that Christ had. (Phil. 2:5).

TASK:
Try to receive the Eucharist at least once a week.
MEMORIZE:
(1 Cor. 10:13, 1 Jn. 1:9, I Pet. 5:7 James 1:22)
MOTTO QUOTE:
Hebrews 6:11-12
(To be put on the blackboard or read at the end)

GROWTH 1 QUESTIONNAIRE 2
If in each of the following questions, you look for the corresponding Bible quotation
and meditate on it, you will be able to answer this questionnaire correctly. If you
encounter any problems, review your class notes.
1.- Can any problem or difficulty separate you from the love of Christ?
(Rom. 8:35-39) YES NO
2.- Will there be some problems bigger than your strengths?

(1st Cor. 10-13) (Philippians 4:13) YES NO
3.- According to Jn. 1:9, What should you do if you have defiled your soul
again? ................................................What will God do in that case?
…………………………………………………………………….
If you do not recognize that you are weak to sin, you will continue to fall
4.-
because you want to act in your own strength. If you recognize your
weakness, it will dwell in you............................................................. (II
Cor. 12:9)
5.- Put what for you, in your present life with the Lord, is equivalent to what
for a child is Alorar (Mt. 7:7-8) (Jer. 33:3)....................................
6.-
Two ways to nourish your spiritual life are: Deut. 8:3
Jn 6:35 ............................................
7.- To trust, to walk in faith, not to worry or fret, to believe, is what it means
for a Christian to REST. Find the correspondence between the following
quotations and sentences:
( ) In God alone is the rest of my soul a) I Pet 5:7
( ) He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High.... b) Psalm 62:2
( ) Entrust your concerns to him,
for He takes care of you c) Psalm 91:1-2
8.- In James 1:22, it says that we must and not only......................................

Because ..................................................................
9.- In which of the following verses are you said to be a child of God?
Upload them to
a) Romans 15:16 b) Ef. 2:8-9 c) Jn. 1:12
10.- What is our goal, according to Phil 3:13-14?............................................

"THE FIGHT BEGINS"
GOAL: To help them to know themselves, and to receive the help of the
Holy Spirit.
Verses to ask: 1 Cor. 10.13, 1 Jn. 1:9.1 of Ped. 5:7, Sant. 1:22.

In the last class we saw that God will always help you, that your problems
will not be greater than your strength; that if you fall again, and confess
your weakness, God will forgive you; that besides prayer and spiritual
food, you should rest in Him, and that there should be a change in your
life that marks you as a child of God.
A) WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?

You are all surprised, when you see that you have difficulties to live as
you should, as God asks; and although you have good intentions, and
strive to do only good, you do not succeed in doing so. St. Paul gives the
key to what is happening, telling us what happened to him. (Rom. 7:15,
18, 19).
All this is mainly because, although it is true that you already have new
life, this life is in spirit, but sin still remains in your body and soul.
Man is made up of three parts. (1 Thessalonians 5:23) St. Paul, in order to

make us understand better how the FLESH acts in us, makes this division
of the human being in three parts. We should not understand it as a real
division, but as a way to better understand in us the action of God and the
action of Sin.
BODY = matter
It is the matter that we have, legs, eyes, etc. But it is also everything that
governs the needs, appetites, desires, impulses, passions, vices, manias,
bad habits, etc. (Col. 3:5).
SOUL = mind, will, intelligence, etc.
The soul could be said to be the thoughts, knowledge, emotions, will, etc.
(Eph. 4:22-23 Lat. Am.) And may produce idolatry, hatred, jealousy, wrath,
ambition, strife, envy, etc. Gal. 5:19).
Spirit = Inner man (Rom. 8:16).

ALMA
SPIRIT
BODY
It is the part that identifies us with God, which produces the fruits (Gal.
5:22) and where the Holy Spirit dwells, who strengthens us (Ephesians
3:16) who guides us, (Rom. 8:14) that helps us to pray, (Rom. 8:26-27)
will teach us (I Cor. 2:12-13) gives us the love of God (Rom. 5:5) and that
it will bear witness that we are children of God.
The Holy Spirit previously had no part in your life, since it was governed
solely by what your soul (mind, will, desires) or your body (instincts,
needs, habits) decided should be done, even if it was not the best, or what
was most convenient for you.
In reality, it is not that your body or soul are not good, they ARE, since
they are created by God, but they can be better if they are at the service
of God, submitted to the spirit, and this is united to the Holy Spirit.
B) NOW THE FIGHT BEGINS!

Do you remember the circles we saw at the beginning of LIFE IN SPIRIT?
Well, what happens is that when you accepted Jesus as your Savior, and
received the Baptism in the Holy Spirit, you offered the central place of
your life to Jesus and He gave your Spirit LIFE, and it was in the spirit,
where you obtained new life. But when this happened, what was at the
center, what you speak of, your soul or your body, was displaced as the
center of your life.
When you received the Holy Spirit, you obtained the peace, joy,
assurance that God sent (along with His Spirit) into your heart (Rom. 5:5)
and it was from the bottom of your heart, that you felt longing to read the
Word of God in the Bible, desire to pray as His child, to praise Him, to
fellowship with your brothers and above all TO FOLLOW HIM; but notice
well, at that moment you submitted your mind, your will, your feelings, ALL
your being to God and He could penetrate your spirit (inner man) and
guide you as He wanted and knew was best for you. But today the thing is
not so easy, because even if you still have the desire to do it, your
thoughts or your body prevent you at every moment, because the soul
and the body are not used to be managed by ANYONE and it is logical
that they rebel because they want to rule your Life.
C) WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?

The Bible says that you should submit both your body and soul to the
guidance of the Spirit (2 Cor. 10:4-5). It also says that the FLESH is the
works of the soul or of the body, together or separately, when these works
are opposed to the spirit. (Gal. 5:16-21). Body is not the same as flesh,
since hatred, idolatry, etc., are not in our body, but in our flesh. Flesh are
the works that we do WITHOUT taking into account what the spirit dictates
to us.
However, if we allow ourselves to be led by the Holy Spirit and deny

obedience to the old nature that is in us, we CAN OBEY THE LAW OF
GOD. Those who allow themselves to be dominated by their desires, by
their flesh, by their old nature, live only to please themselves, but those
who live IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, conduct
themselves as it pleases God.
Letting oneself be led by the Holy Spirit produces life and peace, but
letting oneself be led by the old nature produces death. BECAUSE THE
OLD NATURE THAT IS IN US, ALWAYS REBELS AGAINST GOD, has
never obeyed God's law, and will never be able to obey it.
The secret is that you are the one who decides by whom you will let
yourself be led; this decision is NOT TAKEN BY GOD, since He respects
our free will, our freedom, and this consists in being able to choose on our
own, the path we wish to follow at any given moment.
If you want to succeed as a Christian, you must make the decision to let
yourself be led by the Spirit at every moment, in every situation or
circumstance, and submit your body and soul to the authority of the Spirit,
so that these (being instruments of God) may reflect the fruits of the Spirit,
that is to say, the Lord's transformation of the "old man"; but this decision
must be conscious and definitive, it must be a total renunciation of the
works of the world, in order to find our Christian vocation.But this decision
must be conscious and definitive, it must be a total renunciation to the
works of the world, in order to find our Christian vocation.

(Rom. 13:13-14).
Thus, we end with Gal. 5:25 as a conclusion to this class:
"IF WE HAVE LIFE AT THE SPIRIT. LET US ALLOW OURSELVES TO

BE LED BY THE SPIRIT".
TASK:
Make a list of my bad wishes by looking for examples in Gal. 5:16-21 Eph.
4:25-31 and Col. 3:5-9, making a thorough examination of "my flesh".
MEMORIZE:
Rom. 8:14, Rom. 8:7-8 Gal. 5:25 Col. 3:5-9.

GROWTH COURSE 1 QUESTIONNAIRE NO. 3
With each question we will give you one or more quotes that will give you the key
to the re" put: so, look up each quote and answer according to the question by
underlining true or false and filling in the blanks.
1 - Can you do all the good you want?

(Rom. 7:14-25) YES NO
2 We must keep our ......................................... our .......................

Y.............. without stain. 1st Thess. 5:23.
3 Our soul must ....................................................................... by the action

................................................. (Ef. 4:23). (Ef. 3:16).
4 In Romans 8:6 and 8 it says that they do not please God those who follow
the
5 Once you read Galatians 5:19 list 5 works of the flesh.

MARANATHA.........................................................................4
INTRODUCTION............................................................................5
"THE FIRST STEPS".......................................................................6
FOR THE NEWLY BAPTIZED IN THE SPIRIT....................6
(Gal 6:7-8). Y NO
E
8.- If you allow it, the Spirit will Holy tea:
a) Romans 8:26-27 b) 1 ( ) It will strengthen you
Cor. 2-12 ( ) It will guide you
c) 1 Cor. 2:13 ( ) It will help you to pray
d) Romans 8:15-18 ( ) Will teach you
e) Ephesians 3:16 ( ) It will bear witness that you are
f) Romans 8:14 a child of God.
( ) It will show you what God gives
you.
GROWTH I and II.....................................................................6
A) PURPOSE.......................................................................6
B) CONTENTS...................................................................6
GROWTH I...............................................................................6
GROWTH II..............................................................................6
MEMO APPOINTMENTS.....................................................11
EXTRA TASKS:.....................................................................11

EXTRA TASK.........................................................................11
GROWTH 2.............................................................................12
C) PRACTICAL APPLICATION.....................................12
D) the team that will work.................................................13
E) DURATION. VARATIONS, COMMENTS......................15
SAN JUAN GROUPS AND ISAAC GROUPS......................15
GROWTH 1.............................................................................15
NOTE:......................................................................................17
"GROWTH COURSES I and 2".............................................18
"GRAZING EQUIPMENT"....................................................18
WITHIN THE CLASSROOM:...............................................18
OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM:.............................................18
REMARKS..............................................................................19
GROWTH INTERVIEW What have you learned from the talks
at this seminar?........................................................................20
FIRST CYCLE GROWTH 1..........................................................22
B.-The new life............................................................................23
E. -The steps you have to take are:..............................................24
GROWTH No. 1 CLASS No. 1 "TEETHING PROBLEMS" 25
TASK:......................................................................................28
MEMORIZE:...........................................................................28
A) GOD WILL ALWAYS HELP YOU............................30
B) WHAT IF YOU HAVE SINNED AGAIN?.................30
C) WHAT CAN YOU DO AS A CHILD?.......................31
D) GOOD CHRISTIAN HABITS.....................................32
TASK:......................................................................................33
MEMORIZE:...........................................................................33

MOTTO QUOTE:...................................................................33
GROWTH No. 1 CLASS No. 3 "THE FIGHT BEGINS"......34
A) WHAT'S WRONG WITH YOU?................................35
B) NOW THE FIGHT BEGINS!......................................36
C) WHAT SHOULD YOU DO?.......................................37
TASK:......................................................................................38
MEMORIZE:...........................................................................38
GROWTH No. 1 CLASS No.4 THE SPIRITUAL MAN.......35
FOLLOWING THE LORD MEANS:.....................................36
.................................................................................................37
TASK:......................................................................................37
MEMORIZE:...........................................................................37
MOTTO QUOTE:...................................................................37
GROWTH No. 1 CLASS No. 5 "SONS AND HEIRS OF
THEIR WEALTH"..................................................................39
A-YOURPRIVILEGES AND YOUR DUTIES AS A SON...39
8- HOW SHOULD YOU PRAY?........................................40
C.- WHAT IS YOUR INHERITANCE?................................40
D. -TO FORMGOOD PRAYER HABITS..............................41
TASK:......................................................................................42
MEMORIZE:...........................................................................42
MOTTO QUOTE:...................................................................42
PRAYER AND PRAYER.......................................................44
GUIDE FOR SHEPHERDS....................................................47
LET THE SPIRIT FLOW FREELY........................................47
GROWTH No. 1 CLASS No. 7 THE TEMPTATION...........48

TEMPTATION AND HOW IT PRESENTS ITSELF............48

A-YOUR FACES....................................................................48
B -THEIR INFLUENCE ON YOUR MIND:.........................49
C-UNMASK IT:......................................................................50
D.- THE PLAN OF ATTACK:...............................................50
TASK:......................................................................................51
SECOND CYCLE GROWTH 2.................................................53
GROWTH 2 CLASS No. 1 FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD............54
A. -GRACE.......................................................................54
B. - THE DEVIATIONS...................................................54
C- THECONFESSION............................................................55
D-THECOMMUNION............................................................55
CONCLUSION OF THE CLASS:..........................................56
TASK:......................................................................................57
MOTTO QUOTE:...................................................................57
GROWTH No. 2 CLASS No. 2 FRIENDSHIP WITH
SIBLINGS...............................................................................60
A-YOUR FIRST COMMUNITY YOUR HOME...................60
B- THECOMMUNITY...........................................................60
C-COMMUNITY NEEDS......................................................61
D - LIVING AS BROTHERS.................................................61
E-YOUR PLACE IN THE BODY..........................................61
MEMORIZE:...........................................................................62
TASK:......................................................................................62
MOTTO QUOTE:...................................................................62
GROWTH No. 2 CLASS No. 3 "THE ENEMIES OF THE
COMMUNITY".......................................................................64

MEMORIZE:...........................................................................67
TASK:......................................................................................67
SUBJECT QUOTE:.................................................................67
GROWTH No. 2 CLASS No. 4...............................................69
"HOW TO SHOW OUR LOVE TO OUR BROTHERS".......69
MOTTO QUOTE:...................................................................71
GROWTH No. 2 CLASS No. 5 "HOW TO FOLLOW THE
VOICE OF GOD"....................................................................73
A.- ACTION OF GOD THAT GOES UNNOTICED BY US 73
B-WHERE TO START...........................................................74
C -IMPEDIMENTS TO RECEIVING THE LORD'S
GUIDANCE............................................................................76
D - GIFTS AND WONDERS..................................................76
MEMORIZE:...........................................................................77
TASK:......................................................................................77
GROWTH No. 2 CLASS No. 6 BREAKING TIES...............79
A- GOD ABSOLUTE OWNER..............................................79
B - TITHING IN MEXICO.....................................................79
C.- TWO TYPES OF PERSONS............................................80
D -WE MUSTGIVE AS THE LORD ASKS US TO GIVE...81
MEMORIZE:...........................................................................83
GROWTH No. 2 CLASS No. 7 WITNESSES OF CHRIST. .85
A- OUR MISSION AS CHRISTIANS....................................85
D. -BEING FISHERMEN.......................................................87
PRACTICAL E-TIPS..............................................................88
PLAN FOR USING THE BIBLE IN WITNESSING.............89
GROWTH No. 2 CLASS No. 8 WATCH AND BE

VIGILANT..............................................................................90
B.- THE PROMISED MESSIAH............................................90
C.-THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST.............................91
D.- THE COMING OF CHRIST FOR EACH OF US............91
E.- WATCH AND BE VIGILANT.........................................92
6 If you continue sowing in the flesh, will GOD help you?

9 Col. 1:9 says that you must find the: ()
a) Sign from God b) Reason for your behavior
c) Will of God
10.- If we live in the Spirit we must: () (Galatians
a) Let us drive b) try not to fall5:25) c) turn your
11 .- No...................... to the Holy Spirit with which you were eyes......................
back
For the day of redemption (Eph. 4:30).
12 List what the fruits will be if you decide to let the Spirit guide your life from
now on: (Galatians 5:22).

GROWTH No. 1 CLASS No.4
THE SPIRITUAL MAN
GOAL: To make them decide to follow Christ, without caring about

anything in the world and rejecting sin.
In the last class we saw what is the FLESH (body and soul) and what is
the spirit.
A.- In this class we see that there are two kinds of men, according to
whether they allow themselves to be dominated by the flesh or by the
spirit.
THE SPIRITUAL. ---1 Cor. 2:15

THE
CARNAL ---Rom. 8:5-8
Just as in the bud of a rose its beauty is not noticed until the sepals open
and the interior is revealed, so also the carnal man has to gradually strip
himself, his selfishness, his passions, etc., so that little by little the spiritual
man may be discovered in him.
In the parable of the sower, we are told of four types of "hearers"; three of
them die (they are camales) and only one survives because he hears and
makes the word bear fruit (Lk. 8:11).
The seed had to die and be buried in order to have life and bear fruit; (Jn.
12:24-25) thus, the spiritual son is the one who has died to his desires, to
himself; to his plans, to his world. Without looking at what he left behind,
what is left behind, he follows Christ.
Jesus came to bring us a new message of truth, of life, but he did not plan
for his teachings to be something added to our lives. He gives us a choice:
to be with Him or to be against Him. (Mat. 12:30).
B.- Therefore, whoever wants to follow the Lord, must think if he is willing
to follow him to the end.
FOLLOWING THE LORD MEANS:
1.- To do so, renouncing any opposition or sentimental attachment.

(Mat. 8:22) (Matt. 10:37).
2 .- To renounce the world, its attractions, its riches, its cares.

(1 Jn. 2:15).
3 .- Accept that the world will attack and hate you for being a true Christian.
(Jn. 15:19).
4 .- Accept that you will have to acknowledge it in front of the men and accept
to be insulted. (Mat. 10:32).
5 .- Accept all trials as faithful and obedient disciples.

( 2 Cor. 6:4-10).
6 .- Walking in the light. (Jn. 8:12).
7 .- To stop doing the bad things we used to do and imitate them in order to
have
the same feelings he had. (Philippians 2:5).
To follow him is to love him more than anything or anyone else, with all
your heart, with all your mind, and with all your body, keeping his
commandments. It is to have ears and listen to Him: it is to say to His call,
or to all that He asks of you: "YES LORD" and dying to yourself, to
resurrect for Christ and to bear Fruit.
C.- This is the life of the spiritual man: it is the life of an obedient, loving
son, who has succeeded by his daily communion with GOD in gaining a
special place in his love and for whom God has promised a crown of life
(James 1:1). 1:12). He is the man who manages to overcome evil bydoing
good. (Rom. 12:21).

In his life there are no longer the same attractions that other men have,
but his goals and attractions are firmer.
It is not a matter of a passive and easy life, but of exercising one's free
will, making choices, deciding between good and evil, refusing temptation,
constantly seeking to improve one's spiritual life and becoming more
Christ-like every day. But the secret is to be willing to let yourself be led.
Trying to do this by our own means is equivalent to trying to push a train,
but the moment we accept to let ourselves be led by the Holy Spirit,
saying "YES" is equivalent to the action of the engineer in starting the
train.
D: Now that you are aware of this, are you willing to follow the Lord, to say
"YES", to be a spiritual child? If so, you have made the best decision of
your life.
1. -Give yourself and offer your whole life to the Lord.

2. -Promise to obey and love them.
TASK:
Write your testimony for the glory of God, (do it as if you were writing to try
to convert someone who does not believe).
MEMORIZE:
1 Cor. 2:14-15; Jn. 8:12; Rom. 12:21; 1 Jn. 2:3-6.
MOTTO QUOTE:
"I EXHORT YOU THEREFORE, BROTHERS, BY THE MERCY OF GOD,
TO OFFER YOUR BODIES AS A LIVING SACRIFICE, HOLY, PLEASING
TO GOD: SUCH SHALL BE YOUR SPIRITUAL WORSHIP. AND DO NOT
BE CONFORMED TO THE WORLD OF PRESENCE, BUT BE
TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, SO THAT YOU
MAY DISCERN WHAT IS THE WILL OF GOD: WHAT IS GOOD, WHAT
IS PLEASING, WHAT IS PERFECT. (Rom. 12:1-2)

In the way you have solved your quizzes before, find the appropriate quote, and
choose the correct answer. Remember that you should pray before you start
solving it; try to answer only three questions a day, so you can understand them
better.
1 Is it necessary to declare yourself a Christian ............... (Rom. 10:9-10).
2 What did the teacher of the law say to Jesus? (Mat. 8:19).
3 What made the Rich Young Man desist from following Jesus? (Mat. 19:21-22)
a) his sickness b) its wealth c) its
vanity
4 In John 8:12 it says: "He who follows me will not... at...................
5 To whom does Jesus refer when he speaks of the "Dead"? (Mat. 8:22).
8 In the parable of the sower, mention is made of four types of listeners; mention
which are: (Matt. 13:18).
1. —......................................................................
2. —.....................................................................
3. —.....................................................................
4. —.....................................................................
7 In order to bear fruit, the seed has to................. (Jn. 12:24-26).
8 What should you do if you want to follow Crista (Marc. 8:34) Explain.
9 What will the world miss about you? (la. Peter 4:4) ()
a) that you are a Christian b) that you do not go out c) that you do not
follow it
10 God sees two types of men.

a) Carnal ( ) Rom. 8:8
b) Spiritual ( ) 1 Cor. 2:15
11 In Matthew 6:24 it says that you can't................ a God and to the........
12 Because you believe in Jesus they will hate you, but he who believes in
Jesus will hate you....................................................................................
UNTIL THE END.................................. (Matthew 10:22)
13 God will give as a reward the crown of life if: (James 1:12).
a) You support testing b) You avoid testing c) You allow testing

"SONS AND HEIRS OF THEIR WEALTH".
GOAL: To show the need and power of PRAYER.
In the last class, you saw the need to make a definite decision as to
whether you would let your desires lead you or whether you would submit
them to GOD and let the Holy Spirit lead you totally.
If your decision was to let yourself be led by the Spirit of God, "this is
equivalent to being the Son and Heir of the richest family in the Universe.
(Rom. 8:14).
A-YOURPRIVILEGES AND YOUR DUTIES AS A SON.

Because you are a child you have certain privileges:
Privilege of being like the prodigal son, that is, to be forgiven and loved.
The reestablished union with the Father. Living as a child of God. To be

guided and led.
But at the same time those privileges make you have duties towards your
Father:
First of all, you need to learn to talk to Him, that is, to pray.
a) Prayer is for you to communicate in Spirit and in truth with God
(John 4:24).
b) Prayer changes circumstances (Jn 16:24) if we ask in Jesus'
name.
c) Jesus, our elder brother, intercedes for us. (Jn. 14:13).

8- HOW SHOULD YOU PRAY?
1 .- Privately, intimately. (Mat. 6:6) Clarify what is prayer

community, and that this does not substitute for private prayer.
2 .- Without selfishness, with humility. (Sant. 4:3).
3 .- In His will, with obedience and submission (1 Jn. 5:14-15).
4 .- In the Spirit. (Languages). (Rom. 8:26).
5 .- With faith and trust (Mark 11:24). At all times, with
joy, (1 Thess. 5:16) lest you be discouraged, lest you fall into
temptation, because we are weak. (Mat. 26:41).
C.- WHAT IS YOUR INHERITANCE?

You are a son, and as such also heir to each and every one of the
promises (more than 1,000 personal promises) that the Father has
foreseen for you: e.g., that you are a son, and as such also heir to each
and every one of the promises (more than 1,000 personal promises) that
the Father has foreseen for you:
ETERNAL LIFE (1 Jn. 2:25)
NECESSARY MATERIAL ABUNDANCE (Jn. 10:10) (Matt. 6:33).
DIVINE PROTECTION (Isaiah 45:3), and many more.
The way to achieve the fulfillment of promises is to ask for them. The best
way to take possession of your heavenly goods will be to put in balance
the PRAYER AND THE BIBLE. Remember this:
Reading the Bible without prayer can be coldness, study, aridity, etc.
Prayer without Bible reading can be sentimentalism.
God has given his children that fortune which are the promises deposited
in his word. You will have to fulfill the requirements of the pledge as a
condition.
For example: (Jn. 1:12).
Condition 'To all who received it'."
Promise: "He gave them the right to become children of God".
All of God's promises will only be fulfilled in your own life if you wait for
them with faith. You must take ownership of them, putting your faith into
action. Example:
IN THE WAREHOUSE ARE

NO GOOD

BAGS OF CEMENT MUST BE MIXED
D. -TO FORMGOOD PRAYER HABITS.

1 In a definite place, (Mat. 6:6), at a definite time, with a definite desire
(goal).
2 .- With a method, reading a portion of the word (listening to Him), this
does not mean that there cannot be prayer without first reading the word
of God, for He can lead us to unite with Him at the moment He pleases,
but when we begin to pray, or in times of coldness, dryness or aridity,
reading the Bible will make us listen to the Lord and this will be the food
for our prayer.
Recommendations:
a) Do not use the Bible to acquire knowledge or information, but as the
means by which God can speak to you.
b) Do not run or rush, examine slowly, meditate.
c) Ask yourself:
What sin should I abandon e.g., gossip, greed, lying, rancor; stop,
confess it to God and renounce it, and make a resolution to receive the
Sacrament of Reconciliation with God if necessary.
What promises it contains, to make it mine; stop and claim it.
What example should I follow: make up your mind to do it.
What commandment should I obey: stop, execute it.
What stumbling block (or stone) or mistake should I avoid.
What a new thought you offer me about God; stop and praise Him.
3 United to CHRIST: Praying to Him, in Him, with Him. (Answering El)
4 Be silent and listen. Delight yourself the rest of the day with what you
have talked about and allow it to be in your thoughts in everything you do.
TASK:
List of unconverted friends and relatives to pray for.
MEMORIZE:
Mark 11:24; John 14:13; John 15:7; Matthew 21:22.

MOTTO QUOTE:
"BE AWAKE AND PRAYING, LEST YOU FALL INTO TEMPTATION; THE
SPIRIT IS STRONG, BUT THE FLESH IS WEAK". (Mat. 26:41).

GROWTH COURSE 1
Questionnaire No. 5
Answer each of the questions, according to what the verse tells you. Don't forget
to underline your Bible and pray before answering this questionnaire.
1.- What kind of prayer does God desire? (Jn. 4:24)

………………………………..
2.-
What are the requirements for our prayer to be heard? (1 Jn. 3.22-23)
3.- Why does God not answer some requests? (Sant. 4:3).
4.- What requirements are mentioned in Jas.1:6, indispensable for when you
ask? ()
a) That you prevent yourself b) That you humble yourself c) That you
do not doubt
5.- With what intention is the prayer made in the following passages?
Matthew 26:41..................................................................................
Matthew 7:7.....................................................................................
6.- Who helps you when you don't know how to express your thoughts or
desires to God? (Rom. 8:26).
7.- So far you have not.............................at the..................... from.................

.................................. (Jn. 16:24).
8.- Some of the things you should pray for are:

a) Sant. 1:5 ( ) Strength.
b) Acts 4:31 ( ) May the Lord teach you.
c) Ephesians 3:16 ( ) Courage to testify.
d) 1a. Peter 5:7 ( ) Wisdom.
e) John 6:45 ( ) Knowledge of his Will.
f) Colossians 1:9 () Entrust him with your concerns.
9.- Everything you ask for in the...................... from..........................

.................................. (Jn. 16:24).
10.- (Rom. 8:17) Says quo ya eres..............................................
11.- God says he's going to give you everything you need?
YES NO (Phil. 4:19).
12.- One of God's promises to you is to.............................................. (1 Jn.

2:25).
13.- It shows what the condition is and what the promise is in these verses;
Jeremiah 33:3 Mt. 21:22
CONDITION..................... CONDITION.......................................
Pledge............................ Pledge..............................................
GROWTH COURSE NO. 1
CLASS No. 6

"HOW TO TALK TO OUR FATHER"
In the previous class we discussed the importance of prayer in the life of a

child of God. We recognized that it was the means to claim our inheritance
and also the means of communion and closeness with the Lord. We also
saw that we have to learn the good habits that our Father wants for us,
and that some of these good habits are Bible reading and prayer, which
we talked about a little last class and will continue to talk about in this one.
Let's start by thinking about what our prayer life has been like since our
Baptism in the Holy Spirit: has it been constant? Have we had an answer
from the Lord, either granting us what we asked for or giving us an answer
that without being exactly what we asked for we know is the best for us?
Has it been cold or reluctant, just to "comply", or out of fear of not pleasing
God and having consequences. . ."? Let us meditate on this for a few
minutes, being sincere with ourselves, recognizing the faults we have had
in this life of prayer, so that God may act in our weakness.
Let us also reflect on whether we have had a fruitful prayer, that is, one
that increases in us the fruits of the Spirit, prevents us from falling into
constant faults and keeps us in joy and peace.
PRAYER AND PRAYER

We will consider in this class, how:
PRAYER: A repetition of established forms, impersonal, sometimes

mechanical and without warmth, not coming from the heart but repeating
the words of others, without attention to what we say or trying to speak
directly to the Lord.
PRAYER: To speak spontaneously and freely with God, to dialogue

naturally with Him, as with a friend; it is the expression of our soul and the
aspiration of our being.
We are not going to talk about PRAYER, known to all, but about
PRAYER. Prayer is direct dialogue with God, and for there to be dialogue
there must be two people (otherwise it would be a monologue). We might
think that praying is like dialing a telephone number, with the assurance
that someone will answer on the other end. God is always ready to
dialogue with us, to answer when you dial the number and call, to listen to
us and to answer us, so that everyone listens to Him and accepts Him. If
this communication is frequent, we can be assured that He and we are
getting to know each other better, we are getting to know His will and what
He wants us to ask of Him, that is to say, we will ask "in His will" and thus
God will always listen to us and answer us. A good sentence has
indispensable elements that we will now explain:
FAITH: (Hebrews 11:1 and 6) We must have faith that God is present,
that He is our best reward. If we ask for something, do not doubt that we
will receive it, for doubt prevents the answer. (James 1:6-8).
COMMITMENT: This implies an alliance of love, a bond that does not

depend on our state of mind. (Example: today I don't feel spiritual, today I
feel lazy), nor of our free time, "(Example: "If I have a little time to spare I
will pray", "Today I don't have time to pray"). Nor does it depend on our
work, even if it is for the Lord. Our commitment to prayer cannot be
substituted with anything: neither with work for the Lord, nor even with
community prayer. It is a personal appointment, of love, which we must
not miss and which He will never miss. (Example. Engaged and loving
fiancés).
PERSEVERANCE IN WHAT WE ASK FOR: Not to be discouraged when

some request we make to God is not answered immediately;
perseverance in this request and thanksgiving for M it, certain that the
Lord will grant it, will make the answer hasten. (James 5:17) (Col. 4:2).
NO BARRIERS: That is, without grudges, hatred, resentment or suspicion

towards our neighbor, presenting to the Lord our faults and asking Him to
help us to remove them. God especially asks us to take the necessary
steps so that there is no offense made to our brothers that we have not
tried to forgive, with the sincere desire to forgive our neighbors and not to
offend them any more.
HONESTY: Being honest with ourselves, not wanting to disguise before

the Lord what we are spiritually, recognizing our misery and the times we
fall offending Him, analyzing our littleness and weakness, our human
motives even in the things of God.
(desiring to look good, to be thought well of) our stinginess to give to the
Lord (our time, our money, our love, our loved ones, our life). (1 Jn. 3:18-
24).
BE CONCISE: Without useless words, not seeking to embellish our

prayer to make it seem more spiritual or to make it "sound good", but
putting clearly and simply our need before God, accepting the possibility
that the divine answer may be better than what we ask for. When Jesus

asked the blind man what he wanted, he replied, "Lord, that I may see,"
and his prayer, clear and concise, was immediately answered by Jesus.
(Mt. 6:7). Let us now experience together some forms of prayer, all very
useful and convenient, but which should not alone constitute our prayer
life, but should be used according to circumstances and needs, inside or
outside our prayer time. We are going to form small groups, (with each
Pastor) to hold hands, close our eyes, and begin to pray in order, in turn,
one at a time.
1º We will pray with Thanksgiving : Ex. Thank you for my family, for the life you
give me, for the problem I have at this moment, for this class, for the community,
etc.
2º Of Confession Conf essing our weaknesses before our brothers, asking the
Lord to forgive us for them. Ex. Lord, forgive me for being a liar, forgive me for the
fault I had with my husband, my lack of charity, my pride, my laziness today when
I got up. That is, we place before the Lord and ask for forgiveness for our faults,
both past and present, both general faults as well as any particular fault of today.
3º Of Arrow: It is a phrase addressed to God with few words, and which contains
an ardent and quick petition. Ex. "Give me your light to speak" "Help us, Lord" (in
an accident). "Guide my steps".
4º Of Petition: Asking especially for some problem that at the moment worries us,
and joining the petitions of all. Ex. I ask you for my husband, for my job, for my
daughter's boyfriend, for my financial problems, etc. (The whole group can join
each petition, saying after it "Lord, we ask you").
5º Meditation: In silence, leaving our thoughts for a while for God, His glory, His
Majesty, His Lordship, His Benevolence towards us, His Redemption, His
Forgiveness.
6º Of Renunciation: Expressing our decision to abandon those things in our life

that we know that God is not pleased with. E.g.: I renounce the hatred I had for my
mother-in-law; I renounce the desire to take revenge on my boss; I renounce my
desire for landed goods, money, luxuries, etc.
7º Of Intercession: In this prayer we will pray for the brother on our right, asking
together with him to the Lord, to solve his problem, to grant his request, etc. We
can also ask for his growth in the Lord, as the Holy Spirit inspires us for him. A
prayer of intercession for things or persons that are not present can be made later
in a second round of prayer; e.g., a prayer of intercession for a person or things
that are not present, in a second round of prayer. For the unbelievers, the
unemployed, the rulers, the loveless youth, etc.
8º Praise and Adoration; Praising the Lord for his greatness, for his power, for
his love, for giving us Jesus, using our own phrases or phrases from the Bible or
the Church: Ex: Praise be to you, Lord, for your beauty. Bless the Lord, my soul,
from the depths of my being,' his holy name. Holy, Holy, Holy, Thou art, Lord God
of the Universe!

TASK: Make a decision to forgive your offenders by putting on a piece of paper
the offenses received and the offenders, bringing that piece of paper to the next
class.
MEMORIZE: Sant. 5:19-20; Mt. 6:7; Jas. 1:6-8; I Jn. 3:18-24.
QUOTE MOTTO: PRAY CONSTANTLY, IN EVERYTHING GIVE THANKS, FOR THIS IS
WHAT GOD, IN CHRIST JESUS, WANTS FROM YOU. (1 Thess. 5:17-18).
GUIDE FOR SHEPHERDS

We must motivate them to practice the different ways of praying. It will be
done by forming a circle of 10 people and in round to carry the prayers in
this order.
1 THANKSGIVING: (Leading them to give thanks for specific things or
events ) Example: Thank you for this class, for this day, for my
classmates.
2 OF CONFESSION: Example: forgive my lies, forgive me for being
disrespectful to my parents, etc.
3 DE FLECHA: Help me to understand you, give me your light, guide my
words.
4 OF PETITION: I pray to you, Lord, for my husband, I pray to you for my
work, etc.
5 MEDITATION: It is silence, telling them to think about how good God
is, about his love, etc.
6 OF DISCLAIMER: Example: I renounce the attachment I have to so-
and-so, the desire to have money, etc.
7 OF INTERCESSION: Prayer for the people on the right taking into
account their requests and confession.
8 Praise and worship: Urge them to say what they feel about God
spontaneously, e.g.: Blessed are you, the LORD is my shepherd! Glory to
you.
LET THE SPIRIT FLOW FREELY.

NOTE: This guide is given to each shepherd before the class, so that in
small groups they can practice the different forms of prayer with their
sheep.
GROWTH COURSE No. 1 QUESTIONNAIRE No. 6
Rethink your prayer life and seriously propose to have a time dedicated to the
Lord. Only in this way will you be able to see the fruits of the Christian life. Think
also of serving your brothers and sisters, praying for those who have problems.
1. What is the difference between prayer and prayer?

REZO is .........................................................................
Prayer is .........................................................................
2. The first requirement in prayer is: (Heb. 11:1 y 6
3. What happens to the man who doubts? ( ) (James 1:6-8)

a) It will go bad b) He gets confused. c) It will not achieve

anything
4. Should you pray only when you are in good spirits? (Col. 4:2)
5. Can you ask God for something that you are not willing to give?
YES NO (Rom. 9:15) (Mc. 11:25)
6. What did Jesus ask the caller? (Mc. 10:51)

What..................................................................
7. When you know that it is in God's will, and he asks for something, you
know that it is already in God's will. what you ...........................................
1 Jn. 5:14-15)
8. Songs and expressions of love are part of the prayer of ( )

(Hebrews 13:15)
a) Confession b) Worship or Adoration c) Petition
9. What does intercessory prayer consist of? (I Tim. 2:1-2)

a) Praying for Fa b) For men and with men c) for healing
10. Explain what the prayer of confession consists of (Sant. 5:16)……………..

and which is that of renunciation (Titus 2: 11-12) .................................
11. What is the prayer of thanksgiving like? (1 Thess. 5:18)…………………..

And what is the arrow prayer?................................
12. Which one do you know best? .................................................

Which one is the least? .......................................................
Which one would you like to experience? ......................................

THE TEMPTATION
GOAL: To show some of the methods Satan will use and how to deal with
him.
In the last class, we learned about different forms of prayer, what prayer
requires and the difference between prayer and prayer. Now let's get to
know our enemy, Satan.
TEMPTATION AND HOW IT PRESENTS ITSELF
A-YOUR FACES
Satan is a spirit, who not only exists, but is our worst enemy, since he has
an interest in every person and especially sets traps for Christians to
make them fall. It is strange that Satan fights less against non-Christians,
since they are following his own path and he has no problems with them;
on the other hand, he has big problems when it comes to Christians and
worse when they are good Christians. That is why we must know that we

have a PERSONAL ENEMY: SATAN.
1 .- He fights and is active, even if no one sees him or believes in him.

1 Jn. (John 5:19).
2 .- It fights against good, against God and his work in the world.
3 .- It hinders Christians on their way and satisfies itself in

it.
4 .- It uses their weaknesses to nullify them. (James 1:14).
His best strategy is that no one believes in him, and for that he wears
masks, works in darkness, has a variety of masks and costumes
according to the occasion. He knows how to hide the reality of things with
a veil of innocence. (2 Corinthians 11:14). So, BEWARE.
B -THEIR INFLUENCE ON YOUR MIND:

Evil will be disguised so that your good feelings will be won (2 Cor. 11:3).
For example: Movies, gossip, lies, free love" etc. Your evil desires will be
found righteous through reasoning that Satan will give you, disguising the
evil as good, useful, or logical. For example: Laziness, selfishness,
ambitions, hatreds, shamelessness, etc.
Satan has direct access to the file that is in your mind, and he manages
you through it, using your every weakness, only suggesting and you will
propitiate that temptation to take the form of sin, falling into it. (Jas 1:15).
He uses your every desire, making it natural, to enslave you. Example: "It
is natural for me to worry more about my work than about GOD".
The Christian who does not live as such, obeying the promptings of the
Holy Spirit, is a nullified Christian. Who plays Satan's game.
One of the most frequent mistakes Christians make is to think that the
devil cannot do anything to them, and with this, they do not realize that
they are nullified and how he has control over them.
If even Peter, an intimate friend of Christ, was shaken by the devil, how
can we not be? (Luke 22:31).
Satinas is a spirit, he has no figure, he needs to be able to control the
mind to control the works.
He controls people, in direct PROPORTION to the influence he has over
their minds.
So if he knows your desires, your weaknesses, and YOU DO NOT KNOW
HIM, he has all the advantage over your life.

WHEN SATAN FLEES:
C-UNMASK IT:
Once you discover that Satan is intervening in your life, and you know his
tactics, (knowing your weaknesses) which he will use to deceive you,
denounce him! (Ef. 5:11-13.) There is nothing that can frighten Satan
more than to be discovered, and to know that he will be resisted using the
authority and name of Christ. He is already your worst enemy, so you
must prepare yourself for the fight, this will be a spiritual war and only
through the help of the Holy Spirit, GOD will be able to prepare you
spiritually to face your enemy (Eph. 6:10-18).
Any Christian who wants to succeed in his life as a Christian will have to
face Satan. If he does not find out, he will control your life with covert
suggestions. The presence of Christ does not remove the possibility of
Satan presenting us with temptation, nor does it imply the automatic
victory of the Christian. But isn't Satan an enemy
defeated? Yes, he is, but he is still an enemy. Our Lord defeated him, but
we cannot appropriate that victory, unless we resist Satan. (Sant. 4:7).
When we fight him in the name of Christ, only then does Satan flee from
us.
D.- THE PLAN OF ATTACK:

We must resort to all our weapons, truth, righteousness, faith, the word of
God etc. (Eph. 6:14-17).
When you realize that Satan is tempting you. Don't argue, follow this plan:
1 Quote a verse of scripture (Matt. 4:10).

2 Stand firm, only the authority of Christ will overcome you (Phil. 2: 10).
3 Resist temptation until it is taken away from you (Sant. 4:7).
4 Flee from every ground of temptation or sin (I Tim. 6:9-11).
5 Prepare to be tempted, (I Pet. 5:8) have appointments for each of your
weaknesses.
6 The Bible, prayer, mortification, the sacraments, are means to unmask
the enemy (Heb. 4:12-13).
7 Have respect for Satan, do not underestimate him. (Example: do not
perform exorcisms).

God does not send us temptation, but allows it so that in it we may be
purified (Sant. 1:13); to find his true, spiritual, obedient children, who will
know how to endure trials, and who will emerge victorious from them.
We must constantly remember that: "The God of all grace, He who has
called you to His eternal Glory in Christ, after brief sufferings, will restore,
strengthen, strengthen and consolidate you." (I Peter 5:10).
TASK:
Renounce in writing all causes of sin in their lives. E.g.: vices, bad habits,
etc.
MEMORIZE: Eff. 6:10-18. Ef. 5:8-13.
MOTTO QUOTE:
SUBMIT YOURSELVES THEREFORE TO GOD; RESIST THE DEVIL
AND HE WILL FLEE FROM YOU.

GROWTH COURSE I QUESTIONNAIRE NO. 7
Use each of the quotations you have to use to answer each question, as the
means to engrave in your mind the Word of GOD: use it also as an instrument
against your Personal enemy; remember that your goal is to transform your mind
to reach the way of thinking that Christ had. Pray before answering your daily
questions.
1. Who controls the work of this world? (1 Jn. 5:19) ...................................

Satan uses your .................................................. for nullify you and make
2.
you
sin. (Sant. 1:14).
3. By what means does Satan control the Christian's life? ( ) (2 Cor.
11:3).
a) For his mind b) For its heart c) For its delivery
4. Satan is also known as:

a) 1 Peter 5:8 ( ) GOD OF THIS WORLD
b) 2 Cor. 4:4 ( ) TEMPTER
c) John 8:44 ( ) ANGEL OF LIGHT
d) 1 Thess. 3:5 ( ) ADVERSARY
e) 2 Cor. 11:14 ( ) LIAR
5. They must.................... a God and.................. at devil.

(Sant. 4:7).
6. What should you do once you discover Satan's work in your life? (Ef. 5:11-
13)...............................................................................
7. Does God tempt man to sin? (Sant. 1:13)..............................................
8. Did Jesus do (in the face of temptation with ( ) ...................................

(Mat. 4:6-10).
a) a smile b) a quotation from the Bible c) desire not to fall
9. Who will give you victory over temptation?.................................... (1 Cor.

15:57).
10. Why should we be glad to be tested? .................................................

(I Ped. 1:6-7) (Rom. 5:3-4) ............................................
11. Finally, cite five of your weaknesses and look up the verses that will serve
as a defense in the temptations that the devil may put you in. For example:
METIRAS Ef. 4:25 "Therefore do not lie any longer, but tell the truth to your
neighbor."

SECOND CYCLE
GROWTH 2

GROWTH 2 CLASS No. 1
FRIENDSHIP WITH GOD
GOAL: To teach them a new approach to the grace that is in confession

and communion, and how to maintain their Christian life.
He 'works or deceives Christians, NULIFYING THEM; let us see that a
practical way to resist him was to prepare ourselves to be tempted in our
weaknesses, learning quotations that relate to those weaknesses, to
defend ourselves.
A. -GRACE
Before receiving the Baptism in the Spirit we fell so often into sin, that we
became indifferent; we were dead, we became SLAVES OF SIN. When
Christ came into our lives, He cleansed us from all unrighteousness and
freed us from sin. (Rom. 8:1-2) giving new life to our spirit through Grace.
(Rom. 6:14).
One of the first things that happen to us when we are led by the Holy Spirit
is that our consciences become "sensitive" and we perceive what is of
God, what pleases Him, and what is evil; that is why some things that we
used to do without seeming bad to us, now, by the light of the Spirit, we
understand or pre-sense that they are not good. This is what we can call
the grace of God: it is the presence of God in us when we remain in
communion with Him, it is that the veil has been removed from our eyes,
and we distinguish what God asks. (2a. Cor. 3:16-17).
Our old nature had only the law to know the will of God. By receiving the
Baptism in the Holy Spirit, God's grace increases in us and can guide us.
As long as we remain obedient, we will not be under the law, but it will be
through Divine Grace, that, obeying the law easily, we will remain in
friendship with God.
B. - THE DEVIATIONS
When we are led by the Holy Spirit is when we are on the best path, but
there are several ways to deviate and mistake that path.

When God gives us a command or an inspiration in our life, (either by
teaching, the Bible, or a direct word), and we refuse to obey, we are
closing the channel of grace, saying NO to God and thus breaking our
relationship with Him, (James 1:1). 4:17) being again subject only to the
law (Jas 2:10-11). Another way to fall is by yielding to the temptations that
Satan puts in the way, and again breaking by our will the channel of God's
grace (Sant. 1:15). Sometimes we commit some small faults, which
without depriving us of the gratia, do not allow us to advance, they are like
bumps or potholes in the way of God, and they produce lukewarmness,
whose symptoms are:
a) To diminish or avoid our duties as Christians.

b) To do things concerning God reluctantly.
c) Thinking only of ourselves and our comfort.
d) To have idle and vain conversations.
e) Do not avoid falling into peccadilloes. f) To act for human motives.
In any of these cases, we will not be forced to return to the right path, God
will let us walk in "our will" until we see that we cannot do it alone. God
loves us, and He will let us suffer the consequences of our rebellion so
that we will decide to SIN NO MORE, not to go for other -friends, against
His will. (Heb. 12:5-11).
C- THECONFESSION
The way to reestablish communication with God again will be repentance
and confession of our failure. The gratia divina is communicated to us
especially through the sacraments, but following the external rites without
an interior commitment does not communicate the divine life to us. The
confession will have value in relation to the repentance we have of having
sinned, sincerity is the key point . By confessing our sin, we renounce it
and we will have to refuse to do it anymore, we will have to get used to
say NO to sin. Do not come to the priest and confess that sin which you
are not willing to abandon, for you not only deceive yourself, but you
offend God by the insincerity of your confession; even if you lack strength,
by the grace of confession you receive the strength of God to resist, if you
sincerely confess your weakness, as long as you are willing to renounce
further sinning. There are some faults for which you will also have to
recant with the person given (e.g., lies, insults, theft, violence, etc.) in a
spirit of humility, courage and love for God. Confession is the means of
committing yourself before God and the priest (Christ) to renounce your
sins and to try to lead a holy life. The longer you keep yourself clean, the
closer your life will be to Christian perfection.
D-THECOMMUNION
The Eucharist is the sacramental presence of Christ. If we receive it with
Faith, through it, our life is deepened and washed. It is the means placed
by God for us to have a PERSONAL encounter with CHRIST: communion

without an interior commitment will not give us the life of CHRIST. Think
that when you receive the Lord, you receive His Life, why then do you live
contrary to what you receive? (1 Cor. 11:26-28).
EXTERNAL COMMUNION superficial rite, coldness, aridity, routine.
INNER COMMUNION active commitment, fruits, joy, security, life (Jn.

6:35) (Jn. 6:54).
The danger of taking communion "by routine" is that it results in such a

coldness that it seems that one takes Bread and not the Body of Christ,
since the attitude is the same as when one takes a loaf of bread from the
kitchen (the. Cor. 11:29). Communion is also the means by which JESUS
cleanses us from all our little faults, and it is another way of recovering or
acquiring the grace by which we can overcome those faults; it is the
occasion of committing ourselves to Jesus to live according to his word,
and the more frequently it is, the less likely we are to fall and faint; if at
each communion we commit ourselves to a new aspect of our life,
recognizing what hinders us and what we lack, each time we will be able
to overcome them.If in each communion we commit ourselves to a new
aspect of our life, recognizing what hinders us and what we lack, we will
be more and more transformed into Christ.
ONLY WITH ACTIVE COMMUNION CAN WE BE VICTORIOUS

CHRISTIANS. The bread does not act, our body transforms the bread and
assimilates it and makes it its own thing, on the contrary Christ acts and
when we eat it, it is He who transforms us and makes us His own thing.
This is why we need Faith, to know that Christ is in the bread, that we take
His Body, that it is He who enters into our spiritual life. The sacrament of
the Eucharist is something visible and material, but it communicates
INVISIBLE SPIRITUAL LIFE; if we are spiritually dead, it will be nothing
more than nourishment to our mortal body.
When you approach the altar to receive communion, think of Him, do not
look for yourself, give yourself to Him, have communion with Him. May
your face and your attitude show the joy of knowing that Christ is in you.
CONCLUSION OF THE CLASS:
THANK YOU. - It is God's life in us that allows God to guide us.

REBELLIA. - It is disobedience to his will, diverting us from the path.
CONFESSION. - The way to increase grace, obtain per-d6n and avoid
punishment.
COMMUNION. - Christ in us, means of grace, life and spiritual strength.
MEMORIZE- Sant. 4:17 Hebrews 12:7 Proverbs 28-13 luan 6:35.

Recommend "The celebration of the Sacrament of Penance with only one
penitent", by Pedro Fames, of the Episcopal Commission of Mexico.
TASK:
Offer one communion a week for some need, or for some person, who
seems to us to be acting badly (even within the community).
MOTTO QUOTE:
YOU DID NOT RECEIVE THE SPIRIT OF SLAVES TO FALL BACK IN
FEAR, BUT YOU RECEIVED THE SPIRIT OF ADOPTED SONS, WHICH
MAKES US EXCLAIM: ABBA, FATHER! (Rom. 8:15).

GROWTH No. 2 QUESTIONNAIRE No. 1
Answer each of the questions below and mark the correct answer. Locate in your
Bible the quotations given to you and underline each one of them, preferably with
the color of the theme.
1 .- God tells us not to become .............................................. of sin.

(Rom. 6:6) (Jn. 8:34).
2 .- Because we are no longer under the. but under the....... (Rom. 6:14)
3 .- This means that we must ........................ at sin. (Rom. 6:11-13)

(Col. 3:3)
4 .- If we hide our sin, we will not .................................... but if ....................

and ............................. us we save (Prov. 28-13).
5 .- He who sins is because (the. Jn. 3:6). ( )

a) You do not know it well b) Do not remember c) It is bad.
6 .- If we know his will and sin we become rebellious. What is the

condition for Him to forgive us? (1a. Jn. 1:9).
7 .- John 6:35 says that Jesus is: ()

a) The Messiah b) The Bread of Life c) The Light
8 .- What happens if I do not take the Body of Christ? (Jn. 6:53).
9 .- If we take unworthily the Body of Christ, we are
(1a. Cor. 11:27-29), for not recognizing the Body of Christ.
10 .- But the one who takes my Body and my Blood....... in me................

............ at .............................. (Jn. 6:56).
11 .- The external rite without........... inside does not give us life.

a) Sin b) Commitment c) Zeal
12 .- What is the danger of routine communions? ....................................
13 .- Is a confession without a firm desire to

renunciation of confessed sin?
(51) (NO)
14 .- Can you in communion be forgiven and cleansed of your faults?

(51) (NO)

FRIENDSHIP WITH SIBLINGS
GOAL: To show the need for community and love for our brothers and
sisters.
In the last class we understood what grace is, the ways to increase it
through confession and communion and how it is lost or diminished. In
this we should understand the richness of having brothers and sisters,
knowing their problems and sharing with them their sorrows and joys,
praying together, "etc.". If we have truly converted to the Lord, when we
receive the gift of the Spirit we feel the need to unite with other brothers
and sisters to walk together with them towards the Lord and share what
the Lord is doing in each one of us.
In the First Christian Community, "they were assiduous in fraternal

communion, prayer, the teaching of the Apostles and the Breaking of
Bread". (Acts. 2:42).
A-YOUR FIRST COMMUNITY YOUR HOME

St. Paul in his 1st. letter to Timothy 5:8, tells us: "If anyone does not take
care of his own, especially his relatives, he has denied the faith and is
worse than an unbeliever". This means that our home and our family is
our first Community and we should have together prayer, activities, joys,
works, sorrows, longings and ideals. When this is not possible (perhaps
someone in our house does not accept the Lord), we must constantly ask
the Lord of hearts, so that "in His time", this will happen.
B- THECOMMUNITY
There are gifts of God that are only manifested in community, with the
group of people who have the same spirit, the same Father, sharing as
brothers and sisters, having in common their Faith, their LOVE, their
GOALS, their LIVES and who learn together to live the new life that God
points out to them. (Ef. 4:13). Like the multitudes that followed Jesus, we
now also feel the need to unite, stripping ourselves of our selfishness,
living to serve others, loving all. And just as then, Jesus responds to us by
nourishing us, making us live the gifts of His Spirit, impelling us to
proclaim the Good News to every creature. He sets us free from the
rigidity of the Law, so that we may become servants of grace, so that in
obeying the Spirit, we may find life. But this submission to God is obtained
through order and obedience to the Pastors and to the brothers, and only
in community life can we truly practice this obedience. This is how we will
be able to grow as a

Body and have the Christian maturity that characterized the first
Christians.
Therefore, a Christian Community is a cell of the Body of Christ. The

whole Church is the Body of Christ, but in a small Community, where all
the people have been converted to the Lord and have received the
fullness of the Spirit, we can consider ourselves one body, the Body of the
Risen Christ. (1 Cor. 12:27).
C-COMMUNITY NEEDS
Union with a community helps us to live as good Christians, otherwise we
will not have the strength to do so. God speaks to his people and
covenants with them, so, as a people - it is when we are gathered
together that He distributes his special gifts, which would have no purpose
if we were alone: prophecy only serves the prophet if he can communicate
it to others; discernment is to be applied to others; and so are the other
gifts. A community receives grazing. Personal support, encouragement
and example. We receive these and many other blessings to the extent
that we also begin to serve others, to the extent that we begin to integrate
ourselves into that community.
D - LIVING AS BROTHERS
The friendship that should unite us with our new brothers and sisters will
form for us a "new world", to which we can consider that it is God himself
who integrates us. In this world of new brethren, we will all pray for one
another, we will help one another (Rom. 15:5) we will counsel one
another, we will allow fraternal correction. We will feel safe, just as the
sheep are safe as long as they are united and the shepherd can guide
them; the moment one of them wanders away, it is exposed to the wolf's
attacks. (1 Thess. 5:11-14) (Mt. 18:12-14).
Among new siblings, we have to. Know that there are no perfect people,
we are all progressing together, growing together in the Lord. There are
many mistakes in everyone, but God shows patience and love for those
who fall, and we must also be willing to forgive the mistakes and
deficiencies that we are SURE to find (Rom. 15:7). Even the most senior
members of the community, the pastors themselves, have errors and
deficiencies that God will smooth out with our help, which we should give
them with love, and in this way we will all understand together the voice of
God. We love each other and we need each other, so we must learn to
love each other with the love of the Father, not produced by human
feelings, by the greater or lesser holiness of one or the other, but by our
surrender and union with God. This love between brothers is the best sign
that a community is on the right path (Col. 3:1415) or includes the
responsibility to serve others.

E-YOUR PLACE IN THE BODY
As in every body, not all can be eyes, not all heads, not all feet. In the
Community, the Lord shows what he desires of each one of us and
confirms through our brothers what he desires of us. Therefore, we must
be willing that Almighty God, through His Spirit, may guide us until we
acquire through our obedience and submission to Him and to the
brethren, the place that He Himself has indicated to us in His Body from
all eternity and that may not be the one we like the most, but the one in
which we can bear greater fruit according to the gifts and capacities that
God has given us.
We should begin now to ask the Lord to indicate to us which is the

Community in which he wants us, which is our place in the Body of Christ
and which is the service or ministry he wants us to give to our brothers.
Let us be attentive and ready to begin the ministry that the Lord gives us,
which will surely be through the Community.
MEMORIZE:
Acts. 2:42 1 Thess. 4:11 Col. 3:14-15 Eph. 5:21
TASK:
Offer to work in a community service.
MOTTO QUOTE:
"BE YE ONE BODY AND ONE SPIRIT AS ONE IS THE HOPE TO
WHICH YE ARE CALLED".

1. Your first community will be in your. (1a. Tim. 5:8) ()

a) school b) your home c) your Church
2. What is the goal of being together? (Ef. 4:12-13)
3. How was the first community formed? (Acts. 2:42-47)
4. WHY ISIT SO DIFFICULT FOR THE BELIEVERS OF THE

today?
5. la. Cor. 12:12 says that the............................has many parts and all of
them
form a...............................
6. In Hebrews 10:24-25 find three rules that you can apply in your own life.
1.........................................
2.........................................
3.........................................
7. Search in the. Cor. 12:4 to 11 and lists 5 charisms mentioned.
8. What exhortation does St. Paul make to the believers in the. Tes. 5:11-12 ?
9. la. Peter 2:12 says: "Have in the midst of the Gentiles...............a end of
that the same people who slander them in the face of the... den glory
to God.
10. Why do you think it is necessary to love other brothers and sisters?
(1a. In. 4:11) (1a. Jn. 4:20)

"THE ENEMIES OF THE COMMUNITY".
GOAL: To show which are the factors of division in a community and how
not to participate in them, achieving unity through Love.
In the previous classes we saw how it is through friendship, unity and love
with our brothers and sisters in faith, that is, through community, that God
can guide us as a people, and it is also how we can best serve him and
give witness to the world of God's love.
But we also know that our enemy, Satan, does not remain indifferent
where the work of the Holy Spirit is bearing any fruit, and that he will also
try by all means to hinder or destroy the work of God, and his best
strategy is division. Jesus has said: "Every kingdom divided into two
camps is lost, and every city or family divided will not be able to survive".
(Mat. 12:25 ff.)
If Satan can achieve internal division in a community, it destroys itself, and

this is not very difficult to achieve, since he makes use of human
weaknesses such as: speaking lightly, judging, allowing ourselves to be
carried away by gossip, making use of backbiting, etc.
We must be aware, then, of what are these instruments of our adversary's

division, so as not to become accomplices, through ignorance, of his
destructive plans, and contribute to the division in the community.
Let us review what some of these instruments of division are, and let us
reflect on the way they are presented, and the damage they do to us:
A) THE CRITICISMS: It is through these that people, instead of looking

at Jesus, stop to look at people as humans. Almost always, this
criticism is made secretly, giving rise to MURMURATIONS. Not only
is harm is caused to the people who heard the criticism, but also the
person criticized does not know (at least directly) the cause or
reason for the criticism, which is harmful to him/her, since he/she will
not be able to correct his/her mistake (or will do it too late). This is
harmful to him/her, since he/she will not be able to correct his/her
mistake (or will do so too late), in addition to the fact that we have
already biased against him/her those who have heard those
criticisms, and who may never have the opportunity to learn about the
background of what they are criticizing.
We must stop backbiting and criticisms, since they are like the cement
that build the walls that divide us; GOSSIP AND BACKBITTING BREAK
THE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN BROTHERS, and a good way of not
allowing this to happen is not to become accomplices by listening to them

or encouraging them, but rather, if a brother has committed some fault
(against you, against another, or with the community) we should pray
asking God for love and talk to him or her.Rather, if a brother has
committed some fault (against you, against another, or with the
community) we should pray asking God for love, and talk to him or her
alone (Mat. 18:15-17). Christ said: "go to him" not to your neighbors or
your friends, we must try by all means to win the brother by LOVE and not
lose him by criticism.
B) LIES and false testimonies. Through lies, exaggerations,

adulterations, etc., very great damage is done to a community, since
they degenerate into defamations and false testimonies. (Zac. 8:16-
17). Exaggerating a truth can be as harmful as lying, especially when
it causes direct harm to a brother.
James 3:2 tells us that if we control our tongue we will be able to

control ourselves totally and in 3:5-10 speaks of how we sin with
our tongue and how it, even being so small, can do much harm;
therefore, if we know the harm we can do by speaking too much,
speaking evil, or lying, let us not lend ourselves to the division that
by our mouth we can originate and rather let us try that our life
may be LIGHT, and this light consists in walking in all truth (I Jn.
2:9-11) and in love for the brethren, even if it is sometimes very
difficult (never impossible). It is to speak and act always with the
truth. (Ef. 4:25).
C) JUDGING OTHERS: it can contain pride and envy and when we

judge a person, we feel superior to them. Also, most of the time,
judgments are made very lightly, without knowing in depth the person and
the causes of his attitude, so with the idea that we have formed of a
person through a judgment, we close ourselves to receive any grace that
God sends us through this person, so that we will not find anything good
in him and we will only see all the bad. Many times we make a judgment
of some person, and we do not realize that we are doing the same thing
we are judging and that God will judge us with the same severity with
which we judge our brother. (Mt. 7:1-5) (Rom. 14:10-13) (Rom. 2:1).
Accepting our brothers AS THEY ARE, that is, thinking that the Lord will
change and improve them later, we open the channel of Christ's love and
we place in our heart the assurance that our brother is being transformed
by the power of God.
C) RINCURANCE or resentments are sometimes the cause that our

assemblies or prayer meetings sometimes feel cold and arid, because
if each one of us keeps a small grudge or resentment towards a
brother, our offering of praise cannot be sincere and clean, because
the Body is damaged in several of its members. At other times we
wait for our brother to come to us first to ask for forgiveness, even
when we have the right to do so, and we resort to "self-pride" without
remembering that God took the initiative to forgive us, long before we
asked Him, and that by praying the "Our Father" we commit ourselves
to forgive, so that He will forgive us. (Mt. 6:12).
Another cause of resentment is that sometimes we have forgiven in

words, but in our mind, we continue to remember the causes of the
offense. One way of not holding grudges is to keep in communion with the
source of forgiveness and love, God the Father, and to be willing, with a
firm will, to forgive all those who offend or hurt us, without placing
conditions or limits on that forgiveness, and in forgiving, to FORGET, as
God forgets our sins and does not reproach us for them. (Mt. 18:21-22).
D) NOT GIVING TO OUR BROTHERS, not sacrificing ourselves for our

brothers, not serving them, not helping them or being helped,standing
in groups, all this, in community life, represents division, since the
community functions as a body in which all members are necessary
and all have a special service and help each other. When one
member does not work, the others will have to make up, as far as
possible, or suffer the absence of this member.
We are called to be one, as the Father and Jesus are one (Jn. 17:21) and
this means that we must complement each other, and this will only be
achieved through the Love of God pouring into the hearts of all his
children so that all of us as brothers do not live for ourselves but for
others.
We can summarize, that everything that causes division within a Christian

community, must be removed in time, it is like a cancer, that if it is
detected in time and treated, it will no longer be in danger, but if it is
ignored or not criticized, it is deadly.
Therefore, let us consider JUDGMENTS, CRITICISM, GOSSIP,

MURMURINGS, etc., as very dangerous weapons of destruction and
division. By our example, we must show others the best way to dispose of
these harms, always through Love. Willing to forgive, accepting the
brother as IS, we will arrive at perfect union in Christ.

If you delete We will achieve
TRIAL via UNION WITH CHRIST

DIVISIONS FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT
CRITICS LOVE PAZ
LIES + GOOD CHRISTIAN

WITNESS
GRUDGES, FORGIVENESS
SELFISHNESS, COMMITMENT
ETC. GOZO SERVICE
SACRIFICE, ETC.
MEMORIZE:
Rom. 2:1 la. Jn. 4:20-21 Zech. 8:16-17.
TASK:
Propose not to engage in criticism during this week.
SUBJECT QUOTE:
DO NOT JUDGE AND YOU WILL NOT BE JUDGED (Mt. 7:1)

What does Matthew 12:25 ff. say happens to a divided kingdom, city or
community, or family? ____________________________________________
2. The weapons Satan uses to achieve the division of a Community are: (Find the
quotation that corresponds to each one).
Criticism ( ) a) 2 Tim. 2:23-24
Fights ( ) b) Phil. 2:3
Judge ( ) c) Rom. 14:10
Lies ( ) d) Col. 3:9
Rivalries ( ) e) Rom.2:1
3. When we see a brother sinning, according to Matthew 18:15-17, should we

first?
________________________ If you do not listen _____________________
________________________ If you ignore__________________________
________________________ If not even the community pays attention______
4.______________St. Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians 4:25, tells us: Discarding
the _____________ _speak with all_______________________ each with _______
for we are _______
5. If anyone says "I love God" and hates his brother, he is a: (1 Jn. 4:20).
R. ( ) A) Unadapted B) Liar C) Pagan
6. Complete the following sentences: (Mt. 7:1-5).

Do not judge and _________________________________
With the measure in which you measure ___________________________
Take the beam out of your eye first _____________________________
7. Point out in which parts of the Bible are the following phrases:
We are to lay down our lives for the brethren a) 1 ()
Peter 4:10 b) 1 Jn. 3:16 c) Sant. 5:19
Help one another to bear your burdens a) ()
Galatians 6:2 b) Heb. 13:16-17 c) Ef. 4: 15-16
What good is it, my brothers and sisters, for someone to say "I have faith"
if he or she does not have
works?
a) 2 Tim. 4:5 b) 2 Cor. 6:3 c) Jas 2:14
8. We must discard from our life ____________________________ ________

and doing it,____________________________________________we will make it

"HOW TO SHOW OUR LOVE TO OUR BROTHERS".
GOAL: To teach them to grow not only in love for their brothers and
sisters, but also to show them that love in a Christian way.
A) We cannot be satisfied with loving our brothers and sisters in the

depths of our hearts or merely with words. (1 Jn. 3:16). We have to show
them our love, that they are convinced that we love them, that they can
come to us for anything, freely, as they would come to a twin brother, to a
father, or better yet, to a true Christian.
One of the first ways to show love to our brothers and sisters is by serving
them. But to take our place in the body of Christ, in order to better serve
our brethren, we must first:
a) PRAY, so that the Lord may indicate to us what we should serve and
how we will use what God has given us for them, especially the charisms,
which we already know are always a gift from God for his Church. (Rom.
12:6-8).
b) BECOMING. In order to relate to our brothers, we need a deep

conversion, which means to change direction, to return to the way, to turn
to God (Acts. 3:19) (Ez. 11: 19 y 36:26). This conversion has to be
sincere, internal and true, because the Lord does not like external things
or appearances, but what is deep, the truth, which in this case has to be a
total change of attitude towards others, a change that will fill us with love,
surrender, generosity, and therefore avoid gossip, criticism, selfishness,
etc.
c) To unite ourselves with God the Father, with Jesus, through his
Spirit, allowing him to guide us and docilely following his inspirations to
build the Body of Christ, his Church, of which he is the head (Col. 1:18).
This union with God will make us channels in which He can work at His
pleasure, living stones that He can use in the construction and building of
that Church.
B) We must love our brothers and sisters with a warm, affectionate love,
like the love of Christ. (Rom. 15:1) He loves us as we are, respects us and
never manipulates or forces us. When we do not love our brothers, we do
the opposite of what Christ did, who loved us to THE END. The works of
the flesh are always opposed to love, with anger, quarrels, divisions,
arguments, envy, etc. (Galatians 5:19-21 Ephesians 4:25-32).
Jesus must heal our relationships in the Community (Rom. 14:15). A very
great evil is to argue about unimportant things and to gossip. If we see
that someone has done something wrong, we should call him alone,
rebuke him with love, and in this way we win him over; but if instead we
tell others, perhaps magnifying it, we turn it into "gossip", and the brother
is lost. (Mt. 18:15) (1 Thess. 5:12-17) To love our brother and show it to
him, we must: WELCOME. FORGIVING AND GIVING.
a) ACCEPT. That is to say, that everyone who approaches us should be

received with affection, kindness and a smile. (Rom. 15:7).
b) TO FORGIVE insults, offenses and lack of attention from the brother.

But to forgive, we must learn to love (Col. 3:12-14). We should consider
our life as a school in which we learn to love. It is by love that we will be
judged; if we fail in that school, we lose everything. When we reach the
afterlife and tell the Lord, as in Matthew 7:21-23 that we have done many
good things, He will not receive us for speaking in tongues, nor for casting
out demons, but for visiting the sick, for clothing the naked, in a word, for
loving and serving the brethren (Mt. 25:35).
In Galatians 5:22, we see the same thing the Pope told us at the
Charismatic Congress held in Rome in 1975: that the fruit of the Spirit
must be love.
We must have the same love with which the Lord loves us. I suggest that
in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8, put your name in place of Charity, and see how
and where you fail Example: Love is patient (I MARGARITA, or JUANA or
ALBERTO am patient, I am helpful, I am not envious, etc.) In this chapter
we can notice one thing, and that is that when we speak of charity, it is as
if we were speaking of the feelings of Christ, and it is to these that we
should tend. He forgives us always, constantly, repeatedly, every time we
offend Him, because He loves us. Philippians 2:12-15.
Let us not seek, as St. Francis says in his prayer, to be understood but to
understand, to be loved but to love, because it is in giving that we receive
and it is in forgiving that the Lord forgives us.
Love is the very essence of God. Love will never pass away, and we will
remain in love if we LOVE our brothers.

c) DAR. Giving does not only mean giving others money or things we
have to spare. Giving consists in giving ourselves, with all our time, gifts,
charisms and all that the Lord gives us.
The apostles Peter and John one day saw a crippled man and told him
that they had neither gold nor silver, but what they had they gave him, and
in the name of Jesus they made the cripple walk (Acts 3:1-8). The Lord
has to teach us to GIVE, not what we think we should give, but what our
brother really needs. We have to be attentive to see what he needs and
give it to him.
Sometimes we are so big, that is to say, so little children, that we do not

know how to love and show our affection. Sometimes the sibling needs a
handshake, or for us to say "I love you, brother" or to give him a kiss, and
we are not able to do it. Let us ask the Lord to remove our inhibitions and
that we may know how to give ourselves in love, even if they mock us,
even if they do not thank us, as He taught us to give everything, even our
lives. (James 2:14-17).
This does not mean that we become an overly demonstrative Community,

but a united, fraternal, warm Community, of which everyone can say: "See
how they love one another" (Jn. 13:34).
May no one remain sad for having treated us, may there always be a
reflection of the Lord in us, and for this we have to fill ourselves with Him,
and before going to speak of God to our brothers, we have to speak of our
brothers to God, that is, we have to pray for them, for everyone, especially
for those who have done something that we did not like, even if it is
against us. May our witness, in this Community, be our patience,
forgiveness, joy and Christian attitude, that is, an attitude of love towards
all.
MEMORIZE: 1 Jn. 3:16-18 Rom. 15:1-2 Gal. 4:32 Jn. 13-34.

TASK: To strive to accept our brothers and sisters as they are, showing
them our love.
MOTTO QUOTE:
CLOTHE YOURSELVES WITH LOVE, WHICH IS THE BOND OF
PERFECTION. (Col. 3:14).

1. In 1a. from John 3:16, we learn that we shall know what love is, in that we
also shall know what love is. ...........................................................
2. One way of demonstrating our love for our brothers is (James 2:14-16)
3. If we have not loved our brothers until now, we must do:

a) Acts 19:20) a........................... and c.................................. so that
b) (Romans 15:7) A..................................each other as you do with

each other
A.................... C....................... for....................
4. According to Galatians 5:20-21, what are the works of the flesh which are
oppose love?..............................................................................................
5. What should you do if you see any fault in your brother? (Mt 18:15)
6. Thessalonians 5:12-17 teaches us to

a) have regard to....................................................
b) living in peace ................................................... c) to admonish
d) encourage.............................................................
e) support .......................................................................
f) always be patient with.................................................
7. As the Lord forgives us, we must.....................................................

(Col 3:12-15).
8. What did Peter and John give to the crippled man? (Acts 3:1-8)
9. Cite 6 things our brother may need that you can give
him:............................ ………………………. ……………………….
10. What is the NEW COMMANDMENT OF JESUS? Jn.13:34)
11. How will they know that we are disciples of Jesus? (Jn. 13:34-35)

"HOW TO FOLLOW THE VOICE OF GOD".
GOAL: To make believers aware that God will guide them and explain to
them how to be docile to His call and how to distinguish when He is
leading them.
A.- ACTION OF GOD THAT GOES UNNOTICED BY US

We have seen through our life with the Lord that something has been
changing. In some, these changes are more noticeable than in others, and
this is due to the openness that each one is having to follow the voice of
the Pastor.
Jesus said: "I am the Good Shepherd and my sheep know my voice and
follow me". (Jn. 10:14).
However, as we look back on our personal encounter with Christ, each
one of us will undoubtedly find that God our Lord has directed our steps,
even without our realizing it, in many cases. We can call this the
UNADVERTED DIRECTION OF GOD.
This happens, because the Lord has offered to direct us, and we will see it
in Psalm 37:23 "The steps of man hang upon the LORD, they are firm,
and his way pleases him". In Psalm 32:8 "I will instruct you, I will show you
the way to go; my eyes are fixed on you, I will be your counselor.
Or in Romans 8:14 "Indeed, all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons
of God". And the most wonderful thing about our Heavenly Father is that
we are stubborn, foolish and reluctant to follow God's dictate, the path He
wants us to follow and yet His infinite love always helps us, as one of His
promises says in Isaiah 41:10 "Fear not, for I am with you; be not
dismayed, for I am your God. I have strengthened you and helped you,
and I have laid hold of you with my righteous right hand". Glory to the
Lord!
Our blindness and foolishness often cause us to "miss the target" and in
the Bible this missing of the target is called sin; Jesus does not want us to
miss and when the Holy Spirit comes in fullness to us, He becomes our

teacher, who will help us to follow the way of the Lord.
But the Lord wants us to consciously distinguish his voice and for that he
has left us his instructions.
Let us now see what is the Lord's way of acting. Just as a parent will try to
guide his child along the best path, God wants to guide us along a path
perfectly laid out for us.
B-WHERE TO START
Jesus taught his disciples many things to prepare them for the task he
was about to assign them; he taught them to pray, to understand the
scriptures and promised them the Holy Spirit who would guide them into
all truth. (Jn. 16:13).
The Holy Spirit guided Paul, as well as the other apostles, to transmit
God's Plan to us. As an example we see in Rom. 12:12-13, the steps to
follow to know God's will, and to allow ourselves to be led as his children.
In the first place we must know that it is possible to know the will of God,
and therefore his direction, and that it is necessary to renounce all other
forms of direction, for the Bible says in James 3:13-18 that we must
distinguish the wisdom of God and the earthly, carnal or devilish wisdom.
Col. 2:8 tells us that we must expressly renounce everything that does not
come from God.
One of the means that God uses to guide us is his work (2. Tim. 3:16)
God's will concerning many things is revealed in the Bible; the more we
become familiar with it, the more we will understand His will.
We can take the comparison made by Bob Munford in his book "Three
sure signs". Three lights lined up are the signal that ships entering a
certain bay in Italy require to be sure they are on the right track. We also
have three sure signs that lead us on God's path, and they are:
1 .- THE HOLY SPIRIT IN US
2 THE WORD OF GOD AND THE APOSTOLIC TRADITION, IN THE

LIGHT OF THE MAGISTERIUM OF THE CHURCH.
3 .- CIRCUMSTANCES.
THANK YOU SIR FOR

SHOW ME YOUR LIGHT

The inspiration of the Holy Spirit is the main form of guidance from the
Lord, since it will give us the inner testimony about the will of God,
sometimes by a word, a reading, a desire to do something or other with
the Lord and for Him. His action in us will be manifested through the
PEACE OF GOD. The Holy Spirit will leave deep impressions in our spirit
when God wants something special for us. But their inspirations will never
contradict the written word of God. He will guide us always *according to
this word. (Jn. 16:13 and 1 Cor. 2:11).
The word of God is our objective or external guide, since God will never
give an order or serial that goes against what is written in the Bible,
always in the light of the Magisterium of the Church, which interprets the
teachings of the Church according to the time, the special way of
speaking, etc. The authority of the Bible is "supported by the oath of God
upon himself. Jesus says: "Heaven and earth will pass away, but my word
will not pass away" (Lk. 21:33). The Bible, then, is one of the main
sources to guide our lives.
Circumstances . God will also guide us by common means, that is, by

circumstances: sometimes we will have several paths to choose from and
we should pray that the Lord will close the door through which we should
not enter. But to distinguish what God's will is in deciding, given the
circumstances that present themselves to us. He will give us peace
through the Holy Spirit and confirm it with His word.
We should not, however, let circumstances manage us, but always ask
God to change those circumstances according to His will, and trust that
He will act. Solomon said in Proverbs 3:5-7 "Trust in the LORD with all
your heart and lean not on your own understanding, acknowledge him in
all your ways and make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own
eyes, fear the LORD and turn away from evil."
We may ask then if this form of guidance by circumstances is not too

natural, and if it should not be more sensational and supernatural NO!
God is a God of order and therefore acts in a natural order, without this
meaning that He will not do so at times in a surprising way. Therefore, we

should seek the Lord's guidance in natural things and not wait for an angel
to appear so that we can obey.
There are times when these three signs are not enough and we must turn
to a priest for special guidance, for they have among their priestly
charisms, the special and sacramental discernment of spirits. In less
serious cases, a mature brother in the spirit will be able to help us
distinguish the Lord's direction for us.
Nor can we fail to mention that it is generally in personal prayer that we

receive direction from the Lord, for it is there that the Holy Spirit can speak
to us personally, it is there that we are in the attitude of hearing His voice.
C -IMPEDIMENTS TO RECEIVING THE LORD'S GUIDANCE

It is necessary that we analyze the possible impediments to receiving
God's guidance, and that we try to remove them from our lives.
1. SIN. By turning away from friendship with God, it prevents us from

understanding His direction. (1 Cor. 2:14)
2. EGOISM. It causes hardening of the heart. Mt. 16: 24
3. DISOBEDIENCE. It indicates pride or self-sufficiency. We must obey
willingly.
4. HYPOCRISY. Making a decision without having the remotest intention
of following God's will. Mt. 23:13
5. IMPACT. God has a time for everything in His perfect plan. Eq. 3: 9-11
6. PRIDE. Failure to recognize our faults. Jn: 3:30
D - GIFTS AND WONDERS

We are baptized in the Holy Spirit, we are active members of the Body of
Christ, and He will distribute His gifts, according to His will, and through
these gifts we will also receive guidance, for example by prophecy,
visions, discernment, etc. We must not forget that the Lord sometimes
works in an extraordinary way, by means of an angel, a dream, or by a
miracle, such as an instantaneous healing; but let us remember that all
this is subject to the Lord's will and that the Lord is the Lord's will. subject
to the will of the Lord and that what we must do is to follow Him, go His
way and seek and follow His will, asking Him for His gifts, but calmly,
seeking Him and not His gifts.
St. Paul said we are God's co-workers; we should not work for ourselves,
saying it is for the Lord, we should work with, for and in the Lord. Recall: 2
Cor. 5:20: "we are ambassadors for Christ". We have a mission to fulfill
and we will do it well as long as we are guided by the Lord, being docile,
to his call; distinguishing his will, aligning the signs of security, and we
must remember that it is always convenient to let ourselves be guided by
other spiritually mature brothers as José Ma. says. Escrivá in "The Way":
"It is convenient for you to know this sure doctrine: one's own spirit is a
bad counselor, a bad pilot to guide the soul in the barracks and storms,

among the pitfalls of the interior life. That is why it is God's will that the
direction of the ship be taken by a master, so that with his light and
knowledge he may lead us to a safe harbor".
MEMORIZE:
Jn. 10:14 Sant. 3:17 Ps. 37:23 Lk. 21:33.
TASK:
Review our lives to realize how the Lord has guided us and thank Him.
CHA LEMA:
WHEN HE COMES, THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH, HE WILL GUIDE YOU
INTO THE WHOLE TRUTH.

Answer each of the questions below and mark the correct answer. Locate in your
Bible the quotations given to you and underline each one of them preferably in
color - according to its theme - and write down in your notebook the quotations
that you consider important and that you want to study later on.
Memory verse: Proverbs 3:5-7 Sant. 1:5 Psalm 32:8
1 Luke 6:46, teaches that if you call Jesus your Lord and receive Him as your
Lord, then you can call Him your Lord.
Salvador you should: ()
a) go to church b) give to the poor c) do what He tells you On a regular basis
2 In 2a. Samuel 22:31 David says that the way of God is: ( )
a) Perfect b) rough c) easy
3 In John 16: 13 the Bible says that...................... and guide the

Christian ...................................
4 Have you read Acts 10:44-48, it talks about ........................................
5 Sometimes.................. closes a door or makes it impossible for us to act

Contrary to their wishes. (Acts. 16:6-10).
6 If you believe you receive an inspiration from the Holy Spirit, but it is against
the Magisterium of the Church, what would you do?
7 What are the characteristics of the wisdom that comes from above?
James 3:17 and 18 ............................................................
8 Will God guide you if you ask him? (Psalm 32:8) .................................
9 If it is God who guides you, He must not do it contrary to the: ( )

a) Humility b) reason c) Bible
10.- In trying to decide what it is appropriate for you to do as a believer, regarding

a) I Corinthians 10:31 b) specifically mentioned in the Bible, with the
Colossians 3:17 following questions:
c) I Thessalonians 5:22 ( ) May I do it in the name of Jesus?
d) Romans 14:13 ( ) is there nothing evil about it?
e) Colossians 1:10 ( ) Will it be for the glory of God?
( ) is it worthy of the Lord?
( ) Will it be a stumbling block for any brother?
signs that will give you the certainty that it is
11.- List the three
God who guides you and explains to your understanding in what way
they will do it.
1a. serial .......................................................................
2a. serial .................................................................
3a. signal ......................................................................
How do you think they will do it? ..............................................

BREAKING TIES
GOAL: To break the ties that bind them to material things, and as a
consequence, to participate in the work of the Lord.
A- GOD ABSOLUTE OWNER

When we look at the Universe around us, we can ask ourselves: why are
we here? (Gen 1:1). How did it start? When and why? Someday the Lord
will reveal it to us, but if man tries to find the solution by himself, he will be
faced with an indecipherable problem: it can only have one origin, which is
God.
We can see how marvelous Creation is, since what we now see did not
exist and by the power of His word, it was made. However, let's ask
ourselves a question: Whose is it? The only answer will be: GOD!
In the account found in Genesis 1:26-28, we see that God neither at that
time nor at any other time gave man possession as owner, but that man
was to be God's steward. The administrator was in charge of all his
employer's business and administered the entire estate. In other words,
we are stewards of God's Creation, the Bible guides us and gives us the
basis to exercise this stewardship that we owe to God.
The first case in which an offering is made to God is that of Abel (Gen 4:4)
and later that of Noah, in which his offering was "a sweet savor before
God" (Gen 8:20-21). Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek (Gen 14:18-20)
and although he was not commanded to do so, it implies that there was an
established law; Jacob acknowledged this when he said: "and of all that
thou shalt give me, I will set apart for thee a tithe" (Gen 28-22); with
Leviticus came the law and God established the tithe. (Lev. 27:30-32).
However, many will say that this was under the Mosaic law, and that we
are not under the law, but under grace and that the New Testament does
not emphasize tithing; but this may be because it is taken as a fact, as a
habit, so much so that the Bible says in Mt. 17:24, that Jesus paid tribute
to the temple, for the needs of the temple.
B - TITHING IN MEXICO
We are used to giving alms or offerings and our tithes are limited, in
Mexico, to giving one day's salary a year, but the Church has had to adopt
this emergency measure "because of the hardness of their hearts". This
hardness of heart may have, in part, its historical causes.
Before the Reform laws, all the faithful gave part of what they had: land,
animals, crops or fruits. After the internal war between the Church and the
State, the authorities prohibited the Church from owning property and

ordered that the faithful be exempted from giving tithes; but in several
places in our country the old customs are still preserved and they give part
of their property to the Parish Priest.
Some years ago, the Church began to want to establish the tithe again,
since it needed to subsist, and also wanted to teach the people that we
have the obligation to return to the Lord part of what He gives us. But now
it is no longer a TITHE but a small contribution from the faithful, according
to their economic resources.
The truth is that no one has taught us to give; we are accustomed to

receive, but we must remember the words of Jesus (Acts. 20:35) "It is
more happiness to give than to receive"; we do not know when Jesus said
it, but in fact it goes against the logic of our thinking, precisely because we
are accustomed to receive, to make the best of everything; but upon
analysis, someone will say: "For me receiving is good enough". But I say
to you: Is it better to be a benefactor or a beggar? Physician or patient? A
help or a burden? A curse or a blessing? In the light of Jesus' words, the
fact acquires a new dimension.
C.- TWO TYPES OF PERSONS

Let us see in John 12:3, Mary of Bethany, who gave Jesus the perfumed
ointment and upon her came the beatitude because she was a giver, and
on the other hand we see Judas Iscariot, who thought, what can I get from
Jesus? The human race is divided into DONORS and RECIPIENTS, into
Marias and Judas. The recipient usually complains that money is asked
for, but will never give or will give very little, assists to assert his rights, but
not for the benefit of the group; the donor is like the "smell of balm" to the
Lord. It seeks to advance the cause of Christ. The question is: Do we
belong to Christ in all things? Or are we Christ's in everything but our
money? And the Bible tells us that "where your treasure is, there will your
heart be" (Matt. 6:21).
Paul had many problems with the Corinthians, and so much so that in his
letters to them is where we see the doctrine of stewardship applied and he
told them: "Since you abound in faith, and in speech, and in knowledge,
and in all diligence, and in mutual love to us, that you also abound in
generosity". (2 Cor. 8:7), and it is that Paul knew the blessings that were

upon the one who gave to the Lord, and this has not changed; Christ with
all his love, teaches us not to lay up treasures on earth, but to invest and
lay up treasures in heaven (Mt. 6:19-21). We have seen that it is a grace
to give with joy, and the Lord confirms this by saying: "God loves a
cheerful giver" (2 Cor. 9:7).
Now, God does not need our offerings, but He tests us to know if we are
with Him or against Him, and we see that the man who does not tithe
STEALS FROM GOD; let us study a sin what God asks his people in
Malachi 3:8, and St. Paul in his letter to the Corinthians says: "Each one of
us in his own way, as much as he is able" EACH ONE! the tithe is not
global of the family, but of each member of it; and in 2 Cor. 9:6-7, Paul
says that he who sows sparingly will reap sparingly, and he who sows
bountifully will reap bountifully.
Each one will give as God has inspired in his heart, and in gratitude for the
prosperity that each one receives from God.
D -WE MUSTGIVE AS THE LORD ASKS US TO GIVE

According to this, we must be attentive to what the Lord asks of us, for to
some he may ask only 10%, to others 20%, to others "half of his goods"
as to Zacchaeus, and to others the totality of them, as to the rich young
man in the Gospel, who desired to be perfect. The essential thing is that
we do not become attached. to goods, but to know that they are God's, to
be ready to give as much as we can, secure in the loving care of God,
who will give us back a hundredfold. Jesus Christ tells us in Lk. 6:38,
"Give, and it shall be given unto you good measure, pressed down,
shaken together, and running over, shall they give into your bosom: for
with the same measure that ye mete, ye shall be measured." Ex. of the
shovel and spoon.
If we are going to decide to be part of the friends of Jesus, we are also

going to give ourselves with all that we have, remembering the rich young
man who, wanting to follow Jesus, could not give up his riches. in what we
have, but in how attached or detached we are from it, but let us not delude
ourselves by saying that we are not attached, without giving anything to
the Lord or giving very little, just what we surely have left over. Christ said
that it is not possible to follow Him and riches.
Synthesizing, we see that we owe the tithe to God and that by tithe we
must first understand what the Church asks of us as a commandment;
then, as much as we can give to the Lord "as He inspires us in our
hearts," which will not be precisely 10%, but even more, because offerings
and alms are separate.We should remember Malachi, "bring the whole
tithe into the treasure house, that there may be food in my house". Which
is the House of the Lord?

Brothers, the House of the Lord is our local Church or Parish, the place
where you are receiving God's blessings, your Community, the place
where, as his word says, we keep in common faith, hope, love. We know
also from the word, that the laborer of God is worthy of his wages and that
the work of the Lord must be extended; so that this is what the Lord
means when he says "that there be no lack of food in my House".
Therefore; the tithe should be given in the Parish but it is so little that, as
the Lord inspires us in our hearts, we should commit ourselves to support
the works of the Lord, especially those that are ours, especially our
Community, which can only exist because of what the Lord gives it
through each one of us.
We must clarify that the tithe is not to help a needy relative, nor for
personal works; this is voluntary, to whom, how and when, as the Lord
inspires us. The tithe is, as mentioned above, to be given to the parish.
Paul said, "not because I seek gifts, but because I am more interested that
you should earn interest on your account" (Phil. 4:17) and assured: "my
God will supply ALL that you lack, according to his riches in Christ
Jesus". (Phil. 4:19).
Brethren, to deny you the teaching of giving would be to sin against you,
for we have learned through experience that we do not need to protect the
purses of the people, you know how to do this, what we need is to help
them to open them for the glory of God and for their own good.
Let us not forget that in giving, we are not exempt from being accountable
for what we do not give, since we are stewards, and the Lord will one day
say to us as he did to the wicked steward (Lk. 16:8-9) "Give an account of
stewardship because you will no longer be able to be a steward."
Brethren, let us not waste our stewardship, let us use it for the honor and
glory of God our Lord.

MEMORIZE:
2a. Cor. 9: 6 and 7; Mt. 6: 19-21.
TASK: To get rid of something material.
QUOTE MOTTO: GIVE AND IT WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU. (Lk. 6:38).

1.- Is man the administrator of God's creation? YES NO
2.- In all the stories you will see below, the children of God carry their
offerings to God. Relate the quotations to the passages:
a) Genesis 4:4 ( ) Abraham pays tithes to Melchizedek.
b) Genesis 28:22 ( ) Jacob says "of all that you give, the Tenth part will
be set aside for you".
a) Leviticus 27:30-32 ( ) Abel, the first case of offering.
d) Genesis 8:20-21 ( ) Noah: his offering was as a "sweet savor before
d) Genesis 14:18-20 ( God".
) The law of tithing was established.
3 In Matthew 17:24 it says that Jesus:

a) did not comply because he was the Son of God
b) paid tithes
c) change in the law.
4 Jesus told us that more.................... is............. that................

(Acts. 20:35).
5 People like Mary of Bethany are the type of GIVERS (Jn. 12:3) to what kind of
people belong those who are like Judas Iscariot? They are of type R
..........................................................................S
6 What does Matthew 6:21 say? ()

a) that where your treasure is, there your heart will be.
b) that you give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's.
7 God says in (2a. Cor. 9:7) that He...................... at that...........
8 St. Paul says in 2a. of Cor. 9:6-7, that he who.................................. and the
one who..........................................................................................
9 Jesus Christ tells us in Luke 6:38 .....................................................
10 One of these quotations says that God will give you

Everything you need. ()
a) 2a. of Cor. 8:9
b) Philippians 5 4:19
c) James 4:17
11 The Church asks you to give one day's salary per year; have you done it?
YES NO
12 Are you willing to taste the blessings of giving a part of what you receive to
the Lord's work? YES NO When? ....................
13 Are you already sure that God will give you 100 times more than what you
have given Him, when you have learned to let go of material wealth? YES
NO Comment in your own words what you liked most about this class and

what you learned...........................................................

WITNESSES OF CHRIST
GOAL: To teach them how to be witnesses of Christ before the world and
how to bring new people to know and accept Him.
In the last class we saw that one of the ways to help the Lord's work is to
cooperate with the expenses that it requires. God does not only want your
financial participation, He asks you to give Him a part of your time for
prayer, as well as to use what He has given you and share your testimony
with those who do not yet know Him.
A- OUR MISSION AS CHRISTIANS

Before departing, Jesus gave his instructions to his disciples and left them
a great mission to fulfill: "Go into all the world and proclaim the good news
to all creation" (Mk. 16:15). Many of us relegate this responsibility of
spreading the words of Jesus to the Church, to the priests, to the
missionaries, etc., but this mission was not only to some, but to all those
who have known Him and who believe in Him.
Andrew gave testimony to Simon (Peter) who was his brother, telling him
that he had found Jesus who was the awaited Messiah; Philip spoke to
Nathaniel who was his friend; the Samaritan woman, who could not be
considered a disciple, with her testimony was an instrument for many to
come to Jesus.
Christ's plan for the total evangelization of the world would be simplified if
we were to think of winning for Christ the person closest to him, and that
when this person is reached, he would in turn win another person close to
him, and so on, like links forming a chain, until everyone knows Christ.
The most important testimony will not be with our words, but with our

works, since the transformation that Jesus is doing in us, will be for those
who have known us, the best proof of the power of a living God. (1a. Ped.
2.12). This form of witnessing is especially recommended by Peter to
wives whose husbands resist the Faith. Ped. 3:1-4). Thus, anyone, even if
he is not capable or perfect, who is living as Jesus is indicating and is
transforming himself into the image of his Creator, will be testifying of
Jesus, with his behavior, being like the good odor of Christ. (2a. Cor. 2:14-
17).
B.- WE ARE MESSENGERS

While it is true that people who know us will notice a change in us and this
will be the best preaching, there are other people around us who cannot
see those changes, who may need Christ much more, (e.g., the people
who know us will notice a change in us and this will be the best
preaching). letter carrier, milkman, classmate, classmates, bosses, etc.)
and we do not dare to talk to them about the Lord arguing that: I am not
worthy! I have no preparation! Experience required! I am afraid! What will
they say? and we leave that task to "perfect men". Let us think a little
about the first witnesses of the Lord: they were not perfect, some were
afraid, others had doubts, still others had no capacity or preparation
(schooling) to be evangelists, even more, they did not clearly understand
the message of Jesus, and yet they were all witnesses of the power of
God, once they received the Holy Spirit. Jesus had already promised
them: "You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you,
AND YOU SHALL BE MY WITNESSES in Jerusalem, and in Samaria,
and to the end of the earth" (Acts. 1:8). We have received this same
power when we were baptized and through the baptism in the Holy Spirit
we have become aware of this power that we have and we must begin to
use it.
It is very important to know that this power comes from God through us,
when we are willing to be His witnesses, when like Isaiah we say: "Here I
am Lord, send me" (Isa. 6:8). Jesus said: "Come after me and I will make
you fishers of men" (Matt. 4:19) and it is noteworthy that he only asked
them to follow him. The responsibility of making them Fishers of men
belonged to the Lord.
We must then prepare ourselves to be Christ's messengers (2a. Cor.

5:20) walking after Him.
C- WHAT SHOULD WE DO?

If we want to be the Lord's witnesses, we must take special care of our
prayer life, for it is through prayer that we will wait for the Lord's
instructions, and that He will lead us to the people He has already called.
When Moses said, "Lord, I beseech thee, remember that I have never had
facility to speak, even after thou hast spoken to me, for I cannot find the

words to express myself," he was acknowledging that he was not able to
carry any message, since he had no facility, but God answered him, "Who
has given man a mouth? Is it not I, go, for I will be in your mouth and tell
you what you shall speak", giving us to understand that the Lord will not
need our abilities, to be able to work through our mouth. (Ex 4:10) and
also in Jeremiah 1:6-9 we see that the Lord uses us as we are; knowing
this, let us trust that He will be the one to give us the indispensable words
for each person. We should aim, then, that the greatest number of per-
Monas that we deal with during the day do not move on without our having
spoken to them about Jesus. Maybe it will be to the cab driver, or it will be
in the truck or plane, maybe it will be to the shopkeeper, or to the
hairdresser; the maid or the maid will need a lot of these words, or it may
be the co-worker and why not? also the Chief will need to meet Jesus, the
teacher, the doctor, etc. How many other people pass in front of us every
day? and we can be an instrument to bring them closer to God! You are
already a witness of Jesus if you have received Him in your heart, and He
has baptized you in the Holy Spirit; think then, that although you do not
know much, you know enough so that another can reach where you have
reached, and you must know that: a) THE CENTER OF WITNESS IS
CHRIST. (2a. Cor. 4:5). b) THE REQUIREMENT to be a witness is to
have Him in us (1a. Jn. 5:11-12).
c) THE PURPOSE of witnessing is to lead unbelievers to meet (Ezekiel
36:8-9) Christ personally.
D. -BEING FISHERMEN
Perhaps the most difficult thing will be to know how to begin, how we can
approach a person and steer the conversation toward spiritual things
without offending them. We must learn to use natural opportunities such
as: objects, water, a rubber band, a cross, a book, a piece of news, etc.,
or a trade: carpenter, teacher, gardener, etc.
The main objective for now will be to find out as soon as possible your
spiritual position (cold believer, atheist, skeptic, etc.) and the easiest way
to find out will be to ask questions like for example:
1 Are you interested in spiritual things, or in the Bible, or in the things of
the Church, etc.?
2 Have you known Christ as your personal Savior? Or has he confessed
it with his mouth? o have you had a personal encounter with Christ?
3 If someone asked you what it means to be a Christian, what would you
answer? Or have you ever wondered why you can't live as a good
Christian?
If the person does not want to talk, or gets angry, or changes the subject,
perhaps it is not the right time or it is not God's will for them at that
moment. You must be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit. He is the
Lord of the harvest, give him the freedom to lead you to the place where
the harvest is ready; ask God to open the doors, if he wants you to speak
to a certain person.
Find out the common interests that you and the person may have and
then you can use your personal testimony to lead them to understand
what CHRIST DID FOR YOU; you can go deeper, as you see the person's
interest, and once they show a desire to know God's Plan, invite them to
give you 10 minutes to read the Bible (until then you have not shown
them).Once the person shows a desire to know God's Plan, invite them to
give you 10 minutes to read the Bible (until then you have not shown it to
them) and if they accept, you can use certain scriptures to explain the plan
of salvation. You will have to know them by heart, because some of them
you will not be able to read in your Bible (because you don't know or can't
read it) and you must be sure you know that this is the verse you are
trying to show him. Write down at the top of the page where the first
quotation is, the page number of the next one, so you can quickly move to
the next quotation without wasting a lot of time looking for the book and
chapter.
PRACTICAL E-TIPS
1. Try to talk alone with the person; being with others you may be afraid
to be sincere, because of teasing.
2. Do not use difficult words and theological phrases, simplicity is better.
3. Avoid foolish questions, which lead to nothing, such as:
What is the Church of truth?

Where did Cain's wife come from?
Where was God when he made the Earth? etc., etc.
4. Don't be afraid to say "I don't know" but don't hold back, talk about
what you do know" about what Jesus has done for you. Leading
questions are Satan's tricks.
5. Don't argue; if he wants nothing more than to argue, change the
subject.
6. Make sure he clearly understands how to accept Christ so that if he
doesn't do it right there and then, he can do it later alone.
7. Let the person be the primary stakeholder and do not force the
situation.
8. Don't be disappointed, you will learn even from your mistakes.
9. Make Christ stand out, not YOU, so that he does not admire you but
God.
10. It is necessary to practice, do it with your brothers or with your family,
modulate your voice, use the verses you have learned and TRUST IN
THE LORD.
TASK: Practice the witnessing plan and start looking for people to tell
about Christ.
MEMORIZE: The quotes from the testimony plan.
QUOTE MOTTO: GO INTO ALL THE WORLD AND PROCLAIM THE
GOOD NEWS TO ALL CREATION. (Mc. 16:15).
PLAN FOR USING THE BIBLE IN WITNESSING

1 .- Rom. 3:23 "For all have sinned, and all lack the glory of God. Explain
that sinning is a problem common to all of us, and that it is because of this
problem that we need Christ. Ask him: How many sins do you think it
takes to be a sinner? (while he answers you read on which page is the
next quote and look for the page).
2 .- Rom. 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is
eternal life". After he has finished reading it, point out what is the wages of
sin and explain to him that it is spiritual separation from the Lord and tell
him that God gives as a gift, eternal life, (a gift is a gift, something we
cannot earn) (Eph. 2:8-9) offer him your Bible and ask him what he has to
do to have that gift from you. You just have to accept it! (read again the
next verse page).
3 Acts 3:19 "Repent and be converted so that all your sins may be
blotted out. And so the Lord will cause times of relief to come." What does
it say we must do to receive eternal life? (Question) and explain that
repentance means to regret your sins and leave them. (look again for the
page of the following quotation).
4 John 1:12 "but to those who have received him and who believe in his
name he has given the power to become children of God". You can say
that he only needs to receive Him in order to be forgiven and accepted as
a child of God. Point out to him that it is not by doing something but by
receiving someone, Jesus, that we can become children of God. (quickly
look for the next page).
5 .- Ap. 3:20 "Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my
voice and opens the door, I will come in to his house and eat with him and
he with me". Make him realize that it is Jesus who is calling him and that
he must respond, so that Christ can then enter his life. Ask him if he is
willing to respond to Jesus' call. If he hesitates, make him reflect that it is
an opportunity he is refusing, that he is giving up a gift that God is giving
him. If he says "no", thank him for his sincerity and ask him to think it over
that night and let him. If you say yes, look for the following quote.
6 .- Rom. 10:9-10 "For if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord
and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be
saved". Ask him if he believes Jesus can forgive him and invite him to
pray with you to accept Jesus as Savior. If he accepts, invite him to close
his eyes and lead him to repeat with you a prayer of acceptance and
renunciation, and then have him thank God for having forgiven him and
because he is already his Savior, finish praying for him, and most of all
allow Christ to illuminate his life, allowing your faith to radiate the joy of
trust in God.
Before saying goodbye to him, invite him to attend an assembly or mass,

explain to him what it consists of and give him the address, time and day;
offer to pick him up or call him on the phone if he needs it. "Lend" him a
book such as: The Cross and the Dagger, Niky, At 9 a.m., or Catholic
Pentecostals, etc., or give him a booklet on the indwelling of the Holy
Spirit such as: The Four Spiritual Laws, The Holy Spirit, Prayer That
Moves Mountains. If the book they are given is not Catholic, tell them that
we are Catholics and that the same thing that has happened in that book
has happened among us.
Ask him if he has a Bible or New Testament and if not, offer him one.

WATCH AND BE VIGILANT
GOAL: To be always prepared for the coming of the Lord Jesus.
A.- Read the parable of the ten virgins. (Mt. 25:1) (Lk. 12:35-38)
The virgins represent all of humanity, awaiting our Bridegroom, Christ,

who has already come to save us, is constantly coming to our souls, and
will come again at the end of time. (Mt. 24).
B.- THE PROMISED MESSIAH

The Old Testament is filled with the hope of the coming of the Messiah.
Numerous prophecies announce it, and the life of the people of Israel can
be said to have been a continuous waiting for that Messiah, that Deliverer
who would bring the people out of slavery and servitude. That longing is
fulfilled with the birth of Jesus and it can be said that the life of our Savior
was already described by the prophets.
In Micah 5:1 it is announced that he would be born in Bethlehem; in Isaiah

7:14, that his mother would be a virgin. His passion, death and
resurrection are announced in Isaiah 53:3-12. There are many, many
other prophecies (about 300) that were fulfilled in the life of Jesus.
But the Jewish people were waiting for a Messiah who would institute a
Real and Visible Kingdom, a warrior who through battles and wars would
deliver them from their enemies. That is why they could not understand
the message of liberation and love of Jesus, and are still waiting for their
Messiah, while we Gentiles have received the message and know that the
Kingdom of Christ, Kingdom of Truth, Peace and Love, is already among
us. (Lk. 17:20-21).
C.-THE SECOND COMING OF CHRIST

In addition to announcing the birth of Jesus, the Old Testament is also full
of prophecies about the second coming of Christ. Ahem. Joel 3:1-5.
During his public life, Jesus spoke several times of that his 2nd. The
coming, and indicated several signs that would accompany it, as we can
read in St. Matthew, in the eschatological discourse of Jesus. (You can
read this at home, as it is very long). He recommended us to be vigilant,
prepared and alert, (Mat. 24:42-44), for we do not know when he will
come. It indicates that there will be a prize for those who are waiting for it.
(Mt. 24:45-51). It also teaches us what are the motives of reward and
punishment, which can be centered on being charitable or not being
charitable (Mt. 25:31-45).
This second coming of Jesus should fill us with joy, we should be

impatient and expectant, putting all our efforts-20 to anticipate it: praying,
preaching the Gospel to every creature, etc.
But we must also remember that: "but of that day and hour, no one knows
anything, neither the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father,"
(Mt. 24:36), i.e., that even if all the signs are fulfilled, including the promise
of the conversion of all the people of Israel, we cannot conclude that
immediately afterwards the Lord will come.
D.- THE COMING OF CHRIST FOR EACH OF US

What we can be sure of is that Christ will come to gather each one of us
and take us to His Heavenly Kingdom. That hour, the hour of our death,
may be at this very moment, in a month, in a few years, but it will be soon.
We must be prepared at all times for that moment which will be definitive
and which we must await without fear or anxiety, because our death will
be an encounter with Jesus.
But besides that moment of death, CHRIST comes to our soul at all times,
in every instant, when we are alert.
He comes to us in Body and Soul in the Eucharist, every God if we so

desire. Through his Spirit, he comes when we call upon him, in prayer,
when we are gathered in his name (Mt. 18:19-20), when we make an
intense act of love for Him, of Faith, of any virtue. Every Christmas is a
new birth, as the Church says in her Liturgy.
And even if we already have him, if we are faithful to his inspirations,

every moment we can have him in a new way, and each coming of his
must be a renewal of divine life in us: the Father sends us the Son, and
the Father and the Sons send us the Holy Spirit.
E.- WATCH AND BE VIGILANT

For this constant coming of Jesus, of God to us, we must be alert and
vigilant, like the wise virgins, with the oil of love always burning. We must
not miss any opportunity to call upon him, to accept him, to open wide the
doors of our hearts to him. |COME! This is the word of love, the word of
those of us who are in exile and long for the eternal homeland. And if we
are constantly attentive to receive Jesus at all times, we will be ready to
receive Him if at any moment He comes to us in that second coming in
glorious Body and Soul. (Acts. 1:10-11).

WORKING FOR THE
IN FAVOR OF OUR
NEIGHBOR
We have already seen in the Parable of the Virgins (Mt. 25:1), how Jesus
himself tells us that we must ALWAYS BE AWAKE to wait for him; in the
following parable, that of the Talents (Mt. 25:14), teaches us to remain
WORKING and using the talents that God has not given us. In the parable
of the Last Judgment (Mt. 25:31) makes it clear to us among whom we are
to work, that is to say that what we do to our neighbor is like doing it to
Himself, and what we fail to do to our brother is to fail to do to Him. Let us
understand, according to the above, that our attitude of waiting for the
Lord must be filled with these three teachings:
1) TO BE AWAKE.
2) WORKING FOR THE LORD.
3) IN FAVOR OF OUR NEIGHBOR.
At the end of this Course, let these words remain engraved in us: "THE
SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE (the Church, bride of Christ, or our souls, brides
of Christ) SAY COME! And he who hears, say "COME! And whosoever
thirsts, let him come near, and whosoever desires, let him receive the
water of life freely" (Revelation 22:17). Let us draw near to Christ, let us
receive the water of life that he offers us freely, and let us always call
upon him. Maran Atha, the Lord is coming. COME LORD JESUS!
QUOTE MOTTO: THE GOD OF ALL GRACE HAS CALLED YOU TO

SHARE WITH CHRIST IN HIS ETERNAL GLORY.

COMMUNITY OF SAN JUAN BAUTISTA
SHEEP CONTROL
COURSE ___________________________________
DIA_________________________INITIATION DATE_______________________
TIME _______________________
COORDINATOR___________________________
SHEPHERD_____________________________________________________
1. Name:__________________ ______________Sex: ______ __Age:__________

Address: _______________ ______________Est. Civilian:
Col. and Z.P.: ___________ ______________No.
Phone: ________________ Children: _ ____Religion: __ _______________
Schooling: ______________ ______________Occupation:
2. Name:__________________ ______________Sex: ______ __Age:__________

Col. and Z.P.: ___________ ______________No.
3. Name:__________________ ______________Sex: ______ __Age:__________

Col. and Z.P.: ___________ ______________No.
4. Name:__________________ ______________Sex: ______ __Age:__________

Col. and Z.P.: ___________ ______________No.
5. Name:__________________ ______________Sex: ______ __Age:__________

Col. and Z.P.: ___________ ______________No. _______________
Phone: ________________ Children: _ ____Religion: __
6. Name:__________________ ______________Sex: ______ __Age:__________

Address: _______________ ______________Est.Civil: _
Col. and Z.P.: ___________ ______________No.
7. Name:__________________ ______________Sex: ______ __Age:__________

Col. and Z.P.: ___________ ______________No. _______________
Phone: ________________ Children: _ ____Religion: __

GROWTH 1 and 2

Transféré par

Informations du document

Description originale:

Copyright

Formats disponibles

Partager ce document

Partager ou intégrer le document

Options de partage

Avez-vous trouvé ce document utile ?

Ce contenu est-il inapproprié ?

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

GROWTH 1 and 2

Transféré par

Droits d'auteur :

Formats disponibles

CATHOLIC CHARISMATIC RENEWAL IN THE

"-A Quatomale, July 4, 1975.

Ne do do it work entitled the jyiww rim rt-neral .del.curno.

Spirit follow these courses for the reciecism of yld* E ZL ESrMIT. A, Va

Artoblopal Delegate and Auxiliary Bishop

Document digitized electronically to report syntax and spelling errors to greccco@gmail.com.

Salvador García, O.F.M. Pastor of San Juan Bautista. Coyoacán, Mexico.

Document digitized electronically to report syntax and spelling errors to greccco@gmail.com.

Mexico, D. F., July 5, 1975.

Document digitized electronically to report syntax and spelling errors to greccco@gmail.com.

Document digitized electronically to report syntax and spelling errors to greccco@gmail.com.

Document digitized electronically to report syntax and spelling errors to greccco@gmail.com.

Document digitized electronically to report syntax and spelling errors to greccco@gmail.com.

Document digitized electronically to report syntax and spelling errors to greccco@gmail.com.

10th week................. LIVING AND SHARING

3, -Each class is aimed at achieving certain things, so it consists of:

THEORETICAL TEACHING: This includes the teachings, readings,

PRACTICAL TEACHING: For this, we have a questionnaire by means of

CLASS EXTRA TASK

Document digitized electronically to report syntax and spelling errors to greccco@gmail.com.

Document digitized electronically to report syntax and spelling errors to greccco@gmail.com.

Classes will have a maximum duration of 45 min. And the Assistant

If this is not possible, the groups should be selected, preferably by sex

When it is a week corresponding to SHARING AND COEXISTING the

Document digitized electronically to report syntax and spelling errors to greccco@gmail.com.

E) DURATION. VARATIONS, COMMENTS

SAN JUAN GROUPS AND ISAAC GROUPS

NOTE. The names of the groups may be different in each Community,

Document digitized electronically to report syntax and spelling errors to greccco@gmail.com.

2. - "GOD WILL HELP YOU". Make them feel God's protection as

3. - "THE FIGHT BEGINS". Show them what is still wrong with

4. -THE SPIRITUAL MAN" To decide them to follow Christ,

Show the need and power of

6. -HOW TO TALK TO OUR Learn and practice different

7. - "TEMPTATION". Show them some of the methods

Document digitized electronically to report syntax and spelling errors to greccco@gmail.com.

2. - "FRIENDSHIP WITH THE The need for community and love of

3. - "THE ENEMIES OF THE To show which are the factors of

4. -HOW TO DEMONSTRATE OUR - The way in which our works, TRO

6._ "BREAKING TIES". Teach the newly baptized to

7. - "WITNESSES OF CHRIST". To be always prepared for the

The CONVIVIALS AND SHARING will be conducted by the leader,

Document digitized electronically to report syntax and spelling errors to greccco@gmail.com.

WITHIN THE CLASSROOM:

a) Encourage, pray, be cheerful, be kind, be solicitous, etc.

OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM:

a) Contact those who were absent and make up the class.

The requirements that pastors must fulfill are:

Document digitized electronically to report syntax and spelling errors to greccco@gmail.com.

b) CAPACITY. - Aptitude to guide people, gift of convincing.

c) COMMITMENT. -Committed to the Community, to renewal and to the

d) DEDICATION. -With time dedicated to shepherding, with a desire to

e) DELIVERANCE, -No problems, no strings, no prejudices. Having

f) OSADIA. -To be willing to face any kind of problems, not to be afraid of

Document digitized electronically to report syntax and spelling errors to greccco@gmail.com.

In teaching: Teacher, Catechist, Helper, Shepherd, Elder Brother,

In some communities it is customary that the Course Coordinator and his

In other communities where there is a shortage of servers because they

Another problem has been the nomenclature of the citations, some

Zech 8:16-17 Zech 8:16-17 Zech 8:16-17 Zech 8:16-17

It is suggested to print the questionnaires in letter size sheets and provide

Sample programs to facilitate course control and a final interview are

Document digitized electronically to report syntax and spelling errors to greccco@gmail.com.