SECTION ONE
A Practical Understanding of Bible Truth
Index to Life-Situations and Index to Special Helps, Volume 1

SECTION TWO
An Improvement in Self Concept
Index to Life-Situations and Index to Special Helps, Volume 2

SECTION THREE
An Improvement in Mental Attitude
Index to Life-Situations and Index to Special Helps, Volume 3

SECTION FOUR
Life-Situation Management
Index to Life-Situations and Indexes to Special Helps, Volume 4

SUBJECT INDEX


INTRODUCTION

As you have probably noticed from the “Contents,” this manual is divided into four sections. Each section considers issues that are vitally important to training Christians to be Caring Friends. The four Sections suggest one hundred examples of human distress (abbreviated LS for Life-Situation) and explain how the Caring Friend may use what he
knows to be helpful. Reference is made to pages in each Volume where a similar life situation was suggested. The Four Sections also provide thirty-one Special Helps (abbreviated SH) which provide information not included in the four volumes.

We are speaking of being more than good friends, we are speaking of becoming Caring Christian Friends who have developed a measure of understanding of the difference between phileo and agape love. C. C. F’s. want to be used of God to the limit of their ability in helping people who are in distress. The training they receive gives them a significant measure of usefulness, and when they realize that a person needs a medical doctor, a professional counselor, or a psychiatrist, they make the recommendation and try to help him find someone among the available professionals in the area who can help. This is an effort designed not only to help Christians fulfill their calling and exercise their gifts, but, functioning as a part of the Body of Christ, they can be very helpful to the pastor, to the church leadership in developing godly love among the church body, and to be a positive influence for Christ in the community.

Each Section contains fourteen Studies. It is suggested that a group only take one study per week. The fourteenth study consists of a presentation by each class member of a biographical sketch summarizing some of what he has learned during the past thirteen weeks that he felt would be useful as a Caring Christian Friend. The student derives this information from a journal he has kept of his activities and experiences during the Section. The theme of each autobiography should be “Changes in my thinking and feeling I have experienced during these studies.” The paper should be read before the group so that all can benefit and praise God for what He has done.

Also, at the close of the fourteenth session a diploma should be presented to each participant who has met the requirements established by the church or the committee in charge of this second phase of training. As this program progresses, those receiving diplomas should receive recognition before the church body for each Section. The pastor can guide certain distressed persons who are seeking help to one of the Caring Friends
who might be helpful. He then can guide the process vicariously, if he chooses. Confidentiality will be preserved and all will benefit.

At the conclusion of each Section is an index that should guide one quickly to help when needed for certain types of Life-Situations covered in that Section. This also indexes Special Helps presented in that Section. At the conclusion to the last section of this Manual is a Subject Index to all Life-Situations and Special Helps covered in all Four Sections.

I have divided total human need into four quadrants. Each quadrant is researched in the Bible. Each volume of “Become the Person God Meant You to Be” represents one of those quadrants.

SECTION ONE prepares a Caring Friend to be helpful to persons who have insufficient knowledge of biblical truth, or has been misinformed. Volume 1 is now a reference textbook. The group studying this material will need to review the textbook carefully and think of themselves tackling the suggested Life-Situations. In this way, they can learn from each other and help each other to understand certain concepts that are not clear. This makes Volume I a resource book in helping others.

SECTION TWO prepares a Caring Friend to be helpful to persons lacking in an adequate self-concept. The Bible presents a resource for an adequate self-concept. Volume 2 is the reference textbook. Frequently people receive Christ as their Savior and do not realize that their concept of themselves can and should be radically changed now that they have become a child of God. They need to be introduced to a new sense of their
own identity.

SECTION THREE prepares a Caring Friend to be helpful to persons with a negative or a pseudo-positive mental attitude. Mental attitudes are developed by the way we habitually react emotionally to various types of life situations. Volume 3 is the reference textbook. Often people are trapped in a negative mental attitude and do not realize that there is a better way to think and to live. To change is hard work, but it is certainly worth the effort, but we need examples and support.

SECTION FOUR prepares a Caring Friend to be helpful to persons who need guidance in the management of life situations. God’s way of coping with problems and hardships is very different, and often opposite, to the way we naturally try to cope with difficult circumstances. Christians who follow their Lord interpret their circumstances very differently from the non-Christians, and they must obey biblical instruction if they are going to grow spiritually by their experiences. Volume 4 is the reference textbook. This Manual presents 25 Life-Situations in each Section, and suggests pages that might assist in helping the person with such a situation. Also the Manual presents a total of 31 SPECIAL HELPS, which is instruction beyond the scope of the four volumes.. Each person who has completed the work should receive a diploma acknowledging the achievement granting him/her the authority to be a “Caring Christian Friend” to someone with the problem-theme of that Section. Thus the church that has assumed the responsibility to help them in their preparation to be a “Caring Christian Friend” and is authorizing them to work in a certain ministry. As a result, the church is obligating itself to pray for those it authorizes the same as if they were validating certain persons to be missionaries.