Over dinner or in a group setting, we hope that these lessons may rekindle, inspire, or help you in your personal or group Bible study and quest of knowing God.

Print Study Lessons

Why Study the Bible?

1. Sanctify One's Mind (see lesson | print lesson). All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness (2 Tim 3:16). But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God (2 Pet 1:20-21).

2. Requirements of a Priest (see lesson | print lesson). When one becomes a new Believer, few are taught how to read and study the Bible. There are many books and Internet resources on this subject; to learn more, look into the subject of biblical hermeneutics.

Understanding the Bible's Framework

1. The Abrahamic Covenant (see lesson | print lesson). While the Bible is a record of man's relationship with God, God is the main subject of the Bible. This becomes apparent after one understands what God's divine covenants are and the framework they establish for the biblical record of God's interaction with humanity. The Abrahamic Covenant is introduced in Genesis and is completely fulfilled in Revelation.

2. The Mosaic Covenant (see lesson | print lesson). Around 1450 B.C., 430 years after making His covenant with Abraham, God makes a covenant with the nation of Israel and establishes the Law (Gal 3:16-17). Because the nation of Israel feared the voice of God, they asked Moses to intercede; hence, the covenant became known as the Mosaic Covenant, and they committed to being obedient to God's commandments before they were informed of its stipulations!

3. The Land Covenant (see lesson | print lesson). This Covenant was known by several names: a) the Land Covenant for its promises regarding the inheritance of land, b) the Palestinian Covenant for the location of where the covenant was made (the plains of Moab), and c) the Deuteronomy Covenant for the location of where the covenant is found in the Bible. The Land Covenant is distinctly different from the Mosaic Covenant for two reasons: 1) it was made 40 years after the Mosaic Covenant, and 2) it was made in Moab (instead of Horeb also known as Mt. Sinai; Deut 29:1).

4. The Davidic (King) Covenant (see lesson | print lesson). Besides Abraham, whom God lauded for his faith, God made a personal promise to David who He found to be "a man after My heart, who will do all My will" (Acts 13:22). Both Abraham and David would be the only human beings who would share a faith approaching that of Jesus Christ (John 6:38) as a man after God’s heart who will do ALL of God’s will.

5. The New Covenant (see lesson | print lesson). By 600 B.C., through unending unfaithfulness and covenant infidelity, the nation of Israel (now split into Northern and Southern Kingdoms) was reckoned to have irretrievably broken the Mosaic Covenant; they were to be expelled from the Land. With Nebuchadnezzar's destruction of the Temple and unable to make atonement, how will God's people ever possess their inheritance of the Promised Land?

6. Judges – Why Does God Want Us to Know This History? (see lesson | print lesson) The book of Judges portrays the constant human struggle for prosperity and security. On the surface, the historical narrative of Judges suggest that "might is right." But beneath is the subtext of God's judgment of His people's behavior of obedience or disobedience, all in the effort to teach His people how to be holy as He is holy.

7. Ruth - Why Does God Want Us to Know This History? (see lesson | print lesson) Occurring during the period of Judges, the historical narrative of Ruth is a sharp contrast; a Gentile who lives by faith.

8. 1-2 Kings - Why Does God Want Us to Know This History? (see lesson | print lesson) The historical narrative of 1 and 2 Kings offers many examples of how a Believer should live or not live, and how God views such behavior. But leaders of God's people have a bigger role in God's plan, which is a lesson for us all, and one we should all take seriously.

The Holiness of God

1. Separated from the Profane (see lesson | print lesson). The God of the Bible is unique among all other gods. He is alive and through historical events, demonstrates that He truly exists, which separates Him from all other gods. He pre-existed before time and is timeless, which separates Him from all of Creation.

2. Agapē (see lesson | print lesson). The Bible is the only religious book that places a focus on love, a type of love that surpasses human comprehension. What god(s) of any religion would send their only son to die for the sins of mankind? Only the Bible presents the means of salvation as a work of God (John 6:29) and only achievable through the simple and genuine belief Jesus is a real Being who died for our sins and engenders a trust in His words.

3. The Kingdom of God (see lesson | print lesson). The phrase "kingdom of God" is not found in the Old Testament, and the earliest example of the title king being used of God is in the 8th century B.C., "… For my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of host" (Isa 6:5). This, in part, contributes to the mystery of the kingdom of God…(Deut 29:29)

4. Judgment (see lesson | print lesson). With a few Hebrew terms, the meaning of "judgment" is with the sense "to rule or govern" with the authority "to punish, vindicate and obtain justice." Divine judgment is the work of God, because it is the consequence of one's sin evaluated against God's holy nature and moral standard. It is absolute, exact and just, and a reflection of the sovereignty of God's plan. And there is one striking aspect of God's judgment that makes Him so unique.

The Lovingkindness of God

1. His Promises (see lesson | print lesson). Arising from His compassionate and gracious character, God exhibits lovingkindness and truth, which God mentions often as a pair. The pairing is significant, because it is repeated elsewhere (Gen 24:27; 2 Sam 2:6; Ps 25:10; 26:3; 40:10-11; 57:3, 10; 61:7; 85:10; 86:15; 89:14; 108:4; 117:2; 138:2; Prov 16:6). Additionally God uses the phrase "lovingkindness for thousands" elsewhere (Ex 20:6; Deut 5:10) and a prophet repeats it as well (Jer 32:18).

2. Provision of His Son (see lesson | print lesson). Through the Mosaic Covenant, God prescribed a certain judicial process for the atonement of sin so that His wrath of judgment can be satisfied (expiation and propitiation). While the Mosaic Covenant was broken by the infidelity of its human covenant keepers, God provides the New Covenant "for the sake of My name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations" (Ezek 20:14), which, revealed later, is through a mediator that God Himself provides.

3. Fulfillment of His Promises (see lesson | print lesson). While some aspects of divine covenants have been fulfilled (i.e. Gen 22:15-18; Deut 18:15-19; John 5:45-47) and can be evaluated historically for their truthfulness (i.e. Gen 15:13, see the articles "Statue of an Asiatic Man from the Tell El-Dab^ca, Egypt (R. Schiestl)" and "The Canal of Joseph"), what about those that have not been fulfilled? Do eschatological prophecies contradict the promises of God's divine covenants?

Understanding Accountability

1. Sin (see lesson | print lesson). Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned (Rom 5:12). What is sin and how is this related to temptation?

2. Faith (see lesson | print lesson). When encountering significant biblical terms, it is recommended that you seek to understand the underlying Hebrew / Greek term to develop an understanding that God intended. An example web tool that can help is BlueLetterBible.org where you: 1) enter your book and chapter of interest, 2) click "tools" next to the verse of study, 3) click "Strong's" to see the Hebrew / Greek meaning and uses of the term in question.

3. Repentance and Forgiveness (see lesson | print lesson). What is it about repentance and forgiveness that causes one to question one's credibility? Have you ever noticed that, in God's word, repentance is emphasized with non-Believers in view and forgiveness is emphasized with Believers in view???

4. Full of the Spirit (see lesson | print lesson). Progressively becoming more Christ like is the essence of sanctification (2 Cor 3:17-18), and the Holy Spirit plays an essential role. As the author of God's word (2 Tim 3:16-17; 2 Pet 1:20-21), the Holy Spirit provides the means of sanctification through the study of the Bible (Matt 4:4; John 8:31-32; 15:3-5; 17:14-17), and through the community of Believers (1 Cor 12:12-13; Eph 4:4-7, 11-16).

5. Service (see lesson | print lesson). If the process of sanctifying oneself is simply a code of ethics, Christian ethics would not be any different from any other religious or philosophical ethics. Because God demands that we be holy because He is holy, Christian ethics places a demand for holiness. An ethic is not good simply for its goodness; it is good, because it makes one holy. To sanctify oneself is to live by an ethic demanded by God; it is a life lived recognizing the privilege of being a child of God and the grace by which that privilege is extended.