The interesting thing about what you see on these two pages is that in essence, they are the same thing. Both of these pages have flour, eggs, salt, butter, sugar, vanilla extract and chocolate chips on them. In a sense, they both contain the exact same things. The only difference between them is that someone who knew how to bake, someone who could see past the individual ingredients, took all of them seen on page 1 and put them together in the right combination to make a what you see above.

Another question for you is this: Which of these would you rather have? If I were to tell you that you could have your choice between what was on either of these pages, you could take home what’s on page 1 or you could take home what is on page 2, which would you choose?

My guess is most of you would prefer to have the already baked treat because, well. . . simply because all of the work has already been done for you. You don’t have to know how to bake to enjoy this one, and you don’t have to put in any effort to eat this one, and you don’t have to wait around to eat this one. This one is ready… right now! And so most of us would prefer this one. Now, there are probably a handful of you who absolutely love to bake, who would prefer to take home the ingredients and make this for yourself! But my guess is the majority of us would not have any interest in taking these ingredients home tonight. If you are like me, that just seems like a lot of work, and I don’t really know how to bake very well, and if you gave me the option, I am more likely to just stop at Leach’s Bakery on the way home, because I’m not skilled at baking and that just seems easier.

The reason we are talking about this is because I think that most of us tend to treat the Bible the same way we treat these two pages. If someone else is willing to go though all of the effort and work to put something together for you, well. . . then you might be interested. But if it comes down to just you and the raw ingredients of the Bible, well…that’s not quite as appealing to you. It might be because you feel inadequate or maybe you simply don’t want to put in the work. In the same way, I feel inadequate when it comes to baking, maybe you feel inadequate when it comes to understanding the Bible. Maybe you don’t use it more because you feel you don’t have the skills to do so.

And so each and every week, you show up to church to get an already created lesson from the Bible. Throughout the week, behind the scenes, Pastor Dan or someone else on staff is putting in the work that is necessary to go from the 1st page to the 2nd page. They read over the passage multiple times, they study it, they learn key things about it and determine the major themes of the passage and think through how that passage applies to someone living in 2024. After all of that work, you just show up here on Sunday and you get to eat an already created delicious meal.

On many levels, that is a really good thing. The scriptures teach us that we should always do that, that churches should have leaders, that we should sit under the teaching and authority of those who have been trained and entrusted by God to lead. All of those things are good.

But at the same time… as you grow in your faith… you should also be able to feed yourself. If the only time you are excited about the Bible is if somebody else is ‘baking’, then that’s a problem. If the only time you study the Bible is when someone else has prepared it, then something is wrong. Eventually, as a follower of Christ, you should be able to feed yourself. If a toddler needs someone to spoon feed them mashed carrots, that’s normal. But if you are still doing that when you are a teenager, then something has gone seriously wrong in your developmental process. The same is true spiritually.

On Day 1 of being a Christian you might not have the slightest clue how to use or study this book, and that is fine. But eventually . . . you should be able to randomly pick a book of the Bible, start reading through it, and have the skills to both understand it, and to apply it to your life.

Now you might not understand every passage in here, and your ’baking’ might not taste as good as Pastor Dan’s baking, and that is fine. But at the end of the day, if you have been following Christ for more than a few years, you should have the ability to sit in your dorm room or living room, open this book up, and have a general understanding of what it is that God is calling you to.

Over the course of the next ten weeks, we are going to suggest some principles on how to start from scratch. Our goal of this study guide is to teach you how to start from scratch, biblically. How to go from the raw ingredients of a text written 2000 years ago, to a clear understanding and application of how that applies today.

On many levels, that is a really good thing. The scriptures teach us that we should always do that, that churches should have leaders, that we should sit under the teaching and authority of those who have been trained and entrusted by God to lead. All of those things are good.

But at the same time… as you grow in your faith… you should also be able to feed yourself. If the only time you are excited about the Bible is if somebody else is ‘baking’, then that’s a problem. If the only time you study the Bible is when someone else has prepared it, then something is wrong. Eventually, as a follower of Christ, you should be able to feed yourself. If a toddler needs someone to spoon feed them mashed carrots, that’s normal. But if you are still doing that when you are a teenager, then something has gone seriously wrong in your developmental process. The same is true spiritually.

On Day 1 of being a Christian you might not have the slightest clue how to use or study this book, and that is fine. But eventually . . . you should be able to randomly pick a book of the Bible, start reading through it, and have the skills to both understand it, and to apply it to your life.

Now you might not understand every passage in here, and your ’baking’ might not taste as good as Pastor Dan’s baking, and that is fine. But at the end of the day, if you have been following Christ for more than a few years, you should have the ability to sit in your dorm room or living room, open this book up, and have a general understanding of what it is that God is calling you to.

Over the course of the next ten weeks, we are going to suggest some principles on how to start from scratch. Our goal of this study guide is to teach you how to start from scratch, biblically. How to go from the raw ingredients of a text written 2000 years ago, to a clear understanding and application of how that applies today.

Each week, you will see the following:

READ: There will be suggestions to read in various versions of the Bible. A great way to access these different versions is through the YouVersion App where you have access to many different versions of the Bible at your fingertips.

WATCH: There are various videos linking to E4 Studies from Grace, or the Bible Project.

MEMORIZE: If you struggle to memorize, write the verse out on a notecard and tape it to your bathroom mirror where you will see it every morning. Put another one on your table where you sit down for your meals and read over it before every meal. Have a friendly competition with friends or family members. If you don’t have a Bible of your own or your Bible is older or a different version than what we use at Grace, please feel free to take one from the auditorium. It’s our gift to you!

Read

1 John, chapters 1-5 in the NIV (New International Version)

Watch

How to Study the Bible – E4 study – Introduction

Memorize

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Jesus was hard on the religious leaders and teachers of the day. They knew a lot of information about God, or so they thought, but it never produced transformation. In this passage, Jesus challenges them as to whether their pursuits are rightly guided. He is making them aware that there is a difference in knowing about Jesus and knowing Jesus. He is also letting them know that the Bible is from God, about Jesus, and for me.

Read John 5:31-47

Q: Is it possible to read the Bible, know the Bible, and study the Bible and still miss the whole point of the Bible? What do you think?

Q: If you don’t read the Bible through a lens that looks for Jesus, it will either crush you with guilt or make you like a Pharisee. What do you think?

Q: What did the religious teachers know about Jesus?

Q: How do we safeguard our lives to keep us from knowing about Jesus, but not knowing Him?

Q: The Bible is from God, about Jesus, and for me. How can I better read the Bible while looking for Jesus?

Read 2 Timothy 3:14-17

Q: What does this passage tell us about the Word of God?

Q: How is the Word of God used in the life of a believer?

Q: The Bible gives us the knowledge of salvation (v15). What is a verse that you or someone you know has used to explain salvation?

Q: The Bible helps us understand God’s character and attributes (v16). What are some of God’s characteristics that we clearly see in scripture?

Q: The Bible helps me to navigate my life (vs. 16)! What are some moral or directional principles that the Bible gives us for our life?

Q: The Bible sometimes rebukes me and corrects me( v16). A rebuke shows me where I am heading in the wrong direction, shows me when I am not following Jesus and the heart of God. Correction helps me know how to get back on track. How has the Bible rebuked and corrected you?

Q: We study the Bible to be effective (vs. 17). Is the Word of God making you a more effective follower of Jesus?

Read

1 John, chapters 1-5 in the NLT (New Living Translation)

Watch

What is the Bible?

Memorize

John 5:39-40 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

The How to Read the Bible series, from the Bible Project, walks through each literary style found in the Bible and how each uniquely contributes to the overall whole. While the Bible is one unified story, it cannot all be read in the same way as each literary style lives by its own rules and structure; this we will explore in detail in each video.

The Bible can be broken into several categories of writing. Approximately 43% of the Bible is made up of narrative, from historical narrative to parables. Roughly 33% of the Bible is poetry, including songs; reflective poetry; and passionate, politically resistant poetry of the prophets. The remaining 24% of the Bible is prose discourse, including laws, sermons, letters, and even one essay.

The Bible is an ancient Jewish collection of sacred literature made up of many different literary styles. Each biblical book uses, to a varying degree, a combination of all the literary styles to make its unique contribution to the story of the Bible.

This series should help you understand what the Bible is and the story it tells. But, perhaps even more importantly, it will teach you how to read it for yourself in light of the various literary styles that make each section of the Bible unique in its own way.

By the end of this series, you will be familiar with every part of the Bible and how it uses language to communicate who God is, who we are, and the big, redemptive story that we are all living

– Taken from the Bible Project overview of their How to Read the Bible Series

Read 1 Peter 2:2-3

Q: What’s the purpose of the Bible?

Q: Are you craving the word of God? How can you develop a greater sense of craving?

Read

1 John, chapters 1-5 in the ESV (English Standard Version)

Watch

How to Study the Bible, Session 2: Observation Watch both videos: Study of the Bible and How to Study 2

Memorize

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Hermeneutics is the philosophy and methodology of text interpretation. Now I don’t really care if you remember that word or not, but what you do need to understand is that there is actually a science and a process of how to properly interpret something. Whether that’s a biblical text or any other writing, there are certain rules we must follow to make sure we get this right.

And to intro this to you, I have picked a random phrase that’s not even a biblical one. Our phrase is: “I wanna rock right now”, and the question is: What does that phrase mean?

The problem is, given the information you have at this point, this phrase could mean a lot of different things. This one phrase could mean that you:

• want a physical rock
• want to move back and forth
• want a basketball
• want to jam on my guitar
• want to fight
• etc

And here is the thing, unless you can gather more information than you have right now, you will never know for sure. Anytime you come across something, whether you are reading an email from your boss, a tweet from a friend, or reading a book, there are 3 possible ways we can look at the intentions or the goals of the person speaking:

1. The first option is that this person has one intended meaning.
2. The second option is that this person had no real meaning in mind when he/she said it. (Maybe a musician, poet, or writer who chooses words because they sound good together such as Dr. Seuss)
3. And the third option is that this person intends for us to come up with our own meaning. (It’s like an artists painting where the interpretation is in the eyes of the beholder and that is how they intended it to be.)

The Bible is like #1, but often gets treated like #3

So what that means is that when you come across a verse or a passage, it means there are not multiple interpretations of that verse, it means there is only one! Now you might come across a difficult passage where people disagree about how it should be interpreted. Maybe Joe thinks it means A, Sally thinks it means B, and Bill thinks it means C. But here is the thing, when it comes to scripture, they cannot all be correct at the same time. There is one intended meaning, which means there is only one correct interpretation.

A very common approach to truth in our culture today is a concept called relativism, which is the idea that there is no such thing as absolute truth, but rather that truth is relative, meaning it is dependent on the individual person receiving it.

If we apply this to our scenario above, and you think this verse means A, and Mike thinks this verse means B, well. . . .then that’s ok… because you can both be right. What is true for you doesn’t mean it has to be true for me. This line of thinking is called relativism.

But the problem with that is the Bible rejects this concept.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 17:17 Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth.

The Bible declares not only that there is truth, but that we can actually know the truth. It also challenges us that when we find the truth, it is our job to align ourselves (to sanctify ourselves) to that truth, not to manipulate that truth to fit what we want it to mean.

So before you can move any further, if you want to follow God and want to understand the Bible, then you must accept the fact that when God inspired men to write the Bible, He did so with the goal of declaring truth that does not change over time or based on the individual. If you happen to disagree with that, then nothing else I am going to say matters because you don’t need to search for a meaning, you can just declare it to mean whatever you feel like.

Now . . . given that . . . the first step in any Bible study process is to observe the text

Observation Steps 1-5 through the Book of 1 John

Step 1: Begin with prayer. Spend some time asking God to help you better understand Him through His Word.

Step 2: Read and Re-read the passage. Read in multiple translations. Write down any initial observations. What other observations struck you at first glance? What similarities and differences do you see between different translations? Is there anything that is confusing to you in this passage?

Step 3: Try to forget everything you ever heard or learned about this passage in the past.

Step 4: Identify the context (what happened before and after this passage).

Step 5: Go through the passage and summarize every paragraph in your own words in a brief sentence or statement.

Read

1 John chapters 1-5 in the NIV (New International Version)

Watch

Literary Styles of The Bible

The Book of 1 John 

Memorize

1 Peter 2:1-3 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Last week we introduced you to the phrase “I wanna rock right now.” Assuming there is one intended meaning, the first thing we need to do is to determine what questions can help us arrive at the intended meaning. In our example, we might ask 1. Who wrote it? How would the meaning change if the author was . . . A crack addict? A girl who has been dating a guy for a very long time? A musician? A diamond miner?

The second question we must ask is 2. Who was it written to? For example, how would the meaning change with the audience? If it was a longtime girlfriend talking to her musician boyfriend or a diamond miner speaking to a drug dealer or maybe two basketball players fighting over a basketball.

Lastly, 3. When was it written? Knowing when the phrase was written can give us insight into its meaning. If it had been written in 3,000 B.C or the 1700’s, we might derive a different meaning than if it had been written in the 1980’s.

There are other types of questions that will also help give us context to the statement. For example, what was said directly before or after the phrase can help. In our example, if you heard “I wanna rock right now, and I’m going to wait here until you get me one!” you would be able to interpret the meaning. Also, where the statement was made can give us insight into its meaning. If I said “I wanna rock right now”, sitting on a rocking chair, at a concert or in a geology department, I would come away with different interpretations.

Lastly, there may be grammatical and literary questions we can ask. For example, in Greek there are at least 3 words to denote love (Phileo, Agape, Eros). The type of literature as in a song, poem, historical document can also change things!

Basically what you want to do is pelt the text with as many questions as you can and simply observe the facts you find. And the more questions you can correctly ask and answer, the better chance you have of arriving at the intended meaning.

So if we were to answer all of those questions for our sample phrase, here is what we would find:

• The author is Rob Base.
• Rob Base is a rap artist.
• It was written in the late 1980’s.
• It was written in the United States.
• The phrase is the opening line to one of his rap songs.
• The immediate context of the phrase is…
  • “I wanna rock right now. I’m Rob Base and I came to get down. I’m not internationally known but I’m known to rock the microphone.”

So everything we have done up to this point was all observation. We asked a bunch of questions and we found answers. It is the first part of observing the text.

Observation Steps 6-8 through the Book of 1 John

Step 6: Interrogate the text – ask: who, what, when, where, why, how?

Who

Q: List the People involved in this passage. What do you know about them from this passage?

What

Q: What is the main event?

Q: What are major ideas?

Q: What are the major teachings?

Q: What instructions are given?

When

Q: Are there any references to time within this passage?

Q: Where did this take place?

Q: Are there other references to places of any kind within this passage?

Why

Q: Why was there a need for this to be written?

Q: Why do you think this passage was included in this book?

Q: Why did the characters act as they did within this passage?

How

Q: How was the truth illustrated in this passage?

Step 7: Write down what you believe (at this point) to be the main point of the text in one sentence. (At this point, it doesn’t matter if your understanding is right or not. So if you’re not sure what the main point is, take a guess.)

Step 8: Pray. Ask God to bring clarity as you continue to study this passage.

Read

1 John chapters 1-5 in the NLT (New Living Translation)

Watch

How to Study The Bible – E4 study – Interpretation Part 1 and Part 2a

Memorize

2 Peter 1:21 For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.

I know that there are times that this process can get complicated and seem overwhelming. But all of you can do this! You’re not going to get everything right. And you will make mistakes along the way. But you can totally do this! I think one of the lies people tend to believe is that you need to be a professional Bible scholar to do this, but that’s not true! Everybody can do this!

• You do not need to know Greek or Hebrew to do this.
• And you do not need a shelf full of commentaries to do this.

Now if you have those things, will they help you? Absolutely they will help. The more resources and training you have the better your chances are at getting this stuff right. That is one of the reasons why being connected to the church is so important. You should always sit under the teaching of people who have been trained to do this.

But at the same time I am also convinced that if it’s just you, God and your bible; that you can get the majority of this stuff right. For most of human history, Christians have not had access to anywhere near the resources that you have and God has still guided them.

The reality is that most of the passages you will come across are pretty straightforward and do not require hours of research. The meaning of every passage does not hinge on an in-depth knowledge of sentence structure or a deep understanding of the Hebrew culture. Some will, as there will be those that absolutely are effected by those things. But for the majority of the passages in this book, if you can simply get the context right, then you will not be too far off.

I want to walk you through one example of this to show you both A) how simple this is, and B) how important this is.

Let’s start with just the verse. Many of you will have heard this before:

Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Now if that’s all you know, what does that mean? Well just like before, that could mean a lot of different things?

• Maybe that means God wants to give you a lot of money, that he has plans to give you financial prosperity.
• Maybe for those of you who are physically ill, maybe this means that God is going to heal you.
• Maybe it means that for those of you who are single and you are tired of being single, maybe this means that God has the perfect spouse right around the corner for you?

At this point we don’t know what it means because we don’t have enough information. So let’s look at more of Jeremiah 29 and expand out a little bit and start observing.

Jeremiah 29:1 These are the words of the letter that Jeremiah the prophet sent from Jerusalem to the surviving elders of the exiles, and to the priests, the prophets, and all the people, whom Nebuchadnezzar had taken into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon.

Here is what we can determine:

This is in the book of Jeremiah.

Jeremiah is a prophet.

He is delivering a message from God to those living in exile.

If you pull up the definition of exile on your phone it says this: a situation in which you are forced to leave your country or home to go and live in a foreign country. The enemy nation of Babylon has come in, killed most of Israel, and forced the survivors to leave their home of Jerusalem to go live in Babylon.

Skip down to verse 5, this is where the letter starts:

Build houses and live in them; plant gardens and eat their produce. Take wives and have sons and daughters; take wives for your sons, and give your daughters in marriage, that they may bear sons and daughters; multiply there, and do not decrease. But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare.

So in these next few verses, here is what God is saying. You’re going to be here a while so you better settle down. Build houses, get married, have kids, pray for the city. You are not going anywhere, so you may as well make the best of it.

For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Do not let your prophets and your diviners who are among you deceive you, and do not listen to the dreams that they dream, for it is a lie that they are prophesying to you in my name; I did not send them, declares the Lord.

Summary, I know you don’t want to be here, and some people will start spreading rumors that I am going to free you soon. Those rumors are not true. So again, you better get used to life here.

“For thus says the Lord: When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you my promise and bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.

Did you guys catch that? Did you hear how long they will be there? They are going to be there for 70 years! If you are an adult, you know that means you are going to die in Babylon. It means that you are NEVER going to make it home again. It means you are going to pray & pray & pray, and your prayers to return home will not be answered during your lifetime. Suddenly, Jeremiah 29:11 no longer means what you thought it meant!

So what is going on here? Well, if you were to expand the context a little further you would find that the reason they are in exile is because God is punishing them for worshiping other gods. If you are an Israelite, your nation has just been defeated in battle, many of your friends and maybe even family members have died, you are now living in exile, and the God who used to protect you is the very one who allowed this and the very one who sent you there.

This is literally one of, if not the, darkest moments in the history of Israel. Their entire world has come crashing down around them and the primary question on their mind is not comfort of living, but rather where is God in all of this? Is God still with us? Is he still in our corner? Or have we screwed up one too many times, has He finally abandoned us for good?

It is into this moment of darkness and despair that God speaks. Which in and of itself is really cool because He could have just left them there in silence. And in this moment of complete hopelessness God says, I still love you, I have not forgotten you, and even though you are going to be here for a while . . . I am still with you and I will still fulfill my promises to you!

Although that might not be what you thought this verse meant when you put it on your wall, I think this understanding is even more powerful than the misguided one.

So in less then 10 minutes, with no special tools or training, we just walked through, and redefined, an entire passage from the Old Testament which, for most of you, is significantly harder than choosing a New Testament one. Let me reiterate, you can do this! I believe in you.

If step one is to observe the text, then the next step is to interpret the text. The better job you do at observing, the easier it becomes to interpret. Now that we know all of this, it becomes pretty simple to understand what this phrase actually means.

Read

1 John chapters 1-5 in the ESV (English Standard Version)

Watch

How to Study The Bible – E4 study – Interpretation Part 2b & 3

Memorize

Psalm 119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

There is power in the Word of God for it is living and active. The Bible is not simply a book we read, but it is how we hear from God. The Bible is how He chooses to speak to us. The same God that spoke and the worlds came into being speaks to us and desires to bring life where there is no life; hope where there is no hope. Not only is the Bible living but it is active. The Bible is not simply a book of information, but it is a book of transformation. Through His Word, God makes us wise to salvation and to new life in Him. Through His Word, God challenges us and changes us to make us more like Jesus. The Bible is not simply a book we go through but when we allow it to go through us, it does not leave us the same. The Bible is exposing and can cut down to the core of our attitudes and motives. God’s Word is not simply given to us for head knowledge but for heart health.

Read Psalm 119:1-16

Q: What words are used to describe the Word of God?

Q: What promises are given to those who seek the Word of God?

Q: What is the goal of storing the Word of God in our heart?

Q: How can I learn to more deeply value the Word of God?

Q: What are some ways that I can commit to memory the Word of God?

Q: What method of Bible Study has helped you personally grow the most?

Q: What method or methods of Bible study do you need to develop as a student of God’s Word?

Q: What tools and/or resources do you need to continue developing as a student of God’s Word?

Read

1 John chapters 1-5 in the NIV (New International Version)

Watch

Bible Project: Image of God Video

Memorize

Read 1 John 4:7-21

Often while reading we come across key themes that are expounded on throughout scripture. For example, in the book of 1 John, we could search how the words flight, sin, forgiveness are used throughout this book of the Bible. This week, in addition to reading through the book of 1 John, we are going to ask you to trace a common idea that is expanded on throughout scripture, this idea of love.

What is love?

Read 1 John 4:7-21

Q. Circle/count how many times the word “love” is used in this passage.

Q. What is the biblical definition based upon this passage?

Q. How has God designed us to need love?

Q. How does God Himself (Father, Son, Holy Spirit) exist in a perfect relationship of love?

Q. How does your view of yourself affect your ability to love others? If someone, is having trouble loving others, what should be the first place for them to start?

God is love (1 John 4:16)

Greek, the language that the New Testament was written in, has four words to describe the quality of love. The Bible focuses almost exclusively on the agape use of love!

• Eros: Romantic or sexual love. It could be cool in this section to look up verses in concordance just showing the different parts of the Bible/areas that the different types of love were used.
• Storge: Familial love
• Phileo: Friendship love
• Agape: Unconditional love. The deepest kind of love that involves action and is not dependent on any lovable qualities of the person who is the object of love. It’s not a feeling so much as an action and choice.

Read 1 John 4:8, 16 and John 3:35 & 14:31, 17:24

Q. What does it mean that God is love? How does love exist within the Trinity?

Q. Can God love and still be holy, righteous, just and apply wrath? If so, how?

Q. What does it mean that God is love (agape)? How does it make you feel when you understand what agape love is all about?

Read 1 John 2:15

Q. Even though God is love, surely there are many things He doesn’t love. What are some of those things? Why do you think He doesn’t love those things?

Q. What does it mean to “love the world”? What are some worldly temptations you face in your life?

This is how God showed His love among us (1 John 4:9)

Love is the basis for everything with God. If there was no love given by Him, we would not even have a hope of being in a relationship with Him. It is because of His love for us that we can have hope.

Read John 3:16, 15:13 & Romans 5:8, Galatians 2:20

Q. How has God modeled and demonstrated His love?

Q. The first step in our relationship with God is to recognize that He first loved us and made a way for us to have a relationship with Him. Why is it so important to know and understand that God loves you?

Q. How do these verses shed light on God’s story with humanity?

Q. What would be a proper way to determine whether you truly believe that you are loved by God?

There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear. (1 John 4:18)

Fear is an unpleasant emotion. It is caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to be a threat or cause pain. 1 John says perfect love drives away fear.

Read Hebrews 13:5-6, Romans 8:38-39, John 10:25-30 & Galatians 5:13

Q. Can fear and love co-exist? Why or why not?

Q. How does not having to earn God’s love drive away fear?

Q. Why is it important to attach freedom with the command to love?

Q. Do you feel freedom to love others or are you bound by legalistic expectations of the law?

Q. How does God’s love provide security?

Read

1 John chapters 1-5 in the NLT (New Living Translation)

Watch

How to Study The Bible – E4 study – Application – Session 6 & How to Study Application

Memorize

James 1:22-25 “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But whoever looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues in it—not forgetting what they have heard, but doing it—they will be blessed in what they do.”

Steps of Application through the Book of 1 John

Step 1: Pray! Take some time to ask the Holy Spirit to use this passage to teach you about Jesus, convict you of any sins, and renew your thinking according to God’s perspective.

Step 2: Ask Questions

Q: What is the “moral” or “heart” behind the words of the text?

Q: What attitudes are being confronted or rewarded in this text?

Q: How are those attitudes seen in our culture?

Q: How would the Biblical author address our culture?

Q: In what ways would he challenge us?

Q: What does this passage say about Jesus?

Q: What difference does/should that make in your life and the lives of others?

Step 3: List Action Steps. What actions can you take today and this week that can help you live out the truth that you have found in this passage.

Step 4: Do It! We cannot stop at conviction, we must move on to action. James tells us that we are not to be “mere hearers of the Word” but instead we are to be active doers.

Read

1 John chapters 1-5 in ESV (English Standard Version)

Watch

The Bible as Jewish Meditation Literature

Plot in Biblical Narrative

Character in Biblical Narrative

Memorize

2 Timothy 2:15 “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth.”

Discovering the heart and wisdom of God through the Bible is more like an adventure we are invited on than a class we attend. We have the privilege to uncover the treasure of God’s promises, discover His plan, and find the person of Jesus Christ on this incredible journey. How can we take this journey in the most effective way?

• Invite the Holy Spirit to be your traveling companion. John 14 & 16
• Be willing to go on group excursions. Hebrews 10:23-25
• Listen to the tour guides that God provides. Ephesians 4:11-16
• Determine a personal travel plan. 2 Timothy 2:15 Let the Bible speak to you (PACE STEPS)
  • P – Principle to apply?
  • A – Attitude / Action to change?
  • C – Command to obey?
  • E – Example to follow?
  • S – Sin to face and confess?
  • T – Truth to believe?
  • E – Error to avoid?
  • P – Promise to claim?
  • S – Something to pray or praise God for? 

Read Matthew 4:1-11

Q: How did Jesus overcome Satan’s temptations?

Q: What are some temptations that you are currently struggling with? What particular lies of the devil have attracted or tempted you?

Q: Can you think of consistent temptations that you are able to fight with the knowledge of God’s word?

Q: How might a steady diet on the Word of God help you fight temptations better?

Read 2 Corinthians 10:3-5

Q: What observations can you make about the battle? Our enemy? God? Our role? Our mind?

Q: What are some healthy ways to overcome incorrect thinking?

Q: Describe your personal process of being made new in the attitude of your mind?

Read

1 John Chapters 1-5 in the NIV (New International Version)

Watch

Setting in Biblical Narrative

Design Patterns in Biblical Narrative 

Memorize

2 Corinthians 10:3-5 “For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ”

Around here, we like to say that a disciple is someone who follows Jesus by knowing it, living it and giving it away. It is important for us to know it so that we can know Jesus and His heart! We seek to know it so that we can navigate our own lives! And we seek to know it so that we can be effective in giving it away and in ministry! Here is a suggested outline for incorporating regular quiet time with God.

“Quiet Time” with God Start off spending 15 minutes with God each day.

1. RELAX (1 minutes) – Prepare your heart.
2. READ (4 minutes) – Focus on one chapter.
3. REFLECT (4 minutes) – Think about how to apply it to your life.
4. JOURNAL (2 minutes) – Write down your thoughts and any questions.
5. PRAY (4 minutes) – Spend some time communicating with God

Read James 1:19-27

Q: How can you evaluate whether you are listening to the Word of God?

Q: What does James say should be the result of being a doer of the Word?

Read Proverbs 2:1-5

Q: How do these verses in Proverbs indicate we should study the Word?

Q: What should be our goal in studying the Bible?

Q: Besides being diligent, what else should we do in order to understand it?

Read Hebrews 4:12

Q: What are the biggest obstacles to reading your Bible? Memorizing your Bible? Obeying your Bible?

Q: How have you heard from God in His Word? How has He transformed you through His Word? What has been exposed about you in His Word?