Yellow Belt Bible Studies
Part 1
Start Here! Real quick! before the Study Guide! This guide is intended to provoke further thought about the bible. It is intended for the student to do this quiz along with a parent or spiritual mentor. We are not looking for RIGHT answers. Just REAL answers. What is the Bible? On the surface level, it appears to be a collection of ancient writings and stories passed down from generation to generation, penned by Some 40 human authors, over 1500 years. Yet here is where it gets spectacular, it has one unified Story from start to finish. That story is God's love for his creations and the story of redemption. Now to put that into perspective and why that is so amazing consider that the star wars film saga was written and produced in only 45 years and had only 8 different directors and could not keep ONE unified story through the entire process. That's just the movies, let's not even start with the books. So If humans can't get their one storyline together over 40 years You've got to recognize that one storyline over 1500 years with 40 completely disconnected authors, yeah that's something to marvel at. And that is because God is the true author of the Bible, God divinely inspired each human author to write down His story for us exactly as he intended. If we don't think the scripture is sufficient or the divinely inspired word of God, then can we anchor ourselves on? The world wants you to anchor yourself on your own feelings as a source of truth. We will talk more about the dangers of this later but let me ask this; Can a boat anchor itself to its own bow? No, it has to be anchored to something outside itself, just as we need a source of truth that is bigger than what we are. We need our faith to be based on GOD not what mankind has said of God. To be anchored we must put our anchor on something solid, immovable, and never changing. And timeless. The good news is we have this. It's the bible. As much as we don't like truth sometimes, we have to admit that we can't function without it. Imagine the chaos that could ensue if 4+4 wasn't always 8. You'd never get the correct change back at the store because the truth is relative therefore anything goes. Yet even though we want the truth to be relative when it is in our favor, we are still looking for something out there. Something bigger than us and something real. We are looking for truth. We view God's word as THE single authoritative source of truth in this world
Part 2
Real quick! before the Study Guide! This guide is intended to provoke further thought about the bible. It is intended for the student to do this quiz along with a parent or spiritual mentor. We are not looking for RIGHT answers. Just REAL answers. Jesus Christ is without a doubt one of the most controversial persons to have ever walked the earth. Many believe he was and is the eternal son of God, others believe him to be a good man, and a great moral teacher even fewer believe him to have never existed. Through this study, we will analyze together the person of Jesus Christ. First, did Jesus exist? There are records not only of Jesus' crucifixion but he is quoted in several ancient texts to include other religious texts such as the Quran. But who is Jesus? So let's break this down and start with who he is not. The world will tell you that he was only a profit, that he was just a great moral teacher, or at its simplest idea, he was a good man, likening him to a male Mother Teresa... but in reality, Jesus is none of those single things, but so much more. The gospels are very clear in that Jesus spoke of himself as the son of God, he performed many miraculous signs, brought the dead to life, and taught the truth of God authoritatively... So, since he openly claims to be God. We have a trilemma on our hands. He is either a lunatic, a liar or he is Lord. If he was a lunatic and believed himself to be god and yet was not, then the teaching of a lunatic would have done the most good this world had ever seen. If he was a liar, and intentionally deceived the world... then is his teaching something to be trusted? Nor would any man be willingly put to death for a lie. Not the liar nor the thousands of Christian Martyrs that follow him. Since I'm not about to follow a lunatic, or trust a pathological liar with my life, the only option is to believe that Jesus is who he says he is, and thus that makes him LORD. So what does the Bible say about him? Check out this video to find out! All that being said, we can't merely think of Jesus as just a good teacher and moral man. Because since he claimed to be god he was either a liar, a luna or he is who he said he is ... and he is Lord of all.
Part 3
March 2, 2023
Real quick! before the Study Guide! This guide is intended to provoke further thought about the bible. It is intended for the student to do this quiz along with a parent or spiritual mentor. We are not looking for RIGHT answers. Just REAL answers. This week we are studying Creation specifically as it applies to mankind and our Purpose. Read the creation story, Genisis Chapter One together. God creates everything in the world out of nothing. Step by step creating order out of chaos until he finally creates mankind, the crown jewel of His work. 26 Then God said, “Let us make human beings[b] in our image, to be like us. They will reign over the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, the livestock, all the wild animals on the earth,[c] and the small animals that scurry along the ground.” 27 So God created human beings[d] in his own image. In the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. - Gen 1:26-27 We were created for this specific purpose that we would be God’s co-ruler or representative to all of creation. Our purpose then was to care for the land, and each other. In doing this we are also to represent all of God’s beauty and goodness to all of creation. Yet this perfect paradise didn’t last long. Just two chapters over we lose sight of our purpose and make a grab at being our own god. Thus the story of the Bible is one of redemption and restoring us to our original purpose. Through Christ, we are reborn Into our purpose! 10For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. - Ephesians 2:10
Part 4
The Fall- What is Sin? in Genesis 3, Adam and Eve brought sin into this world corrupting it to its core. As the lord pronounced his judgment and the curse upon man and creation began, the banishment from the garden took place. That moment was likely the sharpest pain the lord must have felt for his wayward and rebellious creation. Yet vs 21 says: “And the Lord God made clothing from animal skins for Adam and his wife.” - Genesis 3:21 NLT Even though we sharply deserved destruction. At that moment of sin God still Lovingly provided for his creation. Not just any need, Not just a need that he saw fit on his terms to provide for, but a need that was a direct result of their rebellion! Genesis 3 changes everything! The landscape, the environment, the rules of life, and the relationship with God, all changed drastically… Yet, God instead of only providing for his creation so long as we play by the original rules adapts to this change, sets new rules, and proves to the world that his love is unconditional. No matter how sharply we grieve God he still loves us. Now, this is also significant because after our rebellion The first blood sacrifice takes place to Cover our sin. The animal skin clothing was the first animal slain for the sin of mankind. This highlights God’s serious commitment to Goodness by requiring blood to cover sin… but also foreshadows the coming final sacrifice God provides for us in the pure flesh of Christ. And just like in the Garden, it is all God’s work. Not our own. “I am overwhelmed with joy in the Lord my God! For he has dressed me in the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels.” - Isaiah 61:10 NLT Even in the midst of our rebellion, God makes a way for us to be right with him. He clothes us with His righteousness because we can never measure up! And that is some seriously amazing Love! To not only forgive, but to provide us in our rebellion to meet a need immediately after we fail. This is the kind of crazy beautiful love that we are called to reflect on the world! We don’t often get it right but what a joyous privilege to reflect a love that we could never deserve to the people around us. We have been forgiven so much how could we not forgive another so little? In our forgiveness of others, we gain nothing, but we are worshiping God by recognizing what he has done and reflecting that to another! So This week, show some grace for someone who doesn’t deserve it! And remember that their sin is not ours to punish. Vengeance belongs to the Lord! Real quick! before the Study Guide! This guide is intended to provoke further thought about the bible. It is intended for the student to do this quiz along with a parent or spiritual mentor. We are not looking for RIGHT answers. just REAL answers.