December 20: The King Worshiped

This week our Explore the Bible study focuses on the worship of the King of Kings and Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. After His birth, wise men traveled to see this new King. We will examine the response of the wise men to His birth and the responses of others who heard of his birth. While the wise men sought the King to worship Him, not everyone wanted a king.

December 13: The King Arrives

When Jesus the King arrived in human history, there were no parades nor great fanfare. He simply came as a baby. But His coming brought about the fulfillment of God's grand plan for man's salvation. Jesus, our Savior was born! Imagine being introduced to God's plan as Joseph was in Matthew 1:18-25. We know he struggled to understand what was happening to Mary and to their future as a married couple. After his conversation with the angel, he might have struggled trying to wrap his mind around everything the angel said; yet he chose to obey. This is the focus of our Explore the Bible study this week.

December 6: The Way Prepared

Why are we starting with Matthew 3 before focusing on chapters 1 and 2? Dwayne McCrary, Team Leader at LifeWay Christian Resources explains this approach in his post on the Explore the Bible blog. He explains that it was LifeWay's desire to "place the Christmas stories (chapters 1 and 2) as close to Christmas as possible in a way that made some sense." Placing John’s announcement as the first lesson and titling it "The Way Prepared" helps you connect John's arrival on the scene as a means of preparing the world for the mission and message Jesus came to deliver.

I believe they have done a very good job of helping us capture the picture of all that was taking place in these passages. By starting with chapter 3 we are able to connect the Christmas story with the larger context of God's grand plan which was in play all the way back in Genesis and even before time, as we know it, began.

I have provided additional references from Luke 5:1-17 to help you introduce your group to the full story of John the Baptist and added information that helps paint the picture of the times in which he and Jesus were born.

I have also provided quite a few discussion options that zero in on the message of repentance and what John describes as Jesus' purpose for coming - to provide salvation to those who repent, to gather those who believe in Him, and to sift out those who refuse to follow Him.

I pray you will have a great time discussing how John's message of repentance is expressed today.

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November 29: God Provides

What can we learn about obeying God and maintaining high standards when making decisions, from the servant's response to Abraham's directions as told in Genesis 24:1-61? We can learn from this Explore the Bible session that God provides if we remain faithful, follow His directions, and maintain high standards.

Many times, when we make decisions, we get ahead of God, or we modify God's standards in order to get what we want. We see a beautiful story of God's provision and blessings that come from following Him throughout all decision-making situations.

I have included a video clip that you can use to introduce the topic of following directions. I hope you enjoy the study and have a wonderful Thanksgiving!

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November 22: The Faith Test

Abraham trusted God in the midst of one of the greatest and most unimaginable tests of his life. Our Explore the Bible Study: The Faith Test focuses on this test. This is one of the most challenging passages to study, yet one of the most beautiful passages which ultimatly points to the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, God's Son for our sins. 

God had made a covenant with Abraham and clarified and reminded him of that covenant multiple times. God promised to bless the nations through him. He patiently taught Abraham and Sarah about Himself and His ways even when they laughed at His plans. He extended grace when they took His plans into their own hands such as when Abraham produced a child with Sarah’s servant, Hagar. God gave them a child and Abraham could finally begin to see the fulfillment of God's promises. With the birth of Isaac, they could finally begin to enjoy the blessings of a young child and begin to witness the fulfillment of God’s promises. But now, God asks Abraham to sacrifice his son!

In spite of this, Abraham knew they would return together. He knew God would provide a lamb for the sacrifice. He held on to the promise that God would fulfill His promises to Abraham through Isaac. We even see in Hebrews 11:17-19 that Abraham believed God would keep His promise even if it meant that God would raise Isaac from the ashes.

As believers, we should expect that God will test our faith, and we should pray that we will respond correctly. A test of our faith is not really for God’s benefit, as He already knows our hearts, but for our own, so that we evaluate our own spiritual maturity and grow from the experience.

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November 8: Where Wickedness Rules

How does God express his justice, grace, and mercy where wickedness rules? 

As we seek to answer this question this week in our Explore the Bible study, we need to remain focused. We could chase the comparison rabbit and get on a tirade about our culture as it compares to Sodom & Gomorrah. We could park on trying to provide archaeological evidence as to the existence and location of Sodom & Gomorrah. We could venture down the path of trying to explain the existence of angels. We could chase additional rabbits, some that are valid topics to discuss. But try to focus during this particular examination of these passages on three elements – sin, the consequence of sin, and the grace of God.

Understand that Lot deserved to be destroyed because he was a sinner as we well know by what took place during and after he was delivered. But God’s grace was extended to Lot.

Lot’s story is our story!

Like Lot, we deserve the punishment and judgment of God as much as anyone in our culture – We are sinners and the consequences of sin are death and eternal judgment. But God, in his mercy, chose to reach down and take us by the hand and pull us out of the path of impending judgment.

As believers we are heirs to the covenant established through Abraham (Galatians 3:6-9), but sadly, like Lot, many of us allow ourselves to be influenced by the culture around.. We compromise and compromise until we don’t realize how far away we have drifted. There are others who have never received God's gift of salvation through Christ who desperately need to know that God is waiting to take their hand and pull them out of judgment's path.

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November 1: A New Name

While the title of this week's Explore the Bible session is "A New Name," the focus is not on the renaming of Abram and Sarai. The focus is on answering the following question: "How can delays in God's work increase my faith?"

Delay causes us to doubt how God is going to work. Many times we express this doubt with questions like:

• Is life going to ever get better?
• Am I ever going to experience the fullness of joy the Bible describes?
• Are the things God has promised ever going to be fulfilled in my life?
• Will I ever get past this circumstance I am experiencing?
• Can God actually work in this situation?

We can learn a great lesson about God's delays and our faith as we look at how God spoke to Abraham and Sarah during their times of doubt. We need to come to the point that we accept that:

• Whenever God speaks, regardless of how impossible His message may seem, His words demand unqualified acceptance.
• God cannot be constrained by human perception, or even by the laws of nature, since He is sovereign over everything that He created.
• The essence of faith is to believe God, whatever He may say.

Philip Nation of LifeWay provides a great overview of this passage: Click to view.

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October 25: Wait for the Promise

How hard is it to wait for a promise from God to become a reality? This week's study of Genesis 15:1-16 reveals the answer to this question as the study of Abram's life continues. Your session should be aimed at the following TARGET:

"We should trust and remain faithful to God, knowing He has a sovereign plan, even when we do not understand His timing."

While we all  know this to be true, acting upon it is difficult. But we have examples all around us of how God does keep His promises and can be trusted with the most obvious example being that of Salvation!

I hope the study will help your group consider steps they can take to remain focused on trusting God for their lives and their future.

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October 18: When God Calls

Do you really trust God enough to risk comforts and security to act upon His will? This is the focus of our session, When God Calls, which is based upon Abram's call in Genesis 12:1-9.

Stepping out in faith to respond to God's call usually causes mixed feelings in most of us. Imagine, however, that you are the man we now know as Abraham, a man God called to step out in faith in a much more radical way. God speaks to Abram about a journey that will take him to a land he has never seen, and through experiences he can't even imagine, yet he does obey!

You will need a map of the migration of Abraham to reference during this study. There are several available in the ETB materials and many Bibles will have a maps section as well. I strongly suggest that you challenge your group to examine whether they truly would respond to God's call with faith and obedience.

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October 11: Scattered!

CNN: 25 Of Mankind's Greatest Engineering Achievements

The picture above is that of ancient Aztec pyramids at Teotihuacan, Mexico. Teotihuacan means, "the place where men become Gods." The most famous of these is the Pyramid of the Sun and is considered to be the third-tallest pyramid in the world. This structure, as well as all the mighty structures built by man, is a natural outgrowth of his God-given abilities to dream, design, invent, or build. Sadly, this image also reflects what happens when man determines he is greater than God, can become a god, or thinks he doesn't need God. Our Explore the Bible Study: Scattered! focuses on this very situation as it unfolds in Genesis 11:1-9.

The teaching plan includes ideas to help introduce the study and some tough discussion questions to help the group LOOK IN to the Scriptures, and it concludes with the illustration of the Aztex temple at Teotihuacan, Mexico.

In our age of great achievement and ingenuity, we need to remember the gifts of creating, inventing and building are God-given, and should be used to honor Him. Man always has and will continue to accomplish great feats because of how God created him, but without obedience, humility, and a relationship with God, those feats only lead to man becoming less and less godly.

Video for LOOK UP:

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October 4: A Fresh Start

The question in this image is how I introduce this week's Explore the Bible session: A Fresh Start. We all know that when we mess up we can’t go back and undo what was done, but we can make a fresh start from where we are that will lead us to a better ending.

Noah experienced this first hand. Man could not undo the path he took when Adam and Eve chose to sin. The path did not lead man to become more like God but to become less and less like God. But, God provided an opportunity for a fresh start for His creation through His faithful servant, Noah. This fresh start and the accompanying covenant pointed toward the future and God's ultimate plan of providing salvation through His Son, Jesus Christ.

Here are some suggestions for leading this session:

• PowerPoint: There are PowerPoint slides available that include the image above. Click to Preview and Download.
• You have a great opportunity to share the gospel during this session. Don't miss this opportunity to challenge your group to consider if they need to respond to the gospel.
• You have a great opportunity also to challenge believers to examine how they have responded to God through worship and sacrifice for the gift of salvation.

I pray this session will impact you and your group as you share the grace and plan of God to provide man with a fresh start!

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September 27: God Saves

In the account of Noah, we see God’s compassion, His holiness, His sovereignty, His just wrath, and His complete ability to save. We see the man, Noah, despite all the foreboding circumstances around him, remaining faithful to God and expressing his faith through obedience. As we study Genesis 6 and Genesis 7 we are focusing on the fact that, in spite of this world spiraling downward due to man's sin, God saved and still saves.

Here are several thoughts I have included in my teaching plan that you might want to consider using in your study of this week's Explore the Bible study session. As you read through the ideas, you will understand the reason for the fruit image:

TARGET (Point of the Text): Because God is holy, He must judge sin, but He extends grace to those who trust and obey Him.

• Keep this in mind as you prepare and as you teach. Your goal should be to guide your group to understand the character of God and the obedience of Noah. 
• We could spend time debating the size of the Ark and analyzing how everyone could fit on the ark, or we could discuss the geological evidence that proves the accuracy of the flood narrative. But for this session, I challenge you to move beyond proving the narrative's accuracy (which it is) and to focus on what the passage is communicating about the character of God and the obedience of Noah and how it relates to us today.

Expanded Passages: I have expanded the set of passages to be studied to include: Genesis 6:5 – 7:14.

LOOK UP Illustration: Picture of fruit or actual fruit display.

As your group gathers this week, consider displaying an apple, a peach or a banana. Better yet, bring a fruit tray of apples, peaches, and bananas or other fruits for the group to eat as the session begins. Use the fruit to begin a conversation that will help you to introduce the point of this week's session. The discussion might go like this:

• As adults arrive begin discussing their favorite way to prepare the fruit. 
• Ask: What happens if there is a bruised or brown spot on an apple, peach, or banana? 
• Explain: Inevitably the bruise or brown spot will spread to the entire fruit and it will rot. 
• Ask: What can you do to stop it? Do you throw everything away or cut out the rotten part? Why do most of us try to keep the part that is still good?

LOOK OUT Illustration: Refer back to the fruit display.
So, just like many people don’t throw out fruit if there is still some part that is salvageable, God didn’t completely destroy man or His creation. While the earth was bruised and rotting away from the wickedness of sin, there was Noah, a righteous, blameless man who walked with God. So God only “cut away” what was already destroyed by sin. He left a remnant of man and established a covenant that would point to our salvation that would eventually come through Jesus Christ.

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September 20: Humanitys Fall

Why do we desire to define what is right and wrong instead of trusting and following God, fully knowing that our choices, if contradictory to God’s ways, will lead to consequences? This is the question this week's Explore the Bible session, Humanity's Fall, focuses on answering.

There are so many directions this study could take. We could dive deeply into a study to more fully understand the origins and character of Satan. We could dive deeply into a study of the significance of The Tree of Life or the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. We could dive deeply into a discussion regarding why evil exists. While these passages introduce a wealth of theological concepts, our study can only focus on one target. Thus, we are going to answer the question related to why man would choose a path that he knew would lead to consequences. We are going to focus on the cause and the consequences of sin.

Suggested Resources:

• The teaching helps contain a wealth of suggestions to help you guide the discussion toward answering the main question.
• I have referenced information from several additional resources including David Platt's new study, CounterCulture.
• There is a PowerPoint to help guide your discussion: Click to Preview and Download.
• The following video by David Platt contains segments that provide a good summary of all we have studied so far and introduces us to this week's study of the fall of man. If you choose to use the video, you will need to adjust your teaching time. I recommend you begin the video at 7:35 and end at 24:00, totaling about 16:25 seconds of video. The video link begins at the 7:35 segment. Click to View
• The teaching plan is only three pages long. The last two pages include some additional reference material for your personal study.

The study ends with an emphasis on the following:

By eating, the man and woman were claiming to be God. 

They were saying, "No God, we run this place." 

They didn’t trust God; therefore they took their lives into their own hands and paid dearly for their sin.

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September 13: Made in His Image

Our Explore the Bible study this week explores the unique relationship God has with us and the purpose He has given us because we were made in His image. I have tweaked the TARGET of the study to reflect this focus: Being made in God’s image means we have purpose and relationship with God. I have also provided multiple discussion questions and options that focus on this TARGET, and that aren't a part of the original teaching plan.

This focus on the image of God is derived from content included in a John Piper sermon in which he states:

“When the first chapter of the Bible says, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them” (Genesis 1:27), what is the point? The point of an image is to image. Images are erected to display the original. Point to the original. Glorify the original. God made humans in his image so that the world would be filled with reflectors of God. Images of God. Seven billion statues of God. So that nobody would miss the point of creation. Nobody (unless they were stone blind) could miss the point of humanity, namely, God. Knowing, loving, showing God.” – John Piper

The teaching points focus on the following:

• Work reflects His image because He is always at work.
• Watching over the earth reflects His image because He watches over us.
• Marriage reflects His image because He is relational.
• The relationship we had with God also had parameters of do's and don'ts. There was only one "don't" at this time -  Don't eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 2:16-17). Even these parameters communicate the fact that, while we reflect the image of God, we aren't God!

I have included the link to John Pipers sermon. This is a lengthy sermon with the first 5-10 minutes focusing on the explanation of "image" that I feel is very appropriate for our study. Check out the video and consider how you might use it in your study -- CLICK TO VIEW VIDEO.

We were created in the image of God so that we might bring glory to God! We are to reflect His image to the world around us by the way we work, live, take care of our world, and relate to others and to Him! This is the message of our study.

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September 6: God Creates

Our new Explore the Bible study, God Creates, introduces us to God, His work, and His ways, as He carries out the act of creation. God wanted His covenant people to know Yahweh, the covenant God, the one and only God who spoke everything into existence. So, through Moses, God introduces Himself, not only to the Israelite's but to all those who believe in Him as Creator of everything!

God Creates. This is such a powerful and foundational statement that lies at the heart of our faith. If we don't understand what all this means, then we will struggle with living our faith. The fact is, God created the entire universe out of nothing, and He did so with purpose. That purpose continues today as He offers reconciliation through His Son Jesus Christ to His crowning creation, man.

Our study this quarter will focus on Genesis chapters 1-25. As we begin our study here are some helps for preparing for this week and the weeks to follow:

Resources From Ken Hamm (www.answersingenesis.org):

The following link provides an overview by Ken Hamm. 

While the video is dated the content isn't.

Click to Play

Resources from LifeWay

Introduction to Genesis from Explore the Bible on Vimeo.

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August 30: The Final Act

Imagine you are the Apostle John and you have just been given a glimpse of the final battles and judgment of God. In Revelation 16, the bowls of God's judgment had demolished the old earth. At the beginning of the final judgment, The Great White Throne Judgement, "earth and sky fled from his presence" (Revelation 20:11).

What would happen now that the first heaven and the first earth had passed away? After all the rebellions, tears, and temporary setbacks recorded in the book of human history and the Bible; after all the seemingly successful attacks of Satan; after all the plagues and bowls of wrath described in Revelation 8:1–19:21; and after the final defeat of Satan and the great white throne judgment of Revelation 20:11-14, there will be a glorious happy ending.

This glorious, happy ending is introduced to us in Revelation 21:1-7 which is the focus of our study this week. There aren't any visuals or videos that I felt adequately captured the message of these passages so I have provided quite a few discussion questions for guiding the study.

The conclusion of the study actually ends with the group going to 2 Peter 3:10-14 in order to determine how we, as believers, are to respond today to Christ's promise of a new heaven and earth and the New Jerusalem.

This response is the TARGET of the study:

Knowing God's final redemptive plans for the future
should change how we live today! 

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August 23: Jesus Defeats Satan

August 2015 marked the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II. All around the United States, there were celebrations. Along with the celebrations came the movies, interviews, and memorial services so the story of this great victory could be told. In Revelation 12:1-17, John tells us the story of another great victory in another great war.

This war has been going on since before the creation of the Garden of Eden and continues to rage on. But, there is coming a time when the victory that has already been won by Jesus Christ becomes a reality. Satan and his evil forces will be defeated once and for all!

The message of these passages is not just one for the past or the future but for the present as well. Our battle today is not just against the persecutors of our time, but it is a supernatural battle. As believers we can stand against the Devil’s evils, including temptation and persecution. In the face of pressure to turn away, true saints will persevere, showing the genuineness of their faith through the word of their testimony.

As you teach these passages be sure to stay focused on this message. You won't be able to reach a consensus on all the various interpretations of these passages, but you can reach a consensus on the reality that we can:

"triumph over him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of our testimony; we will not love our lives so much as to shrink from death." (summary of Revelation 12:11)

There are several series of discussion questions and one group activity suggestion in the teaching helps. There are also a lot of summaries, so be careful to not get bogged down in the information. The following video is also a suggestion for the LOOK UP portion of the plan. Sorry, University of Alabama fans, for bringing up old wounds!

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August 16: Redeeming Judgement

Jesus Christ will both judge the world in righteousness and save the faithful by grace. This is the focus of this week's Explore the Bible Study: Redeeming Judgement from Revelation 9:1-2.

Discussions about judgement are very difficult to have because many don't understand or don't want to understand God's work of judgement. We find it much easier to celebrate the hope and beauty of Heaven and the love of God. But, if sin isn't judged, then Jesus' sacrifice for sin was worthless. Fortunately for those of us who believe in Christ, we have received Christ's payment for our sins through His death, burial, and resurrection, thus avoiding judgement. Sadly, for those who refuse to repent and follow Christ, there is an impending judgement that none can avoid.

Revelation 9:1-12 is a challenging set of passages. Please remain focused on the the main theme of the passage and avoid chasing theological rabbits and going down prophetic paths that lead to a destination of speculation. The theme is an emphasis on God's righteous judgement, which ultimately is meant to be an instrument of redemption. God's punishment of sin is terrible and certain, but Jesus rescues those who belong to Him from His judgement. This is a great message!

I have provided a video clip below that will help contextualize the reference to the plague of locusts. It is a story related to a recent locust outbreak in Russia.

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August 9 - The Worthy Lamb

In Revelation 5:1-14, John’s vision of God’s throne room continues. John is watching as the speaker undertakes a search for someone who is able to open God’s sealed scroll. John’s joy briefly turns into weeping as he realizes that there doesn’t seem to be anyone worthy to break the seals and open the scroll. But, his weeping is short-lived.  God reveals that Jesus and Jesus alone is the only one worthy to open the scroll. The Worthy Lamb, Jesus Christ, the Son of God now takes center stage!

Your group has an opportunity this week to truly worship Christ for all He has and will do for those who believe and follow Him!

Below is one of two video suggestions for closing out your session. 

Here is another video you might want to consider as well:  Worthy the Lamb -Gaither Vocal Band

The teaching plan ends with the group reading silently Revelation 5:12-14 and identifying how the multitudes honored Christ and the attitudes of the worshipers. No where in these passages do we see the worshipers focusing on their needs or comforts. It was all about Christ and what He deserved! Lead your group to evaluate whether or not their focus in life and worship is on what they feel they deserve from Christ or on what Christ deserves from us because of all He has done to secure our salvation.

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August 2: Glimpse of the Throne

Majestic . . Incredible . . . Amazing! These are just a few words that came to mind after reading through Revelation 4:1-11 this week. Imagine being in John's shoes, exiled, lonely, seemingly abandoned. But, God had not forgotten him and He showed John something that would change his and our outlook on life and eternity forever! This week's study, Glimpse of the Throne, should leave you and your group in awe of the Throne room of Heaven.

This week's teaching helps are built around LifeWay's ETB Extra. The illustration related to the recent flyby of Pluto is an excellent way to begin the discussion of the glimpse John receives of the throne room of Heaven. I have also provided these additional helps along with my teaching plan:

• There are two PowerPoint slides you could use as you guide the discussion if you so choose. Click to View
• Reading Revelation 4:1-11 Option: Use as an option to enlisting someone to read the Scripture passage. Click to View
• Great Reminder:  This is a great blog regarding teaching Revelation 4. Click to Read
• Great Overview: As you prepare to teach, this short video can help you keep the perspective on how to communicate the wonderful truths of this passage. Click to View

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July 26: Let Them Hear

What happens when we age? Well we all know what happens. Our bodies, minds, attitudes, preferences all change -- some for the better and, sadly, some for the worse. Many of us will all wake up one day thinking, "If I had just listened and taken care of myself better." Usually we don't listen until someone or something gets our attention. This was the case with the seven churches in the book of Revelation.

The seven churches described in the book of Revelation were 40 plus years old. That was just long enough for the health of the body of Christ - the church - to decline due to cultural pressures and spiritual compromise. Jesus Christ delivered a unique message to each church.

The study this week will focus on the messages or letters to each church, the promises given to each church, and how they relate to churches today and to the individual believer. We will also celebrate the wonderful promises given to each church as they relate to eternal life with Christ. This is the most exciting point of the study as you get to outline all that eternal life encompasses.

Warning: You cannot possibly deal with all of the details of these passages, but you can give your group an opportunity to evaluate their walk with Christ by comparing themselves to the seven churches. You can give them a glimpse into eternity and the blessings that we will experience if we are believers. Be sure to remain focused on that primary message.

The Plan: I have included a completely new teaching plan along with the following resources:

• Handout: The Seven Church Chart (This is on the last page of the teaching plan). Copies of the plan will be available in the workroom on the counter.
• Optional PowerPoint: The teaching plan incorporates a PowerPoint if you choose to use it. Click to Preview or Download
• Video Option: The following video can be used as part of the LOOK OUT application at the end.

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July 19: Jesus' Revelation

Jesus wins and we win if we are believers! This is the encouragement God instructed John to share with us and the early believers facing the persecution of a morally and spiritually corrupt, contemptible, and callous culture. In light of all the events that have unfolded in our country over the past few months, the study of Jesus' Revelation to John comes at a very appropriate time. I am providing a wealth of resources so that you can adequately prepare to teach this introduction since this will set the tone for the entire study.

July 12: Jesus Alone

We have been born of God because of our faith in Jesus alone. We conquer, not because we are good people or strong and consistent; we conquer and we love because of Jesus Christ alone! When those around us cast doubt on the validity of living for Jesus, we have our own lives as an example of what Jesus can do through one who has trusted Christ through faith and lives by His commands. This is the focus of our study this week.

John ends his epistle by explaining his purpose. We see his purpose expressly stated in 1 John 5:13. He was writing to a group of people whose faith was being challenged on all sides which led to doubt. John’s intent was to help people know that they have eternal life.

This verse is especially important to me because I was one with doubts as an older youth. God brought me to this text and tapped me on the shoulder to remind me that I was saved at nine years of age and that I did have eternal life through Him!

Many in your groups might be struggling with doubt or coming to a realization that they don't know Christ at all. As you prepare to teach this study I want to encourage you to view the following video on how to share the gospel, and offer an invitation during your group time.

Click to View Video

The teaching plan also provides a video option for explaining 1 John 5:6-8. You might want to use this to supplement your group discussion.

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