BEHOLDING-IS-BECOMING BIBLE STUDIES

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into (becoming) the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.  II Corinthians 3:18

These Bible studies flow  from four questions:

  • Who are you beholding? (II Corinthians 3:18)
  • What are you believing? (John 6:29)
  • Where else will you go? (John 6:27)
  • What compels you? (II Corinthians 5:14)

The Beholding-is-Becoming Series reorient Christians to remember the truth of who they are and will become for the Kingdom of God. In Christ, God sees believers as His beloved. In his Spirit, they can fully, freely and confidently behold Jesus Christ through Scripture and become more like Him. We face the same challenge Jesus gave to Peter. Where will we go to find life? After chasing lesser things, we too respond, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.” John 6:27-28 The Beholding-is-Becoming series connect people to the love of Christ through intelligent, intimate, and accessible Scripture studies using an integrated “head/heart/hands” rhythm with the following features:

  • 10-minute daily devotional questions
  • Discovery sheets for deeper, personal connection with Scripture
  • Concise commentary
  • Guides for teachers and small-group facilitators

BEHOLDING-IS-BECOMING SERIES

Connecting people to Jesus Christ through
Scripture, story, and community 

His-Story/Your Story: Seeing Scripture’s Big Story and Your Part in It

(11-week overview of Scripture weaving together the themes of our redemption in Jesus Christ, God’s covenant to his people, and God’s Kingdom now and to come.) You’ll:

Get a bigger picture of the Bible, through the interweaving themes of Redemption through Jesus Christ, God’s Covenant with his people, and God’s Kingdom now and to come.
Answer God’s invitation to tear yourself away from your “little-screen” life to get caught up in His Scriptural adventure

Stir hunger to be in Scripture and share it with others.
Fulfill deepest longing to be part of something “bigger” than yourself and find your unique verse and voice in His-Story.

Beholding is Becoming: Your Story in His-Story

(11-week study combining daily study of God’s attributes, worship through beloved hymns, and the opportunity for participants in small group setting to tell and behold each other’s stories and affirm their place in God’s Big Story.) This study ideally follows His Story/Your Story:

  • Using the foundation of Scripture, help you understand your own story/life and allow it to “get caught up” in His Story.
  • Fulfill deep longing to be part of something “bigger” than yourself and find your unique “verse” and “voice” in His-Story.
  • Learn to participate in holy listening and affirmation.
  • Behold who God reveals Himself to be in Scripture. As you behold Him, you will become more like Him. (II Corinthians 3:16-18, I John 3:2)

Genesis: From Glory to Grace: Blessed by Our Covenant Creator God

(19 weeks, premiering Fall 2014)   Revealing the glory and grace of our covenantal God to his sin-shattered creation through the history of the human race and the chosen race.  Genesis, the first book of the Bible reveals the roots of our rebellion and our glorious Creator.  Take a journey of double revelation to know more about our glorious God and our grace-needy selves.         

Romans: From Grace to Glory: Gripped by the Gospel

(22 weeks)  Do you wonder where your “wonder” about the gospel has gone?  Maybe you’re not even sure what the gospel is. God has used the book of Romans throughout the centuries to revive his people.  Martin Luther called it the “purest gospel” and that every Christian should “occupy himself with it every day, as the daily bread for the soul.” John Calvin declared, “If we have gained a true understanding of this Epistle, we have an open door to all the most profound treasures of Scripture.” Why study Romans?  Because we long for revival for our church, our city, the world, and for ourselves. If you hang in for all the twists and turns of this “Romans roller coaster” ride, you will come out being gripped by the gospel and the revelation of God’s glory and grace in his son, Jesus Christ. This 22-week Bible study combines personal devotional study (about 10-15 minutes five days a week) with teaching and small-group time.     

II Corinthians: Relishing and Radiating Christ in Our Cracked Lives

 (12 weeks)  Do you long for “realigion” and a real relationship with Christ and others in the midst of your own realities? In II Corinthians, Paul reveals Christ’s sufficiency and God’s grace and power in our brokenness. Paul’s most personal letter offers a picture of a real Christian who relishes and radiates Christ through the cracks of life.  Our goals for the 13-week study are:

  • Increasingly know and love the real Christ, and more and more relish and radiate Him.
  • Increasingly know and love the real “you,” and drop veils to reveal the real you to others.
  • Increasingly embrace that “real” ministry is through Christ’s power in your weakness

Ephesians: God’s Mystery and Masterpiece Revealed: In Christ, In His Church

It’s in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Ephesians 1:11 The Message  
Paul knew there was so much more (Ephesians 3:20) to this life and prayed we’d believe it and become who we really are in Christ. Discover your destiny in Ephesians, “the crown and climax of Pauline theology,” where Paul reveals God’s great mystery of what it means to be in Christ and in the Church.  In the first three chapters, Paul reveals who we are: his master-pieces, his royal children.  In the final three chapters, he calls us to live out our royal reality in this all-too real world of relationships. Through the book of Ephesians, Paul puts together the puzzle pieces to show God’s glory in Christ, in the Church, and his lavish love and purpose for us.       

Philippians: Advancing the Gospel Together through Our Joy in Jesus

The goals of this 11-week study include:

  • Advance the gospel through our shared joy in Jesus Christ.
  • Increase our confidence in Christ and ask God to renew our perspectives.
  • Enjoy and keep our focus on Jesus in our circumstances.
  • Know what the “one thing” is in our lives, individually and corporately.

Come to Me: Finding Soul Rest in a Weary World

(11-week study exploring beloved spiritual disciplines as invitations from Jesus Christ to come to Him.)  Answer Christ’s invitation to rest in him by experiencing  long-proven spiritual practices and a “sacred pace” of life.  “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and  you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light. (Matthew 11:28-30 The Message) 

An Overflowing Life: Living Out the Inflowing Life of Christ

 (10-week Gospel refresher course) At the end of this study, my prayer is that:  

  • You will be filled to overflowing with grace, truth and love  11 Corinthians 5:14For the love of Christ compels us.
  • You will be given new sight. Zephaniah 3:17The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save.  He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.  Ephesians 5:1-2Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
  • You will be refreshed and encouraged.  Matthew 11:28-30Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light. 
  • You will be fruitful and effective. John 15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last.

Journey to Jesus: Travel Guide for Short-Term Missionary Teams

(15-day personal devotional guide for short-term missionary teams to use together before, during and after their missions trips)   For more information on the studies and  training for Bible study leaders , click here.

 

Feedback for the studies include:

Easy to Use

“The studies gave me a simple way to be in Scripture and connect deeply with a small group of friends.”

Participants spend a few minutes per day in a devotional study, which develops personal engagement with Scripture and deeper spiritual friendships with those in their small groups.  
 

“Beautifully Disruptive”

“These studies took me deeper than I ‘thought’ I wanted to go:  deeper into the heart of God and deeper into the hearts and lives of others.”

The studies reveal Jesus Christ in the midst of the realities of life.  In the safety of small groups with loving facilitators, people are able to be real and hopeful together in the Gospel.

“These Bible studies have changed how I interact with Scripture and people in a beautifully disruptive way.”
 

Teachers and Leaders Appreciate Them

“As someone who leads small groups at our church, I am always looking for studies focused on Scripture without any other agenda. They are hard to find. I want to teach but have limited time, so the guides provided for teachers and small group leaders really helped.”

Our studies start with the daily devotional time with Scripture, followed by small group interaction, and concise practical commentary for participants to read after their own personal study. Supplementary guides are available for those teaching and leading small groups.
 

Warning: May Be Addictive

“The questions helped me think ‘biblically’ and allowed the Truth affect my heart and my actions.  Through sharing in our small group, I developed confidence that God really does speak to me and others through his Holy Word.”

Our goal is that participants develop a hunger for Scripture and community. B/B studies offer different levels and styles of engaging in Scripture and can be used by those unfamiliar with the Bible or those who want to dig deeper or desire to teach Scripture.
 

Targeted

These studies can be customized to the demographics of your specific group, such as women, men, teens, college students, missionaries, families, homeschool, and new or pre-believers.