Is your church or study group getting ready to start a new Bible
study or Sunday School class? If this is a new group study, I
would like to suggest starting with a strong foundation, really
understanding what your church believes and teaches (their Statement of
Faith), and knowing your own beliefs.
To help you accomplish that, I suggest watching and discussing the two short videos below: "What We Believe, Our Statement of Faith" and "Essential and Non-Essential Christian Doctrines." Actually all believers should be able to put their own personal Statement of Faith in writing and make sure it is Biblically sound.
From there you can venture into a chosen book of the Bible. New studies often start with the book of John which is foundational to our faith, but that is up to the group.
Let me suggest a way of viewing Scripture: Genesis - John - Revelation. Genesis tells us of the beginning and how we and our universe came into being. Revelation tells us where we are going, revealing what is going to happen one day to take us into eternity, in God's presence, or in a place void of God's love, aka, hell. And in the middle we find the book of John, telling us that God loves us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay our debt to Him and to offer us a ticket on the Glory Train into eternity.
And all the other books build upon the foundation laid by those three books.
Whatever book your group chooses to study, I suggest you consider taking a verse-by-verse walk through that book, stopping along the way for discussions on the verses or group of verses. That way no one gets left behind in their understanding God's Word. Keep in mind, it is more important to have everyone in the group well grounded in the Scripture passage or book you are studying - than to see how many verses you can "got out of the way tonight." A good Bible study should never be a race for closure - but a mining for knowledge.
I have been in Bible studies where we covered a full chapter in one sitting - and I have been in Bible studies where some evenings we many have only discussed our way through a few verses.
In the mid-1980s, Dory and I were in a study of John and the first night we only made it through three verses. But I promise you, everyone in our group left with a good understanding of those three verses. A successful Bible study evening should not be measured of how many verses you made it through - but did all in attendance leave with a good understanding of the verses you did study and discuss?
With that said, let me offer, for your consideration, five short videos I have made for Bible studies and Sunday School classes:
Please feel free to use these videos in any way that will benefit you, your church group, and friends. I only ask that you do not modify any of the videos. If you believe you see an error, let me know and I will definitely take a serious look at it and make any necessary corrections.
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
To help you accomplish that, I suggest watching and discussing the two short videos below: "What We Believe, Our Statement of Faith" and "Essential and Non-Essential Christian Doctrines." Actually all believers should be able to put their own personal Statement of Faith in writing and make sure it is Biblically sound.
From there you can venture into a chosen book of the Bible. New studies often start with the book of John which is foundational to our faith, but that is up to the group.
Let me suggest a way of viewing Scripture: Genesis - John - Revelation. Genesis tells us of the beginning and how we and our universe came into being. Revelation tells us where we are going, revealing what is going to happen one day to take us into eternity, in God's presence, or in a place void of God's love, aka, hell. And in the middle we find the book of John, telling us that God loves us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay our debt to Him and to offer us a ticket on the Glory Train into eternity.
And all the other books build upon the foundation laid by those three books.
Whatever book your group chooses to study, I suggest you consider taking a verse-by-verse walk through that book, stopping along the way for discussions on the verses or group of verses. That way no one gets left behind in their understanding God's Word. Keep in mind, it is more important to have everyone in the group well grounded in the Scripture passage or book you are studying - than to see how many verses you can "got out of the way tonight." A good Bible study should never be a race for closure - but a mining for knowledge.
I have been in Bible studies where we covered a full chapter in one sitting - and I have been in Bible studies where some evenings we many have only discussed our way through a few verses.
In the mid-1980s, Dory and I were in a study of John and the first night we only made it through three verses. But I promise you, everyone in our group left with a good understanding of those three verses. A successful Bible study evening should not be measured of how many verses you made it through - but did all in attendance leave with a good understanding of the verses you did study and discuss?
With that said, let me offer, for your consideration, five short videos I have made for Bible studies and Sunday School classes:
1. ESSENTIAL AND NON-ESSENTIAL CHRISTIAN DOCTRINES ~ IBBC-Riverside Sunday School - November 18, 2018
"Essential And Non-Essential Christian Doctrines" was created for the Inaugural Senior Sunday School Class at IBBC-Riverside - November 18, 2018. Class leaders: Danny Garcia and Bill Gray.
2. WHAT WE BELIEVE - Our Statement Of Faith ~ Edited July 23, 2018
In 2009, when we were beginning a new Adult Sunday School class at the New Beginning Christian Fellowship in Norco, California, I prepared a PowerPoint presentation titled "Inaugural Class - What We Believe" and I have made that into this video. Why begin with doctrinal beliefs, i.e., a Statement of Faith, or Statement of Beliefs? Because that should be the very first piece of business established for any ministry, personal or corporate. If you do not know what you believe from Scripture and cannot explain those beliefs - your ministry has no solid foundation.
3. END TIMES Bible Study - Week One ~ Edited July 23, 2018
4. END TIMES Bible Study - Week Two ~ Edited July 23, 2018
In 1991, I was a relatively new believer, it was during the Gulf War, and smoke from the burning oil wells in Kuwait blackened the sky. That prompted a discussion in our Friday Night Bible study about End Times Prophecies and showed me that I was totally lacking in knowledge of these important prophecies. Shortly after that fateful 1991 Bible study, I began my own personal study of End Times Prophecies - and have continued since 1991, gaining new insight and knowledge almost daily.
I spent four years creating the End Time Charts in these videos - and over the years, I have made a number of corrections. As I gained new insight, or as someone made me aware of an error - I made changes. Just recently, reviewing the PowerPoint presentation from which these videos were made, I recognized a need for several more corrections. Even though I believe these charts to be accurate, I still view them as a work in progress. If you believe you see a mistake, please tell me.
The two short videos: "END TIMES Bible Study - Week One ~ Edited July 23, 2018" - and - "END TIMES Bible Study - Week Two ~ Edited July 23, 2018" reflect the understanding I have gained in the past 28 years of study. I pray you will find them helpful in your own personal study of the End Times Prophecies.
5. IT ALL BEGAN WITH CREATION ~ Edited July 23, 2018.
In 2006, our daughter, Lana, needed one credit to graduate with her BS degree in Business Management. She chose to take a class in World Religions at our local Norco Community College. To help her earn extra credit, she asked me to speak to the class on our Christian faith. I created this video from that PowerPoint Presentation.
Interesting sidebar: Lana told me the class consisted of believers and non-believers, with one atheist. She did not identify anyone. After I spoke to the class, she and I met in the hallway. I told her, "The atheist was the man with the goatee sitting in the last desk to my left."
"How did you know?"
"His body language and facial expressions identified him."
Please feel free to use these videos in any way that will benefit you, your church group, and friends. I only ask that you do not modify any of the videos. If you believe you see an error, let me know and I will definitely take a serious look at it and make any necessary corrections.
Bible Study Videos - 2019 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12I5SQD5dw4&list=PL_YT3Rttutrh_xm8_8mwdZHjvzQMwVXp9
God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,
Bill
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