Biblical Literacy Podcast

8-6-23 Biblical-Literacy 

Pastor Jarrett Stephens shared his approach to Better Bible Study, BBS, during this week’s class. He encouraged us to create our own method for our time with the Lord. Start small and grow in time spent building your relationship with God. 

Hour of power - a spiritual workout. 

1. Prioritize your time

2. Use a Study Bible and journal your thoughts, prayers, and what God is telling you.

3. Get a plan - As you engage with God’s word, ask yourself 1) What does this text say about God? 2) What does this text say about/to me?

4. Read a nonfiction book

5. End with Prayer and note the resulting actions to take as He speaks. 

Your relationship with the Lord is only as good as your time with the Lord. Listen to Pastor Jarrett show us how Bible Study is our most important time of the day to grow our relationship with God and grow in Christ.

Dr. David Capes taught the next lesson in the Better Bible Study, BBS, series focused on Immanuel in the Gospel of Matthew. 

Matthew’s Gospel was placed first by the early church leaders. It’s a user-friendly handbook to the church. Dr Capes had three points.

1. Background of Immanuel in Matthew

    Fulfillment of Scripture 

    Prophets both spoke and acted out their messages

2. Bookends 

    Matthew begins when Jesus is born as Immanuel - God with us.  

    It ends with the great commission and Jesus is with us always. 

Points for Home

  1. BBS begins by reading entire books not just isolated verses. 

  2. Many times we can discover that unclear passages can be explained by clear ones so reading more and in context is key. 

Listen to Dr. Capes show how Jesus, as Immanuel, is God with us and evident throughout Matthew. He asked of the apostles - Who do you say that I am?

Mark continued the Better Bible Study - BBS with a focus on the theme of exile—the state or period of forced absence from one’s home or country.

1. The “exile” began with the exile from the garden to restoration with God woven throughout the Bible. Sin resulted in exile. God had to clean us up.

2. Mark reviewed additional passages that deal with exile including echoes of creation and re-creation.

3. Points for home:

Give purpose and meaning in life’s storms.

His presence is in the exile.

Help value our past and future.

God will end all exiles.

Listen to Mark show through Scripture how God chose before Genesis how He’d restore His people to Him for eternity. Exile or stories of banishment and exile are woven throughout Scripture. We are all exiled from God until we accept Jesus’ sacrifice and follow Him.

Join us Sundays at 9:30am CST! Links below:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCfocCxLc8BFCta-NO4JkTcA?view_as=subscriber

CFBC Website: championforest.org/worship/watch/biblit.php

7-16-23 Biblical-Literacy

Mark continued in the Better Bible Study, BBS, series with the theme of Messiah throughout the Bible. Messiah is one who is anointed or consecrated to God’s purpose. The Bible speaks of 3 types of individuals who were Messiah'd: priests, kings, and prophets. Jesus fulfills all three as the ultimate Messiah.

Mark divided his teaching between the roles & titles of Messiah then concluded with Points for Home.

Listen to Mark show how Jesus Christ is the Messiah from Genesis through Revelation. We get to dwell with God forever through Jesus the Messiah.

Mark continued BBS Better Better Study focused on the theme of sacrifice. The Bible was built over time, and associations are built into it. Mark defined sacrifice as the destruction or surrender for the sake of something else.

Marks presents this lesson with two points:

1. Lessons on sacrifices from more obvious passages like with how Moses explained how sacrifice association are built into the Passover regarding unintentional sin.

2. Lessons on sacrifices from less obvious places noting that defiant nor intentional sins were covered by sacrifices.

Points for home:

Jesus was always Plan A.

Let’s live like we were Plan A

Let’s worship like we were always Plan A

Homework.  What do you find as biblical themes of the Messiah?

Listen to Mark teach the biblical theme of association with sacrifice and how Jesus fulfilled all the criteria for sin with His ultimate sacrifice for all time, past, present, and future. The blood of Jesus takes the abnormal and makes it normal.

Join us Sundays at 9:30am CST! Links below:

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCfocCxLc8BFCta-NO4JkTcA?view_as=subscriber

CFBC Website: championforest.org/worship/watch/biblit.php

7-2-23 Biblical-Literacy

Mark continued BBB - Better Bible Study - with two themes: the Bible as a love story and

giving.

1. Love story narrative

First, what is love? Mark shares the Greek words for love and the Hebrew word.

God centers His love for us throughout the Bible: starting in Genesis, we are created in His

image and His love continues through the wedding feast as depicted in Revelation.

2. God as a giver

From Genesis to Revelation, all we need is God. Mark points out how God fills every human

essential through His giving nature. As images of God we too should be givers.

Points for home: Find yourself pursued in love, See your value and be a giver

Homework: Research the biblical themes of sacrifice and time.

Listen to Mark expound on God’s love throughout the Bible and how He is the ultimate giver.

6-25-23 Biblical-Literacy

Mark continued BBB- Better Bible Study - with Lesson 4 using a hermeneutical approach.

This week’s focus was on the Biblical theme of the temple.

1. What was the temple? Earthly home of a heavenly God, the presence of God

among people, His dwelling and resting place.The tabernacle was a portable temple.

2. The temple theme throughout the Bible begins in the creation, shows Jesus dwelt with man,

and moves on to Jesus’ second coming in Revelation.

3. Points for home:

- See your value in God’s perspective.

- See your need of a Savior.

- See your destiny with the purity of Jesus.

Listen to Mark teach on the temple theme.We are all God’s temple:

holy, righteousness, and the image of God.

Homework: look for biblical themes of a love story, sacrifice, and giving.

Mark taught Lesson 3 in the summer’s Better Bible Study series expanding on three themes.

1. The surviving and thriving remnant. A remnant is a small piece or amount that is left from a larger original or amount. Mark detailed how God referred to the remnant of his people throughout scripture.

2. Spiritual warfare. This aspect begins in Genesis with Adam and Eve’s encounter with Satan and fall, and carries through to Revelation.

3. A love story between God and his creation. The love theme is part of the week’s homework. as well as the temple, and sacrifice themes.

Points for home

God can build a car out of spare parts.

We are remnant people.

Be alert to the fight around you.

Be alert to the fight around you and pray.

Mark taught Lesson 2 in the summer’s Better Bible Study series with a hermeneutical approach, the study of the methods of reading and understanding Bible passages. Mark covered three themes:

1. The kingdom of God come among His people. God will bring His kingdom to the redeemed.

2. God as a just God. Humanity has a problem: pride.

3. God’s provision of land for His people.The redemption story is about land.

Points for home included: Live as children of the King. Live the righteousness of God. Trust  in the providing God.

Homework assignment was to discover/review the biblical themes of 1) the remnant, 2) spiritual warfare, and 3) a love story

Mark started a new summer series on Better Bible Study, BBS. The goal of this series is to learn how to study the Bible with each lesson building on the previous. Today’s overview reviewed the why, what & how of bible study.  Why? Timothy 3:12-17. The Bible is God-breathed, used for reproof, correction, train, inspired by God, and equips the believer for every good work. What? The Protestant Bible has 66 books. God’s holy and sacred words. In contrast, the Catholic Bible contains 14 additional books called the Apocrypha. How? Attitude, Read the Bible, Use pen and notes, and listen to the Holy Spirit. The Bible is God communicating through language. Listen to Mark show the value of Bible Study.