1. Who is this God?

The following studies have been written by Val Goold Acting General Secretary TSCF 2012. Please feel free to adapt and use them. Feedback would be great.

There is one God, who is three persons, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. God is the Creator and Sustainer of all things.

(Statement 1 from BOB—Basis of Belief)

Getting started: (5 mins)

What are some things in life that you find hard to explain?

Can you think of any movies that deal with the Trinity or Creation?

Beginning in the bible: (10 mins)Psalm 19, Colossians 1:3-8;15-23
(Read through the Scriptures slowly and let people comment on anything that stands out to them about the Trinity or Creation)

Help with understanding (optional)

The very first doctrinal statement is more of a stop signal to wonder and worship than an invitation to instant comprehension. The Christian confession of faith in the Triune God is unique because not three gods are worshipped but one ‘God in Three Persons’, the only true God. Humanity does not define what ‘person’ means, but because God is Person we can also speak of humanity as a person. The Old and New Testament confess one God. The NT names Jesus and the Holy Spirit together with God the Father without attempting a systematic teaching or explanation. The incarnation of God in Jesus reveals the mystery of the Triune God. God becomes visible in a human face, tangible in a human body. The sovereignty of God in creation implies that nothing obliges Him to create, nor does the created universe limit, determine, enlarge, or bind Him. The loving God desires an intimate relationship with all that He creates. ‘In Him we live and move and have our being. He is not far from every one of us.’

Questions to get to know BOB better: (10 mins)

• In a world where many believe that humanity is an accident, what does this first statement in BOB and all these verses say to us?
  
• Creation tells us about the creator. What are some things that the Bible, humanity, and all the created world teach us about God?
  
• What does God the Father do? What does the Son do? What does the Holy Spirit do? - Why do you think that it is important that they are all one person?

Relating BOB to life: (15 mins)

What does Romans 11:33-12:2 teach us about how we should respond to the Trinity and God as creator.
What does one of your non-Christian friends believe about “God” and “Creation”? Does what you believe about the Trinity and Creation impact any area of your studies?

Where to from here? (5mins)
• As you walk around campus this week try thinking about the world like the Psalmist?
• Pray for an opportunity to talk to a non-Christian friend about Creation or God this week?
Memorise the initial statement from BOB—and maybe consider memorising some of the verses you looked at this week? 

2. Word up!

God in revealing himself inspired the Holy Scriptures so that they are entirely trustworthy and have supreme authority in matters of doctrine, faith and conduct.
(Statement 2 from BOB—Basis of Belief)

Getting started: (5 mins)
How do you like to get to know people?
What are some texts that are important in our lives?

Beginning in the bible: (10 mins)
1 John 1:1-4, 2 Tim 3:14-17, Psalm 119:9-16; 97-104
(Read through the Scriptures slowly and let people comment on anything that stands
out) 

Help with understanding (optional)
The Bible is both divine and human; this amazing confession of faith is analogous to the confession of Jesus Christ as the living word of God in human flesh. The Bible reveals God’s redemptive history within human history. The inspiration of Scripture implies that the origin of Scripture is to be found in God. Because Scripture is God-breathed it has divine authority. When declared in the power of the Holy Spirit it produces faith in Christ and the fruit of the Spirit in godly lives where the Word is received and obeyed.
All Scripture is entirely trustworthy because God is trustworthy. ‘Trustworthiness’ emphasizes that biblical truth is not an abstract notion but a reality to be trusted in because God is truth. One cannot know, therefore, the truth of the word of God without trust, ie, without personal commitment to God and His divine will expressed in human words. The authority of Scripture applies to the whole of created reality including arts, science, and politics. However Scripture does not set out to teach science, for example, yet it teaches how science or any human skill should be learned and applied (‘faith and conduct’) for the good of humanity and to the glory of God.

Questions to get to know BOB better: (10 mins)

•  What is the difference between doctrine, faith and conduct – and do you believe that the Bible is ‘entirely trustworthy’ and has ‘supreme authority’ in these areas?
  
•  How do you know or believe that the Bible is true testimony about God? (1 John 1)
  
•  How do you understand the phrase “God-breathed”? (2 Tim)
  
•  How does the Bible make us “wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus? (2 Tim)
  Relating BOB to life: (15 mins)
  

•  What is the Bible useful for? Do we use it in all these ways? Do we use it in other ways?
  
•  If you were writing a ‘verse for the song of Psalm 119’ what would your 8 statements be?
  
•  If you believe Ps 119 (eg vs 9, 11, 98, 99, 103...) how might our lives show this more?
  Where to from here? (5mins)
  As you are in your classes this week think about whether there are any scriptures that help you understand your subject better?
  Pray for an opportunity to talk to a non-Christian friend about what THEY think about the Bible this week?
  Memorise this statement from BOB—and maybe consider memorising some of the verses you looked at this week?
  Think about writing your own verse for Ps 119 
  
• 
  

3. What went wrong?!

We all were made for fellowship with God, but disobeyed him. So we all have become sinners, guilty in God's sight, under his wrath, and alienated from him. (Statement 3 from BOB—Basis of Belief)

Getting started: (5 mins)
When have you ever come across the word “sin” that is not in the Christian context?

Beginning in the bible: (10 mins)
Psalm 14, Romans 6:15-23
(Read through the Scriptures slowly and let people comment on anything that stands
out) 

Help with understanding (optional)
Sin is not understandable apart from a holy and loving God who created humanity in His image and gave him honour and glory. Humanity refuses to acknowledge God as God over all life. In this basic attitude of the human heart we see the sinfulness of sin that makes us all guilty before God. We can neither fully grasp the depth of our sin, nor God’s holy rejection of sin, nor God’s judgement over sin, nor God’s goodness leading to repentance unless all this is divinely revealed to us. We are not all as bad as we could be, but neither is any one of us as good as we were created to be. Sin and judgementarenotmentionedinScriptureapartfromgraceandforgiveness. Thisdoes not reduce the seriousness of sin and judgement but reminds us that a solution is always open to us. For the biblical writers, when they are confronted with the sin of the people seen in the light of God’s holiness, they are able to rejoice in the knowledge of God’s infinite mercy and love.

Questions to get to know BOB better: (10 mins)
What is “sin”? How would you describe it to someone without using any Christian jargon! How do you know that you are sinning? How can we be more aware of our own sin?
What is the purpose of guilt? What is the difference between guilt and shame?

Relating BOB to life: (15 mins)
Do you think that a non-Christians understanding of sin is the same as what the Bible says it is? It is often said “Hate the sin, love the sinner” – how can we do this?

Where to from here? (5mins)
As you go about your week try and be more conscious of the sin that you do and, upon confession of that sin before God, know Gods grace and forgiveness for that sin (do not
hesitate to ask someone for help if you would like – you do not have to do this alone).
Pray for an opportunity to talk to a non-Christian friend about what THEY think about right and wrong and what we can do about it this week?
Memorise this statement from BOB—and maybe consider memorising some of the verses you looked at this week? 

4. What gift did we get at Christmas?!

Jesus Christ, God’s own son, became truly human.
He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary.

(Statement 4 from BOB—Basis of Belief) 

What are some of your favourite Christmas memories?

Getting started: (5 mins)

Help with understanding (optional)
There are several significant implications of understanding that Jesus is God:
1. We can have a real knowledge of God through looking at Jesus. (John 14:9). If we would know what the love of God, the holiness of God, the power of God are like, we need to look at Christ.
2. Redemption is available to us. The death of Christ is sufficient for all sinners who have ever lived, for it was not merely a finite human, but an infinite God who died.
3. Worship of Christ is appropriate. One day everyone will recognise who and what Jesus is. Those who believe in the deity of Christ already recognise who he is and act accordingly.
There are several significant implications of understanding the Jesus was fully human:
1. Jesus manifests the true nature of humanity. While we are sometimes inclined to draw our conclusions as to what humanity is from an inductive examination of ourselves and those around us, these are but imperfect instances of humanity. Jesus has not only told us what perfect humanity is, he has exhibited it.
2. Jesus can truly sympathise with and intercede for us. He has experienced all that we might undergo. When we are hungry, weary, lonely, he fully understands, for he has gone through it all himself. (Heb 4:15)
3. Human nature was created good. When we tend toward asceticism, regarding human nature, and particularly physical nature, as somehow inherently evil or at least inferior to the spiritual and immaterial, the fact that Jesus took upon himself our full human nature is a reminder that to be human is not evil, it was created good and spoiled by sin.
4. God is not exclusively transcendent. He is not so far removed from the human race.
With John we rejoice that the incarnation was real and complete: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father.” (John 1:14)

Beginning in the bible: (10 mins) Each person is encouraged to share verses that answer both of these questions.
In what ways did Jesus himself claim to be God? In what ways did he show that he was human?

Questions to get to know BOB better: (15 mins)

•  What do you think would be the impact if Jesus was God and only a “pretend” human?
  
•  What do you think would be the impact of Jesus being a human being who was only a “pretend” God?
•  What do you think it means to be a human being?
  Relating BOB to life: (10 mins)
  Why do you think people want to believe the Da Vinci code’s story that Jesus was not really God?
  Where to from here? (5mins)

•  Pray for an opportunity to talk to a non-Christian friend about what THEY think about what it means to be a human being, or who Jesus was this week?
  
•  As you go about your week try and be more conscious of what the people around you and the course that you are studying believes about human nature.
  
•  Memorise this statement from BOB 
  

5. The way home!

Jesus Christ took on himself the sin of the world when he died on the cross as our representative and substitute. God thereby showed his love for us and provided the only way for us to be forgiven and reconciled to Him.

(Statement 5 from BOB—Basis of Belief)

􏰀 What reasons do people give to explain why they should get to go to heaven?

Beginning in the bible: (10 mins)
Romans 3:9-26
(Take time to read this passage through a couple of times and discuss any words or phrases that you do not understand.)

Getting started: (5 mins)

Help with understanding (optional)
The sacrificial death of Jesus on the cross reveals the sinfulness of sin, the power of evil, the terror of death, and the holiness, righteousness and infinite love of God. Jesus, the sinless, makes Himself one with the sinners and their guilt and draws the sanction of law, the curse of death, and the separation from the Living God upon himself on the cross.
Redemption from sin and all its consequences is complete and final in Christ’s death on the cross. Therefore the sense of guilt, the fear of punishment, the enslaving dominion and the corruption pollution of sin are removed from the sinner’s conscience when the Holy Spirit applies the benefits of the saving death of Christ to their heart.
Redemption from sin, as a gift of God’s mercy, provokes and enables a practical outworking of Christ’s salvation in each individual believer as well as in the relationship of Christians with one another, and towards all people of the world by the proclamation of the Gospel in word and deed.

Questions to get to know BOB better: (15 mins)

• 􏰀  What do you think it means that Jesus was our “representative and substitute”?
  
• 􏰀  Do you believe that Jesus is the ONLY way? Discuss why or why not.
  Relating BOB to life: (10 mins)
  
  • 􏰀  How could we live more in the forgiveness that Jesus’ death provides us (second paragraph in Help with understanding)?
    
  • 􏰀  How would you explain to people what happens to people when they become a Christian?
    Where to from here? (5mins)
    

• 􏰀  Pray for an opportunity to talk to a non-Christian friend about what THEY think about Jesus and whether they think they need saving this week?
  
• 􏰀  As you go about your week try and be more conscious of what the world (through the media) thinks about the possibility of heaven and how to get there.
  
• 􏰀  Memorise this statement from BOB and one or two of the verses from Romans that you might need to know off by heart sometime. 
  

6. Yeah Right!

Jesus of Nazareth was raised by God from the dead. (Statement 6 from BOB—Basis of Belief)

Getting started: (5 mins)
􏰀 What are examples of resurrection in films and books that you have come across?

Beginning in the bible: (10 mins)
1 Corinthians 15:1-19
(Take time to read this passage through slowly and discuss any words or phrases that you do not understand.)

Questions to get to know BOB better: (15 mins)

• 􏰀  Why is Jesus resurrection so crucial to understanding the gospel? (vv12-19)
  
• 􏰀  What do you find most difficult to understand or describe about the crucifixion or resurrection of
  Jesus?
  Relating BOB to life: (10 mins)
  
  • 􏰀  How can you be encouraged in your every day life because of the resurrection of Jesus?
    
  • 􏰀  Proving the resurrection of Jesus used to be one of the most crucial debates – in what ways do you
    think it is the same or different today?
    
  • 􏰀  How would you explain to others what happened when Jesus rose from the dead?
    Where to from here? (5mins)
    

• 􏰀  Pray for an opportunity to talk to a non-Christian friend about what THEY think about Jesus and whether they think he was raised from the dead?
  
• 􏰀  As you go about your week try and be more conscious of what the world (through the media) thinks about Jesus and the possibility of resurrection.
  
• 􏰀  Memorise this statement from BOB and one or two of the verses from 1 Corithians that you might need to know off by heart sometime. 
  

7. Getting into the Spirit of things!

The Holy Spirit brings us to trust Christ and repent of our sins, lives in us, and develops our new life in Christ in the fellowship of the Church.
(Statement 7 from BOB—Basis of Belief)

Getting started: (5 mins)
􏰀 List as many TV programmes and films that have “spiritual” characters in them? How do humans benefit or suffer from spirits in these programmes?

Beginning in the bible: (10 mins)
2 Corinthians 3:12 - 4:4 and 1 Peter 2:4 - 12

Help with understanding (optional)
That which Christ has accomplished once and for all in the past is applied and made real in the present by the Holy Spirit, thus overcoming the time-space abyss that separates each generation from the historical act of redemption. God the Holy Spirit gives new life; he does this work through the proclamation of the Word of God and through the witness of Christians to Christ. Our assurance of salvation does not rest on emotions or resolutions but on the finished work of Christ in history, revealed and written in the Scriptures, and testified in the heart by the Spirit.
The Spirit lives in the one who is born of the Spirit. God’s law is now written into the heart of the believer. God wills that the life of Christ be reproduced in the Christian. The fruit of the Spirit is therefore: love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness, faithfulness, kindness, and self-control. The Spirit wills that the service of Christ, shall be accomplished through the Christian; so the Spirit gives to each one His gifts. They can be neglected through unbelief and fear, misused by selfish desires and pride; or they can be fully developed in love and service for others. The supreme purpose of the Scriptures and the work of the Holy Spirit is to glorify Christ, to make His love and lordship manifest in and through the believers individually and in their corporate life-testimony of love towards God, towards one another and towards all humanity.
The unity of the Church in the world is primarily spiritual, a work of the Spirit and centred in the perfect fellowship of the Triune God. This God-given oneness can be neglected, weakened or denied by sin; or it can advance to full maturity in Christ and become more visibly manifest in the world by the growth of each member in their relationship with the others.

Questions to get to know BOB better: (15 mins)

• 􏰀  Discuss the image of the veil described by Paul in 2 Cor. In what way is this relevant as you seek to be a witness to your friends on campus?
  
• 􏰀  What is the freedom that the Holy Spirit gives us? 2 Cor 3:17
  
• 􏰀  What can we learn from the images in 1 Peter of us as “living stones”, “chosen people”, and “aliens
  and strangers” that will help us grow together as we reach out on campus?
  Relating BOB to life: (10 mins)
  
  • 􏰀  How does the knowledge that there is a partnership between the Holy Spirit and you, encourage you as you explain the gospel to people around you?
    
  • 􏰀  Christians are not always that different from non-Christians in our behaviour! How do we let our lives testify to Christ and the work of the Holy Spirit, rather than about ourselves?
    Where to from here? (5mins)

• 􏰀  Pray for an opportunity to talk to a non-Christian friend about what decisions the Holy Spirit helps you make every day, and the forgiveness the Holy Spirit helps you receive daily.
  
• 􏰀  Pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world.
  
• 􏰀  Memorise this statement from BOB and one or two of the verses that you might find useful to know off by heart sometime. 

8. He’ll be back!

Jesus Christ, the living Lord, will return in person as Judge and King (Statement 8 from BOB—Basis of Belief)

Getting started: (5 mins)
􏰀 Have there been times that you have promised to do something but not actually done it? Why didn’t you do it?

Beginning in the bible: (10 mins)
Revelation 22

Help with understanding (optional)
The God who came to die as a human being on the cross for salvation of the world will come again!!! From the beginning to the end faith confesses, against every reasonable and emotional objection and contradiction, the most assured expectation and glorious hope of which the world has ever heard. The expectation of the personal return of Christ is not born of a desire to escape the conflicts and sufferings of this world (though it will accomplish this), but it is of godly origin, founded upon the promises of Christ Himself, to restore us to full relationship with Him.
The return of Christ includes the completion and perfection of the Church, the fulfilment of God’s irrevocable promises to His people, the resurrection of all who ever lived on earth, and the final judgement according to God’s sovereignty and righteousness; and ultimately the establishment of a new earth and a hew heaven in which justice dwells.

Questions to get to know BOB better: (15 mins)

• 􏰀  What does scripture describe will be the some of the great things about this ‘new place’?
  
• 􏰀  Why does there need to be a point of judgement for all humanity?
  
• 􏰀  Go back to the original study on creation – how does this chapter reflect a complete circle back to Gen 1?
  Relating BOB to life: (10 mins)
  
  • 􏰀  At the end of this whole book about what is to come John writes “Amen, Come, Lord Jesus!” Are you this enthusiastic about Jesus coming back? Why or why not?
    
  • 􏰀  What are some things in your life and in the life of your friends that WILL NOT be in the new place described in Rev 22?
    
  • 􏰀  How does what you believe will happen at judgement day and beyond make a difference to your life here and now, as a student at university?
    Where to from here? (5mins)

• 􏰀  Pray for an opportunity to talk to a non-Christian friend about the gospel this week.
  
• 􏰀  Pray for our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world.
  
• 􏰀  Memorise this statement from BOB and one or two of the verses that you might find useful to know off by heart sometime.