Family Bible Hour

• Does knowing and understanding God make a practical difference in your life? If so, how?
• What does Theology mean?
• When you think about God, what words come to mind?
• Can someone know if God exists? Why or why not?
• Is the doctrine of the Trinity important? Why or why not?

• What is mysterious about the doctrine of the Trinity? Why do human analogies and metaphors tend to fail to capture the essence of the Trinity?
• Read 1 Peter 1:1–2. How does Peter reference the three persons of the Trinity in his greeting? What do we learn about his understanding of God in three persons?
• Why is it such good news that God did not create us or save us because he needs us, but rather out of the overflow of his joy, love, and grace?
• Read Acts 17:24–25. What does Paul say about what God needs from people? How does this inform how we should view ourselves before God?
• Read Romans 3:21–26. What words and phrases does Paul use to describe what happened for us at the cross? How does he explain God’s justice in his salvation through his Son?

• If God were perfectly just, but not perfectly gracious, where would that leave us? What would all sinners rightly deserve and receive from God?
• Why is God’s pursuit of his own glory not a selfish or prideful pursuit, as it would be for a person?
• What is still mysterious to you about God’s character, being, and ways? Why is it OK to not understand God exhaustively and completely?
• Why is it so important for us to understand the Bible as a divine book—completely inspired by God himself? What difference should that make in the way we read it and study it?

• What does it mean when we say that the Bible is inspired? How would you answer someone who says that the Bible is only a book written by men long ago?
• Why is it so important for us to understand the Bible as a divine book, completely inspired by God himself? What difference should that make in the way we read it and study it?

• If the doctrine of the clarity of Scripture is true, why does there seem to be so much disagreement among Christians about the teaching of the Bible?
• What would happen to the church if most believers gave up reading the Bible for themselves and only listened to Bible teachers or read books about the Bible? If you thought that only expert scholars could understand the Bible rightly, what would happen to your personal reading of Scripture? Has
• How does understanding the authority of the Bible as God’s word make it different from any other book in the world?

1. Why is it so important for Christians to know that they can trust the Bible?
2. Read 2 Timothy 3:16–17 again. What effects should we expect when we study the Bible and hear it preached and taught?
3. What are the dangers of doing theology (thinking thoughts about God) in a way that is disconnected from God’s word?
4. In our study, time did not allow us to consider the process in which we came to have the Bible. There is a great video published by The Museum of the Bible that summarizes how we got the Bible. Watch it together and discuss it.
   • Youtube Video: How the Biblical Canon Was Formed 
5. Was there anything new to you about the doctrine of Scripture presented in your class? Share it with someone.

1. Read Psalm 8. What does this psalm reveal about the wonder of God’s creation, and particularly his creation of human beings?
2. Read Genesis 1:26–27. What does the author of Genesis emphasize in these verses about God’s creation of human beings?
3. If we are made in God’s image, what does that say about the dignity, value, and worth of human beings?
4. Read James 3:1–12 (noting v. 9 especially). What does James say about our attitudes and actions toward others, all of whom have been created in the image of God?
5. Prep for next week: How would you define sin?
6. Prep for next week: Why do some people in the world today not like to label sin as sin? What are some other ways that people like to talk about sin?

1. Why is sin so often accompanied by a false view of God or a twisting of the truth of his word?
2.  Read Romans 5:12–21. What came into the world—and to human beings—through Adam and his sin? What comes through Jesus to all who believe in him?
3. How does an understanding of the seriousness of sin help us make sense of the pain, sickness, disease, and death in our world today? How can God use these things to point us toward himself?
4. Read Psalm 51:1–5, noting the way David talks about his sin. How do these verses point to the reality of a sinful nature in every human being?
5. If every aspect of who we are is affected by sin and therefore depraved, what does that imply about our ability to save ourselves?
6. Read 1 John 4:10. How does John connect God’s act of propitiation to his love for sinful human beings? Why is this verse so encouraging for us sinners who look to Jesus for salvation? How does it assure us of our salvation?

1. Read John 1:1–18. What do these verses tell us about the role of Jesus in creation? What do they tell us about his eternal existence, as well as his identity as God?
2. Why is it so important for our salvation that Jesus truly became human?
3. Skim through Matthew 27:32–61. What observations can you make about the humiliation and suffering Jesus Christ endured in the hours leading up to his death?
4. If it’s true that the wages of sin is “death” (Rom. 6:23), why is it so important that Jesus actually, physically died in our place?
5. Read Revelation 5, noting especially the “new song” that is sung in praise of the Lamb. How should this heavenly scene guide our response to Jesus right now on earth?
6. To prepare for next week: Why is it important to remember that, as powerful as Satan is, he is a creature who was made by God? How should this fact comfort us?

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