Spiritual Growth
The Word
Knowing the
Story of the Word
Quarter 2 Unit 1 Lesson 1
Romans 1:16, 17; 2 Timothy 3:14-17
Certainly, here are the requested Bible verses:
Romans 1:16-17 (ESV):
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, ‘The righteous shall live by faith.'”
2 Timothy 3:14-17 (ESV):
“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
Remember
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.”
2 Timothy 3:16, 17
From the time of Adam until now, generations of people have told God’s story to their children, friends, and neighbors.
Human words may find a place in our minds and memories. But God’s Word, a beautiful tapestry woven of love, forgiveness, and salvation, transforms our lives and hearts and minds.
God’s story is recorded in the Bible. Many different people told this story and wrote it down for us. The people who told this story were shepherds and kings, orphans and princes, teachers and prisoners, prophets and scribes, disciples and doctors, fishermen and other followers of Jesus.
The reason this book tells a miraculous and amazing story is this: God inspired all of it through these various individuals.
Today we will learn how God’s Word tells the story of His love and plan of redemption through Jesus.
Why do you think God wanted us to know His story?
God wanted us to know His story because He wants us to know Him! That is why we have the Bible.
In it we learn who God is. We learn the things that please Him and the things that don’t. It is the story of His relationship with humanity, from creation to redemption. All of the Bible is God’s Word, and all of it speaks truth.
The Bible contains 66 books, which were written or recorded by about 40 different writers over a period of about 1,500 years.
Many of the stories in the Bible were told and retold for many generations before they were eventually written down.
Most of the Old Testament was written in Hebrew. The New Testament was written in Greek.
The Bible contains many types of literature. Think about the different kinds of writing you like to read or that you have been exposed to in school. What’s your favorite?
The Bible includes history-sequences of events and stories of people’s lives that were written down to preserve the record of what happened.
There are lists of laws and rules, like those in the book of Leviticus.
There are poems and songs, such as the ones found in Psalms.
There are letters written to churches.
And there are stories told as metaphors or illustrations of truths, like the parables Jesus told.
No matter what their beliefs, many people recognize the names of some who are responsible for the Bible books we can read today-like Moses, David, Solomon, and Paul.
But there are many other names you may not recognize, and there are some writers who were never named.
With so many people contributing to the Bible, it is amazing how all of it fits together in a way that tells one long, beautiful story —the story of God’s love for people.
In his second letter to Timothy, the apostle Paul talked about the “last days” and how some people would be led away from God by their own evil desires but also by people who had bad intentions, people who were “always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth” (2 Timothy 3:7).
By contrast, Paul wrote about his own way of life, and how he had lived a life of faith, patience, and love, even though he suffered for it.
He challenged Timothy to continue in the way he had learned, the way of faith he had been taught since he was a baby, the way he had become convinced of through his relationships with other believers and through trusting the Scriptures that they taught him (vv. 10-15).
*Let’s listen to what Paul wrote in 2 Timothy 3:16, 17.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
“All Scripture is God-breathed.”
Each writer of the accounts in the Bible brought his own perspective, his own experiences, and his own style to what he wrote. But God was the inspiration within the writers, leading them to share His message with all of us. He loves you and knows all about you. He wants you to know Him.
He wants you to know the story of His relationship with His people. He wants to show you the best way to live as you respond to His love and live out your part in that story.
The most important part of God’s story given to us in the Bible is the gospel – which means “good news” — of Jesus Christ. The man we know as the apostle Paul was one of God’s apostles, or authorized messengers (the word apostle means “one who is sent”), to proclaim the story of Jesus both to Jews and to Gentiles (non-Jews).
Let’s read what Paul wrote to the first Christians in Rome, the capital of the ancient and mighty Roman Empire.
Read Romans 1:16, 17 from the Bible.
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed-a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”
The good news is that through Jesus’ death and resurrection God can and does bring the gift of salvation – saving people from the punishment of sin — to everyone who accepts and believes in Jesus as Savior, regardless of their background or past.
If we put our faith and trust in Jesus, God will bless us with righteousness, or right standing, in Him and with Him.
Paul was writing to people in Rome. Rome at the time was a powerful city-the center of the Roman Empire and a great city numbering somewhere around 4 million people, according to some archaeological reports.
Considering that Rome was a center of culture and power during this time, what are some reasons Paul might have had to be ashamed of the gospel?
Consider also the fact that this movement of Christianity was still just at its beginning, and Jesus had been executed as a criminal by the order of a Roman governor.
Why might it have been hard for Paul’s message to be heard by a Roman audience? How does that situation compare to the one you are in today?
Paul wrote in Romans 15:4 that “everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”
Just as we can learn from many other historical accounts, we can learn so much from the Bible about who God is and what He wants for us.
But because the Scriptures are God-breathed, we can also be fully confident in their authority and power and truth, and be encouraged by the message of hope we find over and over again in the Word.
For the next several minutes, we’re going to spend some time thinking about all the people who told God’s story-and the years it took to write it.
Think of all the years that have passed since then and all the people who have read it.
Through it all, God’s story has not changed.
This is the beginning of God’s great story. God spoke and created the world and everything in it through the power of His words. With great love and care, He created everything, including people. But the very first people rejected His ways. Thank God for creating the world and for His mercy on His creation.
The people God had created begin to multiply and fill the land. But they still kept choosing their own way and dishonoring the one true God.
Many years passed. God chose a man, Abraham, and created a special nation -the nation of Israel-from Abraham’s descendants.
The people kept growing in number, but they became slaves in a foreign land, Egypt.
Imagine what it must have been like for the people to cry out to God for rescue. Ask God to hear the cries of those who are suffering today.
.
God heard His people’s cries. He provided a way for them to be set free. He promised to be with them. He gave His special people His Law to help them follow and obey Him.
He wanted them to remember Him each day. But they forgot easily.
Thank God for His Law that shows the way to live rightly; ask Him to forgive us when we forget to obey Him.
God knows that people need a Savior. He sent His Son, Jesus, to the world.
Jesus’ life and death showed God’s love.
His resurrection showed that God is more powerful than even death. Anyone who wants to be part of God’s family can accept the free gift of grace Jesus offers.
God promises to give the Holy Spirit to those who are sorry for what they have done and accept the gift of salvation. The Spirit will help them know God and follow His ways.
Think about what the story of Jesus’ life and resurrection means to you and talk to God about that.
Today. God’s Spirit is still here for those who are members of God’s family.
The Bible is complete, but God’s story is not finished.
He still wants every person to come to Him and know Him. He sees you and wants to know you too. God loves you unconditionally. He has preserved His story in the Bible so that you can know and love Him.
Remember
“All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.”
Let’s all get quiet and inhale deeply and exhale slowly. Concentrate on the sound of the breathing for a few seconds and listen to the quiet of the room until everyone. Inhale and exhale one more time, now say, “God breathed His Word” in a whisper.
Let’s repeat that phrase “God breathed His Word” a few more times.
Now, stay quiet and still and keep listening to small sounds in the room. Focus on the sound of the breathing.
Remember that God breathed life into this world, and He has breathed out His Word to give us life.
Think about how you want to respond to God and His Word.
You might say, “I want to know You, God.” Or “I have questions about You, God.” Or “God, show me more of who You are through Your Word.”
However you choose to respond is between you and God.