Bible Teacher's Guide

The letter of First Peter was written to persecuted Christians scattered throughout the Roman Empire. It was meant to both encourage and instruct them on how to live as pilgrims in a hostile world. This message is still relevant today. Christ declared that in the end times believers would be hated by "all nations" because of him (Matthew 24:9). With the continuing culture shift, animosity and persecution towards Christians is increasing at an alarming rate. Over 400 Christians are martyred every day, and more saints have died for the faith in the last century than all the previous combined. The words of First Peter are a message of hope, desperately needed to encourage and prepare the Church for what lies ahead. Let's journey through Peter's letter together with the aid of the Bible Teacher's Guide.

How can we truly live a life of faith? Over 4,000 years ago, God called a man named Abraham to begin a wonderful journey of faith with him. Abraham was a pagan who worshiped idols, however, he left his home, family, and security to follow God. God called Abraham to be a centerpiece in his plan to redeem all people (Gen 12:1—3). All nations would be blessed through him, as he was the father of Israel-God's priests-and an ancestor of Jesus-the one who gave his life to save the world (John 3:16). Because of Abraham's great faith, he is called the father of all who believe (Gal 3:7). Though each person's faith journey is unique, we all encounter similar trials and tribulations, joys and victories, as Abraham did. And like him, we are called to be lights in a dark world that denies God. As we study Abraham, we learn how to faithfully live our life of faith. We cover topics like following God's call, passing God's test, conquering habitual sins, responding to conflict, experiencing God's power, and much more. Let's study Abraham's life together with the Bible Teacher's Guide.

How can we become good ministers of Christ Jesus? In 1 Timothy, Paul writes his protégé Timothy, who is overseeing the church in Ephesus, to encourage him to complete the work God called him to (1 Tim 1:18-19). False teachers had infiltrated the congregation, church members were looking down on Timothy because of his youth, and Timothy was frequently sick with stomach ailments. There were many obstacles to discourage and make him want to quit. Throughout the letter, Paul encourages Timothy to be faithful (1 Tim 4:14-16, 6:11-12), instructs him on how the church of the living God should be run (1 Tim 3:15), and on how to be a good minister of Christ Jesus (1 Tim 4:6). Although 1 Timothy is often called a pastoral epistle, it doesn't just speak to pastors. It speaks to all of us, because we're all called to ministry. It instructs us on issues like combatting false teaching (Ch. 1), prayer and worship (Ch. 2), church organization (Ch. 3), the minister's life and doctrine (Ch. 4), the mercy ministry of the church (Ch. 5), and the believer's relationship with money (Ch. 6), among other things. It also encourages us to complete our God-given tasks, amidst various obstacles (cf. 1 Tim 1:18-19, 4:12). As we read it, we are challenged, like Timothy, to become good ministers of Christ Jesus, at a time when the church desperately needs them. Let's study it together with “The Bible Teacher's Guide”.

Many of the problems plaguing the church today, such as apathy, conflict, spiritual pride, and spiritual abuse, stem from a poor understanding of who the church is in Christ and God's purpose for her. Whenever we don't understand the purpose of something, we are prone to misuse it. No doubt the newly founded churches in Ephesus and Asia Minor struggled with a lack of understanding as well and, therefore, were plagued with many of the same issues. Paul wrote the letter to the Ephesians to help them grasp God's great plan for the church. He calls many of these insights "mysteries"-truths not fully revealed to past generations, but now fully revealed to us. He describes the church as seated in the heavenly realms in Christ. She is one body-including both Jews and Gentiles. She is God's temple and his masterpiece. She is the bride of Christ and a soldier fighting demonic forces. The more the church grows in her understanding of God's great purpose for her, the more she will live it out and display his glory. Let's study the letter of Ephesians together with “The Bible Teacher's Guide”.

Around fifty percent of marriages end in divorce and of those who stay married, a large number are unhappy. "Happily ever after" seems to be something only reserved for fairy tales. Even the disciples, when considering the difficulties of marriage, replied, "If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry" (Matt 19:10). Certainly, this is not what God had in mind when he created marriage (Gen 2:24). How are married couples supposed to experience the abundant life that God originally meant for them? In 1 Peter 3:1-7, Peter speaks to husbands and wives about the characteristics of a godly marriage and God's expectation for each in the union. Through this, we learn God's perfect plan for married couples. Let consider it together with the Bible Teacher's Guide

Who is Jesus Christ? Is he enough for salvation? How should our relationship with him affect our daily lives? Paul's letter to the Colossians answers these questions. The Colossian church was being attacked by a cult with an early form of Gnostic doctrine that challenged the deity and the sufficiency of Christ. It taught Christ was not enough for salvation and that more was needed. Paul challenged this teaching by revealing the supremacy of Christ. Christ is the image of the invisible God and the fullness of deity dwells in him. He is the Creator, the Reconciler, the Victor, the Deliverer, the Head of the body-the church! He is the Firstborn and the Hope of Glory in the saints. Colossians teaches that our relationship to him should affect every aspect of our lives including thoughts, conversations, friendships, family, and work. This message is still relevant today as many are attacking the deity and sufficiency of Christ, both for salvation and sanctification. Let us stand in awe of the glory of Christ, as we study Paul's letter to the Colossians with the Bible Teacher's Guide. "Expositional, theological, and candidly practical! I highly recommend The Bible Teacher's Guide for anyone seeking to better understand or teach God's Word."

Building Foundations for a Godly Marriage can be used as an eight-week small group study on marriage, a pre-marital or marital counseling curriculum, or simply to help one have a deeper understanding of marriage.