OUTSIDE FELLOWSHIP EVANGELISTIC BIBLE STUDY (EBS) MATERIALS Zhong Ri Jia Mei 139 Speyside Dr. Oakville, ON Canada L6L 5Y1 You are free to use these materials as you see fit. Suggestions for improvements would be appreciated. If you have other materials that you have found to be effective in Evangelistic Bible Studies (particularily for non-North American students) in either English, Chinese (GuoBiao format), or Japanese (any format), a copy on computer disk would be appreciated. This set of studies was written for the IVCF International Bible Study, North Carolina State, Raleigh, North Carolina. This group has a large number of Chinese with limited English. Any comments or feedback on their usefulness with other cultural groups may be addressed to: Paul Hoffman 3129 Cartwright Raleigh, NC 27612. ------------------------------------------------------- IBS Bible Studies, Fall 1986 1, Aug 22, God Speaks -- Intro to the Bible, Luke 15:1-5;Heb.1:1-2 2, Aug 29, God Created the Heavens & Earth, Genesis 1; Ps 19:1-6 3, Sept 5, International Dinner 4, Sept 12, God Created Man In God's Image, Genesis 1:26-2 5, Sept 19, God Knows and Cares About Me, Psalm 139 6, Sept 26, Disobedience Separates Man From God,Genesis 2:15-17, 3 7, Oct 3, The Wages of Sin, Romans 1:18-32, 3:9-20 8, Oct 10, Trip 9, Oct 17, God Calls A Man, Genesis 12 10, Oct 24, The Laws of God, Exodus 19, 20 11, Oct 31, God Promises a Savior, Isaiah 9:2-7;11:1-11, Matthew 1 12, Nov 7, The Savior is a Servant Who Suffers, Is. 53:13-15, 53 13, Nov 14, International Dinner 14, Nov 21, The Birth of the Savior, Luke 1, 2:1-20 15, Nov 28, Thanksgiving Break 16, Dec 5, International Dinner 17, Dec 12, Christmas Party ------------------------------------------------------- 1 LESSON Date: August 22, 1986 Title: God Speaks - Introduction to the Bible Passages: Luke 15:1-7, Hebrew 1:1-2 1.1 OBJECTIVES 1.1.1. To understand that the Bible is God's word to man, not man's ideas about God. 1.1.2. To learn what the basic parts of the Bib]e are. 1.1.3. To learn how to look things up in the Bible. 1.2 OVERVIEW OF STUDY The Luke passage uses the picture of the shepherd to show that God is seeking lost man. The Hebrews passage is used to introduce the Old and New Testaments. The summary sheet is an introduction to the Good News Bible. You will end up by going over the summary sheet with the group. 1.3 INTRODUCTORY THOUGHT QUESTION Have each person in the group share about the religion followed by their parents. Ask how their parents learned about God. This will give you some idea about each person's background. 1.4 INTRODUCTION Share that Christians are followers of Jesus Christ and that at International Bible Study, we study the Bible, the book that tells us about Jesus and his teaching. Tonight we will learn some about the Bible itself. 1.5 LUKE 15:1-7 (Page 75, GNB) 1.5.1 Jesus told this story when he was criticized for associating with the outcasts in his society. The story tells about a shepherd. Make sure that the group knows what sheep are and what a shepherd does. Read the passage silently and discuss any unfamiliar terms. Ask someone to retell the story in his own words. 1.5.2 Possible unfamiliar terms are: 1.5.2.1 Outcasts - people not accepted in society; tax collectors are outcasts because they worked for the foreign rulers. 1.5.2.2 Pharisees and teachers of the law - leaders in the society where Jesus taught; they were very careful about keeping the religious rules and laws of their culture. 1.5.2.3 Sinner - one who disobeys the laws of God. 1.5.2.4 Repent - to turn away from sin to God. 1.5.3 Questions for discussion: 1.5.3.1 What are sheep like? What was the shepherd in the story like? How did he feel about his sheep? What did he do for his sheep? 1.5.3.2 In many places, the bible says that people are like sheep and God is like the shepherd. How are people like sheep? What is God like if he is like a shepherd? 1.5.3.3 The Bible is like the call of the shepherd to his lost sheep. It is the word of God to us telling us about God and about ourselves and calling us to God. 1.6 HEBREWS 1:1-2 1.6.1 Hebrews is a letter to a group of early Christians. In the first two verses, the writer reminds them how God spoke to men. The two ways that God spoke parallel the two main parts of the Bible, the Old and New Testament. Have each person read the passage to themselves looking for the ways that God spoke. 1.6.2 Possible unfamiliar word: 1.6.2.1 Prophet - a person who delivers a message from God. 1.6.3 Questions for discussion: 1.6.3.1 How did God speak in the past? How did he speak in the last days? Who is the Son? 1.6.3.2 God's word given through the prophets and through his Son is recorded in the Bible. 1.7 USING THE SUMMARY SHEET 1.7.1 Now go over the material in the summary sheet (IBS Tntroduction to the Bible). Do not read the sheet, but cover the main points in the sheet with your qroup. Have them actually ]ook at table of contents and find the suggested verses as described in the sheet. Make sure you cover the following items: What is the Bible? What is the Good News Bible and why are we using it? What are the Old and New Testaments? What kinds of books are in the Bible? How do you look up thinqs in the Bible? If you are leading a group of Christians, have them evaluate how helpful the sheet would be for a non-Christian with no prior Bible knowledge. Any suggestions for improvement would be gratefully received. 1.8 CLOSING GIve a copy of the summary sheet to each one in the group. Offer to let anyone who does not have a Bible of his own to take one of the Good News Bibles with him. Encourage each one to read the Bible for himself.