God sent Christ to bring us back to Him.

When we turn from our sins and believe God’s good news, He promises to adopt us as his children, give us abundant life, and never leave us.

Those who receive Christ and believe in His Name have the right to become children of God.

Those who are born again know it. Experience transformation through Jesus.

To repent means a complete change of mind and direction, to turn away from sin toward God, to act and live totally differently and in a Godly way.

The name Jesus means ‘God saves’ and was given to Christ because He would save His people from their sins, by dying for our sins on the cross.

It’s important to clearly understand the greatness of God’s forgiveness, complete and free, to those who put their faith in Jesus alone.

If we have believed in Jesus and trust Him as our Lord, He is our master, and we should do what He says.

If our minds are renewed in Christ our speech will change.

The Father knows our needs and we must trust him, putting His kingdom first.

We should love our sisters and brothers in the family of God and then others will know we are Jesus’ disciples.

Jesus was leaving but promised to send the Holy Spirit to be with believers forever.

We will receive power to be witnesses for Christ when the Holy Spirit comes upon us.

Natural food is for the body; God’s Word is food for the soul and spirit.

Jesus told us the Holy Spirit would teach us ‘all things’. We can rely on Him to reveal truth from God’s Word to us if we will pray and ask Him.

As a child comes to its father and speaks freely about anything at any time, so can a child of God come to the heavenly Father.

…if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us…

The Devil is real and alive today in the world and hates God, His people, and all mankind.

Because Satan tries to separate us from our Father, we must submit ourselves to God, drawing near to Him in humility, asking His protection.

We are born with a human nature which tends to selfishness and sin.

The life of Jesus in us can overcome our old desires.

The earth is God’s creation, but the world is man’s systems which are against God, against His Christ and His people.

‘God so loved the world’ means God loves all the people, but not the world systems opposing him.

Christ commands us to take the good news to all people.

Christ died to bring us to God

Christ commanded his followers to go, make disciples, baptising them and teaching them His commands.

Baptism itself does not cleanse us from sin, but shows we have obeyed Christ, putting to death our old self, and rising again clothed with Christ.

In the last meal Jesus had with His disciples, He initiated the new covenant in His blood, with symbols of bread (his broken body) and the cup (His blood) given to signify His death.

In the communion we have union with Christ and with His people who are the spiritual body of Christ.

The universal church includes all God’s children of all history and from every place.

The benefits of talking and being with other believers include relationship, teaching, encouragement, and friendship, all of which is called fellowship.

We should help others, especially other believers, according to our ability and give according to our capacity.

God gives many different gifts to believers.

As a building has many parts and all are needed, so God’s people are all valuable and necessary.

God owns everything but has made His children stewards over some things.

As God’s stewards we are responsible to Him for our lives as we are His possession also.

How do we make decisions? To make good decisions we need to know and obey the will of God.

God can speak to us through His Word as we pray.

God’s word…a lamp to my feet, a light to my path

Go and make disciples of all nations

God’s word is “more to be desired than gold”.

God’s word lights where our feet are to walk, and the path itself, to guide us in darkness.

God’s word is the sword of the Spirit in the battle against the spiritual forces of darkness.

Men spoke out prophecy not of their own will, but were fully inspired by the Holy Spirit, and this word was written and preserved.

The Hebrew scriptures are still the Holy Books of the Jewish nation, written in long leather (parchment) scrolls and copied by scribes who counted every word and letter to ensure exact copies were made.

Consider the evidence for the truth of the Bible

Jesus himself validated the scriptures, calling them the Word of God, and said , “The scripture cannot be broken”.

World history is separated between B.C., before Christ, and A.D., Anno Domini, the year of the Lord.

The Bible’s first book, Genesis, tells how God created all things by His Word.

Man was continually evil, so God judged them, sending a worldwide flood but saving Noah and family.

…a great deliverance…

God promised deliverance through Moses and acted in great power, even dividing the Red Sea for His people, a picture of Christ’s deliverance for believers.

God came on the mountain in fire and smoke, and through Moses gave the covenant, law and sacrifice as detailed in Exodus and Leviticus.

Moses taught the people the law of God with promises, warnings, commands and examples.

God commanded Joshua to be strong and very courageous.

After Joshua, Israel turned away from God, so He gave them over to their enemies.

Samuel teaches us we should listen to God, pray for people and obey God completely.

Saul disobeyed God, so God rejected him and sent Samuel to anoint David, a young shepherd boy as King.

Solomon was King after David. He gathered great riches and built the temple, but oppressed the poor, and his many wives turned him to worship other Gods.

How can we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?

The Psalms are a favourite with many.  Proverbs teach wisdom. Job is about longsuffering.

The prophets were faithful but faced much opposition.

Do not oppress…aliens, orphans, widows...do not follow other gods…

Although the prophets’ message of judgement warned of punishment for disobedience, it also speaks of the reward of obedience, including deliverance from captivity and salvation from sin.

Messiah would suffer greatly

In the time of Christ, the land was divided into Galilee, Samaria, and Judea, and occupied by the Romans.

Gospel means good news. Four accounts of Jesus’s life from Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John present four perspectives of Him.

Jesus’ service included healing, also preaching and teaching, especially about the kingdom of God, which is in the hearts and lives of His people.

The fifth New Testament book is Acts, a history of how the Holy Spirit empowered the apostles to be witnesses of Christ, to preach a message along with signs and miracles.

The Holy Spirit leads us

All the letters give valuable instruction in Christian living.

For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain

The last book of the Bible is called prophecy, and outlines John’s visions, beginning with a revelation of Christ.

The Lion and the Lamb are revealed here, as is the end of history and God’s final victory over evil.

The main points taught in all these lessons about the Old Testament are summarised here.

The main points of all these lessons about the New Testament are summarised, as are Bible study methods.