The Promised One Introduction

Happy New Year, everyone! How exciting to begin fresh and new with the first book of the Bible, Genesis! Many of you have made commitments with this new year to get back into God’s Word or to deepen your commitment to daily study. This is the perfect opportunity!

What is so unique about this study is that while we are going to comb through the entire book of Genesis verse by verse and glean every bit we can from it, we are also going to explore many portions that directly point to Jesus. Yes, we can see the promise of Messiah even in the very first book of the Bible!

While on the road to Emmaus, Jesus had explained to the travelers what the Scriptures had said about him, how the Messiah would have to suffer before entering His glory. However, there was no New Testament at the time. Jesus only had Old Testament Scriptures and prophesies to go on, but that was enough to point irrefutably to Him as the Promised One.

In addition, when Paul reasoned with the early Christians, convincing them of the validity of Jesus as the Messiah, what Scriptures did he use? The Old Testament, of course.

Some have questioned the value of studying the Old Testament. For one, we will see that the entire Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, is actually one cohesive story. It all points to the sovereignty and greatness of God Almighty, and His redemption of fallen man. Throughout the Old and the New Testaments, we see aspects of God’s attributes and character as displayed through His interaction with mankind. Additionally, in every book, we also see God’s plan to offer hope and redemption through the coming of Messiah.

Paul explains the purpose of Scripture in the book of Romans: For 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. Romans 15:4 NIV

So, are you ready to discover new revelations about Jesus through Scripture you may not have realized before? Are you ready to grow in knowledge and understanding of God’s Word by inductively exploring each and every verse of the book of Genesis? Are you ready to listen to what God would say to You through His Word and to be transformed by the truths found in Scripture?

Let’s get started!

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Levels of Commitment

We are trying something different with this study. We understand that the woman who study with us come from all different walks of life. While some of you are in a season with limited time for study, as you have your hands full with small children, your career, or other obligations, we want to provide solid Biblical teaching in small enough chunks for you to remain consistent in the Word. On the other hand, many of you are in a season in which you crave more from Bible study, and you may have more time to go deeper. For you, we are providing deeper levels to help you get the most from your time in the Word.

Either way, prayerfully choose which level you feel God is drawing you, and just do the best you can. There is no condemnation for those who need to hold back a bit in this season, just as there is no tooting our horns for being in the position to do more. The important thing is to connect with Christ and learn all we can from His Word, while at the same time allowing Him to transform our hearts and lives through daily time in His Word. Regardless of where you are, we are here to support and encourage each other in our walk with Christ!

LEVEL 1:

  • Weekly study in the book, including the personal Bible study portions and the teaching chapters.
  • Read book of Genesis in its entirety at least once during the 10 weeks of this study.
  • Attend a small group once per week. 

LEVEL 2: All of Level 1 PLUS…

  • Participate in Heart to Heart group activities.
  • Additional enrichment articles and assignments provided each week (optional)

LEVEL 3: All of Levels 1 and 2 PLUS…

  • Weekly Scripture memory
  • Daily SOAP assignments (You can find instructions and examples here.)
  • Watch Nancy Guthrie’s weekly videos (Optional due to cost, and the majority of the content is found in the teaching portion of the book.)

LEVEL 4: All of Levels 1, 2, and 3 PLUS…

  • Read through the entire book of Genesis every two weeks (five times total).
  • Daily journaling or blogging about what you are learning
  • Write out all the verses you can find about God’s covenant with Abraham and his descendants.
  • Additional research assignments

Week 1 Assignments

LEVEL 1:

  1. Watch Introduction video from Nancy Guthrie
  2. Read Luke 24
  3. Study the Week 1 Teaching Chapter: The Beginning in Light of the Ending, pp. 15-26, from the book The Promised One: Seeing Jesus in Genesis, by Nancy Guthrie
  4. Participate in a small group. There is no homework ahead of time.

LEVEL 2:

  1. Look for daily activities in the Heart to Heart Facebook group.
  2. Choose a commentary and read an introduction to Genesis to gain an understanding of it’s cultural and historical background. Here is one: https://www.biblestudytools.com/genesis/

LEVEL 3:

  1. Scripture memory of the week: For 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. Romans 15:4 NIV
  2. SOAP Scriptures:
    1. Monday: Read Luke 24:1-12, SOAP verses 5-6a (the first half of six)
    2. Tuesday: Read Luke 24:13-35, SOAP verse 27
    3. Wednesday: Read Luke 24:13-35 again, SOAP verse 32
    4. Thursday: Read Luke 24:36-53, SOAP verses 44-45
    5. Friday: Read Luke 24:1-53 again, SOAP verses 46-47
  3. Optional: Watch Video, Week 1

LEVEL 4:

  1. Read Genesis, chapters 1-25
  2. Daily journaling or blogging about how God speaks to you through His Word
  3. More articles: Articles from Answers in Genesis about the Big Bang Theory –https://answersingenesis.org/big-bang/,  The Importance of Genealogies in the Bible – https://www.compellingtruth.org/Bible-genealogies.html, Were Angels Created in the Image of God? – https://answersingenesis.org/angels-and-demons/were-angels-created-in-the-image-of-god/, Cain’s Wife – https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/all-women-bible/Cain-8217-s-Wife, Did Fallen Angels Have Sex with Humans and Create a Race of Giants? – http://www1.cbn.com/biblestudy/the-nephilim-children-of-demons,

Week 1 Discussion Questions

ICE BREAKER: Where are you from? What is your favorite character and/or story in the Bible, and why?

QUESTION 1: What are some of your childhood memories about the Bible? Did you grow up in Sunday School? Did you have favorite stories from the Bible? Did you come to faith in Christ as a child? As an adult?

QUESTION 2: What is something you believed about God or the Bible as a child that you later learned was incorrect or incomplete? What did you learn?

QUESTION 3: Through the course of these next several weeks, we will discover many significant connections to Jesus Christ in the book of Genesis, and we will see how the entire Bible is really one cohesive story. Let’s make some predictions or guesses and name some things that are familiar to us from the book of Genesis that may point to Christ.

QUESTION 4: One of the beautiful things about the body of Christ is the diversity. We are all different – looks, talents, spiritual gifts, opinions, nationalities, backgrounds, etc. We all complement each other with our differences, and we can bring out the best in each other when we learn to celebrate what makes us unique. What is something unique about you?

QUESTION 5: What time and where do you plan to do your Bible study? What are some ways we can stay motivated to follow through to the completion of this study?

QUESTION 6: Do you have any questions for us? Or, do you have any words of advice for new members?

How This Works

  1. If you have not done so already, please register by leaving your name and email address in a comment below.
  2. Purchase the book, The Promised One: Seeing Jesus in Genesis, by Nancy Guthrie. You can find it at one of these sites:

Nancy Guthrie’s website

Amazon: Paperback, Kindle

Christianbook.com: Paperback, ebook

Barnes and Noble: Paperback Click “View all available formats and editions” for link to purchase Nook book.

LifeWay: This book is no longer available at Lifeway.com. If you would like to pick it up at your local LifeWay store, you may need to request a special order, but they should be able to get it for you.

  1. Subscribe to this site to receive future updates by email. Enter your email address in the field to the right, and then click the subscribe button.
  2. Join our closed Facebook group, Heart to Heart Women’s Bible Study, for weekly interaction, activities, videos, and small group sessions. Closed means that no one will be able to see our posts unless they are members of the group. This is for your safety and privacy.
  3. Small Groups: See the pinned post at the top of the Facebook group, Heart to Heart Women’s Bible Study, for the schedule and instructions. All you need to do is show up at the scheduled day and time, and the discussion will take place underneath the group photo. 
  4. Follow my ministry page on Facebook, Shari Lewis Ministries, to stay up-to-date on ministry events and for daily prayers, nuggets of wisdom and encouragement for your life, photos that you are welcome to share, and faith building blog posts to strengthen you in your walk with Christ.

The Promised One Reading Schedule

  • January 15-21:Study WEEK 1 – Luke 24 and Teaching Chapter: The Beginning in Light of the Ending, pp. 15-26
    • Small Groups:Introduction/No homework ahead of time
  • January 22-28: Study WEEK 2– Creation, Genesis 1:1-2:3; Personal Bible Study, pp. 31-37; Teaching Chapter: All Things New, 38-54
    • Small Groups:Discuss WEEK 1 – See Discussion Guide, pp. 27-28.
  • January 9 – February 4: Study WEEK 3– The Fall, Genesis 2:4-3:24; Personal Bible Study, pp. 61-67; Teaching Chapter: You Don’t Have to Hide, pp. 68-85
    • Small Groups: Discuss WEEK 2– See Discussion Guide, pp. 55-57.
  • February 5-11: Study WEEK 4– Noah and the Flood, Genesis 6-9; Personal Bible Study, pp. 91-96; Teaching Chapter: What Will Have the Last Word in Your Life? 97-113
    • Small Groups: Discuss WEEK 3– See Discussion Guide, pp. 86-87.
  • February 12-18: Study WEEK 5– The Tower of Babel, Genesis 10:1-12:3; Personal Bible Study, pp. 119-121; Teaching Chapter: How Genesis Points to What Is Yet to Come, 138-140
    • Small Groups: Discuss WEEK 4 – See Discussion Guide, pp. 114-115.
  • February 19-25: Study WEEK 6– Abraham, Genesis 12-15; Personal Bible Study, pp. 145-152; Teaching Chapter: The Day You’ve Waited For, pp. 153-170
    • Small Groups: Discuss WEEK 5– See Discussion Guide, pp. 141-142.
  • February 26-March 4: Study WEEK 7– Abraham and Isaac, Genesis 16-24; Personal Bible Study, 177-182; Teaching Chapter: How Will I Know I Am Loved? 183-200
    • Small Groups: Discuss WEEK 6– See Discussion Guide, pp. 171-173.
  • March 5-11: Study WEEK 8– Jacob, Genesis 25:19-35:21; Personal Bible Study, pp. 205-209; Teaching Chapter: Unless You Bless Me, pp. 210-228
    • Small Groups: Discuss WEEK 7– See Discussion Guide, pp. 201-202.
  • March 12-18: Study WEEK 9– Joseph, Genesis 37-50; Personal Bible Study, pp. 233-236; Teaching Chapter: Can Any Good Come Out of This? pp. 37-253
    • Small Groups: Discuss WEEK 8– See Discussion Guide, pp. 229-230.
  • March 19-25: Study WEEK 10– The Sons of Jacob, Genesis 29-30, 34-35, 38-39, 48-49; Personal Bible Study, 259-262; Teaching Chapter: They Say You Can’t Choose Your Family, pp, 263-278
    • Small Groups: Discuss WEEK 9– See Discussion Guide, pp. 254-255.
  • March 26-31: Catch Up WeekSmall Groups: Discuss WEEK 10– See Discussion Guide, pp. 279-280

Have a blessed week! I hope to see you in a small group this week!

 

 

 

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