The Bible – who has read it??

The Bible tells us a lot of things about God

• To describe how we can know God from the Bible

• To evaluate how useful the Bible is to us – about life, about God, to us personally

Mindmap with your partner as many stories from the Bible as you can remember – in 2mins

What happens in these stories that can tell us something about God?

1. For 2 of the stories you mindmapped, give a PEE answer to explain what they show you about God.

Point: The story of ............ shows us that God is….. . Evidence: In the story of…. it says that God (did/said what?)Explain: this evidence proves that God is… because…

**Is it OK to rely on what other people experienced and wrote down, even if it was 1000’s of years ago?

Now test your partner: read out your answer to them but WITHOUT mentioning the name of the story. “What is the story where God....to show us that He is...?”

See if your partner can guess what story you are talking about.

God speaks to us personally, through the Bible

The LORD descended in the cloud and passed by in front of Moses on the mountain, saying:

The Lord, The Lord A merciful and gracious God, endlessly patient, overflowing in loyal love for a thousand generations, And forgiving every kind of rebellion and sin but who does not leave the guilty to go unpunished.

Experiment: Read out what God said to Moses on the mountain. Your partner should listen carefully and note down the words you particularly emphasise as you read. Then swap. Did you emphasise different words?

1. List what this passage tells you about what God is like.

2. Choose one and explain why it is surprising about God.

3. Explain how, in reading the Bible to yourself, God might “speak” to you.

**How could reaading the Bible for yourself personally change your attitude or behaviour?

The Bible tells us a lot of true things about life, the way God sees it.

How should I live my life?

Can I trust the Bible to tell me what is right or wrong?

Does God care?

Have I done wrong?

Does God punish sins?

1. choose one of these questions. Explain how a story in the Bible would answer it.

2. Which reasons would make you most likely to read a Bible for? Why?

What is God like?

Does it matter how I live my life?

Is there a heaven or a hell?

How well do you actually know God?

Do you see Him as an old bearded man in the clouds? An absentee ruler or landlord who never visits? A distant divine being? A vague spirit ?

Have you heard Him laugh? Seen his jealousy for His people? Have you felt him as wildly loving and protective? Have you seen Him give victories for His people, or weep for them, or felt His bone-crushing embrace? Do you believe these things are even possible?

Maybe you've been settling for a false impression of God.

Through stories re-told in a modern way, meet the people who did meet God, who saw His power, heard Him speak, and who spoke His words – words meant to guide you and me, 1000’s of years later and tell us of His love.

What book is this blurb advertising? Does it make it sound interesting? Intriguing?

Write your own Bible advertising blurb!

Meditation with Scripture

Freeze board2:40 – unfreeze 5:45

God’s living spirit speaks to us through the words of the Bible – when we read them prayerfully and get into a conversation with God about it.

Find an inspirational quote from the Bible that someone could meditate on.

Make a card bookmark.