Discovering Our Roots, Establishing Our Legacy: A Study Guide for Learning Scripture and Christian Beliefs

By Patrick A. Blewett

This guide is designed to help believers gain a basic understanding of the truths of Scripture using a catechism format. It also asks some practical application questions to help adult learners develop their own worldview rooted in Gods Word. It can be used in individual adult study, as a family guide, or with a small group study.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: Aug 28, 2013
• ISBN: 9781449788025

Patrick A. Blewett

Dr. Patrick Blewett has degrees in biblical studies, church education, ministry, and education culminating with a doctor of ministry and a PhD in education. He has served in pastoral ministry for over fifteen years and has served in academic leadership for over fifteen years in Bible college and university settings. His passion is to help students develop biblical literacy and use it to form a worldview of beliefs that are Christian. In his personal journey, he discovered the power of catechisms as teaching tools. This project is the result of years of refining a practical study guide to help students and adults learn basic Scripture and Christian beliefs. Pat and his wife, Jana, have been married for over thirty years and have three adult children. He is currently the dean at A.W. Tozer Seminary on the campus of Simpson University in Redding California.. He has served on a variety of regional, national, and international boards. He works closely with the Association for Biblical Higher Education and has taught at Grace University and Columbia International University; he has lectured and consulted at various seminaries and colleges around the world.

Book preview

Discovering

Our Roots,

Establishing

Our Legacy

A Study Guide for Learning Scripture and Christian Beliefs

Patrick A. Blewett

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Copyright © 2013 Patrick A. Blewett.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Scripture cited is from the New International Version of the Bible and is used by permission of Biblica, formerly known as the International Bible Society.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4497-8803-2 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-8802-5 (e)

ISBN: 978-1-4497-8804-9 (hc)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2013904526

WestBow Press rev. date: 8/27/2013

Table of Contents

How to Use This Study Guide

How to Memorize Scripture

Lesson or Week 1

Question 1: What is the ultimate purpose for each person?

Lesson or Week 2

Question 2: What book records God’s Word for humankind, and what specific books within Scripture are considered God’s Word?

Lesson or Week 3

Question 3: How should one read Scripture?

Lesson or Week 4

Question 4: Who is God, and is there more than one?

Lesson or Week 5

Question 5: Since names reflect one’s character in Scripture, what are some of the names or appellations attributed to God in Scripture?

Lesson or Week 6

Question 6: How should one describe the personhood of God?

Lesson or Week 7

Question 7: What are the decrees of God, and how does God fulfill his decrees?

Lesson or Week 8

Question 8: According to the Genesis 1 account, what aspects of creation were spoken into being on each day?

Lesson or Week 9

Question 9: How did God create humankind, and what is the relationship God established with humankind?

Lesson or Week 10

Question 10: Did Adam and Eve continue in the freedom of this covenant of life relationship that they had with God?

Lesson or Week 11

Question 11: What is sin?

Lesson or Week 12

Question 12: Did all humankind fall with Adam and Eve’s sin, and did God leave all humankind in sin, leading to death and hopelessness?

Lesson or Week 13

Question 13: What commandments did God give his people Israel through Moses in order to help them understand his expectations?

Lesson or Week 14

Question 14: How did Jesus, being God, become a human being?

Lesson or Week 15

Question 15: What did Jesus teach people about happiness and fulfillment?

Lesson or Week 16

Question 16: In addition to Jesus Christ being our Savior, what three specific roles or offices does he fulfill?

Lesson or Week 17

Question 17: Who is the Redeemer of humankind?

Lesson or Week 18

Question 18: What attitude did the Redeemer have when living life, and how should his attitude impact believers today?

Lesson or Week 19

Question 19: What is God’s effectual calling?

Lesson or Week 20

Question 20: How are we made partakers of the redemption purchased by Christ, and how are we redeemed?

Lesson or Week 21

Question 21: Are all people on earth automatically redeemed by Christ?

Lesson or Week 22

Question 22: In Scripture, many times God’s people (the redeemed) were compared to sheep; what perspective does Psalm 23 provide about how God cares for his own?

Lesson or Week 23

Question 23: What are some aspects or components of salvation, and what does the Holy Spirit do for people who trust Christ?

Lesson or Week 24

Question 24: What covenants or promises did God make with his people down through the centuries, and what do these promises tell us about his character?

Lesson or Week 25

Question 25: What does God require of people?

Lesson or Week 26

Question 26: How did Jesus teach his disciples to pray?

Lesson or Week 27

Question 27: Is anyone able to keep all of God’s commandments?

Lesson or Week 28

Question 28: When we sin or miss the mark of God’s standard, how can we regain intimate fellowship with God?

Lesson or Week 29

Question 29: How are believers empowered to do good works?

Lesson or Week 30

Question 30: What are spiritual gifts, and where does Scripture talk about them?

Lesson or Week 31

Question 31: Good works are only impressive when done with right attitudes. The apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 13 describes a better way than simply using or abusing one’s spiritual gifts; what does the Scripture say?

Lesson or Week 32

Question 32: What are the biblical characteristics of a Spirit-filled believer?

Lesson or Week 33

Question 33: What New Testament institution or organism did Christ establish for his followers?

Lesson or Week 34

Question 34: Are there created spirit-beings in our world, and what do they do?

Lesson or Week 35

Question 35: Who are saints according to Scripture?

Lesson or Week 36

Question 36: Who are some of the heroes of the faith in Scripture?

Lesson or Week 37

Question 37: What authorities or leaders are gifts from Christ to the church?

Lesson or Week 38

Question 38: What three terms are used in the New Testament to describe a spiritual leader, or one who leads the church on behalf of Christ?

Lesson or Week 39

Question 39: What other term is used in the New Testament to describe faithful servants who assist church leaders?

Lesson or Week 40

Question 40: Besides faithfully walking with the Lord through life, what is the main thing the Lord wants believers to do?

Lesson or Week 41

Question 41: How does a person enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ?

Lesson or Week 42

Question 42: What are the holy ordinances within the church?

Lesson or Week 43

Question 43: What does Spirit-filled worship look like in Scripture?

Lesson or Week 44

Question 44: What is marriage according to Scripture?

Lesson or Week 45

Question 45: What are the Great Commandment and the Great Commission according to the New Testament?

Lesson or Week 46

Question 46: What principles should guide a believer when giving to the Lord?

Lesson or Week 47

Question 47: What does the phrase autonomy of the local church mean?

Lesson or Week 48

Question 48: How should Christians relate to governmental authorities and their decisions in peacetime as well as in times of war?

Lesson or Week 49

Question 49: How can one know if he or she has eternal life?

Lesson or Week 50

Question 50: What is the believer’s blessed hope?

Lesson or Week 51

Question 51: What happens to the believer in Jesus when death comes?

Lesson or Week 52

Question 52: What are the two major future judgments described in Scripture (one is for believers, and one is for non-believers)?

For Future Study

Recommended Resource List

This study guide is for adults, families, and small groups as they search God’s Word and gain biblical literacy and an overview of Christian beliefs. It also provides core beliefs to help young adults maintain a steady perspective during the challenges of high school and college. Historically, this type of study guide is called a catechism, which simply means, an elementary summary of the principles of Christianity in the form of questions and answers.

Dr. Patrick A. Blewett originally prepared this guide as a basic study of Christian truths found in Scripture so that members and attendees of Westside Church in Omaha, Nebraska, could increase their basic biblical literacy. It could be called a truth project, but others already use that term. In addition to biblical literacy, this guide provides a doctrinal foundation consistent with Baptist church polity; polity simply means those principles that guide and govern churches.

This guide is rooted in Pastor Charles H. Spurgeon’s catechism from 1855 for his Baptist church in London, England. He attempted to bring some balance between an overemphasis on