The Bible is a treasure to those who believe in God, full of all the things we need to live a meaningful and complete life. As disciples of Jesus, we want to know God’s Word and live with it in our lives. But there is a truth that’s easy for us to see, which is that the teachings of the Bible often go against how the world thinks. The truth in God’s Word challenges us to obey and to change. We need to realize that we have to change to fit the Bible; The Bible cannot be lightheartedly applied according to how we see fit in our lives. So, when faced with pressure, confusion, turmoil, and struggle, in order to live with God’s Word, each of us need to explore, take hold of, learn from, and hold fast to the Word of truth. This is our spiritual food that nourishes us every day. We are no longer spiritual “newborns.” We should want to mature and become firm in the faith. “Maturity is a process, not a destination. Pressing forward towards God every day is the desire and goal of those who follow Him.” While you are in the process of maturing as you study God’s Word, the compilation team would like to offer you all this small group curriculum “100 Characters in the Bible.” You can use this material for self-study or self-research, and at the same time work together with your small group during your process of maturing in the faith. This community of faith around you certainly will have those to model this faith for you, those to encourage you, those to teach you, and friends for you to encourage each other as you chase after your goal of pressing forward in God.
Part 1 of “100 Characters of the Bible” is a series of Bible lessons where small groups or other church groups can go over some notable characters that the Bible records during the age of Theocracy. This is the beginning stage; From the creation of the first two humans, more and more people began to be born, filling the earth. They began to create small communities, creating larger and larger groups of people, and finally creating what we call people groups. It’s called the age of Theocracy because from Adam and Eve until the time of Samuel, God’s people relied entirely on God’s direction. They hadn’t yet come together as a country or had a king over them. As we learn more about this time we will be able to clearly see God’s authority over history and His everlasting love with His foretelling of the coming of the Messiah.
Let’s begin with a heart of love towards God’s Word. We ask God to allow His Words to sprout roots and become firmly established in the lives of His children and among His Church.
This is our true desire!
