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United with Christ

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Salvation and Service Are Grounded in Who We Are in Christ I’m not much of a gardener. I can put down mulch or pull up weeds, but that’s about the extent of my capabilities. My wife, however, has a green thumb. She takes care of plants and flowers and is able to make them blossom. A few years ago, she planted a rose bush next to the front porch of our home. We’ve since moved away, but every time we go back to visit, we look to see how the roses are doing. Whoever is living there must be pruning the branches because the rosebush is still thriving. It seems like a paradox, but it’s true: taking a knife to a plant is the way you keep it healthy. You’d think that the best way to care for a plant is to shelter it, cover it up, and preserve it. But the rose bush needs attention. It needs to be pruned and cared for. What are some elements necessary for helping a plant to grow and reach its full potential? What will stop or hinder a plant from growing?

Voices from the Church “Union with Christ is the core truth of salvation that can be seen either as encompassing all of salvation or as the center to which all components of salvation are connected.” 1 –Kenneth Keathley

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Date of My Bible Study: ______________ © 2014 LifeWay Christian Resources. Permission granted to reproduce and distribute within the license agreement with purchaser.

Spiritually speaking, we need God’s loving discipline in our lives if we are to grow up into spiritual health. The good news is that this discipline isn’t cold and impersonal; it is rooted in the unity we share with Jesus Christ. In this session, we will look at the truth of our union with Christ—the central doctrine that sums up the reality of our salvation. When God saves us, we are united to His Son in order to bear good fruit, to remain in His love, and to fulfill our joy in Him. Christ is in us, and we are in Him. United to Christ, we are empowered to show the love of God to the world.

1. United to Christ, we bear good fruit (John 15:1-8).  “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vineyard keeper. 2 Every branch in Me that does not produce fruit He removes, and He prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. 5  “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me. 6 If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you remain in Me and My words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be My disciples. 1

Draw or sum up with words the message of this passage.

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When you look at a tree from a distance, you usually see the leaves and branches first. As you get closer to the base of the tree, you can look up and see how all the branches are connected organically to the trunk and how the leaves are connected organically to the branches. When winter comes and the leaves fall away, you can see every stem, every branch. There’s an organic unity to the trunk of a tree and its branches. In the same way, there is a unity Voices from between Jesus and His people. Notice that in the Church this passage, Jesus tells us to “remain in Him” as “The good news of the gospel is Jesus Christ and He “remains in us” (v. 4). Both of these aspects union with him.” 2 are true when we are united to Christ. Just as the –J. Todd Billings branches must remain on the vine in order to stay alive (because that’s where the life comes from), so also must the life from the vine flow through all the branches. This truth goes to the heart of our identity as believers in Jesus. Are you more likely to think of yourself as being “in Christ” or Christ being “in you”? Why do you think it’s important to believe both parts of this important truth? ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________

In this passage, we see how the emphasis is on producing good fruit. But Jesus doesn’t just talk about the fact that we should bear fruit; He also helps us understand how we bear fruit. So, let’s make sure we don’t miss what it is that causes this production to happen: power and pruning. First, there’s the power of Christ that surges within us and enables us to do good works. Jesus was pretty clear: “You can do nothing without Me” (v. 5). Let the gravity of those words sink in for a moment. Nothing. Without Jesus, you’re like a flashlight with no batteries. You’re like a television unplugged from any power source. You’re like a cell phone with no service. 110

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Second, there’s the pruning of God. When we are fruitful, God prunes the branches in our lives so that we will bear even more fruit. Some people think that whenever we are in difficult circumstances, we must be doing something wrong, as if trials are a punishment for failing to bear good fruit. But this is the wrong way to look at our trials. According to this passage, God prunes the branches that are fruitful. It could be that we are going through difficult times precisely because we have been faithful fruit-bearers and God wants to help us exceed even more in our fruitfulness (v. 2). What are some possible examples of God’s “pruning” work in a person’s life? ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________

When we read about a doctrine such as “union with Christ,” it’s easy to think, That’s wonderful to know! Now, what do I do? We don’t always feel like we’re united with Christ, do we? We know our ongoing sins and failures, our temptations and doubts. We walk through periods of darkness and uncertainty. How can we grow in our experience of being united with Christ? How can we increase the fruitfulness that comes from our being “in Christ”? There’s a clue in verse 7. Take a moment to compare the beginning of verse 4 and the beginning of verse 7. Do you see the difference? In verse 4, Jesus tells us to remain in Him and He in us. In verse 7, He tells us to remain in Him and His words to remain in us. The way to grow closer to Christ is not to seek a deeper, more mystical union with Him but to be fully saturated in His Word. Christ remains in us when His words remain in us. United to Christ, nourished by His Word, we bear good fruit. What is our service like when we are seeking to do work in our own power? ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________

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2. United to Christ, we remain in God’s love (John 15:9-10).  “As the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you. Remain in My love. 10 If you keep My commands you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commands and remain in His love. 9

There is no such thing as a loveless Christian. By definition, a believer in Jesus Christ is a believer in love. We are covered in God’s love expressed through the sending of Jesus to die for us. God’s love is expressed through Christ’s life, death, resurrection, ascension, and promised return. We enter the realm of the Father’s love for the Son as we bask in the Son’s love for us (v. 9). A loveless Christian is an oxymoron because our identity is established by love and expressed in love. The great tragedy of our day is this: many churches are not known for the love their members share. “Loving” and “Christian” are not always descriptions that go together. This sad reality is a sign that we are failing to keep the Father’s commands. In this passage, Jesus made it clear that the way we show we are in the love of Christ is by keeping the Father’s commands the way Jesus did. How can we tell if our church body is known for our love for one another?

Voices from Church History “Faith has all its worth from love, from the love of God whenever it draws and drinks, and the love to God and man which streams out of it. Let us be strong in faith, then shall we abound in love.” 3 –Andrew Murray (1828-1917)

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What does a lack of love signify? ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________

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Remaining in God’s love has eternal significance. As branches united to the true vine, we do not have to fear death. When we die, we die “in Christ,” as several passages make clear. Paul wrote that “if we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord.” Then he concluded, “Therefore, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord” (Rom. 14:8). What a promise! The life of faith that began when we repented of our sin and trusted in Christ will continue beyond this life, all because we belong to the Lord! Remaining in God’s love gives us hope for eternity. When we pass through the darkness of death, we have hope because we are united to the Light of the world who has gone before us—through death and out the other side in life. United to the resurrected One, we are assured of life beyond the grave, life that will last forever, for love is as strong as death (see Song of Sg. 8:6). In what ways does our assurance of God’s love for us give us hope in the face of death? ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________

3. United to Christ, our joy in God is made complete (John 15:11-17).  “I have spoken these things to you so that My joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. 12 This is My command: Love one another as I have loved you. 13 No one has greater love than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do what I command you. 15 I do not call you slaves anymore, because a slave doesn’t know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from My Father. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you. I appointed you that you should go out and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you. 17 This is what I command you: Love one another. 11

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Not only do we bear good fruit and remain in God’s love, we find that our joy is made complete as we are united to Christ. There are all sorts of truths that increase our joy. One of them is friendship with God. Because of Christ’s laying down His life for sinful human beings, we are able to become God’s friends. We go from being enemies with God to being friends of God! There’s also joy in knowing we’ve been forgiven. The greatest love of all is not “learning to love yourself,” as one pop song says, but in laying down your life for friends. There is great joy in knowing the One who gave His life for us. Likewise, there is great joy in laying down our own lives for Him and for others. There is joy in being loved; there is joy in loving. What is the difference between joy that is incomplete and joy that is complete? ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________

Jesus wants our joy to be complete, and the way our joy will be complete is when His joy is in us (v. 11). Where did Christ’s joy come from? His relationship to the Father and His utter obedience to His will. The author of Hebrews said it was “for the joy that lay before Him” that Jesus endured the cross (Heb. 12:2). Jesus’ joy was formed by His mission to seek and save the lost. God does not want dutiful Christians who see life as a drudgery of compliance. He desires that the same joy that flooded the heart of Christ, as He fulfilled His Father’s will, would flood our hearts until we obey out of delight, not duty.

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Voices from Church History “Why are you called a Christian? Because by faith I am a member of Christ and so I share in his anointing. I am anointed to confess his name, to present myself to him as a living sacrifice of thanks, to strive with a good conscience against sin and the devil in this life, and afterward to reign with Christ over all creation for all eternity.” –Heidelberg Catechism, Question 32

Missional obedience shouldn’t be a begrudging acceptance of God’s will and an obligatory fulfillment of God’s commands, as if we were clock-punchers in a factory who can’t wait to be free of our work responsibilities. Begrudging evangelism inspires no one. United to Christ, our joy is made complete in fruitful obedience, love for God and neighbor, and friendship with God. What is the connection between remaining in God and finding joy in God? Why do you believe both are necessary? ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________________________

Conclusion What are the implications of being united to Christ? There are too many to list in this brief conclusion, which is why I will focus on some of the ways this truth applies to our mission. • Because we are united to Christ in His death, we die to ourselves, the sinful world around us, and our own personal agendas. We die to our kingdom-building so we can live for His. • Because we are united to Christ in His resurrection, we are assured of a future resurrection. The Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead powerfully works in us as we proclaim the gospel. • Because we are united to Christ, we represent Him to the world—to our neighbors, our families, our children, and our church. • Because we are united to Christ, His mission to seek and save the lost for the glory of His Father is our mission too. • Because we are united to Christ, we are able to know Him personally and the power of His resurrection, and we are empowered to make Him known to the nations.

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HIS MISSION, YOUR MISSION “To be called into Christ is to be called into his mission (John 17:18). The call to conversion, the call to discipleship, the call to declare his wonderful deeds is the call to mission.” 4 –Francis Dubose (1922-2009) Insights? ___________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________

Live on Mission 1. Why is it important for our mission to be connected to Jesus as the “true vine”? _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ 2. H  ow are you affected by the truth of God’s love freely given to you in Christ? _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ 3. W  hat are some specific ways you will joyfully “love one another,” being empowered through your union with Christ? _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________

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About the Writers

The Gospel Project® Adult Personal Study Guide HCSB Volume 3, Number 2 Winter 2014-15 Eric Geiger

Vice President, Church Resources Ed Stetzer

Unit 1 Jared C. Wilson is pastor of Middletown Springs Community Church and the author of several books, including The Storytelling God, Gospel Wakefulness, and Otherworld. He and his wife, Becky, reside in Vermont with their two children.

General Editor Trevin Wax

Managing Editor Daniel Davis

Content Editor Josh Hayes

Content and Production Editor Philip Nation

Director, Adult Ministry Publishing Faith Whatley

Director, Adult Ministry Send questions/comments to: Managing Editor, The Gospel Project: Adult Personal Study Guide, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0102; or make comments on the Web at www.lifeway.com. Printed in the United States of America The Gospel Project®: Adult Personal Study Guide HCSB (ISSN 2162-7207; Item 005461524) is published quarterly by LifeWay Christian Resources, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234, Thom S. Rainer, President. © 2014 LifeWay Christian Resources. For ordering or inquiries, visit www.lifeway.com, or write LifeWay Church Resources Customer Service, One LifeWay Plaza, Nashville, TN 37234-0113. For subscriptions or subscription address changes, e-mail [email protected], fax (615) 251-5818, or write to the above address. For bulk shipments mailed quarterly to one address, e-mail [email protected], fax (615) 251-5933, or write to the above address.

Unit 2 Ed Stetzer is the president of LifeWay Research and lead pastor of Grace Church in Hendersonville, Tennessee, a church he planted in 2011. He serves as the general editor for The Gospel Project and is the author of numerous books, including Transformational Groups, Subversive Kingdom, and Compelled. Trevin Wax is managing editor for The Gospel Project and the author of several books, including Counterfeit Gospels, Gospel-Centered Teaching, and Clear Winter Nights. He has served in pastoral roles in churches in the United States and Romania. He and his wife, Corina, reside in Middle Tennessee with their three children. Unit 3 Eric Mason is the founder and lead pastor of Epiphany Fellowship in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he resides with his wife, Yvette, and three sons. He also serves as the president of Thriving, a ministry that trains and develops leaders in the urban context. He is the author of Manhood Restored.

We believe that the Bible has God for its author; salvation for its end; and truth, without any mixture of error, for its matter and that all Scripture is totally true and trustworthy. To review LifeWay’s doctrinal guideline, please visit www.lifeway.com/doctrinalguideline. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible®, copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission.

WRITERS

Notes SESSION 1

SESSION 6

SESSION 10

1. Billy Graham, “Billy Graham: My Heart Aches for America,” Billy Graham Evangelistic Association [online; cited 6 March 2014]. Available from the Internet: www.billygraham.org.

1. Augustine, Tractates on the Gospel of John, 41.10.3, quoted in Romans, ed. Gerald Bray, vol. VI in Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: New Testament (Downers Grove: IVP, 1998), 195.

1. Oswald Chambers, in The Quotable Oswald Chambers, comp. and ed. David McCasland, 229.

2. Oswald Chambers, in The Quotable Oswald Chambers, comp. and ed. David McCasland (Grand Rapids: Discovery House, 2008), 214. 3. C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (New York: Touchstone, 1996), 111. 4. Timothy Keller, The Reason for God (New York: Dutton, 2008), 200.

SESSION 2 1. J. R. Miller, Devotional Hours with the Bible: From the Creation to the Crossing of the Red Sea (London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1908), 25. 2. Jerry Bridges, Respectable Sins (Colorado Springs: NavPress, 2007), 149. 3. Johnny Hunt, “The Contrast to Wisdom,” SermonSearch.com [online], 16 May 2010 [cited 6 March 2014]. Available from the Internet: www.sermonsearch.com. 4. Augustine, The Confessions of St. Augustine, trans. and ed. Albert Cook Outler (Mineola, NY: Dover, 2002), 27.

SESSION 3 1. Craig L. Blomberg, Neither Poverty Nor Riches (Downers Grove: IVP, 1999), 243-44. 2. J. D. Greear, Gospel (Nashville: B&H, 2011), 138. 3. Chrysostom, On Virginity, 81, Colossians, 1-2 Thessalonians, 1-2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, ed. Peter Gorday, vol. IX in Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: New Testament (Downers Grove: IVP, 2000), 215. 4. Ambrosiaster, Epistle to the Ephesians, 5.5.1, quoted in Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, ed. Mark J. Edwards, vol. VIII in Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: New Testament (Downers Grove, IVP, 1999), 185. 5. John Stott, Issues Facing Christians Today (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2006), 295.

SESSION 4 1. John Piper, “Christ Is Hallowed in Us When We Hope in Him,” Desiring God [online], 18 September 1994 [cited 7 March 2014]. Available from the Internet: www.desiringgod.org. 2. The “Summa Theologica” of St. Thomas Aquinas, Part 1, trans. Fathers of the English Dominican Province (London: R. & T. Washbourne, 1912), 431. 3. Karl Barth, Church Dogmatics, IV.2: The Doctrine of Reconciliation (London: T&T Clark, 2004), 405. 4. Oswald Chambers, in The Quotable Oswald Chambers, comp. and ed. David McCasland, 151.

2. Ray Ortlund, “God Gives New Beginnings,” Covenant Life Church [online], 27 March 2011 [cited 4 December 2013]. Available from the Internet: www.covlife.org. 3. Cyril of Alexandria, Explanation of the Letter to the Romans, quoted in Romans, ed. Gerald Bray, vol. VI in Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: New Testament, 195. 4. Dallas Willard, “Beyond Pornography: Spiritual Formation Studied in a Particular Case” [online; cited 4 December 2013]. Available from the Internet: www.dwillard.org.

SESSION 7 1. Thomas Watson, A Body of Practical Divinity (Aberdeen, Scotland: D. Chalmers & Company, 1838), 51. 2. “God’s Answer to Anger,” Love Worth Finding [online; cited 10 March 2014]. Available from the Internet: www.lwf.org. 3. Martin Luther, “Ephesians 4,22-28” in Church-Postil: Sermons on the Epistles (New Market, VA: New Market Evangelical Lutheran Publishing, 1869), 161.

2. Southern Baptist Convention, The Baptist Faith & Message [online], 2000 [cited 26 March 2014]. Available from the Internet: lifeway.com/doctrinalguideline. 3. See Kenneth Keathley, “The Work of God: Salvation,” in A Theology for the Church, ed. Daniel L. Akin (Nashville: B&H, 2007), 70623; Bruce Demarest, The Cross and Salvation (Wheaton: Crossway, 1997), 99-118. 4. J. I. Packer, “Saved by His Precious Blood,” in In My Place Condemned He Stood, by J. I. Packer and Mark Dever (Wheaton: Crossway, 2007), 118. 5. Adrian Rogers with Steve Rogers, What Every Christian Ought to Know (Nashville: B&H, 2012), 59-60.

7. Bruce Demarest, Salvation, 138-39.

8. John Chrysostom, Homily on Ephesians 1.1.6, quoted in Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, ed. Mark J. Edwards, vol. VIII in Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: New Testament, 113.

4. Bruce Marshall, The World, the Flesh and Father Smith (Garden City, NY: Image Books, 1957). 5. Clement of Alexandria, Christ the Educator, 2.5, quoted in 1–2 Corinthians, ed. Gerald Bray, vol. VII in Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: New Testament (Downers Grove: IVP, 1999), 56.

6. Kenneth Keathley, “The Work of God: Salvation,” in A Theology for the Church, ed. Daniel L. Akin, 732.

SESSION 11 1. Adrian Rogers, in Adrianisms: The Wit and Wisdom of Adrian Rogers, vol. 2 (Memphis: Love Worth Finding, 2006), 173. 2. D. B. Knox, Justification by Faith (London: Church Book Room, 1959), 15, quoted in Michael F. Bird, Evangelical Theology (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2013), 539. 3. N. T. Wright, Small Faith, Great God (Downers Grove: IVP, 2010), 38.

6. Chuck Colson, The Faith (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008), 62.

1. Ambrosiaster, Epistle to the Ephesians 1.3.1-2, quoted in Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, ed. Mark J. Edwards, vol. VIII in Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: New Testament, 110.

7. D. A. Carson, For the Love of God, Volume 2 (Wheaton: Crossway, 1999), January 23 entry.

3. Chrysostom, Homily on Philippians, 14.3.18-21, quoted in Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, ed. Mark J. Edwards, vol. VIII in Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: New Testament, 277.

5. Henry T. Blackaby and Richard Blackaby, Experiencing God Day-by-Day, 155.

SESSION 8

6. Henry and Richard Blackaby, Experiencing God Day-by-Day (Nashville: B&H, 1998), 315.

2. Billy Graham, Find Freedom (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1955, reprint 1969), 58.

4. J. I. Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God (Downers Grove: IVP, 2008), 73.

4. Charles H. Spurgeon, in The Essential Works of Charles Spurgeon, ed. Daniel Partner (Uhrichsville, OH: Barbour, 2009), 533.

5. John Berridge, in The Works of John Berridge, ed. Richard Whittingham (London: Simpkin, Marshall, and Company, 1838), 381.

1. C. S. Lewis, Mere Christianity, 90-91.

3. Martin Luther, The Ninety-Five Theses, in Martin Luther’s Basic Theological Writings, ed. Timothy F. Lull, 2nd ed. (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2005), 41.

4. Charles Haddon Spurgeon, “Purging Out the Leaven,” The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Parts 177-188, vol. 16 (London: Passmore & Alabaster, 1871), 694.

6. W. A. Criswell, “The Effectual Calling of God,” W. A. Criswell Sermon Library [online], 5 June 1983 [cited 23 April 2014]. Available from the Internet: www.wacriswell.com.

SESSION 5

2. George Whitefield, in Whitefield Gold, comp. Ray Comfort (Gainesville, FL: BridgeLogos, 2006), 91.

The

Cross

and

SESSION 9

5. Ibid., 540.

SESSION 12 1. Kenneth Keathley, “The Work of God: Salvation,” in A Theology for the Church, ed. Daniel L. Akin, 687. 2. J. Todd Billings, Union with Christ (Grand Rapids: Baker, 2011), 158. 3. Andrew Murray, Holy in Christ, in The Essential Works of Andrew Murray (Uhrichsville, OH: Barbour, 2008) [eBook]. 4. Francis Dubose, “Our Life of Ministry,” in The Mission of God Study Bible, eds. Ed Stetzer and Philip Nation (Nashville: B&H, 2012), 1122.

ALTERNATE SESSION: CHRISTMAS 1. Charles Spurgeon, “The Incarnation and Birth of Christ,” in The Essential Works of Charles Spurgeon, ed. Daniel Partner, 262. 2. Eric Mason, Manhood Restored (Nashville: B&H, 2013), 42-43. 3. Leo the Great, Sermon, 34.2, quoted in The Twelve Prophets, ed. Alberto Ferreiro, vol. XIV in Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture: Old Testament (Downers Grove: IVP, 2003), 167. 4. Leonard Sweet and Frank Viola, Jesus: A Theography (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2012), 63. 5. Billy Graham, in Billy Graham in Quotes, eds. Franklin Graham and Donna Lee Toney (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2011), 337.

1. Bruce Demarest, The Cross and Salvation, 231. 2. Athanasius, Four Discourses Against the Arians, in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, vol. 4, eds. Philip Schaff and Henry Wace (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1892, reprint 2004), 341. 3. M. David Sills, The Missionary Call (Chicago: Moody, 2008), 195. 4. Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship (New York: Touchstone, 1959), 89.

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Scope and Sequence GOAL To provide biblical theology within a systematic framework over the course of three years through frequent retellings of the overarching story line of Scripture (in two formats: God-Man-Christ-Response / Creation-Fall-Redemption-Restoration). PLAN OVERVIEW Year 1

Fall 2012 The God Who Speaks (Doctrine of Revelation) Winter 2012-13 God’s Story (Part 1): The Old Testament (Christ-Centered Bible Overview) Spring 2013 God’s Story (Part 2): The New Testament (Christ-Centered Bible Overview) Summer 2013 The God Who Is (Doctrine of God Viewed Through His Triune Work for Us) Year 2

Fall 2013 Bearing God’s Image (Doctrine of Humanity) Winter 2013-14 A God-Centered Worldview (Worldview and Apologetics) Spring 2014 Atonement Thread (Tracing the Bible’s Story Through the Lens of Atonement) Summer 2014 God’s Way (A Journey Through the Ten Commandments) Year 3

Fall 2014 The Story of God’s Kingdom (Bible Overview Through the Lens of Kingdom) Winter 2014-15 The God Who Saves (Doctrines of Sin and Salvation) Coming Next Quarter

Spring 2015 The God Who Sends (Doctrine of Church) Summer 2015 Gospel-Centered Life (Spiritual Disciplines for Your Walk with God)

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