Bible Study Guide
Intro Question
• When you hear the word hope, what comes to mind?
Advent Week 1: Hope
The Prophets’ Candle
For the First Week of Advent, we focus on Hope, and the prophecies of the Old Testament through which God gave the people of Israel the promise of a savior.
Hope is more than merely “looking on the bright side.” Biblical Hope looks specifically at God’s faithfulness throughout the narratives of scripture and believes that God will continue to remain faithful into the future.
As we anticipate the birth of Jesus. We begin to reshape our lives, anticipating God’s kingdom not as some fantasy future that may come one day, but as a reality that impacts us in the present tense.
Daily Scripture Reading
MONDAY — Jeremiah 17:7-8
TUESDAY — Titus 2:11-14
WEDNESDAY — Isaiah 7:14 & Mt. 1:23
THURSDAY — Jeremiah 29:10-12
FRIDAY — Luke 1:46-56
SATURDAY — Romans 15:13
ACTION STEPS
// Practices and disciplines shape our faith //
Simplify - One way to identify Christ in the midst of the busyness of the season is to reduce some of the clutter that eats up so much of our precious space physically, mentally, spiritually.
Simplifying Meals - Use up leftovers. Plan and cook meals at the start of the week. Free up time, energy, and mental space by removing the worry of food. Begin to recognize and appreciate God’s provision and reflect on the idea of simply allowing food to provide nourishment for our bodies.
Simplifying Schedule - Be intentional about how you invest your time this week. Carve out time each day to read through the daily scriptures. Block off breathing room in the midst of a season that often leads to frantic busyness.
Questions
1. What areas of your life seem hopeless?
2. What would you like God to do in your life this season?
3. How have you seen God work in the past?
4. What does it mean for your hope to be anchored in Christ?
Compassion in a culture of competition
Blessing in the face of the curse
Calling in a culture of comparison
Surrender in the face of control
Mercy in a culture of judgment
Humility in a culture of pride
Passion in a world of complacency
Presence in a culture of distraction
Using the list above, what do you hope for this season?
Advent Week 2: Peace The Bethlehem Candle
The Second Week of Advent focuses on Peace, and the birthplace of Jesus -- Bethlehem.
Earthly peace usually means the absence of conflict. Biblical peace, however, means something slightly different. Rooted in the Hebrew word “Shalom,” Christ’s Peace reaches farther -- not just eliminating conflict, but actively pursuing restoration and healing. It’s the idea of “wholeness,” or “completeness, like a wall of perfectly laid bricks, showing no cracks or crevices.
Jesus’s birth didn’t eliminate conflict, but brought a completeness, a wholeness, to the centuries of God’s prophecies and promises. In this season, we can learn to recognize God’s presence WITH US. We can be still before Him, allowing all of our anxiety to melt away in the warmth of his love and grace. We are also charged with a pivotal task -- to BE peacemakers, ACTIVELY ushering in God’s kingdom of peace here on Earth.
Daily Scripture Reading
SUNDAY — Isaiah 11:1-9
SUNDAY — Isaiah 11:1-9
MONDAY — Colossians 3:15
TUESDAY — Eph. 2:11-18
WEDNESDAY — Col. 3:12-15
THURSDAY — Ephesians 2:14-17
FRIDAY — Philippians 4:6-7
SATURDAY — James 3:17-18
Questions
How does the world offer peace? What are the limitations and problems with that kind of peace?
What does it mean for your peace to be found in Christ?
What are the primary obstacles to your experiencing peace right now?
What daily rhythms in your life need to change to allow peace to come?
Action Steps
REACH - Look around in our own lives and communities for ways we can remove barriers and create a sense of “Shalom.” Who can you REACH this week?
BE STILL - Take time to simply be still and silent in the presence of God, allowing His peace to reign in your heart.
Advent Week 3: Joy
the Shepherd’s Candle
When God finished Creation, He declared it to be very good. It stands to reason that God’s people find joy in things that are good, beautiful, pure, and life-giving. Weddings, celebrations, friendship, childbirth, tasty food, victory over struggle -- all of these things and more are named as sources of joy in scripture.
We act sometimes like joy and sorrow are two poles on a light switch -- one negating the other. Biblical joy takes a radical shift. It isn’t tied to circumstances, but lives in God’s love and promise. When things get rough, we remember all that God has done in the past or look ahead to a day when God’s promise of salvation is fulfilled. When our focus shifts from us to God, we can truly and honestly rejoice!
Biblical joy doesn’t ignore or suppress sorrow -- that is neither wise nor healthy. Rather, to have joy in Christ is to understand that joy not only lives, but truly thrives even in the very presence of sorrow.
Daily Scripture Reading
SUNDAY — Luke 2:10-11
And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.
SUNDAY—Luke 2:10-11
MONDAY — Galatians 5:22-23
TUESDAY — 1 Chron. 16:32-34
WEDNESDAY — Psalm 16:8-11
THURSDAY — Hebrews 12:1-3
FRIDAY — Isaiah 61:6-8
SATURDAY — John 16:21-24
Action Steps
Discover Joy -- List things in your life that bring you joy and reflect on this list throughout the week!
Share Joy -- Send out Christmas cards to people who may not typically be in your circle - let your joy infiltrate their lives! Share without them knowing or feeling obligated to return the favor!
Spend Time with Littles! - Children are masters of joy! If you have kiddos, find time to experience their joy! If you don’t have kiddos, find a friend or family member who does and schedule time to hang out with them!
Mini Dance Party! -- Choose a time and place to blast your favorite tunes and dance like a buffoon for at least one full song!
Laugh! -- Get together with friends, family, ANYONE -- and experience joy together
“Joy, which is here a technical term
and must be sharply distinguished
both from Happiness and Pleasure.
Joy (in my sense) has indeed one
characteristic, and one only, in
common with them; the fact that
anyone who has experienced it will
want it again... I doubt whether
anyone who has tasted it would ever,
if both were in his power, exchange
it for all the pleasures in the
world. But then Joy is never in our
power and Pleasure often is.”
- C.S. Lewis Surprised by Joy
Questions
1. In what way is joy different than happiness?
2. What has been your greatest source for joy this season? Express the gratitude with someone.
3. Who do you know that needs to experience some joy this season? How can you help them?
4. Is it possible to experience joy in spite of our circumstances? How?
Advent Week 4: Love the Angel’s Candle
Love is a complicated word. In our culture, Love is often viewed as a feeling. But the Love we find in Christ is something so much deeper.
Love originates in God and emanates from God, an essential element of God’s own character. God loves his creation -- in particular humanity -- not because we do anything to earn it, but simply because of who God is. For God, love is feeling -- a genuine affection he has for us -- like the love between spouses, or the love of a parent to a child -- but it’s also action-- creating, sustaining, restoring, redeeming -- and sometimes even rebuking.
We are designed for the purpose of receiving God’s love. However, scripture tells us that our purpose is fulfilled when we also reflect God’s love back to him -- by walking with him, honoring him, and humbly abiding by his words. We also reflect Christ’s love in the way we love the rest of creation, including other humans. We’re called not just to love those who treat us well, but in the same way God showed us selfless love when we were lost in our own sin, we are called to love those who we consider to be our enemies.
Daily Scripture Reading
SUNDAY — John 13:2-5
MONDAY — John 3:16-17
TUESDAY — 1 Corinthians 13:1-8
WEDNESDAY — Romans 5:7-8
Questions
1. Why am I here? This helps us be mindful of our purpose.
2. Who do I see? This helps us grow in awareness of those we share space with.
3. What do I have in my hands? This helps us remain aware of what God has equipped us with that can be used to bring his name a good reputation.
4. Do I look to Christ as my own source of Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love?
5. What if everyone shared the Hope, Peace, Joy, and Love of Christ the way I do?