TBS Youth Edition

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Copyright 2019 by Zach Windahl.
All rights reserved. This book is protected by the copyright laws of the United States of America. This book may not be copied or reprinted for
commercial gain or profit. The use of short quotations or occasional page copying for personal or group study is permitted and encouraged.
Permission will be granted upon request. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, ENGLISH
STANDARD VERSION, ESV copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked MSG are taken from The Message Remix, copyright 2003 by NavPress Publishing Group. Used by permission. All
rights reserved. All emphasis within Scripture quotations is the author’s own.
ISBN 978-0-9984910-2-8
For Worldwide Distribution
Printed in China
Words by Zach Windahl
Design by Zach Windahl and Katlyn Hovland
Web: www.thebrandsunday.com
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @zachwindahl
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I know that God aligned our paths on
purpose, and I couldn’t be more excited
about what he is going to do in your
life during this 90-day journey together
through the Bible. By the time we are
finished, you will have read the entire New
Testament and gone through overviews
from each book of the Old Testament.
My prayer is not only for you to have a

better understanding of the Word, but
that you will also find a better sense of
meaning for your life and really understand
the heart of our Father. He loves you so
much. It’s amazing.
Before we dive in, I want to share a little

bit about my testimony. Who knows, you
and I might even share some things in
common. We’re in this thing called life
together. Let’s go!
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My search for meaning
Identity. So my head grew.
It’s what makes you…you. And grew. And grew.
And grew.
For many of us it takes years to figure out who we are and what
we want to be. For some it comes easy, for others it takes a I believed the hype and did all that I could to live it.
lifetime.
You see, I’m a product of my society. I’m a Bachelor’s Degree
We have society, parents, teachers, friends, siblings, girlfriends, graduate with $70k in debt from a Christian University that did
boyfriends, all telling us how we should be. Everybody in your anything but spark my interest in God, it actually pushed me
life has an idea of how you should live and act. further away. Little did I know that the darkness inside of me at
the time didn’t like the Light inside of the students. Funny how
Why is it so easy for them to see it, but so difficult for us to that happens. So, after graduating, I had quite a bad taste in
figure out? my mouth.
If you’re like me, I spent years trying to be the person that But, I kept talking the talk. I wrote two Christian books my senior
everyone else wanted me to be. Growing up, people would year, but didn’t have the nerve to promote them like I should
constantly tell me that I was going to be famous some day have since I didn’t even believe what was coming out of my
and that I should do this or that with my life. It all came from mouth. I went on to run a clothing line and recording studio with
the fact that I was an entrepreneur from an early age and had some friends, which I left after a few years. I worked on some
a pretty unhealthy work ethic to back it. But it didn’t matter other entrepreneurial projects after that, but the hard work that
how unhealthy that work ethic was because I was going to be I was putting into them was not lining up with the success (or
famous some day and be seen with the elite lol. Or at least lack thereof). Everything that I touched began to fail. I was
that’s what I was told. “good” though. Or at least that’s what I told myself.
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In reality, I had no direction for where to go from there. I then there’s us. Where only 30% of Christians even read
remember sitting in my car outside of Starbucks talking the Bible and the fact that a ton of “Christian” ideals are
to my friend Geoff about it. I had never felt so lost in my pretty skewed from the Bible itself - I was fed up.
life. If you know me, you know I always have a plan. But
this time I didn’t. I was at the bottom. Broken and lost. I So I read the Bible. Front to back. In 90 days.
had spend the last several years focusing on myself and
trying to become the best person I could be. But, to tell I was blown away by how different the Bible actually is,
you the truth, I’m weak when I try to live life on my own. compared to how it’s presented in America. But that’s
From the outside, everything looked great but the inside what makes us Christians, right? The fact that we believe
was a whole different story. Even though I thought I was and follow Jesus?
“the man”, I was still lacking something. My pride was fully
intact, but my heart desired more. Nothing was lining up. I was confused.
I started to contemplate what all of this was about. I grew So I went on my own “Search for Meaning” journey.
up considering myself a Christian, but I had no idea I quit my job and moved to a little beach town on the
what that truly meant. I hadn’t been following God’s call Sunshine Coast of Australia for 9 months to study the
at all. I still believed in Him, I just wasn’t pursuing Him. I Bible for twelve hours a day, six days a week. That’s a
hadn’t been to church in over a year for the simple fact pretty big leap if you ask me. And at 27 years old it may
that I couldn’t stand the majority of Christians that I met not have been the wisest of decisions, but I wouldn’t have
because I didn’t trust them. They all seemed so fake. So changed it for anything.
I sat there thinking…
My whole reason for this journey was to build a firm
Is life really all about going to college, getting a job, foundation in my faith - one that could not be crumbled
getting married, having kids, buying new things, and then by society. And that’s exactly what I got, plus more.
(hopefully) one day retiring so I can enjoy life?
And that’s what my hope is for you - that you are able
Really? That’s it? That all seemed so shallow to me. to build a firm foundation in your faith over the next year.
Especially in a time when understanding the Word is one
Then, let’s look at religion. Every religion outside of of the most important things that you can do.
Christianity takes their faith so seriously, it’s insane. And
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It doesn’t matter what you have done in the past. What
matters is now. God loves you SO much and is SO
delighted that you want to spend time getting to know
Him through Scripture.
Where are you currently at in your faith journey?

List 3 things that you want to get out of this study.
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Gospels Pauline Hebrew Revelation
Matthew
Epistles Christian Revelation
Mark Romans Epistles
Luke 1 Corinthians Hebrews
John 2 Corinthians James
Galatians 1 Peter
Ephesians 2 Peter
Acts Philippians 1 John
Acts Colossians 2 John
1 Thessalonians 3 John
2 Thessalonians Jude
1 Timothy
2 Timothy
Titus
Philemon
First century AD
Greek language
27 Books
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Key Characters
JOHN THE BAPTIST: JESUS:
John the Baptist, was the final prophet of the Old Testament God in the flesh. No need to explain. Read his words and have
who arose after the 400 years of silence that followed the your mind blown.
words of Malachi. He was the forerunner of Christ that was to
pave the way and prepare the people for Jesus’ arrival.
PAUL:
Paul was known as the Hebrew of Hebrews, having studied

DISCIPLES:
under the great Gamaliel and was an extreme Pharisee by
The word “disciple” means, “a follower or student of a teacher, nature. Paul experienced a radical conversion to Christ (which
leader, or philosopher” (oxforddictionaries.com). When we talk we will read about in the book of Acts), and he became the
about the disciples of Jesus, we refer to his twelve closest greatest missionary of the early Church. Paul founded many
friends while on Earth. They were Andrew, Bartholomew, James churches around the Greco-Roman world, and today we have
son of Zebedee, James son of Alphaeus, John, Judas Iscariot, letters to some of those churches that give us the groundwork
Jude the brother of James, Matthew, Peter, Philip, Simon the for our theology.
Zealot, and Thomas. One thing to note is that the majority of
disciples were teenagers - how cool is that?!

LUKE:
Luke was a physician that partnered with Paul during a portion

JOHN:
of his missionary work. He was also the author of a Gospel and
John was known as the “Beloved Disciple” because of how the book of Acts, which were both used as testimonies in Paul’s
much Jesus loved him. He was faithful until the end and was Roman trial.
entrusted with taking care of Mary, the mother of Jesus. He
wrote one of the Gospels, three letters to his churches in Asia
Minor, and the book of Revelation.
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PETER: JAMES:
Peter was the first disciple that Jesus called to follow him. James was a brother of Jesus that didn’t believe Jesus was
Jesus knew that he would be a great voice for the Kingdom the Messiah until after his resurrection. James, then became
so he changed his name from Simon (meaning “reed”) to Peter one of the top leaders for the church in Jerusalem and was
(meaning “rock”) and claimed that the Church would be built highly respected among other believers. He ended up writing
upon him. Peter had his ups and downs, but remained faithful the book of James as “wisdom literature” to be added to the
to the end. He also gave us some amazing words recorded in New Testament. It has been told that after he was martyred, his
his sermon on the day of Pentecost and in his two follow-up friends saw his knees for the first time and they were like the
epistles. knees of camels from spending so much time in prayer.
TIMOTHY:
Timothy was Paul’s spiritual son and was greatly loved by Paul
himself. He also helped write a few of Paul’s letters and had two
letters written to him by Paul as encouragement to stand strong
in the faith and continue on with the gospel message.
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READ: Mark 1-5
AUTHOR: Mark aka John Mark
DAY ONE
DATE: AD 55-60 or AD 64-68
AUDIENCE: Christians in Rome
THEME: Jesus as the suffering servant
OVERVIEW:
Mark is a unique book, in that it highlights miracles far more Mark himself was too young to be a disciple, but he was
than teachings. He includes 18 miracles in these 16 chapters, fascinated with Jesus so he hung around him as much as
with only four parables and one major discourse. Mark does possible. He was also hyperactive. The word “immediately”
not give any of Christ’s ancestry, since the theme is that Christ is repeated 41x because he was always on the go from one
is a servant, and people don’t care about a servant’s ancestry. place to the next. He couldn’t sit still and wanted to be front and
center in all of the action. That’s why the book of Mark focuses
so heavily on the actions of Jesus instead of his sermons.
JOURNAL:
What is the most important thing that

God taught you through today’s reading?
How can you apply that to your life?
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READ: Mark 6-10
DAY TWO
DATE: AD 55-60 or AD 64-68
JOURNAL:
The first eight chapters of Mark are all

about healings, miracles, and casting
out demons. Which one of these stories
is your favorite? Why?

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READ: Mark 11-16
DAY THREE
DATE: AD 55-60 or AD 64-68
OVERVIEW:
Towards the end of the Gospel, Mark decided to narrow of humanity. He actually became sin so we could be seen as
his focus and really display the reason for Christ’s arrival in sinless. Every disease, every anger issue, every addiction,
Jerusalem (and on earth in general). Mark gives us the most every evil desire from the past, present, and future were nailed
in-depth look at the final week in all of the Gospels. to the cross so we could be set free. What we struggle with
today was already taken care of 2,000 years ago. If Jesus is
Jesus knew what was going to happen, and it wasn’t pretty. your personal Savior, you are FREE. RIGHT NOW!
His life was to be laid down as an exchange for all of the sins
JOURNAL:
Have you had a revelation of the concept

of freedom yet? How does that change
the way you live?

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READ: Luke 1-3
AUTHOR: Luke the physician
DAY FOUR
DATE: AD 58-60 or AD 60-62
AUDIENCE: A Roman official or judge named Theophilus
THEME: Christ is the Savior for the Gentiles, too
OVERVIEW:
When studying the four Gospels, the most important thing that court document and Luke was not present during the ministry of
you can do is look at the stories through the eyes of the writer. Jesus so he had to get information from all of the eyewitnesses
In this case, Luke is writing to a Roman judge on behalf of his that he could, in order to piece together the proper angle for
buddy Paul. Therefore, the content is much more focused on Paul’s pending release. That’s why the feel of this book seems
how Jesus interacted with Gentiles, Romans, and women…all a little different compared to the other Gospels.
of which hit home for Jesus.
Luke, being a doctor, approached Jesus from the perspective
Luke is a very unique book in the sense that it has many stories of the Son of Man, which is why he dated Jesus’ genealogy all
that the other authors did not have because they weren’t able the way back to the first man, Adam, through the line of Mary.
to interview the right people. Remember, this is being used as a
JOURNAL:

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READ: Luke 4-9
DAY FIVE
DATE: AD 58-60 or AD 60-62
JOURNAL:
Have you ever been tempted like Jesus

was in the wilderness? What happened?
The men that Jesus chose as his

disciples were almost all teenagers.
What do you think it was about Jesus
that made all of the men leave their jobs
to follow him?

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READ: Luke 10-19
DAY SIX
DATE: AD 58-60 or AD 60-62
JOURNAL:
Is it easy or hard for you to follow along

with the parables that Jesus told? Why
do you think he explained stuff that way?

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READ: Luke 20-24
DAY SEVEN
DATE: AD 58-60 or AD 60-62
OVERVIEW:
Luke really is a Gospel for everybody. He includes many Your faith journey and how you have witnessed God move in
important stories that we don’t read about in the other Gospels. your life are some of the greatest things that we could ever
And all of these are used to teach us new things. share with the world. They produce hunger. They produce
connection. They can also boost faith in hopes that God will
work for us in the same way that He has for others.
JOURNAL:
Write out a simplified version of your life

story and how you have witnessed God
move through it all:
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READ: John 1-5
AUTHOR: The apostle John
DAY EIGHT
DATE: AD 80’s
AUDIENCE: Churches around Asia Minor
THEME: Jesus came to give eternal life because he is God
OVERVIEW:
The Gospel of John is 90% unique from the other Gospels as Jesus felt and who he was as a person. He made it a point to
he explores Jesus from the Son of God perspective, including show that Jesus is fully human and fully divine at the same time.
his preexistent genealogy at the beginning of his writing. There was nothing that Jesus could do while on Earth without
Whereas the other Gospels looked at what Jesus did and said, help from the Father.
John approached his story from the inside by looking at how
JOURNAL:
Isn’t it amazing that the Creator of the

universe came down to his creation just
to save it? Describe a time when you
worked extra hard on a project and it
didn’t turn out as you planned:

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READ: John 6-10
DAY NINE
DATE: AD 80’s
OVERVIEW:
One thing to notice in all of John’s books is that he writes in John focuses on in this Gospel are seven major miracles as
sevens. Seven is the number of perfect divinity and is a very well as seven “I AM” statements.
important number in the Jewish faith. The top two things that
JOURNAL:
List the seven miracles that he

points out:
1. (John 2:1-11)
2. (John 4:43-54)
3. (John 5:1-9)
4. (John 6:1-14)
5. (John 6:16-21)
6. (John 9:1-33)
7. (John 11:1-44)
What do all of these miracles show you

about Jesus?
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READ: John 11-17
DAY TEN
DATE: AD 80’s
JOURNAL:
As mentioned yesterday, there were also

seven “I AM” statements, which meant
everything to John. List all seven of
them here:
1. (John 6:35)
2. (John 8:12)
3. (John 10:9)
4. (John 10:11)
5. (John 11:25)
6. (John 14:6)
7. (John 15:5)
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READ: John 18-21
DAY ELEVEN
DATE: AD 80’s
JOURNAL:
John focused heavily on the fact that

Jesus was fully God and fully man at the
same time. What amazing news for all
of us!
How does that understanding impact

your view of Jesus?
What does that mean for your own faith

journey?

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READ: Acts 1-8
DAY TWELVE
DATE: AD 60-62
AUDIENCE: A Roman Official or judge named Theophilus
THEME: The gospel message is for everyone, everywhere
OVERVIEW:
The book of Acts is a historical look at the first 30 years of the order to preach there and build himself up. What about us? Do
early church and, in many cases, could be used as a model for our hometowns see the fire in each of us? They need to see our
missionary work around the world today. changed life before the world will. How can you use Paul as an
example regarding hometown missionary work instead of just
But one thing to note is that before Paul went on any missionary doing short-term mission trips every once in a while?
journeys, he went to his hometown of Tarsus for ten years in
JOURNAL:

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READ: Acts 9-15
DAY THIRTEEN
DATE: AD 60-62
JOURNAL:
Do you think that Paul dealt with any fear

during his first time going on a missionary
journey?
In Chapter 15, we have the infamous

Jerusalem Council. What was the
council debating? What was the final
consensus? What does that mean for
us?

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READ: Acts 16-21
DAY FOURTEEN
DATE: AD 60-62
JOURNAL:
Paul’s third missionary journey was a

pretty long one that ended up back in
Jerusalem. He spent extra time in a lot of
the cities mentoring the people on how
to live a life dedicated to the Lord.
Do you currently have a mentor? If not,

who is someone that you would like to
mentor you? I would highly encourage
you to reach out to them this week to
see if they would mentor you once or
twice per month.

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READ: Acts 22-28
DAY FIFTEEN
DATE: AD 60-62
OVERVIEW:
In Chapters 23-26, we see the beginning of Paul’s trial. It is the They all eventually made it to Rome and Paul was placed on
reason why this book was written in the first place. It’s Rome house arrest. He was still able to welcome visitors at any time
vs. Christianity. Paul never harmed anybody on his journeys, though, and continued to preach the gospel every day. That’s
he only healed them. So the guards were fairly lenient as they where he sat writing letters to the churches which he had built
watched over him. Even on the ship heading to Rome, the crew on his journeys while awaiting the trial that was soon to take
seemed to listen to Paul’s prophecies and wisdom as a higher place.
authority than their own common sense.
JOURNAL:

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DAY SIXTEEN
Pauls Missionary Journeys
Your task today is to fill in the blank maps on the next
few pages with each route from Paul’s three missionary
journeys.
FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY
1. Antioch 5. Perga 9. Derbe 13. Perga

2. Seleucia 6. Antioch 10. Lystra 14. Attalia
3. Salamis 7. Iconium 11. Iconium 15. Antioch
4. Paphos 8. Lystra 12. Antioch
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SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY
1. Antioch 6. Pisidia 11. Berea 16. Paphos

2. Tarsus 7. Troas 12. Athens 17. Caesarea
3. Derbe 8. Neapolis 13. Corinth 18. Jerusalem
4. Lystra 9. Philippi 14. Cenchreae 19. Caesarea
5. Iconium 10. Thessalonica 15. Ephesus 20. Antioch
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THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY
1 Antioch 6. Philippi 11. Troas 16. Ptolemais

2. Tarsus 7. Thessalonica 12. Assos 17. Caesarea
3. Iconium 8. Corinth 13. Miletus 18. Jerusalem
4. Ephesus 9. Thessalonica 14. Patara
5. Troas 10. Philippi 15. Tyre
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READ: Romans 1-8
AUTHOR: The apostle Paul
DAY SEVENTEEN
DATE: AD 55-56
AUDIENCE: The church in Rome
THEME: Basics of Christianity and Jew/Gentile relations
OVERVIEW:
Romans is the gospel. It’s a letter written by the apostle Paul revelation of your new identity over the next couple days. As a
about grace and redemption. This is God’s plan for humanity. believer in Jesus, you are now a saint. Sin has been rendered
Therefore, it is extremely important that you take time to really powerless because of what Jesus did for you…and me!
understand this book. It’s my prayer that God gives you a
JOURNAL:
What does it mean to be a saint? How

does that make you feel knowing that
God now views you as a saint?

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READ: Romans 9-11
DAY EIGHTEEN
DATE: AD 55-56
JOURNAL:
These chapters talk a lot about Israel.

Once we dive into the Old Testament
later, you’ll see that God still has a great
plan for his people and the country of
Israel. What do you know about Israel
today?

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READ: Romans 12-16
DAY NINETEEN
DATE: AD 55-56
OVERVIEW:
The New Testament teaches us that we are supposed to be Jesus was fully God AND fully man, which means that he had
everything that Jesus was as a man. We are in covenant with to make the same moment-by-moment decisions that we do.
God, so all of those things are now a part of our nature. If we That should give us confidence!
don’t walk them out, then we are acting against our nature.
JOURNAL:
In what ways would you like to be more

like Jesus?

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READ: 1 Corinthians 1-6
DAY TWENTY
DATE: AD 55-56
AUDIENCE: The church in Corinth
THEME: Love is the reason for everything
OVERVIEW:
From what we can gather in 1 and 2 Corinthians, we learn Paul In this first letter, Paul addresses different practical issues within
had actually written four letters to the church of Corinth…two of the church such as spiritual gifts, how to love well, and what
which we have, two of which were lost. they were allowed to eat.
JOURNAL:

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DAY TWENTY
DATE: AD 55-56 ONE
JOURNAL:

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DAY TWENTY
DATE: AD 55-56 TWO
OVERVIEW:
In the middle of Chapters 12-14, Paul writes what is known as exercising your gifts for any other reason you might as well not
the “love chapter”. He does that deliberately to teach that loving even use them. Love should be the reason behind everything.
others is the main focus behind every spiritual gift. If you are
JOURNAL:
How could you show more love to those

around you every day?

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SPIRITUAL GIFTS
DAY TWENTY
THREE
THERE ARE FOUR MAIN VIEWS ON SPIRITUAL GIFTS TODAY:
Cessationist: Spiritual gifts were only for the early church and Charismatic: Spiritual gifts are for every generation, and they
are not relevant today. should be practiced today. This view is limited by Scripture with
no additions to the Word.
Continuationist: Spiritual gifts are for today, but the “sign” gifts
need to be looked at and tested with caution. Hyper Charismatic: Spiritual gifts are for every generation and
contemporary revelations are equal to Scripture.
JOURNAL:
Which view on gifts do you associate

with? Why?
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The Break Down
Spiritual gifts are not to be confused with natural talent. Every gifts each of us receive. God’s will is not accomplished if love is
Christian has at least one spiritual gift, if not multiple. No not the main motivation behind the gifts.
Christian has every spiritual gift. The Holy Spirit chooses which
PROPHECY: SERVICE:
Prophecy is the ability to speak truth into an individual’s destiny Service is the ability to meet physical needs within the body of
and to reveal future events to the church in order to call for Christ and apply a spiritual significance to it. People with this
repentance or build them up. People with this gift can easily gift like to work behind the scenes and get joy out of helping
read others and “just know” things before they happen. others.
TEACHING: ENCOURAGEMENT:
Teaching is the ability to apply Scripture in an easy-to- Encouragement is the ability to motivate others on their faith
understand way. People with this gift love to study and are very journey. People with this gift are good counselors and can
focused on doctrinal application. personally apply Scripture.
GIVING: LEADERSHIP:
Giving is the ability to earn money in order to meet the needs Leadership is the ability to direct others in completing a God-
of others in a cheerful manner. People with this gift are good at given task or specific ministry work. People with this gift can
making money and like to give behind the scenes. clearly share a vision and others gladly follow their lead.
MERCY: APOSTLESHIP:
Mercy is the desire to take care of those that are going through Apostles are those that have a desire to be sent out to start
difficult times without expecting anything in return. People with churches and ministries in the local community and around the
this gift enjoy one-on-one serving and are able to sympathize world. People with this gift are comfortable in other cultures and
naturally. able to execute a specific vision.
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EVANGELISM: PASTORS:
Evangelists are those that can easily share the gospel with Pastors are those that can guide, counsel, protect, and disciple
unbelievers and lead them to a personal relationship with Jesus a group of believers. Many times this gift is joined with the gift
Christ. People with this gift are very personable and convincing of teaching. People with this gift are great leaders and have a
of the Truth. heart for discipleship.
WISDOM: KNOWLEDGE:
Wisdom is the ability to look at a situation and advise the best Knowledge is the ability to understand the Word and make it
strategy for action based on the insight given. People with this relevant to the church or specific situations. This gift includes
gift can see various outcomes and can discern which one is supernatural words of knowledge that are to be used in serving
the best to take. others. People with this gift are able to seek out truth in the Bible
and typically have unusual insight into situations or a person’s
life.
FAITH:
Faith is the ability to have an overly confident belief that God will HEALING:
accomplish the impossible despite reality. People with this gift
trust God completely and act in confidence. Healing is the ability to be used as a vessel by God in order
to cure sickness and restore health back to normal. People
with this gift are able to demonstrate the power of God through
MIRACLES: prayer, the laying on of hands or a spoken word.
Miracles is the ability to be used as a vessel for God to reveal

His power through supernatural acts that alter the natural DISCERNMENT (DISTINGUISHING
realm. Miracles are most often used to authenticate the gospel
OF SPIRITS):
message. People with this gift speak truth with confidence and
have it authenticated by a supernatural act. Discernment is the ability to perceive what is from God through
the discernment of good and evil spirits. People with this gift
can easily tell what is from God and what is counterfeit.
TONGUES:
There are three different types of tongues: One is a private

INTERPRETING OF TONGUES:
prayer language (1 Cor 14:14-15), another is the ability to
speak out a divine message in a new language in order for the Interpreting of tongues is the ability to translate a language
Body to be built up, and the third is an entire language as a gift, that the hearer doesn’t know whether it is a real language or a
which is to be used for missionary work. heavenly language.
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JOURNAL:
Describe a time when you feel like God

used you, whether you knew it was your
spiritual gift or not.
What is the purpose of spiritual gifts?

(1 Peter 4:10-11)
After looking at all of the gifts, which

gift(s) do you think you might have?
Can you think of a way to exercise your

gift(s) in order to grow in it / them?
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DAY TWENTY
DATE: AD 55-56 FOUR
THEME: Victory in Christ
OVERVIEW:
While the first letter to the Corinthians dealt with practical issues
within the church, the second letter deals with personal insults Some of the attacks on his character were that he wasn’t bold
that forced Paul to stand up for himself. enough, that he didn’t care for the Corinthians since he was in a
different city, that he wasn’t a good speaker and that he wasn’t
We know that a group of “super apostles” came into Corinth even qualified to be teaching them such things. The “super
once Paul left, and they tried to take over by building themselves apostles” knew that if they attacked Paul, his message would
up and pushing Paul down. We don’t know who they were be thrown out as well. This is his rebuttal.
exactly, but the content suggests that they were Jewish.
JOURNAL:
Explain a time when you have had

someone attack your character. How did
you handle it?

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DAY TWENTY
DATE: AD 55-56 FIVE
THEME: Victory in Christ
OVERVIEW:
Right in the middle of his encouragement and defense, Paul their life. The “super apostles” weren’t teaching love. They were
includes a large section on collecting money to give to the poor attacking Paul and focusing on the negative instead. Paul knew
in Jerusalem. What?? We know from the past that Paul has a that if he focused on loving others through donating to the
major heart for the poor so that makes sense, but doesn’t that poor then they would turn towards the truth. And this approach
seem a little random? Well the Corinthians knew the importance worked because we know that his third visit to Corinth was a
of love, considering the whole chapter on it in his previous letter joyous one.
to them. It was a part of the gospel and therefore a part of
JOURNAL:
What are some ways that you can better

serve the poor?

47
READ: Galatians 1-3
DAY TWENTY
DATE: AD 48 or AD 55 SIX
AUDIENCE: The churches in Galatia
THEME: Freedom through Christ alone
OVERVIEW:
The vibe of Galatians is much more negative compared to most

of Paul’s other letters because of how serious he feels about Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no
being set free from the Law. There is no joking around with him longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now
on that matter. Freedom is everything. live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me
and gave himself for me” (ESV). What do you think Paul meant
The Jewish people were being strangled by the Law. There when he said it was no longer he who lived, but rather Christ
was no way to fulfill it, but they still did their best to gain God’s who lived in him? How can you apply that to your own life?
approval. Paul shows them how times have changed.
JOURNAL:

48
READ: Galatians 4-6
DAY TWENTY
DATE: AD 48 or AD 55 SEVEN
AUDIENCE: The churches in Galatia
THEME: Freedom through Christ alone
OVERVIEW:
Instead of getting so caught up in what we should and shouldn’t and have received the exact same inheritance that Jesus
do, I believe that we need to redirect our attention to our identity received. This. Is. HUGE. That means God blesses YOU the
in Christ and who God says we are. Galatians 4:6-7 says, “And same way that He blessed His Son, JESUS. With salvation,
because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into providing for our needs, understanding the Father’s heart, joy,
our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So you are no longer a slave, gifts, communication with God, answered prayers, etc. Our
but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God” (ESV). inheritance was already paid for so God is literally just waiting
for you to accept it. He gets joy out of blessing you. So take
Because of what Jesus did, you are an heir to the throne it in!
JOURNAL:
How have you seen God’s blessing on

your life? How can you better walk in this
new understanding?

49
READ: Ephesians 1-3
DAY TWENTY
DATE: AD 60-62 EIGHT
AUDIENCE: The church in Ephesus
THEME: Walking in your new identity
OVERVIEW:
Paul begins Ephesians by saying, “Long before he laid down is so much about our new identity in this little section alone! We
earth’s foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the have been adopted. We are to be made whole and holy. His
focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, desire is to bless us. Those are all amazing things! Ephesians
long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus is all about our identity and how we are different now that we
Christ…He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish are believers.
gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son” (1:4-6 MSG). There
JOURNAL:
What does it mean to be adopted into

the Kingdom?
What does it mean to be made whole

and holy?

50
READ: Ephesians 4-6
DAY TWENTY
DATE: AD 60-62 NINE
AUDIENCE: The church in Ephesus
THEME: Walking in your new identity
OVERVIEW:
Paul tells us to be imitators of God in Chapter 5. In other words, believe that the overarching will of God, after we receive His
our lives should reflect Jesus. That means it is our job to bring Son, is to bring heaven to earth and to ruin the works of the
the kingdom of God into our everyday life. Some people have devil every day (1 John 3:8b). That’s it!
such a hard time trying to figure out what the will of God is. I
JOURNAL:
How can you ruin the works of the devil

in your daily life?
In Chapter 6, Paul describes the Armor

of God and teaches us the keys to
success regarding spiritual warfare.
Have you ever dealt with spiritual warfare

before? What happened?
51
READ: Philippians 1-4
DAY THIRTY
DATE: AD 61-62
AUDIENCE: The church in Philippi
THEME: Joy in the Lord
OVERVIEW:
The letter to the Philippians can be put in the category of “Prison among the Philippians by a gentleman named Epaphroditus
Epistles”, alongside Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon. who was sent to Paul as somewhat of a housekeeper. This
Philippians was written after those three as Paul was ending his letter was a response to those issues and a promise that
stint under Roman house arrest. Paul had been told of issues Epaphroditus would be sent home soon.
JOURNAL:
In 4:4, Paul says, “Rejoice in the Lord

always; again I will say, rejoice!” (ESV).
What does it mean to rejoice always?
How is that even possible?
In which areas of your life do you struggle

with remaining joyful?

52
READ: Colossians 1-4
DAY THIRTY
DATE: AD 60-61 ONE
AUDIENCE: The church in Colossae
THEME: Fullness in Christ
OVERVIEW:
As we learned when looking at Ephesians and Philippians, to redirect their focus, in order to understand their new self /
Paul was under Roman house arrest at the time of this writing. identity in Christ.
During house arrest, he could have visitors and live somewhat
freely, all the while chained to a Roman soldier. A large portion of Colossians matches the content of Ephesians
so this will be a little repetitive, but it helps that Paul writes in a
A man named Epaphras, who was part of the church in very straight-forward way, so that they understand it.
Colossae, reported to Paul that things were going badly. Paul
had no real authority over the Colossians, but he did his best
JOURNAL:

53
First off, you are CRUSHING it! One month down, two
to go. Secondly, let’s touch base on your goals and
adjust accordingly.
Where are you at on your faith

journey now?
Did you spend your time wisely this

past month?
In what ways can you improve over

the next month?
List 3 things that you are thankful for.
54
READ: 1 Thessalonians 1-5
DAY THIRTY
DATE: AD 50-51 TWO
AUDIENCE: The church in Thessalonica
THEME: In expectation of Christ
OVERVIEW:
Paul starts off by commending them for living out their faith so faith. And it works almost every time because they know that
well. You can tell that he is happy with the way that they have he truly cares about them and does it from a place of love. This
been doing things. Paul tends to be a professional motivator. is a book of encouragement.
He knows just what to say to get people to progress in their
JOURNAL:
Who is the most encouraging person

that you know? What makes them so
encouraging?

55
READ: 2 Thessalonians 1-3
DAY THIRTY
DATE: AD 50-51 THREE
AUDIENCE: The church in Thessalonica
THEME: Comfort until the Second Coming
OVERVIEW:
Second Thessalonians is far different from Paul’s first letter to that made Paul furious.
the Thessalonians even though they were written only a few
months apart. Paul now seems to be very distant from them We see the same thing a lot today, not necessarily in the area
and upset over something that was reported to him shortly after of work, but definitely in the areas of evangelism and prayer.
the first letter was sent. This should be anything but a time to slow down! We should
be ramping up our evangelism and prayer lives more than ever
He starts off with complimenting them, but quickly gets into if we truly believe the Second Coming is on the horizon.
the heavy stuff. The Thessalonians had received a false letter
from “Paul” saying that the Second Coming was just around If you believe that to be true, what are some things that you can
the corner so there is no need to work or press-on in their faith be praying for? And who could you share the good news about
anymore. The sad thing is that many people believed it. And Jesus with?
JOURNAL:

56
READ: 1 Timothy 1-6
DAY THIRTY
DATE: AD 64-66 FOUR
AUDIENCE: Timothy
THEME: Leadership roles inside of the church
OVERVIEW:
First and Second Timothy and Titus were written by Paul Timothy was sent to deal with the leadership in Ephesus,
between his final missionary journey and the beginning of his but we know that he was a very timid man, making the task
second Roman imprisonment. They are known as the “Pastoral far outside of his comfort zone. Titus on the other hand was
Epistles” because Timothy and Titus were both placed in the sent to Crete to deal with the church as a whole (leaders and
pastoral position in different cities, and Paul is teaching them members), but he was strong and self-sufficient, which made
how to get their people in line. He knew that the church had to Paul’s job much easier.
be in place before any evangelism was to happen. And we all
know Paul’s thoughts on evangelism: It was everything. Not only were these letters used as motivation and direction,
but Paul knew that they would also be used as credentials to
Even though they are called the “Pastoral Epistles”, it was prove the authority of Timothy and Titus.
neither Timothy nor Titus’s job to remain in each location as
the pastor. Paul sent them to set things straight, but the main
desire of his heart was for them to meet him in Rome before he
was martyred.
JOURNAL:

57
READ: 2 Timothy 1-4
DAY THIRTY
DATE: Around AD 67 FIVE
AUDIENCE: Timothy
THEME: Finish strong, Timothy!
JOURNAL:
Paul’s advice to Timothy was to keep

pressing on, no matter what happened.
He knew that it would all be worth it in the
end even though Timothy was beginning
to lose hope.
How do you stay strong when times get

tough?

58
READ: Titus 1-3
DAY THIRTY
DATE: Around AD 64-66 SIX
AUDIENCE: Titus
THEME: Sound doctrine is everything
OVERVIEW:
Looking good to unbelievers is something that Paul addresses. We have separated ourselves so far from society that we often
Believers need to show unbelievers that what we have is have no idea what would draw unbelievers in. Society portrays
better than what they have. We have the answers to all of life’s us as prude, boring, and hypocritical. Paul says that we must
problems. We have the Creator of the universe available 24/7. live up to what is good in society’s eye and take that one step
I believe that the church really needs to improve in this area. further. Our goodness and love should draw unbelievers in.
JOURNAL:
What virtues does our culture associate

with “good people”? How can we live
those out?

59
READ: Philemon 1
DAY THIRTY
DATE: AD 60-61 SEVEN
AUDIENCE: Philemon
THEME: Forgiveness, equality, and reconciliation in Christ
OVERVIEW:
Philemon is the only personal letter of recommendation in the of money, most likely while he was out running an errand for
Bible. So what is gong on here that makes this book part of Philemon. We don’t know exactly what happened, but we do
Scripture? know that the penalty for running away was death.
Well, back in the day, slavery was much different from what it The journey from Colossae to Rome was no joke - 1,200
is today and in the recent past. Whereas our views regarding miles each way. It would have taken weeks. That’s how far
slavery are all about disrespect and being treated poorly, being Onesimus ran so that he wouldn’t be found by Philemon. It
a slave in the Greco-Roman world was actually a decent just so happened to be that while he was in Rome he was
profession. Neither the conditions or the money were bad and introduced to Paul who was on house arrest. During their time
there were even more slaves than there were free people. It together Onesimus gave his life to Christ. Before Onesimus
was a totally acceptable job in terms of conditions and money. could go any further, Paul made him go back home and ask
for forgiveness from Philemon. Yikes. This letter is his appeal.
So here we have a man named Onesimus who was a slave of a
man named Philemon. Onesimus had run away with a big bag
JOURNAL:

60
61
62
READ: Hebrews 1-4
AUTHOR: Unknown
DAY THIRTY
DATE: AD 64-65 EIGHT
AUDIENCE: Hebrew believers
THEME: Jesus is better than Judaism
OVERVIEW:
The reason that the book of Hebrews was written was to Hebrews is not an easy book for many Gentile readers to get
show how Jesus and the New Covenant were superior to through, because of their lack of Old Testament knowledge -
Judaism and the Law. The author also encouraged the Hebrew that’s why it is CRUCIAL to put yourself in the shoes of the
believers in their faith journey as they dealt with a new wave of reader as best as you can, otherwise your understanding of the
persecution. context will fall short.
JOURNAL:
In what ways is Jesus better than angels,

Moses, and Joshua?

63
READ: Hebrews 5-10
AUTHOR: Unknown
DAY THIRTY
DATE: AD 64-65 NINE
JOURNAL:
In what ways is Jesus better than

the Aaronic priesthood and the old
covenant?

64
READ: Hebrews 11-13
AUTHOR: Unknown
DAY FORTY
DATE: AD 64-65
OVERVIEW:
Chapter 11 of Hebrews is an unbelievable chapter that displays set the bar and are who we should be looking up to as believers.
what many call the “Great Hall of Faith”. It’s an overview of the
most faithful people in Israel’s history, including Abraham, Sarah,
Jacob, Moses, Rahab, and others. These are the people that
JOURNAL:
Who is your role model in Hebrews

11? What can you pull from their life as
motivation to grow in your faith?

65
READ: James 1-5
AUTHOR: James, the brother of Jesus
DAY FORTY
DATE: AD 47-48 or AD 60-62 ONE
AUDIENCE: Jews scattered at the Dispersion
THEME: Faith, works, and wisdom
OVERVIEW:
The book of James is known as the “Proverbs of the New The five main topics that James looks into are:
Testament”. It’s called “Wisdom Literature”, which means it is Trials
packed with content on how to live your life as a Christian. It’s Faith and Works
the least doctrinal type of writing, but it is the most practical for The Tongue
day-to-day living. Wisdom
Wealth
JOURNAL:
Which topic do you struggle the most

with? Which topic comes easiest to you?

66
READ: 1 Peter 1-5
AUTHOR: The apostle Peter
DAY FORTY
DATE: Around AD 64 TWO
AUDIENCE: The churches in Asia Minor
THEME: Suffer now and be taken care of later
OVERVIEW:
First Peter is a book of persecution and warning for what was to as Nero did anything to gain popularity. He would torture
come in the near future as Nero got crazier and crazier. Christians by crucifying them, using them as entertainment in
fights against lions, and most horrifically, soaking them in oil and
Who was Nero and what was his deal? impaling them on a pole in his garden to be used as a source
of light for his dinner parties.
Nero was the Roman Emperor that reigned from AD 54-68. He
was an average emperor at the beginning of his reign, but then Rome was anything but a pretty sight for Christians. Word was
things took a turn for the worst around AD 64 during the “Great getting out among churches all over the Greco-Roman world
Fire of Rome”. The Roman citizens blamed him for starting the so Peter wrote to them in preparation for what was to come. He
fire because they knew he had grand plans for the city. And in knew that he would be crucified eventually so this was one of
order to cover his tracks, he blamed the fire on the Christians. his last forms of contact with them.
From then on, the persecution ramped up in disgusting ways
JOURNAL:

67
READ: 2 Peter 1-3
AUTHOR: The apostle Peter
DAY FORTY
DATE: AD 66 THREE
THEME: Watch out for false teachers
OVERVIEW:
Second Peter has a similar layout to First Peter in the sense that going from glory to glory. Becoming more like Christ every day.
it focuses on salvation, warnings, and how to deal with what is
ahead. Both letters focus on having a strong foundation so that 1:5-7 lists a group of qualities that produce more fruit in our
we will not be shaken. lives and transform us into like-mindedness with Christ. They
are:
Through God’s promises, Peter says that we can be partaker’s
in the divine nature. Peter doesn’t say that we become God, Diligence, moral excellence, knowledge, self-control,
like Buddhism or New Age beliefs may suggest, but we are perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love.
JOURNAL:
We should be striving to practice these

qualities every single day. What can you
do today to increase in each of those
qualities? Make a list of what you need
to improve on:

68
READ: 1 John 1-5
DAY FORTY
DATE: AD 90-95 FOUR
THEME: Security in eternal life
OVERVIEW:
As is apparent in this letter, John sees things in a very black and In this letter, he has seven main contrasts that he looks at:
white manner. Everything in life falls into one of two categories: Light and Darkness
Good or Evil. You are influenced by both and can choose which Truth and Lies
one you want to focus on. Loving the Father and Loving the World
Life and Death
Just as we saw in the Gospel of John and will see again in Children of God and Children of the Devil
Revelation, John always writes in sevens. He knows the divine Love and Hate
importance of the number and follows that structure throughout Good Works and Bad Works
his main points.
JOURNAL:

69
READ: 2 John 1
DAY FORTY
DATE: AD 90-95 FIVE
AUDIENCE: Unknown
THEME: Hospitality
OVERVIEW:
We are going to put Second and Third John together because There were many missionaries going around in the Greco-
they are small and fairly self-explanatory. He is telling the two Roman world, and they were dependent on the hospitality
recipients how to be better at showing hospitality. The woman of other believers. That situation allowed for false teaching to
needed to be more cautious and the man needed to be more spread because anybody that was a “believer” was accepted.
open.
JOURNAL:
Who is the most hospitable person that

you know? Why?

70
READ: 3 John 1
DAY FORTY
DATE: AD 90-95 SIX
AUDIENCE: A pastor in Asia Minor named Gaius
THEME: Be accepting of other believers
JOURNAL:
How can you be more hospitable to

other believers?

71
READ: Jude 1
AUTHOR: Jude, the brother of Jesus
DAY FORTY
DATE: AD 67-69 SEVEN
AUDIENCE: Believers from the Dispersion
THEME: Contend for the faith
OVERVIEW:
Jude is a book that many people skip over because they don’t our lifestyle should no longer reflect a life of sin. We are new
understand the importance of it. Honestly, it is a pretty strange creations and have the power inside of us to live righteously; to
one. If you compare it to 2 Peter 2, it’s almost the same letter, go from glory to glory.
too. Jude addresses a few problems that the audience is
facing, which all began with a group of false teachers. Secondly, the false teachers were teaching that Jesus was not
the ONLY way to Heaven, but just ONE of the ways. I don’t
First off, the false teachers were teaching that you could abuse need to explain that one. You know Jesus is the only way (John
grace. They were saying that once you were saved you could 14:6)
sin all you wanted to and it didn’t matter. That’s not the Father’s
heart at all. Yes, grace covers us when we mess up, but
JOURNAL:

72
READ: Revelation 1-3
DAY FORTY
DATE: AD Mid-90’s EIGHT
AUDIENCE: To the seven churches
THEME: The current Church and it’s future
OVERVIEW:
Revelation has a strange stigma attached to it that causes realm. That’s because Revelation is what we call Apocalyptic
many people to steer clear from ever attempting to read it. Yet writing. It looks into the future from the spiritual realm instead
it is the only book in the Bible that promises blessing upon the of the natural realm perspective. It’s the future as God sees it.
reader. That’s interesting. Revelation completes the story of redemption. We can hold on
to the hope for a better tomorrow based on what God’s Word
Yes, some of the visions may seem weird to us because they says about the future. This is His promise of what will one day
aren’t the type of thing that we see every day in the natural be our reality.
JOURNAL:
How do you feel about Revelation? Why

do you think so many people choose not
to study it?

73
DAY FORTY
DATE: AD Mid-90’s NINE
JOURNAL:
What do you think the seven seals and

seven trumpets represent?

74
DAY FIFTY
DATE: AD Mid-90’s
JOURNAL:
What do you think the seven bowls

represent?
What do you think the mark of the beast

will be? Why do you think it is placed on
your right arm or forehead?

75
DAY FIFTY
DATE: AD Mid-90’s ONE
JOURNAL:
What do you think the New Earth will be

like? What will we eat? What will we do?

76
YOU DID IT! Congrats! Part one is complete. Now it’s
time to dig into the Old Testament for the next month.
Instead of reading five chapters per day like we did with
the New Testament, you will be reading overviews of
each book and answering questions based on those
- the goal is to get a “big picture” understanding.
Then, to finish things off, you will study the Gospel of
Matthew to see how everything comes together. But
first, let’s revisit your goals.

journey now?
Did you spend your time wisely the past

few weeks?
In what ways can you improve over the

next month?
77
78
Torah Historical Prophetic Wisdom
Genesis
Narrative Writings Literature
Exodus Joshua Isaiah Job
Leviticus Judges Jeremiah Psalms
Numbers Ruth Lamentations Proverbs
Deuteronomy 1 Samuel Ezekiel Ecclesiastes
2 Samuel Daniel Song of Songs
1 Kings Hosea
2 Kings Joel
1 Chronicles Amos
2 Chronicles Obadiah
Ezra Jonah
Nehemiah Micah
Esther Nahum
Hebrew Language
Habakkuk
Zephaniah
Creation-400 BC
Haggai
Zechariah
Malachi
39 books
79
GENESIS 1-3: THE BEGINNING OF BEGINNINGS
AUTHOR: Moses
DAY FIFTY
DATE: 1446-1406 BC TWO
AUDIENCE: The Israelites
THEME: Creation, the Flood, the Patriarchs,
and God’s plan of redemption
OVERVIEW:
Genesis is written to God’s chosen people, the Israelites. Genesis begins with the Creation narrative. God creates the
These Israelites have just come out of slavery after 400 years Heavens and the Earth, along with all living organisms over a
and are being taught their own history through the authorship six-day period. The stages of creation are followed by a final
of this book. Moses – the author – is providing the Israelites day of rest. At the time of creation, man was formed and given
with their true heritage and redefining the character of God for the name, Adam. Adam was placed in the Garden of Eden
his people. Several themes presented throughout Genesis to work the land, but God instructed him not to eat from one
include Creation, the Flood, the Patriarchs, and God’s plan for specific tree. God then made woman from one of Adam’s ribs
redemption. and called her Eve. The two tended the Garden together in
God’s Presence but chose to go against God’s orders and
ended up eating the forbidden fruit.
JOURNAL:
What did God create / do each day?

(Genesis 1:1-2:3)
Day One:
Day Two:
Day Three:
Day Four:
Day Five:
Day Six:
Day Seven:
Why do you think God created all of this

in the first place?
80
GENESIS 4-11: FALL OF MAN TO TOWER
OF BABEL
DAY FIFTY
AUTHOR: Moses THREE
DATE: 1446-1406 BC
OVERVIEW:
As we saw yesterday, Adam and Eve chose to eat the forbidden sure you’ve heard this story before – Noah builds an ark and
fruit, which caused God to respond to their disobedience by there is a massive flood, wiping humanity (and hopefully sin) out
allowing the curse of hardship and struggle to be placed on completely. It didn’t work.
humanity. In Christianity, this is called the “Fall of Man” and this
rebellion is the birthplace of sin. From that moment forward, As time went on, people went off the deep-end again. They
Genesis tells of man’s continual disobedience towards the will decided that they were going to build a tower to reach Heaven
of God. and be just like God. Bad idea. When God saw their sin and
the intent behind the tower, He scattered the people all across
Times got really dark for a bit and the only righteous people the Earth and scrambled their speech. This time in history was
left were a man named Noah and his family. Because of their called the “Tower of Babel”.
righteousness, God chose to save Noah’s family plus two
animals of every kind and basically restarts the human race. I’m
JOURNAL:
Why do you think God chose not to wipe

out sin completely and just start over?
81
GENESIS 12-50: ABRAHAM, ISAAC,
JACOB, AND JOSEPH
DAY FIFTY
AUTHOR: Moses FOUR
DATE: 1446-1406 BC
OVERVIEW:
In Genesis 12 we get introduced to a man named, Abram, from Rebekah and they had two sons together; Esau and Jacob.
the land of Haran. God instructs Abram to leave everything Esau was the older son, and Jacob was the younger.
behind and start fresh. In doing so, he would be given as many
descendants as there are stars in the sky. Even though Abram Jacob went on to father twelve sons, one of which was named
was really old, he still had faith that God would provide. At that Joseph. Joseph was loved by his father Jacob in a special
moment, God changes Abram’s name to Abraham (meaning way and the Lord placed a lot of favor on his life. His brothers
“father of many nations”) and He gave him and his wife Sarah hated him for it and actually sold him into slavery. Joseph was
a son; Isaac. taken to Egypt to live amongst the Egyptians where he is falsely
accused of a crime, imprisoned for a while, and was then set
At one point, when Isaac was a young man, God asked free because God gave him the ability to interpret dreams.
Abraham to sacrifice him. Crazy, right?! But Abraham didn’t
hesitate to obey God because he knew that God was faithful Genesis wraps up with Joseph becoming second in command
in his promises, and because of this, God spared Isaac and in Egypt and, through a worldwide famine, he is reunited with
blessed Abraham. Isaac ended up marrying a woman named his family and everyone is safe and in good health.
JOURNAL:
How can you apply today’s overview to

your life?
82
EXODUS OVERVIEW
AUTHOR: Moses
DAY FIFTY
DATE: 1446-1406 BC FIVE
THEME: Deliverance from slavery and the
creation of a nation
OVERVIEW:
Genesis ended with a group of 70 people from the line of Jacob The book of Exodus highlights God at work in letting the people
going into Egypt to be saved from a worldwide famine. Exodus go from slavery through ten miraculous plagues. Once they
picks up 400 years later, and we see what was originally great were free, we see miracle after miracle, such as Moses splitting
for them turned into something terrible…slavery. A new Pharaoh the Red Sea, water coming out of a giant rock in the middle of
entered the scene after Joseph died and he didn’t agree with the desert to quench their thirst, and manna falling from heaven
the blessing of the Hebrews, who were now a group of about every day so they always had something to eat. Exodus also
2.5 million people total. shows God giving them the Law and how the Israelites were
instructed to make sacrifices to God at the Tabernacle.
JOURNAL:
What are the Ten Commandments found

in Exodus 20?
Do you think that God can perform

miracles like splitting the Red Sea today?
83
LEVITICUS OVERVIEW
AUTHOR: Moses
DAY FIFTY
DATE: 1446-1406 BC SIX
THEME: Holiness and purification
OVERVIEW:
Leviticus is an instruction manual for how to live a holy life. And It goes super in-depth and a lot of people that don’t understand
it’s intense! There were 613 commandments and if you broke the importance of this book usually skip over it. But MAN,
ONE of them, you broke them all in God’s eyes. Wild. Leviticus it’s important now that we know how Jesus’ life, death, and
also lays out building plans for a Temple that would house the resurrection fulfilled all of the Law, making the commands no
Presence of God and be a place for them to make sacrifices longer necessary. Jesus gives us freedom, otherwise we would
in order to “get right” with God after breaking any of the rules. still be under all of the rules today!
JOURNAL:
With the emphasis on holiness in this

book, does your lifestyle reflect holiness?
If not, how could it?
What did Jesus have to say about the

Law? (Matthew 5:17) How did he update
it? (Matthew 5:21-48)
84
NUMBERS OVERVIEW
AUTHOR: Moses
DAY FIFTY
DATE: 1446-1406 BC SEVEN
AUDIENCE: The second generation Israelites
THEME: Shows what happens when Israel
wanders away from God’s plan
OVERVIEW:
If you remember in Exodus, the Israelite people were set free then so whatever Moses said had to be passed amongst the
from slavery and were on their way to what was called “The people verbally.
Promised Land” – an area flourishing with vegetation and it was
all theirs once they found it. The book of Numbers is a book of Wandering in the wilderness for 40 years was a punishment for
rebellion and disappointment. The wanderings were not part of not seizing the Promised Land when they had the opportunity.
God’s plan, but He adjusted to their decisions. God decided to wait for the first generation to die off so that the
second generation had the same opportunity for obedience.
This book is called Numbers because it begins and ends with a The Promised Land was God’s will for their lives. The Israelites
census, showing us that Israel was a nation of around 2.5 million just needed to have faith and desire it.
people. That’s a lot of people wandering through the wilderness
together so it’s no wonder that rebellion spread among them.
Remember, there weren’t sound systems or megaphones back
JOURNAL:
What does this story show you about

the importance of obedience?
Have you ever failed to obey God’s

plan and, in return, didn’t receive your
Promised Land…God’s best for you? If
yes, what happened?

your life?
85
NO OTHER NAME
86
DEUTERONOMY OVERVIEW
AUTHOR: Moses
DAY FIFTY
DATE: Around 1406 BC EIGHT
AUDIENCE: The second generation Israelites
THEME: Covenant renewal with blessings
and curses attached
OVERVIEW:
Many people become confused when they read Deuteronomy nation a fresh start. Before entering the Promised Land, God let
for the first time because they don’t understand why there is them know that they were now going to be held accountable
another book in the Torah that dictates the Law. Didn’t we just to the covenant, which is why they had to hear about the Law
go through the Law when studying Leviticus?! Yes, we did a second time.
just go over everything, but the audience is different now. The
Law was originally given to the first-generation-Israelites that Moses gives a blessing over the twelve tribes of Israel and the
had escaped Egypt. God was so disappointed in their lack book concludes with the death of Moses. Now the people are
of faith that He decided that none of them were going to see finally able to enter the Promised Land after waiting decades
the Promised Land. Enter: Their children. This was now a new for it.
group of faces that represented Israel and God was giving the
JOURNAL:
Have you ever waited for something a

really long time before being allowed to
have it?
What do you think was going through

the Israelites minds after waiting so long?
87
JOSHUA OVERVIEW
AUTHOR: Joshua, Moses’s Military General
DAY FIFTY
and Assistant NINE
DATE: Around 1390 BC
AUDIENCE: The third generation Israelites
THEME: Possession of the Promised Land
OVERVIEW:
The book of Joshua is the first book out of twelve that are twelve only two came back with the right word. The spies
known as the “Historical Books”. The first five books of the Law ended up at a prostitute named Rahab’s house, who offered
are complete and now it is time to put everything into action them protection because she believed in their God. In return,
throughout the rest of the Old Testament. Israel’s obedience the spies said that God would protect her from the destruction
ebbs and flows for the rest of their history, but Joshua shows of her city, Jericho. Instead of taking over Jericho with power,
that they begin on a high note after conquering the Promised the Lord commands them to march around the city walls and
Land. on the seventh day they were to blow their trumpets. Sounds
crazy, but also sounds like the perfect time for God to show up
Joshua is in charge of the people now, which would have been in miraculous ways. And He does. The walls fell down and the
a major task to follow in the footsteps of Moses. Just as Moses Israelites took over the city. After that, they began to conquer
did, Joshua commanded spies to go and check out Jericho. the rest of the Promised Land, and Joshua divided the land
He only sent two instead of twelve because when Moses sent among the twelve tribes.
JOURNAL:
In what contexts do we read about

Rahab in the New Testament? (Matthew
1:5; Hebrews 11:31)

your life?
88
JUDGES OVERVIEW
AUTHOR: Unknown, but possibly the
DAY SIXTY
prophet Samuel
DATE: 1025-1004 BC
THEME: Israel’s disobedience and the need
to be saved
OVERVIEW:
Before entering the Promised Land, the nation of Israel had one their job was to flip the future back to normal (for at least a short
major leader, Moses. The conquest itself was led by one man, amount of time).
Joshua. Now that the Israelites were so spread-out among the
Promised Land with specific parameters for each tribe of Israel, But lo and behold, the people ended up falling back into their
they needed to modify the leadership in some way. sinful ways and “did what was right in their own eyes” instead of
what was right in God’s eyes. This book outlines the stories of
Enter: The Judges. 14 different judges and how the tribe of Benjamin messed up
so much that their tribe was reduced to only 600 men.
A judge was a deliverer of the people. A hero. A savior. Judges
were sent by God as soon as the people cried out for help and
JOURNAL:
In what areas of your life do you

remain “doing what is right in your own
eyes” instead of what is right in God’s
eyes?
What actionable steps can you take to

change that?
89
RUTH OVERVIEW
prophet Samuel
DATE: 1025-1004 BC
THEME: Foreshadowing our Kinsman-Redeemer
OVERVIEW:
Ruth is a book of very high importance to the Church. It home her home and Naomi’s God her God. It was one decision
foreshadows the acceptance of Gentiles (non-Jewish people) that changed the course of humanity because of who Ruth’s
within the nation of Israel and is the key that saves them from descendants ended up becoming.
the time of the judges.
While Ruth was looking for work, she met a man named Boaz
It’s a story about a woman named Ruth and how she follows who had the potential to be a great husband. After some time,
her mother-in-law, Naomi, back to her homeland after Ruth’s the two got married and had a son named Obed, who ended
husband died. Naomi didn’t want her to join, but Ruth was up being the grandfather of King David and also an ancestor
persistent. She loved Naomi and wanted to make Naomi’s of Jesus.
JOURNAL:
Have you ever made one small decision

that changed your entire life? What was
it?
90
SAMUEL OVERVIEW
AUTHOR: Unknown
DAY SIXTY
DATE: 960-931 BC ONE
THEME: The building of a godly monarchy
OVERVIEW:
The books of Samuel cover a period of 150 years of history. in search of Saul’s replacement. Samuel anoints a shepherd-
That’s a lot crammed into a few small books. Originally in the boy named David who would one day take over.
Hebrew Old Testament, they were one big book, but the Greeks
split them up in order to be more manageable. For organizational David ended up defeating a giant named, Goliath, with a sling
purposes, we are going to look at them combined. and a stone, which caused Saul to become jealous of David
since the people loved him now. Saul’s jealousy was so heavy
This time period represents a turning point in the history of that it ultimately led to his death and David replacing him as
Israel’s leadership as they transition from judges to kings. king.
Samuel is the final judge / prophet, while Saul becomes the
first elected king. Everything kind of went downhill from there, David made a lot of mistakes early on, but he was always
until they got to the model king, King David. recognized as a “man after God’s own heart”. He has a son
named Solomon with Bathsheba and Solomon eventually takes
Saul couldn’t get things under control so God takes His hand of over the throne.
blessing off of him and sends the prophet Samuel to Bethlehem
JOURNAL:
What do you think it means to be a “man

after God’s own heart”? How can you be
more like that yourself?
91
KINGS OVERVIEW
DAY SIXTY
prophet Jeremiah TWO
DATE: 560-550 BC
AUDIENCE: Jews in exile
THEME: Failing to live for God leads to judgment
OVERVIEW:
Kings is broken down into two different books and it provides a kingdoms. The north, aka “Israel”, consisted of ten of the tribes
narrative of all the kings that lead the Israelites up until the time joining forces, while the south, aka “Judah”, only consisted of
of exile. We see good kings, bad kings, and so-so kings, but in two tribes.
the end, there was a downfall that led to the major world power
at the time, Assyria, capturing all of the people and bringing Even though the southern kingdom was small, they had three
them into slavery. very important things going for them: The city of Jerusalem,
the temple, and the bloodline of David. For these reasons, they
The book of Kings starts off with the great King Solomon, lasted over 100 years longer than the northern kingdom. They
King David’s son, uniting the Israelites together. Once he died, definitely weren’t perfect, but they had far more good kings than
the kingdom split into two groups, the northern and southern the north.
JOURNAL:
What do you think it was about the city of

Jerusalem, the temple, and the bloodline
of David that allowed the southern
kingdom to last 100 years longer than
the northern kingdom?

your life?
92
CHRONICLES OVERVIEW
AUTHOR: Unknown, but Jewish tradition
DAY SIXTY
states Ezra THREE
DATE: 450-440 BC
AUDIENCE: The returned exile
THEME: The kings of Judah and God’s
covenant with David’s household
OVERVIEW:
Chronicles is also split into two books and, in many instances,

recalls a lot of the same content from the books of Kings. This Ezra focuses almost solely on the southern kingdom because
brings up the question – why would you put all of these stories that was where the temple was located, and his priestly calling
back-to-back? Well in the Hebrew Bible these two sets of connected him to the goodness of the Law and the importance
books are split-up. Chronicles is actually the last book that they of the temple. He spent his time writing about eight main kings
read, so their Bible ends on a happier note than ours does with that positively impacted the nation.
Malachi.
Tomorrow we are going to do a timeline that lays all of the history
The thing that makes Chronicles stand out from the pack is that out clearly for you to reference once we dig into the prophets.
Ezra keeps his focus on the royal line of David and their religious Stay tuned!
history, whereas Kings focuses on their political history.
JOURNAL:
Just as Ezra did, list some positive

defining moments from your past below,
and try to focus on those when the
enemy, Satan, tries to condemn you for
your failures.
93
KINGS, PROPHETS, MAJOR EVENTS
DAY SIXTY
FOUR
Instead of going through a specific book today, we are going to Then, the following pages have a blank timeline on them so it
do a timeline of the Kings, Prophets, and Major Events. You will is your job to fill in the names / events and color code the kings
find a list of dates, names, and events on the next few pages. as to whether they were Good, Bad, or So-So.
Prophets Events
Obadiah: 850 BC Divided Kingdom: 930 BC
Joel: 835–796 BC Fall of Samaria: 722 BC
Jonah: 770–750 BC Fall of Nineveh: 612 BC
Amos: 760 BC First Battle of Carchemish: 609 BC
Hosea: 750–715 BC Second Battle of Carchemish: 606 BC
Isaiah: 700–680 BC Second Deportation: 597 BC
Micah: 700–686 BC Fall of Jerusalem: 586 BC
Nahum: 663–612 BC Fall of Babylon: 539 BC
Zephaniah: 640–621 BC Cyrus’ Decree: 538 BC
Jeremiah: 626–585 BC First Return: 536 BC
Habakkuk: 609–605 BC Temple Finished: 516 BC
Ezekiel: 593–571 BC Second Return: 458 BC
Daniel: 530 BC Third Return: 444 BC
Haggai: 520 BC
Zechariah: 520–518 BC
Malachi: 430 BC
94
The Break Down
Key Kings
Saul: 1050–1010 BC Bad
David: 1010–970 BC Good
Solomon 970–930 BC So-So
Northern Kings Southern Kings

Jeroboam: 930–909 BC Bad Rehoboam: 930–913 BC Bad
Nadab: 909–908 BC Bad Abijam: 913–910 BC Bad
Baasha: 908–886 BC Bad Asa 910–869 BC Good
Elah: 886–885 BC Bad Jehoshaphat: 872–848 BC Good
Zimri: 885 BC Bad Jehoram: 853–841 BC Bad
Omri: 885–874 BC Bad Ahaziah: 841 BC Bad
Ahab: 874–853 BC Bad Athaliah: 841–835 BC Bad
Ahaziah: 853–852 BC Bad Joash: 835–796 BC So-So
Jehoram: 852-841 BC Bad Amaziah: 796–767 BC So-So
Jehu: 841–814 BC Bad Azariah / Uzziah: 767–750 BC So-So
Jehoahaz: 814–798 BC Bad Jotham: 750–732 BC So-So
Jehoash: 798–793 BC Bad Ahaz: 732–725 BC Bad
Jeroboam II: 793–753 BC Bad Hezekiah: 725–686 BC Good
Zechariah: 753 BC Bad Manasseh: 687–642 BC So-So
Shallum: 752 BC Bad Amon: 642–640 BC Bad
Menahem: 752–742 BC Bad Josiah: 640–609 BC Good
Pekahiah: 752–732 BC Bad Jehoahaz: 609 BC Bad
Pekah: 742–740 BC Bad Jehoiakim: 609–598 BC Bad
Hoshea: 732–723 BC Bad Jehoiachin: 598–597 BC Bad
Zedekiah: 597–586 BC Bad
95
96
97
JOB OVERVIEW
AUTHOR: Unknown
DAY SIXTY
DATE: Around 2000 BC FIVE
AUDIENCE: Unknown
THEME: Dealing with suffering in the lives of
the righteous
OVERVIEW:
The book of Job begins with God allowing Satan to test Job’s After Job’s health is attacked, his wife tries to convince Job to
devotion to Him for a period of time because of God’s confidence curse God, but he won’t do it. This led to a dialogue between
in Job’s steady character. The key here is that Satan always Job and his friends that basically turns into a lot of bad advice
needs permission before he touches the righteous. That is very being handed out by these “friends”. Finally, God has a
good news for you and me! Every point of suffering means God conversation with Job where He chooses to restore everything
allows it because He has confidence that we will persevere. It’s that was taken from him. This restoration came after God
always to prove Satan wrong. humbled Job and taught him that he won’t always understand
what He is doing in his life.
JOURNAL:
Have you ever suffered?

What happened?
How does this new understanding from

Job alter your views of what you went
through?
Do you know anybody that has fallen

away from their faith because of a trial
they went through and, in return, ended
up blaming God for it? What would you
say to them?
98
PSALMS OVERVIEW
AUTHOR: Many individuals including King
DAY SIXTY
David, Moses, and Solomon SIX
DATE: Collection from over 1000 years
AUDIENCE: Varied, but mainly the Israelites
THEME: God is good all the time
OVERVIEW:
The book of Psalms is the longest book in the Bible and devotional for the Jewish people, yet, they are also for you and
the easiest to relate to. Every psalm was written from an me. They’re bite-sized and we can hold tightly to their truths no
emotional state that we deal with today, whether that’s joy, matter what we are going through.
love, thankfulness, anger, etc. These psalms were used as a
JOURNAL:
Today I would encourage you to write

one of your own psalms / poems
below, covering any topic that can
be found throughout the Psalms. Ex.
Creation, joy, prayer, love, the Messiah,
peace, war, anger, thankfulness,
worship, praise, judgment, hope, trust,
glory, etc.
99
100
PROVERBS OVERVIEW
AUTHOR: King Solomon, Hezekiah’s men,
DAY SIXTY
Agur and Lemuel SEVEN
DATE: Written 990-931 BC and edited
around 700 BC
AUDIENCE: Young, wise men of Israel

THEME: Sharing wisdom
OVERVIEW:
In 2nd Chronicles 1, God asked Solomon what he wanted in granted to you. I will also give you riches, possessions, and
life. Instead of saying wealth or honor like most people would honor, such as none of the kings had who were before you,
pick, Solomon chose to be granted wisdom and knowledge. and none after you shall have the like.” (2 Chronicles 1:11-12,
Because of his choice, “God answered Solomon, “Because ESV)
this was in your heart, and you have not asked for possessions,
wealth, honor, or the life of those who hate you, and have Solomon was the wisest person to ever live and we should be
not even asked for long life, but have asked for wisdom and forever grateful that he left us with a collection of 900 proverbs
knowledge for yourself that you may govern my people over on how to live a good life. How cool is that?!
whom I have made you king, wisdom and knowledge are
JOURNAL:
If God asked you what you wanted in life,

what would you say?
In your opinion, what is the “good life”?
Do you have a favorite proverb? If so,

what is it?
101
ECCLESIASTES OVERVIEW
AUTHOR: King Solomon
DAY SIXTY
DATE: 940-931 BC EIGHT
AUDIENCE: The wise Israelites of the time
THEME: Everything under the sun is vanity
OVERVIEW:
As we know, King Solomon was the definition of what society same boat and / or some of you may have actually come to the
deemed as successful. He was the wisest, richest person to Lord while searching out a deeper meaning for this thing called
ever live, and people traveled thousands of miles just to witness life. That’s my story.
his grandeur. He was the MAN.
Solomon talks a lot about how material things fade away and
But even though he had the world at his fingertips, it still didn’t that real life is only found in the things that God provides. It’s
satisfy his appetite. In fact, he felt like he had wasted his life just basically a warning against pursuing things that are temporary.
by pursuing meaningless things. Some of you may be in the
JOURNAL:
What would you say is the meaning

of life?
Do you think this means all material

things are bad? How can material things
be used for good?
102
SONG OF SOLOMON OVERVIEW
AUTHOR: Most likely King Solomon
DAY SIXTY
DATE: Around 950 BC NINE
THEME: God’s view of marriage and sex
OVERVIEW:
Song of Songs was written to show the importance of a godly While the media shows what is “acceptable” in relationships
marriage and how a romantic relationship should progress over and how a couple is supposed to function in their eyes, how
time. It shows a dance among partners between pursuing and are we as Christians called to act? The sad truth is that many
being pursued. What society tells us is right doesn’t actually times you can’t tell the difference between the two. In reality, we
look anything like the true intimacy that is associated with a are called to be holy. To be set apart. And this book gives an
godly relationship. example of what that looks like.
JOURNAL:
Explain a time when you pursued

someone or they pursued you. Was it
done in a godly way?
What do you think it means to put God

at the center of a romantic relationship?
103
HEY! I’m so proud of you. Only twenty more days to
go. YOU GOT THIS! Let’s revisit those goals quick.

journey now?
Did you spend your time wisely the past

few weeks?
In what ways can you improve over the

next month?
104
JOEL OVERVIEW
AUTHOR: The prophet Joel
DAY SEVENTY
DATE: 835-796 BC
AUDIENCE: The people in Jerusalem
THEME: The Day of the Lord will bring
judgment if they do not repent
OVERVIEW:
The book of Joel is a classic prophecy of destruction against Joel was begging the people to turn from their ways and fast
Israel, but he uses the imagery of a locust plague coming to as a nation. The Lord is always faithful to His word. And He
take over. Israel most likely endured a massive locust attack loves giving second chances, even when people don’t deserve
that wiped them out for a good amount of time and that is what it. So, Judah’s fate lay in their own hands.
caused Joel to begin this prophecy – so the people understood
where he was coming from.
JOURNAL:
Have you ever fasted? What are your

thoughts on fasting?
Have you ever been given a second

chance even though you didn’t deserve
it? What happened?
105
OBADIAH OVERVIEW
AUTHOR: The prophet Obadiah
DATE: 850 BC or 586 BC
AUDIENCE: The Judahites
THEME: Edom will be judged
OVERVIEW:
Obadiah may be the shortest book in the Old Testament, One of the biggest reasons that Edom was being judged by
but it sure has a lot to say about Judah’s enemy, Edom. The God in this book was because of their pride. Edom thought
nation of Edom is actually located within the boundaries of the they were the greatest and did everything they could to prove
Promised Land, but Israel had yet to occupy it. The Edomites it. That seems to be the case time and time again in these
had attacked the Judahites, which led to a lot of anger in the prophetic books.
eyes of Judah. So, Obadiah was prophesying about how the
Edomites will eventually get a dose of their own medicine. God
had promised to protect His people, so He wasn’t going to let
a small nation like Edom walk all over them.
JOURNAL:
Do you struggle with pride? Spend some

time in prayer, and ask God to show you
places in your life that are holding you
back from being truly humble. Then ask
God to forgive you of any pride and to
reveal to you a plan of attack in order to
defeat it.
106
JONAH OVERVIEW
AUTHOR: The prophet Jonah
DAY SEVENTY
DATE: 770-750 BC ONE
AUDIENCE: The northern kingdom
THEME: Running from God and
eventual revival
OVERVIEW:
This prophetic book is far different from the others considering go to his enemies would have been the last thing he wanted to
it talks about Jonah’s experience instead of a prophecy. Jonah do. So, when God called Him, he ran away because he wanted
was a very patriotic prophet of the northern kingdom. He Nineveh to be judged by God.
often preached repentance, yet hoped for doom towards his
enemies, especially the great city of Nineveh. Jonah didn’t make it too far before God whipped up a storm
in order to get his attention and was actually eaten by a giant
Nineveh was the capital of Assyria, and basically the pagan fish, who later threw him up on the shores of Nineveh. Out
capital of the world - housing over one million people. It was of his stubbornness, Jonah preached judgment (instead of
not a city to mess with. And they were also the greatest enemy repentance) to the king of Nineveh and the entire nation ended
of Israel. Since Jonah was so patriotic, having God tell him to up turning from their ways, even though they didn’t know God.
JOURNAL:
Have you ever tried to run from God?

What was the outcome? How can
Jonah’s experience be a story of hope
for your life?
Do you think non-believers today

know when they are doing something
wrong? What do they use to gauge their
goodness / wrongdoing?
107
HOSEA OVERVIEW
AUTHOR: Hosea, a citizen of the northern
DAY SEVENTY
kingdom TWO
DATE: 755-715 BC
THEME: God’s faithfulness to the covenant
even when His people fell away
OVERVIEW:
Hosea’s prophecy is the final cry of repentance for the northern still chose to fall back into the evil ways of the world. God told
kingdom. He was the last one that we see before they fall into Hosea to chase after her with unwavering love.
the hands of Assyria. This message of romantic imagery was
not enough to turn their hearts around. You see, God loved the people of Israel unconditionally. They
were His pride and joy even though they didn’t live it out.
Hosea starts off with a story of his love life. God then takes Instead of God using Hosea as a vessel to share His anger,
that story and spins it into His passionate love for the people God shared His love through a personal experience, which
of Israel. You see, Hosea’s wife was a prostitute that was stuck made the prophecy hit home even harder for Hosea.
in her ways. Even though she was loved by her husband she
JOURNAL:

Hosea’s mind when God told him to
chase after his wife? At this point do you
think he truly still loved her? Or was he
just doing it out of obedience?
Has God ever challenged you to love

someone that has betrayed you? If so,
what happened?
108
AMOS OVERVIEW
AUTHOR: A poor shepherd named Amos
DATE: Around 760 BC
THEME: Materialism and social injustice will
bring judgment
OVERVIEW:
Amos was just a poor shepherd from a small town in the south. pretty. But Amos was a strong man of prayer. He was confident
He loved God and could be trusted. God knew that He could in his relationship with the Father and knew that He cared about
use Amos because of his obedience, not because of his skills. what Amos had to say. So, when Amos receives terrible visions
That’s such a common choice by God throughout the entire of judgment coming upon God’s people, he pleads on behalf of
Bible. He always uses the least qualified and through that, He them and God ends up showing them mercy by not following
is able to show His power and receive the glory. through. The God from back then is the same God whom we
serve today. The Father is more than willing to change His plans
Amos starts off by directing the judgment towards all of the if we provide Him with a good reason to do so.
Gentile enemies in order to get Israel on his side, and then he
drops the bomb by giving them their own judgment. And it wasn’t
JOURNAL:
Name a few ordinary people in modern

culture that God has used to do great
things:
Sharing testimonies of answered prayer

builds up faith within us. So, what are
a few examples of answered prayer in
your life?
109
ISAIAH OVERVIEW
AUTHOR: The prophet Isaiah
DAY SEVENTY
DATE: 700-680 BC THREE
AUDIENCE: The southern kingdom
THEME: Judgment and salvation
OVERVIEW:
Isaiah is the first of the “Major Prophet” books of the Old you truly dive in, you’ll see the importance in every one of them.
Testament. He is known as the “Messianic Prophet” because
of how often he prophecies of Jesus’ arrival. Not only does the book of Isaiah promise restoration for the
nation of Israel, but it also promises that the Messiah will arise
Old Testament prophecy is almost always the same, and if from the House of David. With that said, the New Testament
you read through all of the prophetic books you will notice that quotes from Isaiah more than any other prophet because he
there are a lot of promises for future judgment and eventual had so much to say about the coming King, Jesus.
restoration. The prophetic books can seem very repetitive, but if
JOURNAL:
Using your New Testament

understanding of the Messiah, read
Isaiah 53, and take the rest of this page
to explain to a Jewish person why Jesus
is their Messiah after all. It’s not an easy
task, but it’s important to be able to do.
Have fun with it!
110
MICAH OVERVIEW
AUTHOR: The prophet Micah
DATE: 700-686 BC
AUDIENCE: Political and religious leaders of
Judah
THEME: Judgment against social injustice
OVERVIEW:
The prophets Isaiah and Micah were contemporaries of their people. His life. So, you can feel the emotion in his words as he
time. Many people believe that Micah was a disciple of Isaiah, speaks. Micah was going to do everything in his power to stop
calling his book the “Little Isaiah”. Both prophets were speaking the injustice from spreading. And instead of attacking them with
into the same situation. Both ended up being ignored by the anger, he wept and showed them what true love was. That’s a
masses. very “new testament way” of approaching injustice. Micah was
after their hearts, not their minds.
Unlike Isaiah, Micah came from a small town where he knew
the social injustice of the wealthy all too well. These were his
JOURNAL:
Are you involved in any groups against

social injustice? Which category are you
most passionate about?
How does Jesus deal with social

injustice? With Jesus as an example,
what can we do on behalf of those that
are hurting?
111
NAHUM OVERVIEW
AUTHOR: The prophet Nahum
DAY SEVENTY
DATE: 663-612 BC FOUR
AUDIENCE: Nineveh and Judah
THEME: The fall of Nineveh
OVERVIEW:
Nahum seems like a real patriotic fellow, similar to Jonah 150 Jumping back to Nineveh, Nahum shows that they are far
years before him. They both preached judgment towards past redemption. God knew that they wouldn’t change again,
Nineveh, and they both had different outcomes. Nahum is a no matter what He did for them. Yes, God forgives sin, but if
book of destruction. There is no turning back with his prophecy. you remain in your sin, He will turn against you. Being a new
Judgment was going to come whether they repented or not. creation means that you are moving from glory to glory. You
are no longer a sinner. You are now a saint. Remaining in sin
At this time, the best place to be was in Judah because God contradicts your entire nature. After being saved, you literally
promised that He would wipe out their enemies and protect have to choose to separate yourself from God and continue to
them in the end. God wanted to comfort them even when there sin. He doesn’t want that. And you shouldn’t either.
was a threat of exile looming on the horizon.
JOURNAL:
What do you think it means to be moving

from glory to glory?
Do you remember what it means to be

a new creation? How does that change
the way you think about yourself?
112
ZEPHANIAH OVERVIEW
AUTHOR: The prophet Zephaniah
DATE: 640-621 BC
THEME: Seek righteousness before the Day
of the Lord
OVERVIEW:
The book of Zephaniah is a short prophecy that warned the shares about how God will judge the other nations who are
southern kingdom of Judah about the coming “Day of the Lord”, the enemies of Israel. The Lord promises to diminish them for
and that set the tone for the rest of the book. Israel was already their pride and taunting because He always fights on behalf
taken into exile, so they are the last remaining group that has of His people. No matter what judgment the Lord may have
a chance of being free from judgment if they turned from their put His people through, He always had the upper hand and
sins. Although that may be easier said than done. protected them in the end. That’s why the Jewish people have
never been wiped out, no matter how much persecution they
Zephaniah urges them to join together as one, in order that have gone through.
they all repent and possibly be saved as a nation. He also
JOURNAL:
Have you ever witnessed God fight on

your behalf? What happened?
What do you know about the nation of

Israel today? Do you believe that God
still protects His people?
113
114
115
JEREMIAH OVERVIEW
AUTHOR: The priest-prophet Jeremiah
DAY SEVENTY
DATE: 626-580 BC FIVE
THEME: The fall of Jerusalem and the
reason for their exile
OVERVIEW:
Jeremiah was known as “the weeping prophet” because he One thing that makes Jeremiah stand out is that he writes
really put his heart into his prophecies. His words hit you on the in poetry for the entire book. It shows that the Father is
inside and you get to know his personality much better than the communicating His heart towards the audience instead of His
other prophets. mind, like we see when a writer uses what is called “prose”.
Poetry is deeper and shares the feelings of the Father. Prose is
The majority of the book is about destruction and judgment more effective to get the point across. So, Jeremiah shared a
that was to come to Judah and the surrounding nations for lot about the heart of the Father and the importance of getting
remaining unrepentant. Same story; different prophet. your heart right with God instead of being religious with your
actions.
JOURNAL:
Do you ever write your thoughts in a

journal? If so, do you write in poetry or
prose?
What do you think it means to

communicate the heart of the Father?
116
LAMENTATIONS OVERVIEW
AUTHOR: Unknown, but probably Jeremiah
DATE: 586-580 BC
AUDIENCE: Jews in exile
THEME: Sorrow over Jerusalem and the
compassion of God
OVERVIEW:
Most scholars believe that Lamentations was also written by But there was hope! Jeremiah realized that through God’s
Jeremiah, which makes a lot of sense being that he was called mercy He chose to keep a group alive. He was seeing the good
“the weeping prophet”. Lamentations is proof of that. inside of the bad and found something to be thankful for even
when the situation looked terrible. Jeremiah took that revelation
After multiple prophecies of Jerusalem’s future destruction, and prayed into it that God would one day be so merciful that
their time was finally coming to pass because they had failed the nation of Israel would be restored. And history shows us
to repent as Jeremiah had pleaded. Jerusalem was destroyed that the Lord answered it!
before their eyes, and the people were taken away to exile. It
was a horrific time to be alive. And Jeremiah wept. It’s one of
the saddest books you could ever read.
JOURNAL:
With that said, spend a few minutes

listening to the song “Mercy” by Amanda
Cook. Then spend the rest of the page
journaling what you sense the Father
saying to you through that song and
what His views on judgment / mercy are.
117
HABAKKUK OVERVIEW
AUTHOR: The prophet Habakkuk
DAY SEVENTY
DATE: 609-605 BC SIX
AUDIENCE: Religious and political people
of Judah
THEME: The righteous will live by faith
OVERVIEW:
Habakkuk was a man who questioned everything. He wrestled In this book, Habakkuk is asking very basic questions that
with God until he received an answer that was fitting for his contradict his view of the Father’s heart. I think it’s a good idea
narrow perspective. But Habakkuk wasn’t God, so some things to question things you don’t understand in order to align your
would never fully make sense. Same with today, we can wrestle heart with His. So many times, we place God in a box that fits
as much as we want, but in the end, some things will remain our doctrine properly but contradicts some of Scripture. That’s
a mystery. never a good spot to be in. Habakkuk expected God to act a
certain way, and when He didn’t, that’s when the questions
began to fly.
JOURNAL:
What are some of the “big” questions in

life that you tend to wrestle with?
Habakkuk spent a lot of time praying and

waiting, what prayers are you waiting for
God to respond about?
118
EZEKIEL OVERVIEW
AUTHOR: The priest-prophet Ezekiel
DAY SEVENTY
DATE: 593-571 BC SEVEN
AUDIENCE: The exiles in Babylon
THEME: God’s sovereignty over all people
and His glory
OVERVIEW:
The book of Ezekiel is a book of hope. Ezekiel was one of the Even though the prophecies from Ezekiel contain a whole lot
only guys in exile that God shared His plan of redemption with. of prophetic destruction at the beginning, through it all, the
Ezekiel could either share it or keep his insight to himself. He Lord promises a future restoration for the people of Israel. The
chose to share it because it provided hope to all of the Israelites restoration was not a reward for their good behavior or anything
since they just had their entire lives stripped from them. He that they could physically do, because when it came down to
provided hope in order to show them that life was actually worth it, they always ended up failing. The restoration was completely
living. for God’s sake so that He would be represented accurately.
This book is full of vivid imagery and talks about some stuff that
will still happen in the future.
JOURNAL:
Is it easy for you to find the good in bad

situations?
What is the most hopeless area of your

life right now? Write down two positives
that you can find in that situation.
119
DANIEL OVERVIEW
AUTHOR: The prophet Daniel
DAY SEVENTY
DATE: 540-530 BC EIGHT
THEME: The kingdom of God will reign
supreme for eternity
OVERVIEW:
The book of Daniel is full of stories and prophecies, both natural Over time, Daniel is given a backstage pass to Babylonian
and supernatural. In the beginning of the book we see stories royalty and ends up being one of the leading actors because
like the popular one of Daniel in the Lion’s den, which I’m sure of his relationship with King Nebuchadnezzar. Not only is this
many of you remember as a child. Later on in the book, there Daniel’s story, but it also shows how God was protecting His
are many prophecies that have been fulfilled already and many people, even during their punishment in exile.
that are still to come. Daniel is known as the “Revelation of the
Old Testament” because of its focus on the end times. Some
revelations are easy to understand, and some are a little harder
and unclear.
JOURNAL:
How has God shown you favor among

unbelievers?
In what areas of your life have you

dealt with trials and saw that God was
faithful in helping you through? Give an
example.
120
EZRA OVERVIEW
AUTHOR: The priest Ezra
DAY SEVENTY
DATE: Sometime after 433 BC NINE
THEME: God’s sovereignty over all people
and His glory
OVERVIEW:
The book of Ezra records what happens directly following the The process took 23 years to build the Second Temple, but
nation of Israel’s 70 years in Babylon, and how easily they went it wasn’t nearly as magnificent as Solomon’s Temple. That
right back into sin. bummed some of the people out because Cyrus had provided
enough materials for it to be great, but the remnant didn’t take
The new world power at the time, Persia, took over Babylon advantage of their gifts.
under the leadership of a man named Cyrus. In 538 BC he
made a decree that allowed all of the Jews to go back to By the time Ezra was sent to Jerusalem, the temple had already
Jerusalem and he even gave the Jewish remnant all of the been built for almost 60 years and they were in rough shape.
materials necessary for rebuilding their temple. So, Ezra was on a mission to restore their faith. And he did.
JOURNAL:

the Jewish people’s minds when they
were allowed to go back to Jerusalem?
Why do you think they failed to take

advantage of their gifts?
121
NEHEMIAH OVERVIEW
AUTHOR: The priest Ezra
DATE: Sometime after 433 BC
AUDIENCE: Jews returning from Babylon
THEME: Restoring the city and the people
OVERVIEW:
The books of Ezra and Nehemiah were originally written together Once the wall was built, Ezra enters the scene again. While
by Ezra himself. In the book of Ezra, we see Ezra coming in Nehemiah was the champion of social and political influence,
to restore the Jewish people’s faith. In the book of Nehemiah, Ezra brought them home from a spiritual perspective. When
we see Nehemiah coming in to restore their city. He was the Ezra spoke, everyone listened. The people actually begged
new governor in town and the people were ready to listen. First for more. This was a defining moment for the people of Israel
things first were to build a wall around the city for protection and and the future nation as a whole. It was a fresh start. New.
to give the people roles that fit their skillset. Improved. Doing things differently this time around.
JOURNAL:
Has anything happened in your life that

caused you to change from your old
ways? If so, did you change cold turkey
or was it a gradual process?
Do any pastors that you listen to leave

you begging for more? Who? What is it
about them that makes you want to keep
listening?
122
ESTHER OVERVIEW
AUTHOR: Unknown
DAY EIGHTY
DATE: Around 460 BC
AUDIENCE: The Israelites under
Persian control
THEME: Saving God’s people
OVERVIEW:
The book of Esther is an amazing story of how God protected the king who hated the Jews with all of his heart. His plan was
His people from extinction yet again. We’re dealing with the to kill them all. Esther’s relative, Mordecai, heard of Haman’s
Jews that chose not to return to Jerusalem from exile because plan and begged her to do something about it. After building up
of either social or work-related reasons. And God still chose to enough courage, Esther threw two different feasts for the king
protect them. and on the final day she pleaded for him to save the Jewish
people. King Ahasuerus granted her request and ended up
It’s a story of a Jewish woman named Esther, who became the saving their entire people group.
queen of Persia to King Ahasuerus without him knowing she
was Jewish. There was a man named Haman that worked for
JOURNAL:
Give at least one historical example of

an attempt to wipe out the Jewish race:
How should the Church respond to anti-

Semitism (hatred towards Jews)?
123
HAGGAI OVERVIEW
AUTHOR: The prophet Haggai
DAY EIGHTY
DATE: 520 BC ONE
AUDIENCE: The returning remnant
THEME: Finish rebuilding the temple
OVERVIEW:
Whereas most Old Testament prophets prophesied over a was decorated, He just wanted it to EXIST so that He could
large span of time, Haggai had four short messages that he live among them again. It’s the ability to live together and the
shared in under five months. And his tone was also different. obedience of the people that He cares the most about.
Haggai wasn’t preaching judgment like the others, he was
encouraging them to keep going with the temple. He knew they And after Haggai got done encouraging them, the people
weren’t living up to their capacity, so he chose to speak words turned from their ways and kept building the temple. He also
of encouragement regarding their talents. delivered a message to the priests because they were the ones
that knew the Law best. He made it clear that just because they
Haggai just wanted to share how pleased the Father would were touching / working on the temple it didn’t make them holy.
be once the building itself was complete. The Lord didn’t The Lord cares about the heart and that’s it.
necessarily even care what the building looked like or how it
JOURNAL:
Has someone ever spoken a word of

encouragement to you that motivated
you to keep going? What was it?
Have you ever stepped out in faith? How

did God provide for your needs?
124
ZECHARIAH OVERVIEW
AUTHOR: The priest-prophet Zechariah
DAY EIGHTY
DATE: 518 and 480 BC TWO
AUDIENCE: The returning remnant
THEME: The current temple and the
future temple
OVERVIEW:
Zechariah is one of the most messianic books in the entire In Zechariah we see him prophesying that Jesus would ride in
Old Testament, with thirty total messianic prophecies. It is jam- on a donkey.
packed with prophetic visions of the immediate and distant He would be betrayed for 30 pieces of silver.
future. Visions in the Bible are not necessarily the easiest of His body would be pierced.
things to understand. And in some cases, the interpretation is He would be the Cornerstone and the Branch.
in the eye of the beholder, while other times they are obvious. Israel would be scattered as a result of his death.
Since we are looking at Zechariah’s visions from the future, we And the list goes on. It blows my mind how spot-on it is.
can pick out what has already happened and what still needs
to take place.
JOURNAL:
Has the Lord ever spoken to you through

visions or dreams? If so, when? Have
you seen them fulfilled?
What are your thoughts on all of these

Old Testament prophecies being fulfilled
through Jesus? Wild, right?
125
MALACHI OVERVIEW
AUTHOR: The prophet Malachi
DAY EIGHTY
DATE: 430-420 BC THREE
AUDIENCE: The remnant of Israel
THEME: Judgment will come unless they
return to the Lord
OVERVIEW:
At the time that Malachi was writing this prophecy, Jerusalem purification and blessing. The main problem that the Israelites
was in rough shape. The Israelites were doing alright by their were dealing with is that they were messing with God’s name…
own standards, but the main city was far from their central focus. who He is. That’s a big no-no. He has a reputation to hold on
They became selfish. Content. Satisfied. A good relationship to and anything or anyone that tries to defame Him is not taken
with God was the last thing that they were focused on because lightly.
they felt God had left. And the priests didn’t take it seriously, so
why should the citizens? As you probably know, Malachi is the last book of the Old
Testament. The last three verses are centered around two of
The Lord directs His attention to the wickedness of the priests the greatest men that the Israelites knew: Moses and Elijah. It’s
right off the bat and calls them out for their polluted offerings. God’s last appeal to Israel before 400 years of silence. He told
All that they offered was in vain, so the Lord wouldn’t accept them to get back to the ways of Moses, and God would give
it as sincere. He demands worship. Awe. Only when people them another chance. And that was the last thing they heard
treat Him as He deserves to be treated will the offerings be from Him for a very long time.
accepted the way that they want them to be accepted…as
JOURNAL:
What promises has God given you

that have yet to be fulfilled? Is there
anything that you can do to speed up
the process? Do you need to step out in
obedience?
Why do you think God went silent for

400 years after this?
126
NO OTHER NAME
127
Over the next five days, we will be digging into the
Gospel of Matthew. I think it’s important to study
this last because it shows the fulfillment of the Old
Testament through Jesus.
128
READ: Matthew 1-7
AUTHOR: Matthew, a disciple and former
DAY EIGHTY
tax collector FOUR
DATE: AD 50-55
AUDIENCE: The Jews
THEME: Jesus is the Jewish Messiah
OVERVIEW:
The Gospel of Matthew is the first book in the New Testament, of the original reader so that you can better understand what
which is important because Matthew is a Jew writing to the is being taught. In this case, Matthew uses far more Old
Jews and he shows them that their Messiah has arrived. It’s a Testament quotes than the other Gospel writers and doesn’t
phenomenal book of fulfillment. feel obligated to explain the Jewish lifestyle. The audience
would have understood all of it.
Since we just spent so much time looking at the Old Testament
books, one thing to remember is to put yourself in the shoes
JOURNAL:
How well do you understand Jesus being

the fulfillment of the Jewish Messiah? Do
you feel like you need more teaching on
it or are you good?

129
READ: Matthew 8-13
DAY EIGHTY
tax collector FIVE
DATE: AD 50-55
AUDIENCE: The Jews
JOURNAL:
As we see in Chapter 13, Jesus loved

speaking in parables to his audiences.
Why does Jesus speak in parables?
(Matthew 13:13-17)

130
READ: Matthew 14-18
DAY EIGHTY
tax collector SIX
DATE: AD 50-55
AUDIENCE: The Jews
JOURNAL:
There were a lot of miraculous stories

highlighted today. Which one do you find
is the most interesting? Why?

131
READ: Matthew 19-25
DAY EIGHTY
tax collector SEVEN
DATE: AD 50-55
AUDIENCE: The Jews
JOURNAL:
What is the main focus of each of Jesus’

five sermons?
1. (Matthew 5-7)
2. (Matthew 10)
3. (Matthew 13)
4. (Matthew 18)
5. (Matthew 23-25)
How do they relate with each other?
132
READ: Matthew 26-28
DAY EIGHTY
tax collector EIGHT
DATE: AD 50-55
AUDIENCE: The Jews
JOURNAL:
The last words of Jesus that Matthew

records, are, “All authority in heaven
and on earth has been given to me.
Go therefore and make disciples of all
nations, baptizing them in the name of
the Father and of the Son and of the
Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe
all that I have commanded you. And
behold, I am with you always, to the
end of the age” (28:18b-20 ESV). That
statement is what is known as the Great
Commission.
In what ways are you fulfilling the Great

Commission? How can you improve?

133
EXPLAIN THE GOSPEL
DAY EIGHTY
NINE
JOURNAL:
Before we say our “goodbyes” there is

one final thing that I would like you to
do - use this page to explain the Gospel
message in an easy-to-understand
way that you can use in the future for
evangelism.
As we just saw yesterday, Matthew

28:19 says, “Go therefore and make
disciples of all nations, baptizing them
in the name of the Father and of the
Son and of the Holy Spirit” (ESV). Now
that you know the Word so well, go and
share it! Make disciples! Spread the
LOVE of our Father!
134
REFLECTION
DAY NINETY
JOURNAL:
WOW! You just completed The Bible

Study Youth Edition! Amazing!
Take a moment to reflect on the past 90

days and how God transformed your
heart throughout the process.
Where are you at on your faith journey

now?
What was the most important thing that

God taught you through this process?
How do you plan on continuing to study

the Bible?
135
Zach Windahl is an entrepreneur who loves helping others realize their identity and
encouraging them to chase their dreams. Zach grew up a Christian, but in 2014
he went on a journey to Australia in search of the God of the Bible. He needed his
stagnant faith to become real. God showed up and completely transformed Zach’s
life. He splits his time between Minneapolis, Minnesota and south Florida.
137
138
$17.95
ISBN 978-0-9984910-2-8
51795>
9 780998 491028
139

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2

For Worldwide Distribution

Words by Zach Windahl

Design by Zach Windahl and Katlyn Hovland

My prayer is not only for you to have a

Before we dive in, I want to share a little

It’s what makes you…you. And grew. And grew.

You see, I’m a product of my society. I’m a Bachelor’s Degree

figure out? my mouth.

had spend the last several years focusing on myself and

“the man”, I was still lacking something. My pride was fully

I sat there thinking…

My whole reason for this journey was to build a firm

(hopefully) one day retiring so I can enjoy life?

Especially in a time when understanding the Word is one

Christianity takes their faith so seriously, it’s insane. And

Where are you currently at in your faith journey?

JOHN THE BAPTIST: JESUS:

words of Malachi. He was the forerunner of Christ that was to

Paul was known as the Hebrew of Hebrews, having studied

Zealot, and Thomas. One thing to note is that the majority of

disciples were teenagers - how cool is that?!

Luke was a physician that partnered with Paul during a portion

entrusted with taking care of Mary, the mother of Jesus. He

wrote one of the Gospels, three letters to his churches in Asia

Minor, and the book of Revelation.

epistles. knees of camels from spending so much time in prayer.

letters written to him by Paul as encouragement to stand strong

in the faith and continue on with the gospel message.

What is the most important thing that

How can you apply that to your life?

The first eight chapters of Mark are all

What is the most important thing that

How can you apply that to your life?

Have you had a revelation of the concept

What is the most important thing that

How can you apply that to your life?

What is the most important thing that

How can you apply that to your life?

Have you ever been tempted like Jesus

The men that Jesus chose as his

What is the most important thing that

How can you apply that to your life?

Is it easy or hard for you to follow along

What is the most important thing that

How can you apply that to your life?

Write out a simplified version of your life

Isn’t it amazing that the Creator of the

What is the most important thing that

How can you apply that to your life?

List the seven miracles that he

What do all of these miracles show you

As mentioned yesterday, there were also

John focused heavily on the fact that

How does that understanding impact

What does that mean for your own faith

What is the most important thing that

How can you apply that to your life?

What is the most important thing that

How can you apply that to your life?