Introduction Whether You Have Never Before Interacted with the Bible Or
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Introduction Whether you have never before interacted with the Bible or you have been faithfully studying it for years, this study is for YOU! We will strategically explore the book of Titus using two methods: Observation, Interpretation, Application (OIA) and the Hermeneutical Bridge. You may be thinking, I have NO idea what either of those mean! And you are not alone. Many of us own Bibles and just don’t really know where to begin. Our prayer and hope for this study is that you would learn how to take ownership of your precious Bible and appreciate it for what it truly is — a story by God about God describing how He relates to our past, our present and our future. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. 2 Timothy 3:16 ESV The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, of joints and of marrow, discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. Hebrews 4:12 ESV “I hope you have an appreciation for the Scripture, I hope you have an appreciation for it not as a fetish but because it is the greatest treasure, apart from God Himself, that we have. It is His very Word, His very self-revelation… the words of God revealed to us from Him. And I would not second-guess the necessity of those words being then presented, taught and understood by all of us.” John MacArthur, Fundamentals of the Faith 1 Why Valor? The word valor invokes an image of a warrior who fights every battle with noble character and courage, a warrior who is brave and fearless, even in the face of danger. She is clothed in strength and dignity and she laughs without fear of the future. Proverbs 31:23 ESV As women, we tend to allow ourselves to be victimized or defined by our circumstances. The problem is that kind of attitude is not reflected in Scripture. In the Bible, we see courageous women, boldly trusting God in their circumstances. Take these women for example: Rahab: A woman of great faith, trusting that God was sovereign by saving the spies and her family. (Joshua 2) Deborah: A woman of great zeal for the Lord, believed God’s Word and acted according to what He had spoken. (Judges 4) Jael: A woman of great courage, did not hesitate and ignored the fear that could have easily consumed her. (Judges 4) Mary, mother of Jesus: A woman of great obedience, knowing the sacrifice her son would make for the world. (Luke 1) The Bleeding Woman: A woman of great endurance, trusting that she could be healed by Jesus. (Luke 8) Priscilla: A woman of great devotion, giving up her life for the sharing of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (Acts 18) These women weren’t seeking another impulse buy, ignoring the email inbox filled with bills they need to pay. They weren’t hitting the snooze button on their alarm clocks because they needed just 10 more minutes of sleep. They weren’t swiffering, wiping, fluffing and scrubbing the house all day every day. They weren’t worrying about their what their social media image looks like, adding a blur effect to make life look less wrinkled. They weren’t complaining about their work, their kids, their bodies day in and day out. They were bolding living for God, trusting Him in their darkest of hours, seeking truth, being courageous for the Glory of God. That is valor. So, we have to ask ourselves: How do we study and approach God's Word? Through this study, we want to equip and empower you to explore your Bible with the noble character and courage of a seasoned warrior - to own the Word of God with valor! A word of caution: Do not rush this process! Tear each daily passage apart to understand what is there. Marinate in the beauty and truth of God’s words through Paul’s writing. 2 Main Passage: Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior; To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. Titus 1:1-4 ESV WEEKLY GROUP DISCUSSION NOTES _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ 3 Week 1 OBSERVATION This portion of our Bible Study is all about observing what is happening in the passage. What is observation? Noticing, perceiving, regarding attentively. This is not a casual glance, but more of an intense, scientific observation. Imagine a doctor attempting to diagnose a disease he has never been seen before or a biologist classifying a new species. The goal of observing the text is to determine what is happening in the deepest and most specific ways, as well as within the meta narrative of Scripture. It is essential to remain objective, and not subjective, as we approach the text. The main question to answer here is: What do I see? To grow in our comprehension of Scripture, we must become first class observers. Everything else depends on it! We can only go as deep into Scripture as we are willing to push through and dissect the text to see what is waiting to be discovered. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. Psalm 1:2 ESV For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. Romans 15:4 ESV During your study time this week, observe the English composition and literary study, keywords, phrases, verb tense usage, commands, questions, warnings, transitions, prepositional phrases and punctuation. Read each passage of Titus with the Bible only and consider these questions as a guide for journaling: WHO is speaking? Who are the main characters? WHAT do you learn about the people, event, or teaching? What historical time frame is this being spoken in? What type of literature is being written here (historical narrative, poetic, prophetic, allegorical, wisdom literature)? WHEN do/will the events occur or did/will something happen to someone? WHERE did or will this happen? Where was it said? WHY is something being said or mentioned? Why would/will this happen? Why at that time and/or to this person/people? HOW will it happen? How is it to be done? How is it illustrated? 4 Main Passage: Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the sake of the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth, which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by the command of God our Savior; To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. Titus 1:1-4 ESV WEEKLY GROUP DISCUSSION NOTES _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________________________________________________________________________