The Family of Jesus Bible Study - Member Book contains 6 weeks of personal study material set up in daily format to complete between group sessions at the leisure of the learner. Karen Kingsbury uniquely brings Jesus' family alive through Scripture and storytelling. Explore the lives of Joseph, Zechariah, John the Baptist, Elizabeth, James, and Mary. Have you ever wondered what it would have been like to grow up in Jesus' home? In His community? What were His siblings and family members like? What traditions did the family observe? Everyone has a story including the family of Jesus.
Families are important. There are parents, siblings, and extended family members who influence us, support us, and help us in good and bad times. For many, family is the setting where we first learn about God. Our families influence us in positive and negative ways, and the family of Jesus was no different. If Jesus was not influenced by them, they were definitely impacted by Him. The family of Jesus played an important role in God's story. Each person had his or her own story, but that story ultimately pointed others to Jesus.
This Bible study takes a look at the lives of Joseph, the protective step-father; Zechariah, the knowing uncle; John the Baptist, the chosen cousin; Elizabeth, the faithful aunt; James, the doubting brother; and Mary, the loving mother. Through Scripture and storytelling this study digs deeper into the lives, the customs, the emotions, and the challenges of being a part of the family of Jesus during His crucial time on earth as God's Son. Each person has a strength and a struggle, all of which is culturally relevant to our lives today.
Author Karen Kingsbury explores the life of Jesus through examining the stories of those closest to Him. Through a combination of storytelling and the study of Scripture, this incredible truth comes to life in a way participants may not have experienced before. Fall in love with Scripture like never before, and see yourself in the lives of those who lived in flesh with our King.
Outline:
- Session 1: Joseph - The Protective Step-Father
- Session 2: Zechariah - The Knowing Uncle
- Session 3: John the Baptist - The Chosen Cousin
- Session 4: Elizabeth - The Faithful Aunt
- Session 5: James - The Doubting Brother
- Session 6: Mary - The Loving Mother
Features:
- Biblically rooted and gospel-centered study on the family of Jesus
- Leader material (guides to questions and discussion with small group)
- Personal study segments in Member Book to complete between group sessions set up in daily format but can be used at the leisure of the learner
- 6 weeks of personal study material
- Each week focuses on another character in the family of Jesus (Joseph, Zechariah, John the Baptist, Elizabeth, James, Mary)
- Includes excerpts from Karen Kingsbury's book The Family of Jesus using storytelling to relate the Scripture and characters
Benefits:
- Designed to build community within the context of a small group
- Great opportunity for outreach to those who are not as familiar with the family of Jesus or Bible study
- Great opportunity to bring to life characters within the family of Jesus for students who have heard about these characters for years and the text has grown stale to them
- Opportunity for women to dig deeper into Scripture with a group as they learn together
- This study can be used by the new or inexperienced Bible study students or by those who are more familiar with the Scriptures
- Helps learners get into the time period and understand better the culture during the time of Jesus
Author:
Number one New York Times best-selling author Karen Kingsbury is America's favorite inspirational novelist with more than 20 million copies of her award-winning books in print. Karen has more than a dozen novels that have hit #1 on national lists. She lives in Tennessee with her husband, Don, and their five sons, three of whom are adopted from Haiti.
