Starting January 10, 2010 we will be hosting a long awaited and exciting Bible study in our home. It’s a 10 week long discipleship course that we are really looking forward to! We will meet together on Sunday evenings at our home and plan to include dinner as part of our Bible study as well as some time for fun after our study is complete.
The study is called HaYesod which means The Foundation. The HaYesod Discipleship Course is designed to be a study introducing the average Christian to the Hebrew roots of the Christian faith, but it is also a great study for those who are already familiar with the Jewishness of the Gospel of Messiah. Each lesson is supported by respected Jewish and Christian sources to help students gain a comprehensive understanding of the land, the people and the Scriptures of Israel. Together we will dive into the historical and cultural context of various aspects of the Bible in a fun and interactive setting. But the study is not to be feared or to be intimidating! It is a gentle introduction and each session will build upon the lessons taught in the previous sessions. The teachers are very gifted with the ability to take sometimes difficult or confusing subjects and explain them in a beautifully simple way that is easy to comprehend.
The HaYesod Discipleship Course assumes that those participating in the study have a basic level of biblical literacy and are personally invested in their spiritual growth and maturity in God’s Word. The study will excite and strengthen students’ faith in and devotion to Jesus (Yeshua) the Messiah and encourage all believers to live holy and godly lives while together we wait for the return of our Messiah.
Our first study group is forming now. If you are interested in more information, please contact us.
So, just what are the topics of study? I’m glad you asked.
Lesson 1: Our Foundation—His Torah January 10
An introduction to the concept of Torah, the five books of Moses. Lesson one teaches students that Torah means “instruction” and not “law”.
Lesson 2: Our Birthright—His Salvation January 17
When we become believers in Yeshua (Jesus), we receive a new identity. Lesson two teaches about the new identity we receive through the righteousness of Messiah.
Lesson 3: Our Connection—His Covenants January 24
The Bible is the story of a series of covenants. Lesson three speaks of how the Bible is the story of a series of covenants and that new covenants do not cancel out previous ones but builds upon them.
Lesson 4: Our Rabbi—His Teachings January 31
It is one thing to know Yeshua as savior; it is something else to know him as teacher. The fourth lesson will introduce students to Torah teacher and Rabbi, Yeshua of Nazareth, within His first-century context.
Lesson 5: Our Call—His Yoke February 7
What does it mean to be a disciple? Lesson five brings students back to a first-century Jewish understanding of discipleship.
Lesson 6: Our Identity—His Apostle February 14
What about the Apostle Paul? Lesson six introduces students to Paul, the misunderstood man, and digs a little deeper into the major issues that defined his life.
Lesson 7: Our Mail—His Letters February 21
Lesson seven clarifies several key passages in Paul’s epistles by placing them back into their original context.
Lesson 8: Our Calendar—His Appointments February 28
Lesson eight introduces students to the appointed times for meeting with God that are found in the Torah. This lesson gives a quick overview of the Biblical calendar.
Lesson 9: Our Boundaries—His Commandments March 7
Lesson 9 demonstrates the simple wisdom of living according to God’s instructions by highlighting a few simple commandments.
Lesson 10: Our Walk—His Path March 14
Lesson ten explores the relationship of Christianity and Judaism while revealing the place of the believer in the midst of the people of Israel. At the conclusion of lesson ten, a new yesod (foundation) for a life of study and growth in God’s Word has been laid.
Here’s how we’re planning the evenings:
- Dinner together, potluck style. The early church recognized the importance of sharing meals together as one important form of fellowship. Besides, evening studies often make dinner time difficult and we want to help reduce the stress and hustle of the evening for everyone. If everyone brings something small, together we’ll have enough. Whether you pick something up on the way or start something in a crock pot that morning, it’ll all work out fine. We’ll start with our evening meal at 6:00.
- 60+ minute study session The study includes a portion of teaching on video and group discussion. We’ll start our study session promptly at 6:30. If you cannot join us for dinner, please join us for the study.
- Ending our evening with some fun “A quick game or dessert anyone?” Who said study groups have to be boring and lifeless? We’ve got an air hockey table and other short games downstairs for students (or parents!) to challenge one another to a quick game and for those who would rather sit and talk, we’ve got comfy chairs and coffee or tea as well.
- Time? – The whole evening is intended to run from 6 to 8 so you can get home at a decent hour. We will do our absolute best to begin and end on time because time is a very valuable commodity, and we recognize that.
- What about the kids? We want to encourage families to study and learn together, even those with younger children. We have in the past studied with families that have young children who sat at a small table next to their parents and colored or played quietly with their toys while we study the Word. We have not had any trouble with this set-up in the past and we don’t expect we would have any trouble this time either. Children are not a distraction, they are a blessing.
Remember, registrations are due by December 20, 2009 so if you are interested or would like more information, don’t delay in contacting us.
Some important things you may be wondering about:
- There are student manuals that each student will be required to purchase. These manuals will assist you, the student, as you walk through this study with us. The beautifully illustrated workbook includes detailed lesson outlines, a glossary of terms, pertinent Scripture quotations, references and citations, additional sources and more. In order to allow time for your student workbook to arrive, registration needs to be completed by December 20, 2009.
- Our Sunday evening class is expected to fill up quickly. We are prepared for a fairly large group, having hosted events with lots of people in the past. Should interest in our group be large enough, we will host our HaYesod Study Group two nights a week, adding the second night once we have enough registered students.
- Also, if there is enough interest we will have a Young Adult group (for those in their teens and early 20’s) led by our young adult children. We need at least 5 students to commit to the study before we will begin a separate evening for these students.
- Our study is not intended to draw anyone away from their current church home! We realize that of our friends, family, co-workers and neighbors come from different backgrounds and that each of us has our own personal walk with the L-RD. We also recognize that each person involved in this study will bring valuable and unique insights, experiences and testimonies to how G-d has worked in their own lives. We want to be able to encourage our study group to share together and learn from one another. While our study time will be based on the HaYesod program, there is much we can learn from one another in our fellowship times and as we share life together. Each one of us has valuable things to share and each of us has things that the Father wants us to learn. We are all “on the same team”, serving the same Master.
