The Recall
Overview
Key Elements
- Key Passage - Review
- Scripture Memory - Beloved, although I made every effort to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt it necessary to write and urge you to contend earnestly for the faith entrusted once for all to the saints. Jude 3
- Catechism - Q: What is the foundation of the Christian life? A: Faith.
Conclusion
But as for you, speak the things that are consistent with sound doctrine.
Nothing makes a man so virtuous as belief of the truth. A lying doctrine will soon beget a lying practice. A man cannot have an erroneous belief without by-and-by having an erroneous life. I believe the one thing naturally begets the other.
The Christian life is based upon correct beliefs about what is true, good, and beautiful in the world. In fact, confession of truth determines one’s ability to enjoy life as God has designed it. Believing the truth enables us to know what is good; knowing the good unlocks our enjoyment of the beautiful. This is especially important as the world in which we live is frightfully cursed: the truth is combatted with error, the good is ruined by sin, and the beautiful is vandalized by evil. Outside of Christ, there are only lies, brokenness, and despair. However, in Christ we are saved from falsehood into the light of truth. The Christian life is a redeemed life, a life rescued from sin, condemnation, evil, and eternal punishment. Saved to new life in Christ, believers are delivered from the disastrous consequences of living based upon the false pretenses of an untrue narrative of the world. Rooted in the teachings of inspired Scripture, Christian disciples know and embrace the true story of the world.
The selected Bible passages in this study offer a brief sketch of the true story of the world. In Job 1:1–2:13, the ancient testimony of a God-fearer named Job exemplifies genuine faith in a broken world. Returning to the origins of the world, the creation account in Genesis 1:1–2:3 reveals the nature of God as sovereign and supreme Creator of all things. The biblical record in Genesis 2:4–25 attests to the nature, purpose, and character of humanity, the crown of God’s creative work. The tragic account in Genesis 3:1–24 narrates the temptation and rebellion of the first humans which led to the ruin of God’s perfect world. A historical narration of a devastating flood, Genesis 5:28–9:17 showcases God’s promise of judgment and salvation. The sum of all divine promises was fulfilled in the coming of Christ. The miraculous birth of the eternal Son of God in the form of human flesh—the incarnation—is told in Luke 1:1–2:21 and it teaches us about the person and work of Christ. Christ’s earthly ministry culminated in betrayal, suffering, death, burial, and resurrection. This is chronicled in Mark 15:1–16:8.
In Acts 1:1–2:47, we read about Jesus’ heavenly ascension and the coming of the Holy Spirit. The biblical story in Acts 10:1–11:18 teaches us about conversion—the transformation of those who place their faith in Christ—by describing the salvation of Cornelius and his household. On the island of Patmos, John recorded a vision of Jesus and his seven letters to seven churches. This vision is faithfully detailed in Revelation 1:9–3:22 and it teaches us about the nature of the church: the community of Christ-followers. The vivid and graphic vision in Revelation 12:1–14:20 instructs us about the nature of God’s kingdom: God’s victorious and triumphant rule over all things, especially the forces of darkness. The last chapters of the Bible, Revelation 19:11–22:21, are a faithful foretelling of Christian hope: the return of Christ, the defeat of Satan, the judgment of evil, the resurrection of the body, and the new creation of the world.
As divine revelation to humanity, the biblical story is a faithful narrative of God’s dealings with his creation. In essence, the Bible tells us the story behind it all. It teaches us about the beginnings of the world, the tragic ruin of original creation, and God’s plan to rescue his people from eternal condemnation. It accurately records the past, powerfully speaks to the present, and precisely predicts the future. In many ways, the Bible is a book about the one and only true God—God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. But, because the Bible is a book about the true God, it is also a book about everything else that is true, meaningful, and important in life. Inasmuch as the biblical story records God’s thoughts to mankind—truth about the past, present, and future—the biblical story teaches fundamental doctrines that shape life. Only when we understand the true story behind it all can we embrace the substance of life as God intended it to be.
Book Overview: Surveying the Landscape
Disciples mature as they get grounded in the essentials of the faith. In this section, summarize the main idea of this study, retell one of the biblical narratives from your Storycraft, and review the core biblical passages explored in this study.
Key Idea
After such an intensive study, it is important to sum up our learning. Think through the broad theme(s) of this study. Summarize the main idea in your own words in a way that broadly addresses all the main teachings.
Story Retell
We deepen our knowledge of those things that we can articulate in our own words (and it’s even better if we can recite from memory). Pick one of the biblical narratives from this study. Review and update your Storycraft and prepare to share your revised version with your faith community. Consider sharing it from memory.
Narrative Review
God wants us to become fluent in speaking his word to others. Summarize the twelve biblical narratives that were studied over the past weeks. Identify the basic narrative content and overarching theme that each passage addressed. Use the space below to record your overview (i.e., chart, diagram, drawing, storyboard).
Faith Foundation: Exploring the Terrain
God gifts us with Christian community as a critical environment for ongoing faith formation. In this section, interact with the discussion questions and record significant insights you have gleaned over the course of this study.
Discussion Questions
God grows our faith in the context of loving and committed community relationships. Explore the following discussion questions with your faith community in order to review the impact of this study in various domains of life.
1. What new beliefs and convictions have you developed as a result of this study?
2. How has God exposed sinful areas of your heart? How has God stirred you to great joy?
3. What new behaviors and habits is God calling you to develop?
4. In what ways have you already seen God change your relationships?
Significant Insights
It is important to keep track of insights and lessons God has taught us as we trek in our faith journey. Identify significant quotes, key verses, biblical principles, or community comments that you encountered throughout the course of this study. Record these in the space below and share a few in your group discussion.
Learning Plan: Charting the Course
The life of discipleship is a journey of lifelong learning. Use the list of selected passages and recommended reading as a starting place for ongoing development in this key area of the Christian faith.
Selected Passages
God’s word is the ultimate guide for life and godliness. Glance at the passages below. Identify one or two passages that you will study (or memorize) as a means of further development in this area.
Recommended Reading
God wants you to continue growing in this area of your Christian life. Survey the books below and prayerfully consider one book to read in order to continue your growth in this area.
| Session | Topic | Recommended Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Session 1 | Faith | Paul David Tripp, Suffering: Gospel Hope When Life Doesn’t Make Sense Christopher J. H. Wright, The God I Don’t Understand |
| Session 2 | Creation | Andrew Peterson, The God of the Garden Jonathan R. Wilson, God’s Good World |
| Session 3 | Humanity | Anthony A. Hoekema, Created in God’s Image Owen Strachan, Reenchanting Humanity |
| Session 4 | Sin | G. K. Beale, We Become What We Worship Cornelius Plantinga, Not the Way It’s Supposed to Be |
| Session 5 | Promise | Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., The Promise-Plan of God Paul R. Williamson, Sealed with an Oath |
| Session 6 | Jesus’ Birth | Michael Reeves, Rejoicing in Christ Benjamin B. Warfield, The Lord of Glory |
| Session 7 | Jesus’ Death and Resurrection | John Stott, The Cross of Christ D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones, The Cross: God’s Way of Salvation |
| Session 8 | Holy Spirit | Sinclair B. Ferguson, The Holy Spirit R. C. Sproul, The Mystery of the Holy Spirit |
| Session 9 | Conversion | Augustine, The Confessions Charles H. Spurgeon, All of Grace |
| Session 10 | Church | Robert J. Banks, Paul’s Idea of Community Francis A. Schaeffer, The Church before the Watching World |
| Session 11 | Kingdom | Peter J. Gentry and Stephen J. Wellum, God’s Kingdom through God’s Covenants: A Concise Biblical Theology Scot McKnight, Kingdom Conspiracy: Returning to the Radical Mission of the Local Church |
| Session 12 | Future Hope | John Piper, Come, Lord Jesus N. T. Wright, Surprised by Hope |
Core Project: Synthesizing the Faith
A mature faith integrates God’s truth into the reality of life. Use this section to synthesize your learning over the course of the past weeks by producing a confessional summary statement and writing a journal reflection.
Creedal Confession
God calls us to believe the truth revealed in his word. As a community or as an individual, write a creedal confession that serves as a condensed, memorable summary of the core biblical teachings on Christian belief (consider a line, phrase, or short sentence for each topic/session in this study).
The creedal confession should be short (summarizes the key biblical teachings in a condensed and accessible format), memorable (articulates biblical principles in a way that is easily memorizable), usable (expresses the summary statement that can be affirmed and confessed together as a church community), accurate (makes correct, biblical affirmations), and comprehensive (addresses all major domains of this area of Christian teaching).
Journal Reflection
It is important to periodically reflect on how God is growing us in godliness. Write a reflection considering the ways in which your life has been changed as a result of this study.
Faith Practice: Following the Way
Following Jesus is a lifelong venture of continuous progress. In this final section, evaluate your growth in the outlined objectives, identify practical next steps, and commit fellow community members to God in a time of focused prayer.
Growth Evaluation
Mature disciples practice regular self-examination in which they keep track of their progress in the faith. Take time to reflect on your growth in the specific objectives of this study. Use the following guide to assess how well you developed in each area.
| Objective | Exemplary | Mature | Developing | Emerging | Unsound |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conviction: establish a mature Christian understanding of core Christian belief | deep understanding of ____ | accurate understanding of Christian essentials, grounded in core biblical teaching as a countercultural worldview | growing but partial familiarity with Christian teaching, learning biblical foundations and perceiving cultural errors | general awareness of Christian basics across various domains, willing to engage Bible as source of truth and realizing faults in wider culture | deficient views of Christian belief, hesitant to trust biblical teaching and broad conformity to cultural norms |
| Commitment: cultivate a deepening commitment to the core essentials of the faith | exemplary devotion to ____ | clear and compelling commitment to Christian essentials, embracing the truth revealed in God’s inspired word | eager pursuit of mature Christian belief, upholding the central importance of essential biblical teaching | initial interest and attraction to Christian belief, open to being trained and instructed in biblical teaching | open resistance and opposition to God’s revealed word, being reluctant and averse to accept the Bible’s teaching |
| Conduct: demonstrate skill in articulating the fundamentals of Christian doctrine | sound and rich command of ____ | convincing maturity in doctrinal understanding, demonstrating biblical orientation and faith foundations in core beliefs | noticeable progress in a maturing faith, making effort to more clearly understand basic Christian teaching | early movement to establish belief in sound doctrine, exerting effort and energy to renew thinking after biblical basics | disordered and dysfunctional thinking in many areas, being ignorant of and inattentive to truth |
| Community: undertake teaching the Christian basics to others in family, church, and society | lasting contribution in ____ | active engagement in all areas of doctrine, making personal investment to grow in the truth | expanding participation in promoting the Christian faith, developing a sense of responsibility for the truth | beginning involvement to speak about the truth, seeking opportunities to discuss the Christian faith with others | misplaced focus on one’s role as an advocate of truth, displaying a lack of interest or involvement to discuss the faith with others |
| Character: embody godly living that comes from right belief in the truth | obvious appropriation of ____ | clear demonstration of core virtues that come from belief in the truth, showing the fruit of Christian character | promising signs of being reformed in sound doctrine, practicing repentance of falsehood and adherence to the truth | first indications that one is reorienting life after biblical teaching, possessing a desire to pursue a godly life rooted in scriptural truth | obvious lack of Christian character, life gripped by destructive practices and false ways of thinking |
Next Steps
God calls us to follow him in all spheres of life: individual, family, church, and world. Identify concrete decisions and measurable actions you can take to apply these principles in each life sphere. Record these goals below.
Individual
Family
Church
World
Community Prayer
We can only hope to grow in our faith by God’s divine help. In the context of your faith community, celebrate areas of growth and share upcoming goals. Then, spend time praying for each other as a community.