Ken Wilson - Finding God in the Bible: A Beginners Guide to Knowing God

Chapter One
Gods Plan: An Abundant Life
Exploring Gods love for you and His offer of a full and meaningful life.

Chapter Two
Our Problem: Sin and Separation
Exploring a critical problem we all share and its eternal consequences.

Chapter Three
Gods Remedy: The Cross of Christ
Exploring Gods perfect solution to the problem we can never solve ourselves.

Chapter Four
Our Response: Receive Christ
Exploring a free gift that can be received by personal invitation only.

Chapter Five
After Accepting Christ: Living in Relationship with God
Exploring how to make the rest of your life a great adventure.

F inding God in the Bible provides a starting place for getting to know God. It is a study and discussion guide based upon what the Bible says about beginning a close, personal relationship with your Creator.

Each of us faces countless choices and decisionsfrom the daily matters of what clothes to put on in the morning and what food to prepare for dinner, to the more important decisions of whom to marry and what career to embark upon. No decision that you will ever make, however, will be more important or will have a more lasting impact than what you choose to do with Jesus Christ.

Before you begin this booklet, take a few moments to respond to the following two questions. Write down your answers as honestly as possible.

What do you think it means to be a Christian?

How would you respond if God were to ask you today, Why should I let you into My heaven?

The first question will evoke various answers from different people. The purpose of this booklet, however, is to help you discover what God has to say about what it means to be a Christian. After all, being God, what He says is what truly counts!

If you had trouble answering the second question, then this booklet is certainly for you. If your answer referred to your personal merit, your religious credentials, or your good lifestyle, you may be in for a surprise as you find out more about what God says in His Word.

Finding God in the Bible will help you discover the wonderful plan God has revealed to us in the Bible. God desires for you to know, with assurance, that your future and eternal home will be with Him in a perfect place.

As you begin your journey through Gods Word, you may wish to pause for a few moments to tell God whats on your mind and heart. Your prayer may sound something like this:

God, I admit that I dont know You very well (and Im not even sure if I know You at all). I want to know You though, and I want to learn how You can bring meaning and purpose and direction to my life, right here and now. I ask that as I read this booklet, You will reveal Yourself to me. I pray that You will allow me to know You in a very real and profound way. And finally, God, I ask that Youll supply me with the faith and the conviction to follow You and to act on the truth that You reveal to me. Thank You for hearing my prayer, and I look forward to receiving Your answer. Amen.

This booklet was written to serve as a tool in helping you uncover the best news mankind has ever known.

This is what you will find in each chapter:

Introduction pageincludes a brief introduction and a simple drawing (beginning in For information about obtaining copies of this tract, see page 89.)

Up Close and Personalprovides two real-life portraits of people for whom the chapters message has been especially significant, the first presenting portions of other peoples spiritual pilgrimages and the second revealing parts of my own.

Getting Startedoffers you a few thought-provoking questions to ponder as you begin each chapter.

Digging Deeperprovides the meat of the chapter, guiding you to central portions of the Bible.

Illustrationpresents a simple story to enhance your understanding of the chapter.

Food for Thoughtprovides two quotes to challenge you, dealing with the chapters message, by Christian leaders and influential personalities from both today and centuries past.

Memory Versepresents one Bible passage to memorize that is central to the surrounding teaching.

Milepostsoffers you a place to record some of the things that you have learned.

Moving Onwraps up the chapter and introduces the next chapter.

Here are some tips to help you make the most of this booklet:

The only things you will need are a pen or pencil, a Bible, and an open heart. Youll benefit the most if you are honest with yourself and God.

This booklet is designed to be adaptable to your schedule. I recommend you set aside some time on either a daily, weekly, or biweekly basis. Weekly sessions may offer the best solution for providing continuity within busy schedules. (The last session, After Accepting Christ, is longer than the other chapters and may require more time.) Whatever time frame works best for you, youll be most successful if you commit to it and complete the whole booklet.

Finding God in the Bible can be used in a variety of settings. One of the best is within a small group of neighbors, co-workers, or family members. A small group can provide encouragement, accountability, and intimacy. It can be a good environment for care and nurture, where we can let our masks down and be real. (For additional information, see Using this Booklet in a Small Group on page 77.)