FOR FURTHER STUDY: These resources connect with the content in the Made To Thrive booklet as well as the four-week discussion series. You can also find these resources and more in the digital prototype.
INDEX:
THE GOD OF THE BIBLE
WHO IS JESUS?
ABOUT THE BIBLE
Did you say yes to Jesus?
Tell someone else that you started this journey.
Read the Bible. A good place to begin is the Gospel according to John.
Find a community: Cru, a local church or another Christian organization on your campus.
Find out more about walking with Jesus at startingwithgod.com
The Bible begins by saying, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." From this we know that he is Creator. Throughout the Bible we see numerous descriptions and names of God, but in Exodus chapter 34, he described himself to one of his followers, Moses.
"The Lord passed in front of Moses, calling out, “'Yahweh! The Lord! The God of compassion and mercy! I am slow to anger and filled with unfailing love and faithfulness.'" — Exodus 34:6
Here we see that God is compassionate, patient, faithful, and loving. But the next thing God says about himself is this:
“I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations.” — Exodus 34:7-8
God expresses his mercy and love in forgiveness. Yet he is also just, since he does not excuse the guilty. There is a tension here: how does a faithful, loyal, and forgiving God deal justly with rebellious people? How does he satisfy both his justice and his mercy?
The rest of the Bible tells the story of how God resolves this tension.
John 1:1-18 tells us that Jesus (the Word) was with God in the very beginning and that he was and is God. He is both the Son of God and God.
"In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. He existed in the beginning with God. God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him.
The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it. The one who is the true light, who gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He came into the very world he created, but the world didn’t recognize him. He came to his own people, and even they rejected him. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God. So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son. From his abundance we have all received one gracious blessing after another. For the law was given through Moses, but God’s unfailing love and faithfulness came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God. But the unique One, who is himself God, is near to the Father’s heart. He has revealed God to us". — John 1:1-5,9-14,16-18
Watch the video to learn more about Jesus and his connection to the God of creation.
The Bible is an ancient near-Eastern holy book consisting of a variety of scrolls that tell the story of God’s love for mankind.
The original languages included Hebrew and Greek and some Aramaic. The Bibles we use today have been translated into many different languages. These translations were completed using different processes and have given us different versions. The version used here is the New Living Translation.
There are quotes from the Bible (in italics with a reference like, Genesis 1:1) throughout this conversation. The reference tells us where in the Bible we can find this quotation.
Christians believe this holy book (Bible, the Scriptures) reveals God's nature, the nature of human beings, the problem of evil and suffering, and God's plan to overcome evil in order to restore his good creation into perfect relationship with him.
You can also read this article to read more about the Bible: How It Came to Be: A Brief History of the Bible
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.