A Character Study with Character

 

 

This study is unlike any other. It is designed to challenge you in several different areas of your Christian life. Most importantly, it is designed to get you to act as well as soak up knowledge.

Method

Study is based on four characters of notable repute in the bible. Each week centers on a character. Some of these characters could take all five weeks to investigate, so the study will be divided into sections. No one person is responsible to study the whole life of a character; rather, different people will study different segments and report their findings.

Each character will be dealt with in a different way, so each week there will be a handout of questions and projects specifically for that character.

 

 

The approach is as holistic as possible (if you can make it more holistic, let me know). That means that the group’s various talents will be called into action. Those who can write music can write a song before the five weeks are up. Those who can act can get together and do a skit. Everybody is required to do something before the five weeks are up. A schedule for presenting your project to the group will be made the first week. Don’t worry, there are many projects to choose from, and you only have to do one in the five weeks

Content

We will look at Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and David. Preparation is absolutely, positively, without a doubt a most definitely critical component. That is, you should prepare in advance for each study. No preparation, no study. (I will call off study for that week and we can go home).

Projects

select one from the following list, or make up your own:

  1. Write song/poem about the character or an event concerning the character.
  2. Sing a song someone else has written about the character.
  3. Dramatically read a section involving the character (from the bible or another source).
  4. Perform skit or pantomime about an event surrounding the character, or do a monologue as if you were the character.
  5. Preach a five minute sermon about the character.
  6. Draw a picture of the character, or depict an event surrounding the character.
  7. Research past artwork (painting or music) which was done concerning the character; show/describe the work to the group with a brief analysis.
  8. Study the customs and history relevant to an event; present your findings.
  9. Give the character a eulogy.
  10. Pretend you are a relative and write a letter to the character.

 

Motivation for Bible Study in general

Why do we meet together to discuss the bible at all? Here are just a few reasons:

  1. Fills you in on God, your creator and redeemer.
  2. The word is truth, and the truth sets us free. (John 17:17)
  3. It is part of what it takes to transform your mind. (Romans 12:1,2)
  4. It makes us more able in Spiritual warfare. (Ephesians 6:17)
  5. So that we may believe and have faith. (Romans 10:14-17)

That should be enough!

But why a Character Study?

The bible is chock full of people. People who are models of living for God; people who set examples to avoid. Some people talk a lot, like Paul.

Others just live their lives, speaking with their actions. Character studies are good for learning from the lives of both kinds. This places much more of the bible within our reach.

Some cautions:

Beware of inductive reasoning

Character studies can teach much about God, but there is a lot that we guess about. We should observe that history is not the same as doctrine. Even if God does something the same way a million times, that does not mean that he should or that he will do it again. Similarly, just because people relate to God a certain way does not mean that God commands us to. A good definition for doctrine: things that the bible stresses as important to tell someone else. This is usually different from issues that some think they should split a church over.

 

Beware of making moral judgments

Sampson was a hero of the faith, yet we would most likely not enter him in upcoming nominations for positions of authority in our church. God’s praise of Sampson should cause us to be careful about judging people. If we look at our lives, we may find a lot of decency, but little faith. In fact, maybe faith is the best criteria for judging. Let’s try looking for it above all else, shall we?

OK, but why can’t I just sit back and listen?

Things go in one-ear-and-out-the-next easier when they only go in one ear. That is, if all you do is listen, that’s generally all you do. Am I getting through? Hearing is not studying, and studying is not doing. If you don’t do something different as a result of this study, then it has been a failure for you.