Abraham: Following God’s Promise

by Michael Grigoni; Miles Custis; Douglas Mangum; Matthew M. Whitehead

Publisher:

Lexham Press

, 2012

Following God’s Promise

Abraham’s story isn’t that different from ours. It’s about responding to God’s call, journeying with Him through life, facing challenges, and growing as a result of them. Fundamentally, it’s about the change that occurs because of redemption. In Abraham: Following God's Promise, you’ll walk through life with Abraham and his family—learning along the way how their story is like your story.

 

Discover new meaning in the life of Abraham

Abraham: Following God’s Promise helps you dig deeper into the life of Abraham. Dig up the nuggets you might have missed. Discuss questions you’ve never thought to ask. Infuse your sermons with energy and conviction. Learn new ways to apply Abraham’s story in your life.

Get connected with others in your church. Abraham: Following God’s Promise is perfect for small groups, and it’s best used in conjunction with the complete curriculum package for your entire church. The topics in each small group Bible study integrate with your pastor’s sermons. Everything is centered on the Word, so you get a complete, shared Bible study experience with your entire church.

The entire program is designed for Logos Bible Software and Logos’ Faithlife Study Bible app. It combines text and visuals with today’s most advanced Bible study tools. All Scripture passages link to your favorite Bible translation and to the original language texts in your library.

This resource is for individuals and group members. The complete church curriculum for leaders and pastors is available here. This version of Abraham: Following God’s Promise is a book featuring infographics, maps, artifact images, thought-provoking questions, “writable” answer boxes, Bible study tips, an annotated reading list, and printable handouts. The complete church curriculum for leaders and pastors includes everything in the individual/group member version plus videos, small-group lesson plans, sermon outlines, and teaching slideshows.

The Studies in Faithful Living series

The Studies in Faithful Living series examines the lives of biblical characters who responded faithfully to God’s call. Combining narrative analysis with infographics, maps, and questions for reflection, each volume explores key events in these characters’ lives, combining the depth you expect from a biblical commentary with application and teaching insights. Each volume is available as an individual/group member version or as a complete church curriculum version for pastors/teachers.

Praise for the Studies in Faithful Living Series

Logos has taken group Bible study to the next level with their new Studies in Faithful Living series. Deeply engaging, biblically accurate, and filled with life-changing applications, this series is destined to be the go-to resource for lay leaders for years to come.

—Israel Loken, Chair, Bible and Theology Departments, College of Biblical Studies, Houston, TX

Top Highlights

“His story teaches us something profound: that the life of faith is a journey made up of a series of ‘first steps.’ While each of these steps brings us closer to the fulfillment of God’s promises, they don’t necessarily lead us farther away from the challenges and struggles involved with moving ahead.” (source)

“With Abram, God finally found someone who embraced His offer of blessing in exchange for obedience.” (Genesis 11:27–12:9)

“Rather than standing firm in faith, Abram allowed fear to sway him, and he chose Egypt over God’s promise. Yet, as the Bible demonstrates again and again, God remains faithful to His promise and His people, despite their decisions.” (Genesis 12:10–20)

“When we get caught up in what we think we need to do for God in order to be worthy of Him, we may lose sight of the only things we truly need to do: trust in His promise, accept His call, and surrender our doubts, fears, and insecurities.” (Genesis 11:27–12:9)

“Although the Bible often depicts Abraham as an exalted figure, his journey of faith resembles our own. Along with the glory of his victories, the Bible fully describes the scandalous details of his failures. It does not hide Abraham’s shortcomings; instead, it recounts these examples of failure so that we might have hope. In Abraham, we observe someone uniquely chosen to receive a grand promise: that he would become the father of a great nation and a channel of blessing to the world. Abraham embraced this promise, but it was 25 years before he saw it realized. As he waited on God, he battled fear, anxiety, and doubt. In Abraham, we see a reflection of ourselves.” (source)

Contents

Each chapter of Abraham: Following God’s Promise is structured to maximize your study:

• Setting the Stage:
  • Theme: Introduces the meaning and relevance of an event in Abraham’s life
  • Literary Context: Illustrates the conditions surrounding that event
  • Historical and Cultural Background: Presents relevant data about the ancient world
• A Closer Look: Gives a walk-through of the event while exploring issues of interpretation, original language, and theology
• Throughout the Bible: Examines discussion of the event elsewhere in the Bible
• Beyond the Bible: Treats references to the event in ancient documents and extracanonical texts and references and by theologians, the church fathers, and contemporary thinkers
• Application: Concludes the chapter by exploring the event’s relevance to your journey of faith

You’ll also find Quick Tips on difficult passages and Quick Bits of historical information, original language wording, and ancient thought.

8-Week Program

• Stepping Out in Faith (Genesis 11:27–12:9)
• Fear versus Faith (Genesis 12:10–20)
• Active Faith (Genesis 14:1–24)
• Dealing with Doubt (Genesis 15:1–21; 16:1–15)
• Promising the Impossible (Genesis 17:1–18:15)
• Bargaining with God (Genesis 18:16–33; 19:1–38)
• God’s Faithfulness Despite Relapse (Genesis 20:1–18; 21:22–34)
• Of Sons and Sacrifice (Genesis 21:1–21; 22:1–24)

Product Details

• Title: Abraham: Following God’s Promise
• Authors: Miles Custis, Michael Grigoni, Douglas Mangum, and Matthew M. Whitehead
• Editor: Michael Grigoni
• Series: Studies in Faithful Living
• Publisher: Lexham Press
• Publication Date: 2012
• Page Count: 128
• Format: Logos Digital, Paperback
• Trim Size: 6x9
• ISBN: 9781577995814

About the Editor

Michael Grigoni previously served as the Studies in Faithful Living series editor and Lexham Press’s managing editor of Bible reference. He holds a Master of Theological Studies from Harvard Divinity School and is a PhD candidate at Duke University.

About the Authors

Miles Custis is the author of The End of the Matter: Understanding the Epilogue of Ecclesiastes, a Faithlife Study Bible contributing editor, and a regular Bible Study Magazine and Lexham Bible Dictionary contributor. He holds a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies from Trinity Western University.

Douglas Mangum is an academic editor for Lexham Press. He holds a PhD in Hebrew from the University of Free State and holds an MA in Hebrew and Semitic Studies from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He is a Lexham English Bible and Lexham Bible Guide editor, a Faithlife Study Bible contributing editor, a Studies in Faithful Living co-author, a regular Bible Study Magazine contributor, and a frequently consulted specialist for the Lexham Bible Dictionary.

Matthew M. Whitehead has served as a Faithlife Study Bible contributing editor and Bible Study Magazine contributor. He assisted with the digitization process for the Discoveries in the Judaean Desert series and worked on the Oxford Hebrew Bible project. Matthew holds an MDiv from Northwest Baptist Seminary and is pursuing an MA in biblical studies at Trinity Western University.