Saints: Enjoying a Relationship with Jesus When You're Disillusioned with Religion

Disillusioned with religion? Jesus hasn't left you.The Bible doesn't shy away from stories about how even the seemingly best or most religious Christians can get it wrong. God could have easily omitted these stories, but instead, he chose to magnify the failures of religious people acting foolishly. That's because he's not interested in saving face--he's interested in restoration. In Saints, you'll discover that Jesus isn't fazed by people's mistakes; he's still after relationship and connection with every single one of us.In Saints, we're going to explore: John 3, 7, and 19 Nicodemus, the Pharisee who was disoriented by Jesus' testimony;John 6, 12, 13, and 18 Judas, the disciple who sold Jesus out;John 11 and 18 and Acts 4 Caiaphas, the high priest who was unwilling to steward his power generously;John 18 and 21 Peter, the disciple who denied association with Jesus; andActs 8 and 1 Timothy 1 Paul, the Pharisee who persecuted Christians.The Storyline Bible StudiesWhether you are new to the Christian faith or a seasoned Bible reader, the Storyline Bible Studies guide you through the storyline of Scripture--each following people, places, or things in the Bible. Maybe you are practiced in dissecting a passage or verse and pulling things out of the text to apply to your life. But now you may feel as though your faith is fragmented, coming apart at the seams. The Storyline Bible Studies will help you put things back together. You'll discover cohesive, thematic storylines with literary elements and appreciate the Bible as the literary masterpiece that it is.Special FeaturesFor individuals, small groups, and church ministries: a five-lesson study that can be paired with its thematic partner for a seamless ten-week study or semester-long church curriculum or that works just as well on a self-paced individual rhythmgospel presentation at the beginning of each Bible studyfull Scripture passages included in the study so that you can mark up the text and keep your notes in one placeinsights from diverse scholars, authors, and Bible teachersan emphasis on close readings of large portions of ScriptureDigital Resources AvailableLeader and small-group guides are available at thestorylineproject.com/freebies.