Introduction

By Tommy Stone

‘Whether you’re studying for personal devotion or preparing a lesson or sermon, when you dive deep into the lives of biblical characters, you realize that there was nothing special to set them apart; God didn’t choose these individuals because of any intrinsic greatness. In fact, God delights in using sinful, flawed people who nevertheless turned to him in reliance on his grace. In short, character studies remind us that God uses messed-up people like you and me.’ Tyler Smith

Questions for Discussion

1. Apart from the God-man Jesus, who is your favourite Bible character and why? (If in a group, allow as many as possible to share!)

2. Do you gravitate more to the cautionary characters, the relatable characters or the inspirational characters?

3. Scripture is the story of God from the first page to the last! And yet God chose to reveal Himself not simply through laws and principles but through the lives of ordinary people. Why do you think this is so?

‘For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.’ Romans 15:4

a. When is there great value in looking at these characters? How can their stories move and teach us?

b. What lessons should we learn from their obvious mistakes and acts of rebellion?

5. What possible dangers exist in studying Bible characters? What wrong conclusions could we draw from them?

‘Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.’ Hebrews 11:1-2

What is the message in this passage for us today as we take on these character studies?