Bible Study

Autumn 2007/Winter 2008 - Revelation

It turns out that these two questions can both be answered by remembering who is the physical recepient of the book. When we take on the mindset of the 1st century christians as described in Revelation 2:1-3:22, we discover that this is not a message for the future, but it's a message for us now. Although there are details in the book that may be debated for centuries, the message of the book and the picture it draws through these symbols is clear. It finishes the story that God started in Genesis 1, one which God is sovern over all things. And it's a story of how He finally completes his creation by making us into the people that He has created us to be. Knowing the hope of our life's filfillment that is guaranteed by His power will drives us to give the same response as John:

Amen. Come Lord Jesus.

Autumn 2007 Schedule Winter 2008 Schedule

Spring 2008 - Various Devotional Passages

Spring 2008 Schedule

Summer 2008 - The Life of Moses

Summer 2008 Schedule

Past Bible Studies

Autumn 2002 - Haggai and Malachi

Every year, new students praise God for bringing them to Stanford: "It was all God's work!" Yet we behave differently as academic pressure mounts and we face uncertainty in our program. We don't have time to pay attention to our relationship with God, building His temple (for we are the house of God), much less His work in reaching out to our neighbors on campus. We may get discouraged when our efforts yield little and worship feels draining. While we are preoccupied with externalities and taking care of ourselves, Haggai and Malachi reveal the magnitude of God's involvement in our everyday circumstances.

Through these two prophets, God dialogues with His people using a series of questions and declarations. These writings speak powerfully to people who know Him - people who know the "right answers" and do the "right things" - but who lack passion. God demands that we be pure, singlehearted; He sees through lame excuses. Yet in these writings, we also see God's desire to bless us, and He promises a glory far beyond the Israelites' imagination, a new covenant of reconciliation.

Winter 2003 - 2 Corinthians

What are the differences between genuine and fake expressions of faith? Am I living a pale imitation of a real Christian? Have we replaced the challenging calls to love with the easy, intellectual glory in long debates? Have we substitued the end (relationship) with the means (knowledge and plans)? How do I go beyond mere philosophical agreement about Jesus Christ to actually receiving and following Him?

CCFS's vision this year challenges us to love as Jesus loves, a high calling indeed. We can learn much from Paul's example, his passion to serve the Lord and go through tough situations. The nature of Paul's ministry is dangerous, precarious, and physically and mentally demanding, yet rich, perservering, consecrated and powerful in God, and dedicated in love. As we ponder our relationship with God and our commitment to following Christ, consider what 2 Corinthians has to say to us.

Synopsis of 2 Corinthians 2:14-6:13:

Ray Stedman's book, Authentic Christianity, on 2 Corinthians points us to the traits of a genuine christian: his identity is in Christ, both his adequacy and glory come from Christ, he speaks the truth in love, he overcomes with God's power, he faces reality yet focuses on the unseen, his home is not of the world, his hope and confidence stem from God, he fears the Lord, he is compelled by Christ's love, he spreads God's message of reconciliation, he does not receive God's grace in vain, and his life is made known to others.

Winter 2003 Schedule

Spring 2003 - 1 Timothy

This book is a primer for each member of our body of believers. Each is given gifts and each is indispensable. 1 Timothy talks about God's work by faith (Gospel) and the goal of our bible-teaching: "Love from a pure heart, good consience and sincere faith."

1 Timothy addresses the following issues: What's our testimony? (Lead people to God's grace.) How to please/worship God? (Pray for all people and be a peace maker.) What is Christian living? What are the noble yet practical character traits that Christians should cultivate? Through this book, let us learn how to conduct ourselves as members of the body.

Key Verses: 1 Timothy 3:14-15 "These things I write to you, though I hope to come to you shortly; but if I am delayed, I write so that you may know how you ought to conduct yourself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth."

Spring 2003 Schedule

Fall 2003 - Psalms

Most of the Bible is full of what we would call "God's Word to man." The Psalms, however, are fairly unique in that they are also "man's word to God." They are a record of how the Hebrews responded to God's covenant and their own surroundings. As such, they can help us to explore how we might interact with God today. One of the main goals of our study will be to try to understand how and why the Hebrews interacted with God under the old covenant. The accompanying goal is to try to understand how we should now interact with God under His new covenant through Jesus Christ.

The Psalms also act as a touchstone between the Old and New Testaments and a foundation for the Christian faith. They are far more personal than the Mosaic Law and therefore anticipate God's desire to interact with man on a more personal level. This desire is fulfilled in the coming of Christ. Furthermore, the book of Psalms is filled with yearnings for the coming Messiah. Both Christ and the apostles were constantly quoting Psalms, showing the key position played by Psalms in the origin of Christianity.

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Autumn 2003 Schedule

Winter 2004 - Jonah

Spring/Summer 2004 - Acts

2004-2005 - Romans

Winter 2005 Schedule

Spring 2005 Schedule

Summer 2005 - Bible Reading

Fall 2005 - Ephesians

Winter 2006 - Genesis - Creation Account(s)

Our study in Genesis started out as a desire to look into what does the Bible say about evolution and if the ideas presented in the creation account is really in conflict with the idea of evolution. What we ended up discovering is a wonderful story of God's purposes for mankind--the answer to the question of "What is our purpose?", "Why are we here in this world?", and "What will be fulfilling to us?". But also at the same time, we discover the struggle of mankind trying and failing to reach that fulfillement of who we were created to be. The question of evolution and creation from a science perspective no longer becomes relevent. No matter what your view is on evolution and creation, the only question that mattered is "Do you trust God and his plan to make you into the person that you were meant to be?"

Spring 2006 - Genesis - The Beginning of God's Redemption Plan

Summer 2006 - Exodus - The Beginning of God's Redemption Plan

God has promised us eternal life and a life of fulfillement. So why is it that as Christians, we still suffer with the troubles of this world? Why do we Christians still go through dry spells where we lose the sense of purpose or direction in life? We will explore the wilderness experience of the Isrealites as they became free from the bondage of slavery in Egypt, and explore how God works through the wilderness experiences in each of our lives in order to prepare us for the eternal glory that awaits us.

Fall 2006 - Hebrews

Winter 2007 - Matthew

Spring 2007 - Prayers