This quick reference guide is to help you give better feedback in labs! For each passage on our list we’ve included a few bullet points to help you get a handle on the passage and what you should be looking for in student’s messages.

PASSAGE GUIDE

OT Narrative

    • This passage is a story, not a sermon. So students should be teaching the elements of the story (characters, plot, tension, emotions, setting). Through teaching the story, truths and applications will naturally emerge.

    • The spread of sin culminates with a monument to human glory, not God’s glory. God’s merciful response is to scatter them and slow the spread of their sin and ruin.

    • There’s a lot of movement in this passage. The people are building up, God is coming down.

    • Emphasis: human depravity and rebellion and God’s mercy

      • The repeated phrase “come, let us make/build….” harkens back to Genesis 1:26. It reveals the god-like mindset of the people. God takes this language back in verse 7 (“Come. let us go down and confuse…”). This is mercy as God is keeping them from their sin.

      • The timing of this narrative is significant. It occurs right after the flood narrative, where God’s response to sin was judgment. Now God has promised never to destroy the world again. He therefore responds to this sinful assault with mercy.

    • This passage is a story, not a sermon. So students should be teaching the elements of the story (characters, plot, tension, emotions, setting). Through teaching the story, truths and applications will naturally emerge.

    • Israel rebels (AGAIN!) and experiences the consequence of poisonous snakes.

    • Emphasis: After Moses’s intercession, God doesn’t remove the curse, he provides a remedy in the shape of the curse.

    • This passage is a clear foreshadowing of what Christ will do on the cross: becoming a curse to provide the remedy for sin. You should hear this in a message.

    • You should hear a reference to John 3:14-16.

    • Interesting cross reference: 2 Kings 18:4 - eventually the Israelite’s begin worshipping this bronze serpent as an idol and it must be destroyed.

    • This passage is a story, not a sermon. So students should be teaching the elements of the story (characters, plot, tension, emotions, setting). Through teaching the story, truths and applications will naturally emerge.

    • David longs to build a physical house for the Lord. But God says no and instead makes a covenant with him.

    • We often want to do great things for God, but he is the one who does great things for us. We are the recipients in this relationship. He is the one who does the work of saving us, we are the recipients of his endless grace. (“Don’t make me a house, I’ll make you one!”)

    • Emphasis: There are MANY things happening in this text, but one of the most important is the giving of the Davidic covenant. This passage makes clear that the Messiah will be a direct descendant of David. This is why Jesus is often called “Son of David.” This is an important moment in the OT as we gain clarity about God’s redemptive plan.

    • This passage is a story, not a sermon. So students should be teaching the elements of the story (characters, plot, tension, emotions, setting). Through teaching the story, truths and applications will naturally emerge.

    • Naaman the Gentile is healed from leprosy by God through Elisha the prophet by offering his need and his obedience (not his stuff).

    • The Great Naaman finds healing through listening to servants: a slave girl, his servants, and Elisha’s messenger. This is an attack on his human pride.

    • Emphasis: We can’t buy healing and salvation. And it’s not found in a specific place (or river), but in our humble obedience to do what God commands and come to him his way.

    • NT Ref: Luke 4:27. Jesus makes a point that the Gentiles are more receptive to his coming than his own people.

OT Psalm

    • This psalm is given historical context (2 Samuel 15:14-17). It would be good to hear about it in a teaching on this psalm.

    • Emphasis: The solution to David’s overwhelming problem is God. Peace doesn’t come from self-sufficiency but in dependency.

    • There’s an amazing contrast in this Psalm between “many foes” and “lay down and slept.” Only God can provide this peace and safety amidst such great stress and danger.

    • Key verse: 8 “Salvation belongs to the Lord.” We see this repeated in the Bible and this exact refrain shows up in Revelation 7:10 and 19:1!

    • No info on author or historical context.

    • Expect to hear some historical context from Exodus related to Meribah and Massah (v. 8)

    • Emphasis: God’s greatness! And that the response to his greatness should be worship and a soft heart.

    • Key cross refs:

      • Exodus 17:1-7 describes the incident at Meribah and Massah.

      • Hebrews 3-4 quotes this Psalm three times when talking about belief and rest!

      • Psalm 79

      • Psalm 74:1 also calls Israel his sheep and the author asks for mercy despite Israel’s failures.

    • Communal Psalm (pronoun “us” is used repeatedly)

    • Pay attention to the emotional journey of this Psalm… starting with praise and ending in a warning.

    • The most quoted chapter in the New Testament! It’s a big deal!

    • You should hear some consideration of the author (David) and original audience.

    • This Psalm points to Jesus! And is used in the NT to make a case for Jesus as the Messiah. BUT a teacher should be teaching this Psalm, not using as a springboard to teach NT texts. You should hear about how the NT teaches this Psalm, but the job of the teacher is still to teach this chapter.

    • You should hear how this Psalm relates to David’s kingship and God’s promises to David as King.

    • Emphasis: Lordship/Kingship is the primary theme of this psalm. A teacher should be asking: What are the implications of this meditation on Lordship for King David?

OT Wisdom Literature

    • This chapter sets the tone for the whole book.

    • Tone is not upbeat. The author is grieved, despairing, and puzzled. That should inform how it’s taught.

    • Vanity/Futility — definitions would be beneficial because these are key words we don’t use in everyday conversation.

    • Should include some explanation about the cyclical nature of life and why that is depressing.

    • Emphasis: the meaninglessness of life under the sun. No matter what you do, we all die and a new generation arises after. It’s all striving after wind. This is grievous, sorrowful, and vexing. In the end, there is no meaning apart from the God who reigns above the earth.

    • This is wisdom literature. And ironically it explores the limits of wisdom and knowledge, ultimately just exalting God.

    • Possible Gospel/NT connections would be that nothing in this life (even good things) lasts or can provide lasting meaning. All meaning is found in Christ.

    • This section is in a longer chapter where wisdom is personified as someone calling out and beckoning mankind to heed her instruction.

    • These verses are poetic using devices like personification and metaphors.

    • Emphasis:

      • The focus of these verses is wisdom’s presence at creation. You should hear that in the message.

      • The superiority of God’s wisdom due to it’s ancient pre-creation existence.

    • Should hear to connection Jesus who was with God in the beginning and is wisdom from God (1 Cor. 1:30)

OT Prophets

    • This is in the second half of Isaiah which is celebratory and focuses on God’s promises.

    • There is a beautiful paradox here that is unexpected—the barren are fruitful, the widow is made a wife.

    • Key concepts are family language: wife/husband and mother/children. It’s very emotional and affectionate language full of intensity.

    • Emphasis: God’s promise to restore and reconcile Israel, even though they’re barren and desolate. God is the hero here, Israel the recipient.

    • These are God’s opening words through Jeremiah. It sets the tone for the whole book.

    • Everyone is included in this indictment: priests, people who handle the law, rulers, prophets, and the people.

    • God is grieved in this chapter. It’s very emotional language using adultery as the primary imagery to describe what Israel has been doing.

    • NT connection: John 4. At a well Jesus mentions living water to a serial adulterer.

    • Emphasis: the grievous nature of Israel’s idolatry. And it’s personal. God pictures himself as a spurned husband.

    • This section of scripture is addressing an outwardly religious people who are inwardly irreverent. So much so that God actually longs for an end to their offerings. (v.10)

    • God is exposing their motive and feeling about worship (v. 13).

    • Emphasis: “For I am a great king” (v. 14) ties this section together. The priests are treating him with less respect than earthly authorities: fathers, masters, governors.

    • There is spiritual blindness present (“how have we…?”). They can’t see their error.

    • Cross ref: Lev. 22:20-22 mentions that blind and disabled animals should not be offered as sacrifices. To do so is an obvious violation of God’s law.

    • “The nations” is a repeated idea in this section. (v. 11, 14) Specifically how God’s name will be great among the nations. In contrast, his own nation doesn’t honor him.

OT Apocalyptic

    • Context: The book of Zechariah is a post-exilic book. He is writing during the time of Israel’s return from a 70-year exile alongside Haggai, Ezra and Nehemiah.

    • Apocalyptic literature as a genre: “Visionary literature, with its arresting strangeness, breaks through our normal way of thinking and shocks us into seeing that things are not as they appear. It attacks our ingrained patterns of deep-level thought in an effort to convince us of [truths]. It uses the technique of symbolism. Visionary literature is not cozy fireside reading. It gives us the shock treatment.” -Leland Ryken

    • Zechariah is categorized as apocalyptic literature because it’s full of wild visions and imagery (rather than just sermons, like many of the other prophets).

    • This vision is like a heavenly courtroom scene, with Joshua at the center, satan accusing and God seated as judge.

    • The angel of the Lord is a key figure in this chapter.

    • Emphasis: God removes iniquity. It is his work to cleanse and justify. Joshua does nothing, he just receives God’s work on his behalf.

    • You should hear about how this chapter points to Christ, specifically in verses 8-9. He is the Branch. He is the stone with 7 eyes (Rev. 5:6, Ps 118:22, Matt 12:10-11) who removes iniquity in a single day on the cross.

NT Narrative

    • This passage is a story, not a sermon. So students should be teaching the elements of the story (characters, plot, tension, emotions, setting). Through teaching the story, truths and applications will naturally emerge.

    • This is a very dark, sad moment in Jesus’s life and the tone of the sermon should reflect that.

    • Important note: the word “cup” is significant here. It connects this moment to all references to the “cup of God’s wrath.” (Isa. 51:17, 22, Jer. 25:15, Rev. 14:10)

    • Emphasis: In narrative, the main tension in the story is key to understanding the main point of the passage. The main tension is Jesus’s request of His father to let the cup pass from him. And ultimately God saying no and Jesus’s surrender. (There are other tensions here, like the failure of his friends, but that is not the primary one.)

    • Context: Jesus has just healed the man who was born blind in the previous chapter and has just accused the Pharisees of their spiritual blindness. This chapter is a continuation of this conversation with them.

    • This passage is a lot of dialogue and teaching from Jesus. Someone teaching this passage should help make sense of what’s being communicating.

    • There are multiple metaphors here. You should hear some explanation about what’s implied by these pictures. Understanding what a “door” is and does and what a “shepherd” is and does is key to understanding the passage.

    • Verses 6, 19-21 should have some bearing on how this passage is taught. Jesus is saying something controversial to his audience and it creates division.

    • Emphasis: In narrative, the main tension in the story is key to understanding the main point of the passage. Here the main tension is that the Pharisees have rejected Jesus. But he’s the only way to the Kingdom. John 14:6 is a good summary of this passage. He is your only point of access to the Father. Every other way is illegitimate. This is both good news to some and a stumbling block to some. Teaching this passage correctly will both highlight the preciousness of these promises and the sharpness of the warnings.

    • This passage is a story, not a sermon. So students should be teaching the elements of the story (characters, plot, tension, emotions, setting). Through teaching the story, truths and applications will naturally emerge.

    • Context: Right before this, Jesus has raised a little girl from the dead and healed the bleeding woman. And right after this he calls the twelve and sends them out. This moment stands out in contrast. There’s belief and obedience right before and after this moment.

    • Emphasis: In narrative, the main tension in the story is key to understanding the main point of the passage. You see the main tension voiced in verse 4: someone important is here but you won’t honor him. You see the results of this problem in verses 5-6.

    • This passage is a story, not a sermon. So students should be teaching the elements of the story (characters, plot, tension, emotions, setting). Through teaching the story, truths and applications will naturally emerge.

    • Context: this passage happened during Paul’s first missionary journey. Along the way, the Jews are getting more and more antagonistic to the Gospel and are chasing them from city to city inciting persecution. This contrasts the mistaken worship of Paul/Barnabas by the gentiles.

    • Emphasis: In narrative, the main tension in the story is key to understanding the main point of the passage. One of the biggest tensions here is the rejection of the Gospel as gentiles would rather worship humans than God and Jews would rather kill them than accept Jesus as Messiah. And yet, they keep preaching the Gospel.

    • Cross ref here to Ex. 20:11 and Psalm 146:6.

    • We would expect to hear some brief context given about the Greek gods as well as some helpful context relating to the location. But it should be BRIEF!

NT Parables

    • A parable is a simple story with a profound lesson. There is often one main conflict or contrast in focus for our consideration. Finding that main tension is key to teaching the parables.

    • This section is a series of short parables that are tied together because they describe the Kingdom. That theme will be key to creating one cohesive message.

    • The repeated phrase “the kingdom of heaven is like…” This phrase ties this whole passage together.

    • Emphasis: These parables describe the Kingdom. This is the main focus of the passage—describing the kingdom of heaven.

    • We see themes of sacrifice, delayed gratification, joy, treasure, the contrast of judgment and hell.

    • A parable is a simple story with a profound lesson. There is often one main conflict or contrast in focus for our consideration. Finding that main tension is key to teaching the parables.

    • Emphasis: this parable disrupts our ideas of what is fair. This is the main tension of the parable. People aren’t getting what they “deserve” but are actually getting better than they deserve. The key phrase: “do you begrudge my generosity?” The workers are mad because the owner is generous.

    • This parable is opens and closes with helpful information. Verse 1 tells us this parable exists to help us understand what the Kingdom of heaven is like. And verse 16 sums it up: “So the last will be first, and the first last.” The Kingdom of heaven is backward. It is a reversal of how we expect to be treated. This is good news to some and bad news to others.

    • A parable is a simple story with a profound lesson. There is often one main conflict or contrast in focus for our consideration. Finding that main tension is key to teaching the parables.

    • This section contains 2 different parables that both have to do with prayer. The first is the persistent widow, the second is the pharisee and the tax collector. Prayer is the tie that binds these two.

    • The tension in the first parable is the effectiveness of simple persistence. More than good arguments, great righteous deeds… the judge responded to her “continual coming.” How much more will God respond?

    • The tension in the second parable is the folly of self-righteousness. God does not listen and respond and justify us based on our good works but on our desperate need of him (“be merciful to me!”).

    • Emphasis: these two parables upend our human assumptions about what God pays attention to in prayer.

NT Epistles

    • In this section Paul connects the spread of sin and death through Adam to the spread of salvation and life through Jesus. This is the key passage in the Bible that portrays Jesus as the “second Adam” who’s actions brough about salvation instead of death.

    • Emphasis: As Adam’s one action led to sin and death so Jesus’ one action leads to justification and life in an even greater degree than Adam’s.

    • There is a high degree of theological understanding here. It will be important that someone can explain the theology in a way people can understand and show why it is significant.

    • You should expect to hear some reference to Genesis 3 and the fall of humanity and the entrance of sin and death into the world.

    • This passage has LOTS of OT references! For a 20 min message, it will require some brief, succinct summaries of those OT references and context. This is challenging but great practice for teachers!

    • The verse right before this chapter is helpful context: “so we see that they were unable to enter because of unbelief.” (Heb 3:19) The OT Jews didn’t enter the rest of the promise land because of unbelief. That is the threat to the audience of Hebrews: not entering the rest Jesus gives because of unbelief.

    • OT references:

      • Psalm 95:7-11 — “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your herats,… and I swore in my wrath, “they shall not enter my rest.”

      • Genesis 2:2 — “[God] rested on the seventh day from all his work…”

      • Exodus 17:1-7, Numbers 20:13 — Meribah and Massah referenced in Hebrews 3 and in this passage.

      • Joshua 1:13-15, 22:4, 23:1 — he brought the people into the promised land and gave them rest

      • Sabbath — first mentioned in Exodus 16:23-29 and mandated in Exodus 20:8-11

    • Emphasis: There is a warning and an invitation in this passage. Warning: don’t miss out on the rest through unbelief like your ancestors. Invitation: enter the rest through faith in the good news (the gospel) and your great high priest (Jesus)!

    • Verse 10 is key to understanding how we enter the rest. We “rest from our works.” A great cross reference for this is Romans 3:20-28 and 4:1-8. Especially Romans 4:5 which says “to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness.”

    • Emphasis: This passage is a great summary of how salvation impacts the day to day life of a Christian. It first emphasizes our identity (“you have died and been raised with Christ”), and then calls us to live in accordance with our identity (“therefore put to death X,Y,Z and put on A,B,C”). It ends with a reminder of the communal nature of our identity (“you were called in one body”). Who we are informs what we do.

    • Listen for: verses 1-4 are key in seeing this passage as a whole, rather than a list of random commands and action steps. It sets the stage with some huge realities about our past, present, and future that should change our lifestyles. You should hear these four verses connected to the rest of the commands in this passage.

    • There is a contrast between heaven and earth in this passage. "set your minds on things above” vs. “put to death what is earthly.”

    • We see themes of life and death here as well. The old self and the new self. There is a new identity at work in us.

    • The phrases “put on” and “put off” are helpful categories for how to live as a Christian. Both putting on and putting off are important.

    • This passage starts with the phrase" “the end of all things is at hand; therefore…” The instructions that follow should be understood in this context. That in light of the coming “end of all things” this is how we should live. You should hear this come out in a message.

    • Context: suffering is mentioned at the beginning of chapter 4 and directly after this section. Clearly Peter has a suffering audience in mind as he writes.

    • Note: this passage contains a list of commands. That can make it hard to find the main emphasis of the passage and land on a thesis for a message. Tying it to the context of end-times and suffering is going to matter to keep the message cohesive.

    • Emphasis: None of these commands are impressive or out of the ordinary: be self-controlled and sober-minded, love each other, open your home, don’t complain, serve each other. It’s all very “ordinary” Christian behavior in the face of extraordinary circumstances (end-times and suffering).

NT Apocalyptic

    • Apocalyptic literature as a genre: “Visionary literature, with its arresting strangeness, breaks through our normal way of thinking and shocks us into seeing that things are not as they appear. It attacks our ingrained patterns of deep-level thought in an effort to convince us of [truths]. It uses the technique of symbolism. Visionary literature is not cozy fireside reading. It gives us the shock treatment.” -Leland Ryken

    • Context: This book of the Bible is a letter to the seven churches (1:4) written by John on the island of Patmos. It is a vision: “write what you see.”

    • Notable cross-references:

      • Daniel 7:9-10 and 10:4-6 are very similar descriptions.

      • Matt 17:2 — Jesus transfigured with a face like the sun

      • Isaiah 41:4, 44:6 and 48:12 — the first and the last

      • Romans 6:9 — “…Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him.”

    • Listen for: a connection between John’s current situation and the vision of Jesus. Jesus is pictured as a glorified, victorious judge, but John—his servant—is in tribulation and persecution banished to an island alone. And he is writing to churches that also face persecution and hardship.

    • Emphasis: Here’s the question at the heart of this passage: Why would this vision of a glorified and victorious Jesus be important to the churches John is writing to? This is not a passage full of commands. It is a vision of a glorified Jesus. And John is told twice to write it down (aka it’s important). What is the significance of this for the first audience?

    • Apocalyptic literature as a genre: “Visionary literature, with its arresting strangeness, breaks through our normal way of thinking and shocks us into seeing that things are not as they appear. It attacks our ingrained patterns of deep-level thought in an effort to convince us of [truths]. It uses the technique of symbolism. Visionary literature is not cozy fireside reading. It gives us the shock treatment.” -Leland Ryken

    • Themes in this passage: Coming, worship, judgment, soon.

    • Emphasis: Jesus Himself says He is coming soon (this is repeated 3x). Then the word “come” shows up at the end of this passage. This idea of come/coming ties this passages together. What do we need to know in light of Jesus’s immanent return?

    • Also emphasized in this passage: the importance of the word (also a repeated word), His authority (Alpha & Omega, reward is with Him and He will render, root and descendant of David, bright morning star, etc.) and living in light of Jesus’ coming (be holy, those who wash their robes, thirsty come, etc.)

    • Cross-references:

      • Revelation 1:1, 3; 3:11 - very similar/identical wording. (There are several verses from earlier in Revelation that resurface here. This passage could even be seen as a summary of many ideas throughout the book).

      • Isaiah 40:10 - the reward of God at the end of all things

      • Deuteronomy 4:2 - commandment to not add or take away from the law is similar to this command.