Unit 1: God’s Great Story: God’s Image (6 Lessons)

Learners enter into God’s story at the very beginning and learn about God’s promises to be with God’s people and to fix what’s broken. Through the creation story, learners will begin to grasp what it means to be made in God’s image, what a covenant is, and what it means for God to be faithful.  

Unit 2: Introduction to the Older Testament (3 Lessons)

In this orientation unit, learners will investigate what the Older Testament is as a whole. They will wonder about how the Older Testament was written and when. The six contextual lenses will be used to understand things like the place it was written, when, and to whom. 

Unit 3: God’s Promise to Noah (3 Lessons)

Through the story of Noah, learners will have the opportunity to notice that God extended grace to Noah and his family, and that God offered humanity the chance to partner in the filling and beautification of the world. This is Creation 2.0, and a sign that God keeps God’s promises.

Unit 4: Bedouin Life and Practices (3 Lessons)

In this virtual reality unit, learners will study how to live life like an ancient bedouin. Learners will investigate questions like, “Why was hospitality so important to the bedouin people?,” “What was it like to travel by camel?” and “What did it mean to be a shepherd?” Students will peer through the contextual lenses to understand the life of people like Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 

Unit 5: God’s Promise to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (12 Lessons)

In considering the story of Abraham, learners will find that God made a family to show God’s goodness to the world. Learners will have a chance to reflect on why that might be and ponder their own families and how God can show goodness through them. As the story continues, learners will find that God makes more promises to be with Jacob’s family wherever they go. 

Unit 6: God’s Promise to Joseph, Moses, and David (9 Lessons)

God continues to keep God’s promise to Abraham’s descendents by being with Joseph through both the good and bad times of life. Learners will contemplate big questions like, “How can God bring good things out of bad things?” and “What does it look like for God to be with me all the time?” Through the lives of Joseph, Moses, and David, learners will have the opportunity to understand how God can redeem difficult circumstances.

Unit 7: The Promises of the Psalms/Proverbs (6 Lessons)

The Psalms are full of God’s promises and pictures of those promises. Proverbs helps us better understand what life can be like if we are walking with God. Learners will explore these promises, teachings and what they meant to the original readers. Learners will also discover what they mean for us today. A featured text will be Proverbs 3:5-6: “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.”

Unit 8: The Life and Times of Jesus (6 Lessons)

To fully understand who Jesus was, learners will discover the world Jesus was born into. Through interactive, hands-on activities learners will explore farming, wheat harvesting, bread making, and other ancient occupations. Students will also learn about what an ancient house looked like, what people wore as clothing, and what it might have been like to go to an ancient synagogue.  

Unit 9: The Gospels (6 Lessons)

As in the first semester, learners will investigate what the Newer Testament is as a whole. They will wonder about how the Newer Testament was written and when. The six contextual lenses will be used to understand things like where it was written, when, and to whom. Learners will also contemplate why each word is so important–”paper” was difficult to make and limited. To understand this concept, students will experience what it was like to make papyrus.

Unit 10: The Call of Jesus (6 Lessons)

In this unit, learners will imagine what the journey back to Nazareth might have been like for Jesus and His parents. They will imagine what it was like for Jesus and His family growing up. Then, as Jesus was called by God into His earthly ministry, learners will study Jesus’ baptism and ponder what it means to be baptized. 

Unit 11: Jesus Ministry (12 Lessons)

Students will continue uncovering how God keeps God’s promises through the ministry of Jesus–His miracles, teachings, and intentional choices. Through the six contextual lenses, learners will continue to practice noticing the Older Testament references of the gospel authors and how they are communicating the fulfillment of promises made to Israel. There are also many pictures that the gospel authors provide about who Jesus was and students will participate in hands-on activities that will help them understand these pictures. 

Unit 12: The Promise of A Helper (6 Lessons)

In this unit, learners will explore Jesus’ return following His resurrection. They will wonder what it was like to be a disciple seeing Jesus risen for the first time and the implications of His ascension.  Ultimately, learners will learn that Jesus didn’t leave his followers alone, He left the Holy Spirit to help them. 

Unit 13: God’s Promise to Go With Them (6 Lessons)

Jesus’ promise is kept through the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost! Through this unit, learners will study God’s faithfulness in giving God’s followers a bold spirit through stories such as Paul’s transformation and his missionary journeys.

Unit 14: The Promise to the Early Church (And Us) (6 Lessons)

Through his letters to ancient church communities, Paul encourages the new followers of Jesus. Learners will examine sections of these letters to get an idea of what life might have been like for these early Christians. Learners will also learn that the Bible doesn’t just have promises for ancient Israel, but also for them - promises of being loved by God and of always having a home in Christ. 

Unit 15: Jesus Promise of New Covenant (6 Lessons)

The story arc of the Bible ends with the promise of the New Covenant, of a returning Savior, and of a new heaven and new earth. Learners will have an opportunity to both look forward and to look back and reflect on God’s faithfulness in God’s promises.

Christmas Unit: The Promise Kept (9 Lessons)

Learners will be surprised and delighted to find that the birth of Jesus isn’t in a setting they may traditionally picture. In this unit, learners will think about the geographical and cultural context in which Jesus was born and how that impacts the way we read the story. 

Easter Unit: Jesus Death and Resurrection (6 Lessons)

To remember Easter, learners will study ancient Jerusalem as they follow Jesus to the cross. Learners will reflect on the promises God kept to Noah, Abraham, Moses, and David. They will also look at the new covenant Jesus makes with those who chose to follow him.