A Five-Session Bible Study Series
“Principles of Liberty,” a Word Foundations article, serves as the basis for this Bible study series. Are you considering using the series? A first step is to read the main article. In a sense, it can be likened to a “treasure map” for the entire series.
Whether you are leading a group or using the material on your own, it is recommended that you read the background material and then the teaching plan for each session, preferably in sequential order. If you’re leading a group, you need not feel obligated to use every idea offered in each plan. From the suggestions made, you can design your own approach. While interacting with the material on your own won’t afford you an opportunity to discuss it with others as you initially learn, the experience still can be highly beneficial.
If you have questions or comments, please feel free to email me at dbrtruth@gmail.com.
A printable list of the ten principles highlighted in this Bible study series is available here.
The Facebook page for the series is available here.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SESSION ONE
The Reality and Authority of Nature’s God
This session explores these biblical principles embedded in the Declaration of Independence:
Principle One: God exists, has established an ordered and moral universe, and holds humanity accountable.
Principle Two: Absolute truths exist and are knowable.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SESSION TWO
The Relationship of God’s Laws to Human Happiness and Human Worth
This session explores these biblical principles embedded in the Declaration of Independence:
Principle Three: God and His laws establish the track on which men and nations must travel to attain happiness, fulfillment, and greatness; and to reach their God-given potential.
Principle Four: God has created human beings equal in value, and He intends for them to be treated with dignity and respect.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SESSION THREE
Equality and Rights: Self-Evident Marks of the Creator on Humanity
This session will explore these biblical principles embedded in the Declaration of Independence:
Principle Five: Rights are inherent and God-given and are rooted in God’s having created members of the human race in His own image.
Principle Six: Equality as used by Jefferson and the rest of the Founders refers to equality of worth and affirmation of natural opportunities, not to equality of outcomes achieved by government manipulation of outcomes, opportunities, or both.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SESSION FOUR
God Determines Rights and Gives Government the Job of Protecting Them
This session will explore these biblical principles embedded in the Declaration of Independence:
Principle Seven: Rights are inextricably linked to God’s laws.
Principle Eight: Government does not grant rights but has the responsibility to recognize, maintain, and protect them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SESSION FIVE
Government Is Accountable to God
This session will explore these biblical principles embedded in the Declaration of Independence:
Principle Nine: Government has limited authority.
Principle Ten: When government oversteps its authority and begins to achieve ends contrary to those it was established and designed by God to accomplish, the people have a right and even a duty to hold it accountable.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright © 2020 by B. Nathaniel Sullivan. All rights reserved.
A printable copy of this overview is available here.
image credit: inscription of First Amendment outside Independence Hall
Permission is granted to reproduce this material for the educational purposes for which it has been designed.
Originally published 2020/06/13 at 2:14 am