Study Guide

This study guide is designed to help you grow in godliness by practicing what you learn in Visual Theology. Since growth in godliness is both personal and communal, the study guide has both personal and small group studies. Here’s what you’ll find for each chapter: 

Big Picture

These are the main themes you’ll focus on in the group study. 

Key Terms

This section is an opportunity to grow your vocabulary by gathering your own definitions. There are additional Scriptures to read for each term. 

Group Study

Your group studies will be most effective if participants read both the chapter and the study before you meet. It should take you about 45 minutes to an hour to complete your study. Each study is divided into three divisions: 

• REFLECT
  Start by reflecting on a specific situation or story from your life that relates to the chapter. What you do and what you think are windows into your heart. Don’t worry about being critical or fixing things yet. Just tell your stories and then reflect on them. 
• ENCOUNTER
  God’s word speaks into every area of your life. Now look in the Bible to see what God says about the gospel and growth. We’ve tried to keep visual elements of the book to grow your understanding and to make it more fun! 
• TRANSFORM
  The goal of the study is personal growth in godliness. In light of God’s word, both in the chapter and the study guide, talk about what needs to be different and how it will happen. 

Personal Reflection

This section helps you think reflectively about what you have learned in each chapter. You can work through this section on your own before or after your group study. 

The reflection section is drawn from the book of Colossians, and it contains Scripture readings and personal assignments to practice the truths you are learning. Colossians is about growth in the gospel. The apostle Paul was worried that the church would be tempted away from Christ and the gospel, and his letter teaches us how the gospel is sufficient for us to know Christ and become like him. 

Visualize

If you’re an artist or visual learner you know that the creative process is a chance to learn through visualizing. This section invites others to illustrate theology, so quotes, terms, and Scripture references in Visual Theology are only the beginning. We’d love to see your work, so share with us on Twitter using the hashtag #visualtheology or our Facebook page: facebook.com/visualtheology. 

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, and his incomparably great power for us who believe” (Ephesians 1:18-19a).