Studying God's Word is a non-denominational Bible study series targeting grades three through seven. While each course is suggested for a certain grade level, you can use them with older students.
This series is based heavily on the Bible itself, although the newest editions (the first three courses) add more personal application than was in the previous editions.
The first three courses, revised in 2023 and 2024, use the New King James Version of the Bible. The course for third grade, titled God's Plan for His People: Lessons from the Old and New Testaments, begins with five lessons from the Old Testament that summarize the story of creation, the Fall, and man's need for salvation. The remaining 36 lessons are about the life of Christ. The next two courses for grades four and five are titled Preparing God's People: Genesis to Ruth and The Rise and Fall of the Kingdom: First Samuel to Malachi. They also have 36 lessons each.
The other two courses, Book G: A Chronological Study on the Message and Ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ and Book H: A Chronological Study of the Book of Acts are recommended for grades six and seven, both using the King James Version of the Bible.
While lessons are presented chronologically, for the most part, other books of the Bible are referenced where they fit into the chronology. For instance, when covering the books of Kings, correlating content from other biblical books is sometimes inserted in the proper places. The chronological approach helps students get an overview of God's plan of salvation and how the pieces fit together.
Each course has a consumable worktext and an inexpensive teacher's manual/answer key. The first three courses have weekly quizzes (with an answer key) in their separate quiz packets but no unit tests. Books G and H have four unit tests within the student worktexts. The teacher's manuals and quiz packets are provided as stapled packets. The inside pages of all course components are printed in black and white.
The teacher's manuals begin with a few introductory pages that are essential reading for the parent/teacher, and the remainder serves as your answer key.
Revised editions of Books G and H are in the works, but I wouldn't expect them before 2025.
How the Courses Work
At the beginning of each lesson, the lesson goal, the "address" of a Scripture passage (or passages), and a memory verse are listed underneath a timeline that helps students place events in context. These are followed by background and explanatory information, then questions that require both recall and applied thinking. Students might begin by reading the background and explanatory information, then read the passage from the Bible. (The 2023 editions specify when students should read the scripture passages.)
After the background and scripture reading, students should be prepared to answer the questions. There are many simple recall questions, such as "Who descended upon Jesus as a dove?" (God's Plan for His People, p. 58). Each lesson has a few thought questions that prompt students to apply scripture to their lives, such as "What can you do when you are tempted to do wrong?" (God's Plan for His People, p. 66). Most questions are useful, but a few, such as "How much is an omer?" might seem nitpicky (Preparing God's People, p. 156). Supplemental exercises (crosswords, word searches, mazes, etc.) are included after or within many of the lessons. Frequent references to the timeline and dates help students keep the big picture in sight.
The first three courses are designed for students to complete one lesson per week. They break each lesson down into assignments for five days, although students might sometimes complete more than one day's work on a single day. Book G has 56 lessons, so students are expected to complete almost two lessons per week in that course. Book H has 43 lessons and might require slightly more than one lesson per week. Even so, the lessons in Books G and H might be completed on fewer than five days per week. Parents and students can determine how much to do each day.
Although this series is designated for use up through seventh grade, the books do not show grade levels. The content is challenging enough for students one or two years beyond the publisher's suggested grade levels, so you might use Book H up through ninth grade. I would especially recommend beginning the entire series with students in fifth grade and above if they have never done any significant Bible study.
Students past third grade should be able to work independently through most parts of the lessons. However, you might find it beneficial to read aloud and discuss the scripture passages, and thought questions might be used for discussion rather than written work. In addition, you should require oral recitation of memory verses.
Summary
This entire series is interestingly written and provides solid coverage of the most important biblical concepts. It's one of the most effective, yet relatively inexpensive options for Bible study.
