One Word. One Story. One Messiah.
Welcome to a Torah-Rooted, Messiah-Centered Year of Study
Step into a year-long journey through Scripture that is firmly grounded in the Torah, illuminated by the Prophets and Writings, and fulfilled in Jesus the Messiah.
This study is designed to help you understand God’s commands, God’s promises, and the life of holiness God calls His people to walk in—and to see how Jesus does not abolish these things, but fulfills, deepens, and embodies them.
At its heart, this is a study about learning to read the Bible as one unified story, centered on the living Word of God.
How This Study Serves the Life of the Church
This study exists within a larger vision for the life of the church.
Our long-term prayer is to see a community where every believer grows into their calling as a Spirit-led priest—able to hear God’s Word, live it faithfully, and help others do the same. That kind of community does not emerge overnight. It is cultivated through patient formation, shared practices, and leaders who are deeply rooted in Scripture.
The Living Word — Discovering Yeshua in the Torah, Prophets, and Writings is designed to serve that purpose.
This is not intended to replace simple discipleship, small groups, or everyday Bible reading. Instead, it functions as a deep formation well—shaping elders, teachers, parents, and disciplers whose lives and leadership will quietly nourish the wider church.
Some will engage with this study directly.
Many more will be shaped by its fruit.
Why This Study Begins Where Scripture Begins
We are studying the Bible from this perspective because this is how Scripture presents itself.
The Bible does not begin with the Gospels. It begins with God creating the world, calling a people, entering into covenant, and revealing His character and ways. The Torah lays the foundation for life with God. The Prophets call God’s people back when they wander. The Writings explore what faithful life looks like through wisdom, worship, suffering, and hope.
When the time was right, Jesus stepped into this story—not as a departure from it, but as its fulfillment.
When we read the New Testament without the foundation laid in the Torah, Scripture can feel fragmented, and discipleship can become thin. This study seeks to recover the continuity, depth, and coherence of God’s Word by allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture.
Jesus and the Whole Counsel of God
Jesus did not appear in a vacuum. He taught, healed, confronted, and redeemed within the world shaped by the Torah. He spoke the language of the Prophets. He prayed the Psalms. He lived the story Israel had been telling for generations—and He brought that story to its completion.
At times in this study, we may refer to Jesus by His Hebrew name, Yeshua, particularly when exploring the historical and covenantal context of Scripture. This name, which means “The Lord saves,” helps illuminate the meaning of His life and mission within God’s unfolding revelation.
Calling Him Jesus is fully appropriate and faithful, and this study does not require adopting Hebrew terminology. Our aim is understanding, not linguistic precision.
What This Study Is Not
Because this study approaches Scripture through its original covenant framework, it is important to be clear about what it is not.
This study is not about becoming Jewish or “more Jewish.”
We are not asking participants to:
- Convert to Judaism
- Adopt Jewish identity or cultural practices
- Begin keeping the feasts or Jewish holidays
- Order life according to the lunar calendar
- Learn Hebrew as a requirement for understanding Scripture
- Replace Christian worship practices with Jewish ones
- Nor even to call Jesus by His Jewish name, Yeshua, or Yeheshua, or Yaheshua
None of these things are required for faithfulness to Jesus.
What We Are Doing Instead
What we are doing is recognizing that God chose to reveal Himself in history—to real people, in a real culture, through real language—and that Jesus entered that same world.
God revealed His character, His will, and His purposes through the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings. Understanding the roots of that revelation strengthens our grasp of the gospel, deepens our love for Christ, and matures our discipleship.
We are not adopting cultural practices as obligations.
We are not chasing rituals.
We are not changing identities.
We are learning to listen more carefully to Scripture on its own terms, so that our faith may be more deeply formed and more faithfully lived.
Who This Study Is For
This study is especially suited for those who sense a calling to help shape others in the faith.
This includes:
- Elders and church leaders
- Teachers and small-group facilitators
- Parents discipling children at home
- Those preparing for baptismal mentorship
- Believers longing for a deeper, integrated grasp of Scripture
- Anyone drawn to a slower, more formative walk with God’s Word
That said, all are welcome. You do not need prior knowledge. You do not need to agree with everything on day one. You only need a willingness to listen, learn, and walk faithfully.
Some will walk this path for personal formation.
Others will walk it so they may better serve and disciple others.
Both are holy callings.
An Invitation to a Formational Journey
This is not a fast study. It is a formational one.
We will move slowly. We will ask good questions. We will allow Scripture to interpret Scripture. And above all, we will seek to be shaped by the same Word that formed Israel, confronted the prophets, and took on flesh in Jesus the Messiah.
May this journey help us hear again the ancient call:
“Be holy, for I am holy.”
And may we discover that in Jesus Christ, this call is not diminished—but intensified.
A Study That Forms Listeners Before Leaders
Scripture reminds us that the people of God are first called to hear before they are sent to act.
This study emphasizes listening—to God’s Word, to the story of Scripture, and to the Spirit’s shaping work over time. Our hope is that those formed here will naturally become people who:
- Lead others into Scripture, not away from it
- Prepare others for baptism and faithful living
- Strengthen homes, small groups, and shared worship
- Help the church remain rooted, humble, and attentive to God
This is slow work. It is holy work. And it bears fruit over years, not weeks.
How to Use This Study
This study is designed to be formational rather than rushed. It invites you to slow down, listen carefully, and grow in confidence as you learn to read Scripture as one unified story centered on the living Word of God.
There is no single “right” pace or method. Use what follows as a guide, not a rule.
1. Choose a category
Each category focuses on a major theme in Scripture—foundations, worship, holiness, purity, wisdom, discipleship, and more.
Simply click “View Studies” under the category you want to explore.
2. Visit the category landing page
There you will find a table of weekly studies, each with a title and short summary.
These pages allow you to see the whole year at a glance and to enter the study wherever you are drawn.
3. Select a weekly study
Click on any week’s title to open the full lesson.
Each lesson includes:
- a clear overview
- a primary Torah portion
- supporting Scriptures
- gentle Hebrew learning
- Messianic connections
- devotional reflections
- discussion questions
- a flexible 7-day reading plan
These elements are meant to orient your attention, not exhaust the topic.
📖 Studying Beyond the Page: Tracing Scripture
At times, a lesson may present:
- a primary text
- a key Hebrew word
- a Messianic insight or theological clue
…but may not list every possible cross-reference or New Testament connection.
This is intentional.
Rather than supplying every answer, this study encourages you to learn how to trace Scripture for yourself, allowing Scripture to interpret Scripture.
An Example
You may encounter:
- Genesis 1:1
- the Hebrew word beresheit (“in the beginning”)
- a Messianic insight pointing toward Messiah as Creator
From there, you are invited to ask:
- Where else does Scripture speak of “the beginning”?
- How do the Prophets echo this theme?
- How do the Gospels or Apostles speak of Messiah’s role in creation or life?
You may find it helpful to create your own cross-reference sheet, guided by the Messianic connection provided.
🔍 Tools for Deeper Study
You do not need to be a scholar to study Scripture deeply. A few accessible tools can support your growth:
- Blue Letter Bible (blueletterbible.org)
Compare translations, explore original language words, and follow cross-references. - Interlinear Bibles
View Hebrew and Greek alongside English translations. - Study Bibles and Commentaries
Use these as conversation partners—not as replacements for Scripture itself.
Always return to the biblical text as your primary authority.
🧠 Learning to Ask Good Questions
Faithful Bible study begins with attentive questions, not quick conclusions.
As you study, practice asking questions that help draw out the original meaning of the text.
Historical Questions
- Who first heard these words?
- Where are we in Israel’s story?
- What circumstances shaped this moment?
Cultural Questions
- What everyday practices or assumptions does this passage rely on?
- What would have felt familiar—or surprising—to the original audience?
- What images or metaphors carried emotional or spiritual weight?
Literary Questions
- What kind of writing is this—narrative, law, poetry, prophecy, wisdom, letter?
- What comes before and after this passage?
- Are there repeated words, patterns, or contrasts?
These questions help us hear Scripture on its own terms before applying it to our own lives.
📜 Meaning Before Application
A helpful guiding principle is this:
Meaning comes before application.
Before asking,
“What does this mean for me?”
We first ask:
- What did this mean to its original hearers?
- What does this reveal about God’s character and purposes?
- What response was faithfulness calling for in that context?
But faithful study does not end there.
🙏 Listening for God’s Word to You, Right Now
After seeking the original meaning of the text, we intentionally turn our attention toward personal response.
As you pray and reflect, ask:
- What is God saying to me through this passage right now?
- What area of my life is being affirmed, corrected, or invited into growth?
- What small, concrete step of obedience is being placed before me today?
This step may involve:
- repentance
- trust
- restraint
- courage
- reconciliation
- a new habit or practice
- deeper faithfulness in ordinary life
Do not rush this moment. Sit with the Word. Listen in prayer. Write if it helps. Obedience often begins with quiet clarity.
🕊 A Posture of Humility and Patience
Not every question will have an immediate answer. Some passages invite us to sit, wrestle, and wait.
When clarity does not come quickly:
- remain attentive
- pray through the tension
- allow Scripture to shape you over time
This study is not about mastering information.
It is about being formed by the Word of God.
🙌 Growing as a Disciple—and Learning to Guide Others
As you practice careful reading, thoughtful questioning, and prayerful obedience, you may find yourself growing into someone who:
- hears God’s voice more clearly in Scripture
- lives faith more intentionally
- guides others without controlling conclusions
- helps others discern faithful next steps
This is part of becoming a disciple who makes disciples.
Move at the pace of prayer.
Let the Spirit lead the process.
Trust the Word to do its work.
🙌 Grow as a Disciple — and Make Disciples
This journey is not just about gaining knowledge.
It’s about becoming a disciple of Yeshua —
and growing into someone who makes disciples,
living out the words:
Yehoshua — “The LORD saves!”
(Jesus / Yeshua)
As you study, may God strengthen your faith, sharpen your understanding, deepen your obedience, and fill you with joy in His presence.
📖 Now, choose a category and begin your journey.
May you be blessed, transformed, and equipped —
for the glory of God and in the name of Yeshua (Jesus), our Messiah.
Explore by Category
1. Foundations of Faith and Covenant
Who God is and how His covenants shape His people. Torah’s foundation and the call to wholehearted love and obedience
2. Worship, Sacrifice, & Holiness
Approaching God in purity and Reverence: tabernacle, priesthood, offerings and appointed times fulfilled in Messiah.
3. Life, Purity & Justice
Explore God’s instructions for purity, justice, and the protection of life — and see how Yeshua fulfills and deepens each one.
4. Covenant, Justice & Community
Exploring how God forms a righteous society built on covenant faithfulness, compassion, responsibility, and shared identity in Messiah.
5. Kings, Exile & Return
Walking through the rise and fall of Israel’s kingdom and discovering how God’s mercy, justice, and promises endure through every generation.
6. Songs, Wisdom & Worship
Encounter the heart of God through Psalms, Proverbs, and Wisdom writings — learning to pray, worship, and walk with Him in holiness, honesty, trust, and awe.
7. The Messianic Hope & the Coming Kingdom
Rooted in the Torah and unfolding through the Prophets and Writings, this category traces the promise of the coming Messiah and reveals how Yeshua embodies the Seed, the Servant, and the King.
8. The Nation, the Stranger, and the Kingdom
God’s purpose for Israel as a holy nation and a light to the world.
9. The Inner Life, the Heart, and Holiness
God desires not only external obedience but a transformed heart.
10. Hope, Redemption, & The Kingdom to Come
Return and restoration, resurrection hope, and the reign of the Living Word.
© The Living Word. All Scriptures used for teaching and discipleship
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