Illuminate Bible Series - Scope & Sequence

There are a couple of common pitfalls regarding God’s Word that we wanted to avoid in creating our overall plan for Illuminate Bible Series:

Pitfall #1: seeing the Bible as merely a collection of heroic stories, miracles, and principles

Pitfall #2: treating the Bible primarily as a history book by using a strictly chronological approach

We believe the best way to study the Bible is through a careful presentation of its central message—the story of God’s grace and glory, which is ultimately expressed in Jesus Christ.

Realities to Remember

  • God is at the center of the Bible. It was He who superintended and empowered the exciting lives of the characters in the Bible.
  • Each book of the Bible is tied to the great central theme of God’s grace and glory, even though we seek to understand each book in its historical context.
  • Seeing Jesus is essential. Instead of wading through nearly five years of chronological studies to finally get to Jesus, He is featured prominently in all six years of study.

What Is the Plan?

Elementary Students

Each year of the curriculum highlights an important attribute of God, using the stories of Scripture to place Him at the center of all things while continually highlighting the work and Person of Jesus.

  1. God Our Savior—an exploration of God’s work of salvation
  2. Our Faithful God—a focus on God as one who keeps His promises
  3. Our God of Mercy and Grace—a study of the wonderful mercy and grace God shows His people
  4. Jesus, Our Prophet, Priest, and King—a discussion of how the Old Testament points to Jesus
  5. Jesus, God’s Son—a survey of how Jesus is fully God
  6. God Will Triumph—a review of how God prevails for all eternity

Elementary Scope and Sequence Volume Breakdown

Upper Grade Students

In the first three years, students will acquire the basics for understanding the message of the Bible. The final three years look at how God’s kingdom is at work.

  1. God’s Glory: The Reason for Everything—an exploration of the greatness of God
  2. The Glory of Christ: The Center of History—a concentrated focus on Christ
  3. Faith: The Response to God’s Glory—a study of God’s relationship with His people
  4. God’s Glory as He Builds His Kingdom—a discussion of how God’s kingdom grows
  5. Living for God’s Glory—a survey of the ways in which we are to live for God’s glory
  6. The Triumph of God’s Glory—a review of how God prevails for all eternity

Upper Grade Scope and Sequence Volume Breakdown

Is it a Chronological Study?

Each week is designed to thoroughly explore Bible passages that exalt our great God. The first year of our elementary study, God Our Savior, shows how God has redeemed His people. God’s work of salvation is traced from Genesis to Revelation as students see how He is carrying out His plan for Creation. Notice that the individual units progress chronologically while connecting to the grand story of Scripture:

  1. CREATION (Garden of Eden)
  2. FALL (Adam and Eve, Sodom and Gomorrah, the Tower of Babel, Noah)
  3. REDEMPTION (God’s deliverance of the Israelites and Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection)
  4. RESTORATION (God’s final victory and the believer’s glorious future)

Though each year is not fully chronological, many of the units in the six books are structured chronologically.

So, far from ignoring the chronology of Scripture, we believe it is helpful for students to see the central themes of Scripture as collections of stories are explored.

This approach will so equip elementary students that at the end of these studies, they will discover many prominent stories in the Bible and their great truths.

A Great Reward!

This approach will so equip students that at the end of these studies, they will possess invaluable skills to continue their lifelong study of the Bible and its great truths. But besides mastering academic content and historical facts, hopefully your child will also have a close relationship with our glorious God!