A Bible study written by Trevecca students to accompany the student-made documentary Your Kingdom Come is now available nationally.
Published by The Foundry Publishing, Your Kingdom Come: A Study from the Holy Land is a video-based, seven-part Bible study exploring the history of Israel and what it means for the kingdom of God to be alive in the world. Your Kingdom Come is a documentary made entirely by students as part of a Faculty-Led Research Experience (FLARE) project, following the story of the Israelites as they anticipate the arrival of God’s kingdom on earth.
“The entire study series traces the notion of kingdom throughout Israel’s history and into the early church. It goes on into what kindgom means for us into a contemporary setting,” said Tim Gaines, assistant professor of religion and one of the authors of the study.
Gaines accompanied the group to Israel and provided context for the students about the significance of the ancient sites they were experiencing.
“The kingdom is not just a disembodied reality with no impact on our lives—it has critical implications for the way Christians are living in the day-to-day movement of life,” he said. “One of the themes people will see is that kingdom of God is not only a spiritual reality, but a profound on-the-ground reality. It matters for here and now. You can’t really understand who you are as a citizen unless you understand the dynamics of the kingdom, so I hope those who use the study gain a deeper understanding of who they are as citizens of the kingdom of God.”
Sabrina Phillips, a senior religion major, was one of the students from Trevecca who wrote the study. She said being on the ground in Israel felt surreal.
“We’d all read and studied about places in Israel that were critical for events in the Bible since we were little,” she said. “When we’re staying in Galilee, the place Jesus began his ministry and called His disciples, I felt so close to Christ. We were walking, talking, taking in where Jesus just lived his everyday life. I don’t think most of us still understand how truly blessed we are to have walked where Jesus has.”
For Phillips, being immersed in Israel gave her a new perspective on what it means to minister to the kingdom, that her approach to ministry was forever changed by being on the ground in the Holy Land.
“It is such an honor to have been a part of such an important project, and it is an honor to have been allowed to participate in something that will help others in understanding the kingdom of God,” she said.
Gaines said it is this kind of reflection the project was intended to garner.
“There is no better classroom than where Jesus walked and talked and taught. There’s no better place to teach than in the footsteps of the great teacher,” he said.
The study is available for purchase around the globe from Amazon and The Foundry Publishing. University president Dan Boone said he hopes the study acts as an extension of Trevecca’s service to the global church.
“I hope this curriculum is a gift and blessing to the churches who love Trevecca,” said Boone. “I am just so excited to see the kind of research that not only educates students, but also spreads the good news of the kingdom of God.”
Your Kingdom Come was produced as a FLARE project as part of Trevecca’s Quality Enhancement Program (QEP). This program allows undergraduates to experience research first-hand. More than 20 students from Trevecca’s film, religion and music departments led the production, writing, directing and producing the documentary and Bible study curriculum alongside faculty from each of the programs.
By Bailey Basham
Media contact: Mandy Crow, mmcrow@trevecca.edu, 615-248-1695