There Will Be A $5.00 Charge For Whining: A TOS Review: Grapevine Studies (New Testament 1)

Every morning, before we dangle participles or place decimal points, we dig into God’s Word. One of our favorite Bible Study curriculum companies as been Grapevine Studies . Over the past few weeks, we’ve had an opportunity to review New Testament 1: Level 4 Birth of John to Jesus' Ministry.

Grapevine Studies has a unique Bible study method. Josiah considers it inspired….he being a fan of the stick figure genre. Drawing helps students learn about the major events and characters in the Bible. And there are no artistic skills required! The stick figure characters are easy to execute.

Along with the hands-on aspect of learning, the student also hears and reads Scripture. There are questions to be answered and in our Level (4) the student is introduced to further study.

Level 4 begins with the birth of Jesus and ends to Jesus praying. You can purchase this study via an ebook download or physical book. There are 45 lessons in all.

I received the physical set. It included a Student Book and a Teacher Book. Both books were actually loose-leaf pages ready and punched to put in a binder. We spent approximately 15 minutes every day with this study, but it is really flexible. For example, we took a few days to work through the timeline at the very beginning.

Level 4 is intended for Ages 13 and up. I think the biggest difference with this Level is that it helps our kiddos learn to use valuable Bible study skills like a Bible Dictionary, Concordance and Topical Bible.

How We Used It and What We Thought

We started our Grapevine Studies journey by setting up our binders, locating the appropriate Bible Study tool, Bibles and favorite colored pencils and pens. It is also suggested that the Teacher use a whiteboard to model the stick figures. I wasn’t always near my whiteboard through the course of this study (we carried our lessons with us on a trip away to visit the Grandparents), but managed just fine with a blank piece of paper.

This is the shot of the Teacher's Book. The teaching notes are in green and easy to manage.

I’ve mentioned frequently that Josiah is both dyslexic and dygraphic. Grapevine Studies have been an AWESOME way for him to participate and not feel frustrated. The stick figures are as cute as they can be and really help cement the lesson. I also had him read brief portions of Scripture.

For example, in this lesson (Jesus Taught), each point has its own little box. I think because the point on hand was easily defined he was able to enjoy the study so much more. All the lessons are like this. Thank you, Grapevine Studies!

I am a Big Fan (in capital letters) of the timeline and constant review. I also love that Grapevine encourages and TEACHES our students how to use Bible Study tools.

This is Josiah's initial Timeline. Notice Noah's little hammer and the plans for the Ark? Too cute!

I have used Grapevine Studies with our small group of young people at church and I think it is a really fun and memorable way to learn the Bible.

Of course, Level 4 of this particular study defines itself by its use of various Bible Study tools. With each lesson the Quest Page gives students an opportunity to learn to use those tools.

For example, in Lesson 10 the student is asked to look up "apostle" in their Topical Bible. They are asked to find a verse listing the names of the twelve disciples using the Concordance. To promote further discussion they are asked to compare and contrast the religious leaders of the Jesus' day with the apostles. That led to a very heartfelt question about who Jesus looks to use...and what He looks for. Is our education, position or prestige most important to Him?

Very good stuff.

If you have a mixed-age group or just unsure of where to start here is a really great "Where to Start" pic.