Our Hebrew Connection is a bible study designed to provide introductory information to Christians about the Jewish roots of our faith. If you are a Gentile brought up within the framework of American Christian traditions, you probably have little or no familiarity with Judaism. However, this is the background and culture of our Lord. The things He said and many of the seemingly unusual things He did take on a much deeper meaning once they are explained within their Jewish context.
You may be wondering why Christians today would want to connect with their ancient Jewish roots. For a possible answer, let’s look to Scripture. We are told in Romans 11 that we Gentiles are like wild olive shoots grafted into a tree with deep Jewish roots. These roots are anchored firmly in the soil of God’s Word and His promises. We are also told that because we have been grafted in to this Jewish root, we can now share in the nourishing sap from this spiritually rich root. This nourishing sap literally brings life and meaning to our own relationship with our Messiah as we learn more and more about His “Jewishness.”
Once you know Jesus as a Jew, you will discover things about Him that will draw you into a more intimate relationship with Him. You will truly have a deeper understanding of Him. Many of the Scriptures that may have confused you will suddenly make more sense. You will understand the historical and cultural significance of many of the things He taught. You will understand the veiled motives behind the questions some of His listeners asked. You will see that quite often He is answering questions or concerns that were hot topics of debate during His time. You will see how Jesus’ own “Hebrew connection” shaped everything He said and did. Quite simply, Jesus was a Jew and it affected how He lived. If you want to really know Jesus, you cannot ignore the significance of this fact.
We have already mentioned that this is a basic introductory course. If you are well versed in the Jewish roots of the Christian faith, this material will be too elementary for you. If on the other hand, you have little or no exposure to the “Jewishness” of Jesus, then this is a good place to start. We believe it will whet your appetite to learn more about your own Hebrew connection. Once you get started learning about this aspect of your faith, you are likely to want to know more. Therefore, we have provided a bibliography at the end of the curriculum. Reading the books listed in the bibliography will allow those who are so inclined to continue their study.
Nancy Byram taught her first class on the Jewishness of Jesus over 8 years ago. She later changed the name to Our Hebrew Connection. She has taught the Hebrew Connection material to Christians in a variety of settings, from classes at her local church to retreats and conferences throughout the United States. Nancy has also traveled to Israel 14 times and led numerous tour groups throughout Israel.
Five years ago, Becky Preble took one of Nancy’s Hebrew Connection classes. At the conclusion of the class, she commented that the material should be put into an easy to teach format so others could teach it and help spread the information throughout the Church. Becky had written a curriculum published by Lifeway and a number of other teaching resources on a variety of subjects, and so she offered to help Nancy put the material into the curriculum you now hold in your hands.
Nancy and Becky are both passionate about this subject. Nancy’s ministry has been primarily to adults, while Becky’s ministry is to high school and college students. Becky is a college and career counselor who has spent the past 20 years helping young people identify their natural talents and God-given strengths to match them with a college and career path.
Through her work with young people, Becky has heard from countless high school and college students about their disappointment with their Christian faith. The vast majority of these young people were raised in Christian homes but explain how once they got to college they gradually began to lose interest in their faith. Many tell her how fascinated they have become with Eastern religions and describe how they are looking into becoming Muslims or Buddhists. They are fascinated with these religions because they view them as being “ancient, with deep Eastern roots.” When Becky tells them that Christianity has its foundations in Israel so it is, in the truest sense, an Eastern religion with an even more ancient history than Islam or Buddhism, they are shocked. They have always thought of Christianity as being an American religion. Becky believes the youth in the Church today desperately need to know about the fullness and richness of Christianity’s Jewish roots.
Nancy and Becky hope to see the Hebrew Connection material taught in high school and college groups as well as in adult classes. The material is suitable for both age groups. Where there are activities suggested within the curriculum that might be more appropriate for the youth, they are denoted as such in the Teacher's Guide. We believe that Christians, whether in a youth group, Sunday School Class, or adult Bible Study will be blessed and nourished through learning about the Jewish roots of our faith. It is our prayer that the material contained in Our Hebrew Connection will stir them on to further study and will lead them into a deeper and more meaningful relationship with Jesus. After all, for we Gentiles, He is our true Hebrew connection.
In 1999, Nancy was asked to teach a Bible course to a women's group. She promptly asked if she could teach on the 'Jewishness of Jesus', a subject often overlooked in many churches. The response was an immediate, "Absolutely!"
After successfully writing and teaching an eight-week curriculum for five years, Nancy partnered with Becky Preble to rewrite, edit and refashion the material. It is now called Our Hebrew Connection. It has been taught by pastors and lay people in churches in Texas, Colorado, Oregon and California and at the Air Force Academy Community Center Chapel.
Significant to her ongoing journey of education and discovery, Nancy has spent her entire adult life traveling and leading study tours to many countries. She has made 18 trips to Israel and as a result has developed opportunities for groups from her church to minister in Messianic congregations and to Russian immigrants in a kibbutz in Israel. In her travels, she has gained valuable insights while visiting Holocaust sites, synagogues and Jewish cemeteries throughout Eastern Europe and Germany.
Nancy's ministry outreach includes women's conferences in Messianic congregations in Haifa, Israel and in San Antonio, TX. She has been a speaker at conferences in California, Washington State and Texas. One of her lifetime desires was realized in June, 2009, when four of her adult grandsons and her daughter, Judy, accompanied her on a tour she led to Israel.
Nancy is an accomplished pianist and singer and has led music ministries for years in military chapels and churches throughout the United States and Germany.
Nancy's passion is for the Church and Christians everywhere to have an opportunity to understand the Jewish roots of their faith. She says, "It is life changing." Nancy is married to Chaplain, Col. (ret.) David P. Byram. They live in Boerne, Texas.
To contact Nancy Byram, email her at nancy@ourhebrewconnection.com
BECKY PREBLE is a college and career counselor with more than twenty years’ experience in guiding her clients to develop unique career/life plans. She specializes in helping people discover their natural talents and match their God- given abilities to college and career paths. Becky is a speaker, writer, and seminar leader. Her first book, Heading in the Right Direction (a biblically based career- planning program for high school students) was published by LifeWay in 1999. Since that time, she has written Discover Your Child’s Natural Talents; How to Pick a College Major; and she has updated and revised Heading in the Right Direction. She is also the developer of the Get a Direction Natural Talent Questionnaire.
Becky speaks at parent and teacher conferences throughout the United States. She also speaks to high school and college students and at leadership retreats and conferences. She recently spoke in Haifa, Israel, at a women’s conference on the importance of considering natural talents when starting a small business or cottage industry.
Becky has conducted extensive research into the Jewish roots of the Christian faith. She teaches the Our Hebrew Connection curriculum to youth groups, Sunday school classes, ladies Bible studies and at ladies retreats. She is one of the founding members of the Alliance of Starfish (a non-profit organization dedicated to reconnecting Christians to their Jewish roots).
Becky is the founder and owner of the Get a Direction College and Career Guidance Center in Boerne, Texas, where she offers seminars, classes, and guidance counseling services. She is a graduate of Texas A&M University and is a Certified Career Counselor. She and her husband, Skip, have two grown daughters and live in the Texas Hill Country.
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