berean-study

name	berean-study
description	Expand sermon notes or Bible passages with additional scripture references, biblical context, and cross-testament connections. Outputs a beautifully designed single HTML page for a personal study library.

Berean Study

"Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." — Acts 17:11

Take teaching and dig into the Word to expand, verify, and connect.

Input Types

The skill accepts three kinds of input:

1. Sermon notes — From a Fearless House email or any church sermon. Read the images, extract the notes, then expand.
2. A passage — "Study Romans 8" or "Berean study on John 15:1-17". Start from the text itself.
3. Pasted notes — User provides their own notes or outline to expand.

Expansion Process

For each point or section in the source material:

1. Identify the Core Truth

State the main idea in one sentence. What is this point really saying?

2. Add Scripture References (3-6 per point)

Find verses that:

• Reinforce the point from a different book or testament
• Deepen it with additional context or nuance
• Show the pattern across Scripture (OT → NT continuity)
• Apply it practically

For each reference, include:

• The full verse text (use ESV as the baked-in text)
• A 1-2 sentence explanation of how it connects to the point
• The book, chapter, and verse in standard format

3. Biblical Placement

For each major section, write a short paragraph explaining:

• Where this passage sits in the biblical narrative
• What was happening historically when it was written
• How it connects to the broader arc of Scripture

4. Cross-Testament Threads

When an OT passage is fulfilled or echoed in the NT (or vice versa), call it out explicitly. These threads reveal the unity of Scripture.

Series Awareness

Check the studies/ directory for existing HTML files. Look for:

• Same series name (e.g., other "You've Heard It Said" parts)
• Same church/source
• Related topics

If previous studies exist in a series, link to them in the header navigation.

Output

File Generation

Generate a single self-contained HTML file using the template at: .claude/skills/berean-study/template.html

Read the template and generate the output file with all content filled in.

Filename: studies/{date}-{slugified-title}.html Example: studies/2026-03-22-youve-heard-it-said-pt2.html

Library Index

After generating the study file, update studies/index.html:

• If it doesn't exist, create it using the library template at .claude/skills/berean-study/library-template.html
• Add the new study to the list
• Maintain reverse chronological order
• Group by series when applicable

Content Structure in the HTML

The generated HTML must include:

1. Header — Church/source name, date, series title, part number
2. Series navigation — Links to other parts if they exist
3. Table of contents — Anchor links to each section
4. Expanded sections — Each point with:
   • Section heading with drop cap on first paragraph
   • Primary scripture in a featured block
   • Expansion text with inline scripture references
   • Additional references as expandable blocks
   • "Biblical Placement" in a distinct aside style
5. Scripture Index — All verses referenced, in canonical order (Genesis → Revelation), each linking to its section and to Blue Letter Bible

Scripture Reference Format

Every scripture reference in the HTML must be:

• Wrapped in <a> tags with class scripture-ref
• data-book, data-chapter, data-verse attributes for the JS translation switcher
• href pointing to Blue Letter Bible (default ESV)
• target="_blank" with rel="noopener"

The translation dropdown (stored in localStorage) updates all BLB links on the page via JavaScript.

Blue Letter Bible URL Pattern

https://www.blueletterbible.org/{translation}/{book-abbrev}/{chapter}/{verse}/

Book abbreviations for BLB URLs:

Book	Abbrev	Book	Abbrev
Genesis	gen	Matthew	mat
Exodus	exo	Mark	mar
Leviticus	lev	Luke	luk
Numbers	num	John	jhn
Deuteronomy	deu	Acts	act
Joshua	jos	Romans	rom
Judges	jdg	1 Corinthians	1co
Ruth	rth	2 Corinthians	2co
1 Samuel	1sa	Galatians	gal
2 Samuel	2sa	Ephesians	eph
1 Kings	1ki	Philippians	phl
2 Kings	2ki	Colossians	col
1 Chronicles	1ch	1 Thessalonians	1th
2 Chronicles	2ch	2 Thessalonians	2th
Ezra	ezr	1 Timothy	1ti
Nehemiah	neh	2 Timothy	2ti
Esther	est	Titus	tit
Job	job	Philemon	phm
Psalms	psa	Hebrews	heb
Proverbs	pro	James	jas
Ecclesiastes	ecc	1 Peter	1pe
Song of Solomon	sng	2 Peter	2pe
Isaiah	isa	1 John	1jo
Jeremiah	jer	2 John	2jo
Lamentations	lam	3 John	3jo
Ezekiel	eze	Jude	jud
Daniel	dan	Revelation	rev
Hosea	hos
Joel	joe
Amos	amo
Obadiah	oba
Jonah	jon
Micah	mic
Nahum	nah
Habakkuk	hab
Zephaniah	zep
Haggai	hag
Zechariah	zec
Malachi	mal

Supported Translations

Name	BLB Code	Display
English Standard Version	esv	ESV
New King James Version	nkjv	NKJV
King James Version	kjv	KJV
New American Standard Bible	nasb20	NASB
New International Version	niv	NIV
New Living Translation	nlt	NLT

Default: ESV

Quality Standards

• Every verse reference must be accurate — book, chapter, verse verified
• Inline verse text must be faithful to the ESV (the baked-in translation)
• Expansion should be substantive, not filler — each added reference should genuinely illuminate the point
• Biblical placement sections should be historically grounded
• Tone: reverent but accessible, scholarly but warm — like a trusted study partner, not a commentary