Been There. Done That. Really?
I was having a conversation with someone the other day and they said something that shocked me and made me think for a while. We were talking about worship and Bible Study and this person said to me, “I don’t have time to go to church on Sunday mornings and, besides, I have read the entire Bible, what more could I learn?” Needless to say, I was shocked and surprised. I have studied the Bible for the last 30 years and 16 of those 30 years in formal theological education. I have read hundreds of books on various Biblical subjects and have even written a few. I have been in Sunday School classes and seminars and have attended conferences, listened to sermons on tape, CD and the radio and I am convinced of one thing above all…I need to study more of the Bible so that I can know it and know God and obey Him!
I am not sure how we get to the point that we feel this way. I suspect that it is because we find ourselves in circumstances in which we cannot go to church on Sunday mornings and we use it as an excuse to help us feel better about not going. I think this stems from getting further from God so that He does not seem quite so big anymore. I am just guessing that no one ever really intends to go there, but we make choices that have consequences we don’t see coming and we find ourselves hanging out in the breeze and unable to find our footing. One day, we look around and find that we cannot even remember the last time we read God’s word and it came to life and went to work right then in our lives.
I want to make sure that does not happen to anyone in this church. That is the primary reason that we offer several opportunities to study God’s word together each week. Of course, there is Sunday School. Many people think of Sunday school as only for children, but this could not be further from the truth. This is one of the best opportunities to study the Bible because we have dedicated teachers that study carefully to present each passage accurately and timely. This is also a great opportunity because you get to interact with others and with the text. If you don’t understand something, you have the opportunity to ask. If you have some great insight you have discovered, you have someone to share it with.
We also have Sunday morning worship in which we get to worship God together through music, prayer, Bible study, and sharing our gifts, talents, and treasures. This is a great time because it is a time to be encouraged, challenged, corrected, and directed from the word of God. It is a time when we can be with other believers and provides a time to respond corporately and individually to God’s activity in our hearts and in our midst.
We provide a Sunday Evening Worship Service at 6:00 PM for those that work on Sunday morning or those that just want another opportunity to study God’s word. Right now, we are working our way through deeper topics that address the attitudes and actions we should exhibit as followers of Jesus.
There is a Thursday Evening Bible Study where we are working through the Old Testament books of ½ Samuel, ½ Kings, and ½ Chronicles. This study is led by the Pastor. We have Wednesday Evening prayer and devotion time. We have various small group studies that go on at various times throughout the year and are always open to other studies and opportunities as they present themselves.
I hope that no person associated with this church ever gets to the point that they feel as if they no longer need to study God’s word. Even more than that, I hope that no one ever gets to the point that they feel there is no chance for them to do so. I hope that we all grow up into Christ as our Head so that we can attain to the full measure of Christ. Keep studying and keep growing.