So, what's the big deal about the 25th Anniversary of Dublin Community Church / Dublin Bible Church anyway? Why make a fuss out of it? It's just another year, and millions of churches have crossed this milestone before us. Besides, isn't making a big deal out of this just patting ourselves on the back?
There are plenty of "second-order" reasons why we want to make a big deal out of this anniversary. For example, the church that planted us planted several other churches, too, but DBC is the only one still standing. In fact, the percentage is high for churches that are started but don't make it to 25 years. A band of folks get an idea that they'd like to start a new church for whatever reasons, get a lot of energy and excitement, storm out of the gates, but then when the "new church smell" fades, the enthusiasm wanes and the church closes its doors. Making it to 25 years is a big deal.
Furthermore, for a church of less than one hundred, it's even harder to still be around for the silver anniversary. And yet, DCC/DBC has not only kept the doors open, but has never missed a financial commitment to our missionaries, never failed to pay the light bill, never failed to put God's Word front and center of our teaching, and never even come close to the precipice of closing the doors. We may not be big, but we've never been on the ropes.
Additionally, we have had a number of challenges that can undermine a church's health. But rather than try to sweep them under the carpet, our leadership has consistently taken the approach of dealing with difficult issues straight on. One effect of this approach is that when our fallenness threatens our church, we don't worsen the problem by pretending that we're not all that fallen. One of our strengths is acknowledging our weaknesses and our reliance on God's power to carry us through.
But these are all "second-order" reasons. For me, the "first-order" reason to make a big deal out of 25 years is because God set the pattern of creating memorials. He created celebrations and feasts in order to give the people a way to remember what God has done in their midst. We must remember what God has done in order to trust Him for what He's going to do. We don't know what He will do in the future, but if we remember what He has done in the past, we can face forward with confidence that He will continue to be at work in our church and through our church. God wants us to create ways to remember His works.
All the good things that have happened within the DCC/DBC community are things He has done, not us. Even all the "second-order" reasons to celebrate are things He has done. A feast, just like in the Old Testament, is an enjoyable way to give God credit. As we enjoy one another's fellowship and enjoy delicious food, we feel the joy related to God's goodness. We have an event to hang memories on. We take time out to remember that God is God, and that He is at work in our fellowship.
Our celebration, again like those in the Old Testament, is also intended to pass down to our children the story of God's faithfulness in our midst. Our children need to see in the lives of our community that God is active. We can teach them about how He is active in the lives of people in the Bible, and we should. But we must also show them that He's not only at work in the lives of "Bible people" who live in "Bible lands" during the "Bible times." He's at work in the lives of us people right there right now. A fun feast teaches our children the goodness of God's activity in the lives of His people then and now.
Do join us this Saturday from 4-7 for a good ol' fashioned "pig pickin'", and then Sunday from 10 to noon for a celebration of what God has done within our people over the last 25 years.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
What's Prince Caspian About?
I have been surprised by the number of times I've been asked this question. We've been announcing that our VBS this year will be based on the book Prince Caspian, and many of you have asked what it's all about. There's curiosity, but just not as much familiarity as there is with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, the first book of C.S. Lewis's "The Chronicles of Narnia."
On the surface, the story is about the same four children from LWW, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie and their return to the mythical land of Narnia. One year has passed in their lives, but 1300 years has passed in Narnia - the timelines never match up between the two worlds. When they arrive, the learn of a young prince, Caspian, who is the rightful one to be King of Narnia, but the post has been assumed by his uncle Miraz, who ascended to the throne through deception and murder. The story follows the battle of Prince Caspian with his small army of talking beasts and creatures fighting under the banner of Aslan, the Great Lion, against King Miraz and his large army of battle-tested warrior men.
Below the surface, Lewis tells a fascinating tale of faith. Several storylines interweave to compare and contrast characters and the decisions they make according to their faith. Lucy and Trufflehunter (a talking badger) are consistently faithful (although not perfect), showing us what Lewis portrays as model faith. Trumpkin the dwarf begins from the perspective of what we would call "modernity" (the view that the only reality is physical and the only knowledge is scientific), but later he converts to adopt the same kind of faith as Trufflehunter. Nikabrik, another dwarf, displays what we would call "post-modernity" (the view that the spiritual world exists, but absolute Right and Wrong do not). The older Pevensie children display various levels of genuine faith that is plagued by doubts caused by the effects of modernity.
Ultimately, it seems to me that the story is about comparing the childlike faith that Jesus teaches us to have against the worldview of secular humanism. Throughout the story, the characters face decisions they need to make based on faith - will they display childlike faith, or will they consider themselves too "sophisticated", too "practical", and too self-reliant to trust? When you ponder all the problems that we work through as Christians, doesn't it usually come down to this very dilemma? Will I trust God at His Word, or will I rely on my own thoughts and actions?
Yes - it's told a children's story, and a story that children will love. But the biblical truths Lewis reveals appeal to a mature look at childlike faith. Lewis doesn't try to explain all these views, he doesn't use any of the technical terms, and he doesn't forcefit a storyline into an attempt to teach Philosophy 101. He simply tells the story of characters who come from these different perspectives and allows their worldview to drive the story. You won't come away from the story thinking that you've just had a lesson on the various kinds of faith - you'll come away appreciating a well-told story about different characters and their struggles, failures, and successes.
Please consider joining us Saturday afternoon at 3:30 pm to see the movie Prince Caspian. As of this writing, there are still tickets available. Call or email Debbi at the church. Also, please consider helping us put this VBS together - we need craftmakers, builders, fixers, painters, teachers, leaders, helpers, feeders, preparers - a whole host of tasks. Everyone has something they can do that would be a big help to Debbi and her crew.
Once a king or queen of Narnia, always a king or queen of Narnia!
On the surface, the story is about the same four children from LWW, Peter, Susan, Edmund, and Lucy Pevensie and their return to the mythical land of Narnia. One year has passed in their lives, but 1300 years has passed in Narnia - the timelines never match up between the two worlds. When they arrive, the learn of a young prince, Caspian, who is the rightful one to be King of Narnia, but the post has been assumed by his uncle Miraz, who ascended to the throne through deception and murder. The story follows the battle of Prince Caspian with his small army of talking beasts and creatures fighting under the banner of Aslan, the Great Lion, against King Miraz and his large army of battle-tested warrior men.
Below the surface, Lewis tells a fascinating tale of faith. Several storylines interweave to compare and contrast characters and the decisions they make according to their faith. Lucy and Trufflehunter (a talking badger) are consistently faithful (although not perfect), showing us what Lewis portrays as model faith. Trumpkin the dwarf begins from the perspective of what we would call "modernity" (the view that the only reality is physical and the only knowledge is scientific), but later he converts to adopt the same kind of faith as Trufflehunter. Nikabrik, another dwarf, displays what we would call "post-modernity" (the view that the spiritual world exists, but absolute Right and Wrong do not). The older Pevensie children display various levels of genuine faith that is plagued by doubts caused by the effects of modernity.
Ultimately, it seems to me that the story is about comparing the childlike faith that Jesus teaches us to have against the worldview of secular humanism. Throughout the story, the characters face decisions they need to make based on faith - will they display childlike faith, or will they consider themselves too "sophisticated", too "practical", and too self-reliant to trust? When you ponder all the problems that we work through as Christians, doesn't it usually come down to this very dilemma? Will I trust God at His Word, or will I rely on my own thoughts and actions?
Yes - it's told a children's story, and a story that children will love. But the biblical truths Lewis reveals appeal to a mature look at childlike faith. Lewis doesn't try to explain all these views, he doesn't use any of the technical terms, and he doesn't forcefit a storyline into an attempt to teach Philosophy 101. He simply tells the story of characters who come from these different perspectives and allows their worldview to drive the story. You won't come away from the story thinking that you've just had a lesson on the various kinds of faith - you'll come away appreciating a well-told story about different characters and their struggles, failures, and successes.
Please consider joining us Saturday afternoon at 3:30 pm to see the movie Prince Caspian. As of this writing, there are still tickets available. Call or email Debbi at the church. Also, please consider helping us put this VBS together - we need craftmakers, builders, fixers, painters, teachers, leaders, helpers, feeders, preparers - a whole host of tasks. Everyone has something they can do that would be a big help to Debbi and her crew.
Once a king or queen of Narnia, always a king or queen of Narnia!
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Vote for Anderson in 2056
The 2056 presidential election has been heating up over the last several months, between the Demopublican candidate Senator Paulie Takallick Oreck, from New Polis, and the Repubocrat candidate Governor Joshua Anderson, originally from Dudley, Georgia. Until tonight, the presidential debates held so far have been spirited-but-polite exchanges over all the major issues: the economy, the continuing war on terror, global cooling, and the dwindling supply of our primary fuel source, kudzuthenol. But in tonight's debate, the mood changed.
Takina Head, the moderator of this debate hosted by satellite news channel FXCNNABC, crossed a line with one of her questions, venturing into the once-taboo topic of the candidates' past associations with pastors. No reporter has dared raise a question of this type since the presidential campaign 48 years ago.
Senator Oreck received the question first, "We have the video showing the pastor of a church you once attended claiming in a sermon that Jesus did not attempt to pull everyone in society out of poverty. Do you repudiate this teaching? Will you announce publicly that you no longer want to associate with this pastor?" Senator Oreck replied with a very long, confusing, and unenlightening explanation of his view on global cooling. The reporters had no follow up questions.
Then, the question turned to Governor Anderson, "We have several podcasts of the pastor from your childhood claiming that the book of Leviticus is in fact relevant to our lives here in the 21st Century. How do you explain this mindless drivel? Have you cut off all ties from this maniac pastor?" Governor Anderson carefully explained that even though he was in the nursery at the time, his parents explained to him year after year how Leviticus helps explain the cross of Jesus Christ. This reference to Jesus Christ and the cross could be the undoing of the governor's campaign.
Sensing a chance to embarrass the governor, the bank of reporters stumbled over one another with follow up questions. "Did that preacher actually talk about Jesus?" "Did he ever claim that Jesus was God?" "Did he actually teach that God is real?" "Did he claim the virgin birth and the resurrection?" "What other whacked out miracles did he claim?" "Do you still associate with this man?"
Governor Anderson calmly answered each question, not only affirming that his former pastor made all these claims of the miraculous, but that he also taught the scandalous concept of "grace" - an illogical theory which claims that men and women can do nothing at all to merit status before God, the gods, Mother Nature, the dryads, or the secular humanist ideal. Rather, so the theory claims, God bestows favor freely, according to his own sovereignty. Acting as if he had not yet done enough damage to his own campaign, the governor further affirmed that he himself believed in such things.
Governor Anderson finished his speech with a sense of assurance which seemed to belie the fact that he had practically forfeited the election. "I don't mind you taking offense to what my pastor said," he stated, "as long as what he was doing was just preaching the pure Gospel. If that's what offends you, then I stand by him! And I hope that all who claim Christ will be equally confident to stand tall when the only offense people find in them is that they believe in Jesus Christ."
Tomorrow's poll numbers will record how much damage the governor's remarks will have on his popularity, who has enjoyed up until now a double-digit lead. What cannot be measured, however, is the effect that his comments will have on Christians across the nation and their willingness to stand strong for what they believe, no matter what the consequences.
Takina Head, the moderator of this debate hosted by satellite news channel FXCNNABC, crossed a line with one of her questions, venturing into the once-taboo topic of the candidates' past associations with pastors. No reporter has dared raise a question of this type since the presidential campaign 48 years ago.
Senator Oreck received the question first, "We have the video showing the pastor of a church you once attended claiming in a sermon that Jesus did not attempt to pull everyone in society out of poverty. Do you repudiate this teaching? Will you announce publicly that you no longer want to associate with this pastor?" Senator Oreck replied with a very long, confusing, and unenlightening explanation of his view on global cooling. The reporters had no follow up questions.
Then, the question turned to Governor Anderson, "We have several podcasts of the pastor from your childhood claiming that the book of Leviticus is in fact relevant to our lives here in the 21st Century. How do you explain this mindless drivel? Have you cut off all ties from this maniac pastor?" Governor Anderson carefully explained that even though he was in the nursery at the time, his parents explained to him year after year how Leviticus helps explain the cross of Jesus Christ. This reference to Jesus Christ and the cross could be the undoing of the governor's campaign.
Sensing a chance to embarrass the governor, the bank of reporters stumbled over one another with follow up questions. "Did that preacher actually talk about Jesus?" "Did he ever claim that Jesus was God?" "Did he actually teach that God is real?" "Did he claim the virgin birth and the resurrection?" "What other whacked out miracles did he claim?" "Do you still associate with this man?"
Governor Anderson calmly answered each question, not only affirming that his former pastor made all these claims of the miraculous, but that he also taught the scandalous concept of "grace" - an illogical theory which claims that men and women can do nothing at all to merit status before God, the gods, Mother Nature, the dryads, or the secular humanist ideal. Rather, so the theory claims, God bestows favor freely, according to his own sovereignty. Acting as if he had not yet done enough damage to his own campaign, the governor further affirmed that he himself believed in such things.
Governor Anderson finished his speech with a sense of assurance which seemed to belie the fact that he had practically forfeited the election. "I don't mind you taking offense to what my pastor said," he stated, "as long as what he was doing was just preaching the pure Gospel. If that's what offends you, then I stand by him! And I hope that all who claim Christ will be equally confident to stand tall when the only offense people find in them is that they believe in Jesus Christ."
Tomorrow's poll numbers will record how much damage the governor's remarks will have on his popularity, who has enjoyed up until now a double-digit lead. What cannot be measured, however, is the effect that his comments will have on Christians across the nation and their willingness to stand strong for what they believe, no matter what the consequences.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Supporting Our Youth
We have ten youth going on a mission trip this summer, leaving May 30, and as we do every year, we need your support. We need you to pray during their time of preparation. We need you to pray every day while they are on their trip. We need you to prayerfully consider helping with the costs. It is a genuine privilege to be able to send our youth every summer on some project to serve the needs of others.
But there's something more important than money (but less important than prayer!) that I am asking from you on their behalf.
More than just helping them get there, I want you to consider the formative value of this trip on our youth. These trips are great for getting youth out of their comfort zones and normal routines, which then makes them more open to the Spirit's work in their lives. Putting our youth on a mission trip is putting them in an environment rich in opportunities for "spiritual growth spurts." The money we give to get them there is money putting them in a place for God to be uniquely at work. Praying for them while they're there will certainly results in more of God's work in their lives.
Even more important is what we teach the youth by the level of enthusiasm and support we show to them, not just in prayer and gifts, but in the encouragement we give, the questions we ask them, the amount of personal interest we show them in their lives. By being enthusiastic and interested supporters of their trip, and of their spiritual development, we teach them invaluable lessons about life priorities, the proper role of the church, the importance of serving others, and so on.
In other words, HOW we show support of their trip, and TO WHAT EXTENT, will teach our youth foundational truths that can help them develop in the right directions. If we show lackluster support of them, we teach them that sacrificing in order to serve others isn't really important. If we show enthusiastic support of them, we teach them that this is the kind of Christian life that really matters.
Give if you can. Pray, because you can. But also - make sure the students know that you are personally and enthusiastically interested in the opportunities they have to serve and to grow. Let them know that we care deeply how they develop as believers. Let them know that we are committed to God's priorities for their lives. Find some way with the spoken word, a written note, a shared prayer, any way to show them their trip is important to us.
But there's something more important than money (but less important than prayer!) that I am asking from you on their behalf.
More than just helping them get there, I want you to consider the formative value of this trip on our youth. These trips are great for getting youth out of their comfort zones and normal routines, which then makes them more open to the Spirit's work in their lives. Putting our youth on a mission trip is putting them in an environment rich in opportunities for "spiritual growth spurts." The money we give to get them there is money putting them in a place for God to be uniquely at work. Praying for them while they're there will certainly results in more of God's work in their lives.
Even more important is what we teach the youth by the level of enthusiasm and support we show to them, not just in prayer and gifts, but in the encouragement we give, the questions we ask them, the amount of personal interest we show them in their lives. By being enthusiastic and interested supporters of their trip, and of their spiritual development, we teach them invaluable lessons about life priorities, the proper role of the church, the importance of serving others, and so on.
In other words, HOW we show support of their trip, and TO WHAT EXTENT, will teach our youth foundational truths that can help them develop in the right directions. If we show lackluster support of them, we teach them that sacrificing in order to serve others isn't really important. If we show enthusiastic support of them, we teach them that this is the kind of Christian life that really matters.
Give if you can. Pray, because you can. But also - make sure the students know that you are personally and enthusiastically interested in the opportunities they have to serve and to grow. Let them know that we care deeply how they develop as believers. Let them know that we are committed to God's priorities for their lives. Find some way with the spoken word, a written note, a shared prayer, any way to show them their trip is important to us.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
How to Mark Up Your Study Bible
In a recent sermon, I briefly mentioned the concept of marking up your study Bible as one way to be more diligent as a student of God's Word. Making marks and notations in your Bible can help you to understand the text you're presently studying, and can also help you months and years later to remember things God has taught you. But, I didn't really have any time to give advice on how you might go about this.
First, consider having just one Bible dedicated for this purpose. Rather than mark up one book in one Bible, and another book in another Bible, scattering your notes across several Bibles, designate one to be your study Bible. I would recommend a more literal translation for this purpose, such as the New American Standard Bible (NASB), the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), or the New King James Version (NKJV). Although other translations such as the New International Version (NIV) can be used, I find the more literal translations better for notetaking. The New English Translation (NET) can be good for notetaking if you get the version that has all the translators' notes included. Whichever Bible you choose, select one with wide margins and that includes lots of cross references. (I also like to have Bibles that I never write in, so that nothing I wrote distracts me from reading what God wrote.)
My method is not the only method or even the best method. I describe it only as an example of ways you can mark up your Bibles. When I'm studying a passage, I use the following markings:
A couple of words of caution - don't get carried away! If you mark up too much, you end up obscuring God's Word, not making it stand out. Every verse is worth highlighting, but if we highlight every verse, then we've accomplished nothing. Also, be careful with what you write in the margins. A particular thought may seem groundbreaking when you have it, but years later, it may seem very unimportant. Use some discretion, and try to keep your margin comments to the timeless truths or clear explanations - things that are not likely to lose their import as you mature in your understanding. Finally, never let the markings take the place of reading God's Word - you may be tempted to just read the circled works and highlights the next time you read a passage. Resist that temptation - always read God's Word, and then let the notes help you process what God has to say.
Marking up a Bible is great for coming back later and quickly seeing the main points and ideas of a passage. But I also find that the process of marking a Bible itself helps me to understand God's Word. When I'm circling repeated words or enumerating the three commands of a passage, I'm forcing myself to understand the structure and main ideas of the passage. Just by marking up the Bible, I'm interacting with God's Word.
First, consider having just one Bible dedicated for this purpose. Rather than mark up one book in one Bible, and another book in another Bible, scattering your notes across several Bibles, designate one to be your study Bible. I would recommend a more literal translation for this purpose, such as the New American Standard Bible (NASB), the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), or the New King James Version (NKJV). Although other translations such as the New International Version (NIV) can be used, I find the more literal translations better for notetaking. The New English Translation (NET) can be good for notetaking if you get the version that has all the translators' notes included. Whichever Bible you choose, select one with wide margins and that includes lots of cross references. (I also like to have Bibles that I never write in, so that nothing I wrote distracts me from reading what God wrote.)
My method is not the only method or even the best method. I describe it only as an example of ways you can mark up your Bibles. When I'm studying a passage, I use the following markings:
- Underline commands (imperatives) - these are things I should be doing
- Underline with upward "spikes" at each end to designate the main topic - draws the eye quickly to what the passage is about
- Circle repeated words and repeated ideas - if they are repeated, they are usually important (sometimes, I'll draw lines to connect circles to show what things connect together)
- Checkmark next to promises made and promises fulfilled - to see God's intents and His faithfulness
- Exclamation point next to verses that describe God's character - points out how God is described in a given passage, which is often key to understanding the passage
- Highlight verses I want to memorize - helps key phrases stand out (longer passages can be outlined with a highlighter rather than highlighting every line)
- Highlight cross references that are particularly important - helps me to know later which of the cross references are more pertinent than others
- Write in the margins key ideas, revelations, questions, and explanation - quick notes to help interact with the text (for example, if the author makes three points, then I will write "1" next to the first, "2" next to the second, and so on to help me see how the three points fit together)
A couple of words of caution - don't get carried away! If you mark up too much, you end up obscuring God's Word, not making it stand out. Every verse is worth highlighting, but if we highlight every verse, then we've accomplished nothing. Also, be careful with what you write in the margins. A particular thought may seem groundbreaking when you have it, but years later, it may seem very unimportant. Use some discretion, and try to keep your margin comments to the timeless truths or clear explanations - things that are not likely to lose their import as you mature in your understanding. Finally, never let the markings take the place of reading God's Word - you may be tempted to just read the circled works and highlights the next time you read a passage. Resist that temptation - always read God's Word, and then let the notes help you process what God has to say.
Marking up a Bible is great for coming back later and quickly seeing the main points and ideas of a passage. But I also find that the process of marking a Bible itself helps me to understand God's Word. When I'm circling repeated words or enumerating the three commands of a passage, I'm forcing myself to understand the structure and main ideas of the passage. Just by marking up the Bible, I'm interacting with God's Word.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Easter
What if Jesus was never raised from the dead? What if He was born of a virgin, had a ministry of teaching about the Kingdom of God with such authority to amaze the crowds, healed people of their diseases, calmed the storm, cast out demons, was betrayed and handed over for crucifixion to pay for our sins - everything the same, except no resurrection? What would be different about Christianity? Besides, isn't it His death that paid for our sin?
First, we would have no victory over death. Jesus defeated death not by dying on the cross, but by rising on the third day. If death held Jesus in its grip forever, then death would have more power than He does. We could not say that He has victory over death and offers us that same victory if He never went through death and ended up walking away from it.
Second, Jesus would not be able to ascend to the throne and reign forever if He never made it out of the grave. He would not be preparing a place for us, because He wouldn't be there to prepare it, and we wouldn't be joining Him there, anyway.
Third, if Jesus was not raised from the dead, then we would have no hope of being raised from the dead, too. He says that He is the resurrection and the life, and that if we believe in Him, we will live even if we die. However, if He doesn't live after going through death, then what hope do we have? What good would it be if He paid for our sin, but never paved the way for resurrection so that we could enjoy the eternal benefits of having our sin forgiven?
Fourth, the resurrection of Christ is the confirmation that He is in fact fully divine. If the tomb could hold Him, then we would all naturally assume that He was just a man. But if He has more power than death, then we have all the evidence we need to conclude that He is none other than the Son of God, equal with God, of the same essence and substance as God, and yet a distinct person from the Father. The resurrection sets Jesus apart from Muhammed and Buddha and the Dalai Lama.
The resurrection is essential to Christian doctrine. It's not just a happy ending to the sad story of His passion. Jesus is not the Messiah without the resurrection.
Happy Resurrection Day!
First, we would have no victory over death. Jesus defeated death not by dying on the cross, but by rising on the third day. If death held Jesus in its grip forever, then death would have more power than He does. We could not say that He has victory over death and offers us that same victory if He never went through death and ended up walking away from it.
Second, Jesus would not be able to ascend to the throne and reign forever if He never made it out of the grave. He would not be preparing a place for us, because He wouldn't be there to prepare it, and we wouldn't be joining Him there, anyway.
Third, if Jesus was not raised from the dead, then we would have no hope of being raised from the dead, too. He says that He is the resurrection and the life, and that if we believe in Him, we will live even if we die. However, if He doesn't live after going through death, then what hope do we have? What good would it be if He paid for our sin, but never paved the way for resurrection so that we could enjoy the eternal benefits of having our sin forgiven?
Fourth, the resurrection of Christ is the confirmation that He is in fact fully divine. If the tomb could hold Him, then we would all naturally assume that He was just a man. But if He has more power than death, then we have all the evidence we need to conclude that He is none other than the Son of God, equal with God, of the same essence and substance as God, and yet a distinct person from the Father. The resurrection sets Jesus apart from Muhammed and Buddha and the Dalai Lama.
The resurrection is essential to Christian doctrine. It's not just a happy ending to the sad story of His passion. Jesus is not the Messiah without the resurrection.
Happy Resurrection Day!
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Online Theology Program
Bible.org has an online theology program that allows you to study the areas of theology that you want, at your own pace, in whichever order you want. The program is a joint effort of several Bible scholars, and is theologically sound. You can study individually online (free) or as a small group (for a fee for the DVDs).
Before you think that "studying theology" is only for some, consider that every Christian is a theologian, and every time you hear a sermon or get involved in a Bible study, you're already "doing theology." With this course, you can dig as deeply as you want, but you're not obligated to dig according to anyone else's standard.
In my opinion, one of the greatest benefits of studying theology is that it gives you a mental framework to better understand every sermon, every Bible study, and every time you just pick up the Bible and read. Furthermore, a theological framework helps you to make connections between various theological ideas which may seem to you to be unrelated. And finally, a theological framework gives you a platform to develop new thoughts and ideas about God's truth - an increased ability to be creative, and yet stay within the boundaries of Truth.
Simply navigate your web browser to http://bible.org and then click on "The Theology Program". The instructions are straightforward.
Before you think that "studying theology" is only for some, consider that every Christian is a theologian, and every time you hear a sermon or get involved in a Bible study, you're already "doing theology." With this course, you can dig as deeply as you want, but you're not obligated to dig according to anyone else's standard.
In my opinion, one of the greatest benefits of studying theology is that it gives you a mental framework to better understand every sermon, every Bible study, and every time you just pick up the Bible and read. Furthermore, a theological framework helps you to make connections between various theological ideas which may seem to you to be unrelated. And finally, a theological framework gives you a platform to develop new thoughts and ideas about God's truth - an increased ability to be creative, and yet stay within the boundaries of Truth.
Simply navigate your web browser to http://bible.org and then click on "The Theology Program". The instructions are straightforward.
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