Friday, June 4, 2010

The value of solid teaching

For many of you, solid and understandable Bible teaching is a meat and potatoes kind of thing. You have it, its normal, its good for you and it keeps you going. But, its kind of dull - in an inoffensive dull kind of way.

If that is you - can I encourage you to reconsider.

Largely because of the language barrier, meat and potatoes Bible teaching has been missing from our diet for the last 15 months. (Yes, we listen to mp3s, but its not the same). We miss sitting with people and discussing a passage in Bible study. We miss hearing the word expounded to us systematically and carefully and in a way which challenges.

One of the things that has made me realise how much I miss this was that last weekend we went to Dallas for what was basically a church weekend away. It was a small church (50 people or so) but they are committed to careful preaching, and so run a little conference each year. The speaker was excellent, the talks were careful and brilliant and the fellowship outstanding.

We did a round trip of 2100km for the joy of it - and it was worth it.

So - can I invite you dear reader, if you are in a situation where the preaching is meat and potatoes, and Bible study seems like a bit of a grind because 'we just keep reading the Bible' to not feel like it is boring or unimportant and therefore look for something more 'important' or a 'magic bullet'. Keep going, keep working, keep listening and growing - its the way God grows his church and his people.

If it feels to difficult to go to Bible study after work - please reconsider. Its an opportunity to serve and an opportunity not to be missed. If the drive to church feels a bit long, I reckon its not. If you feel like your programs at church need a bit of a spark - fair enough, but don't look for some magical technological fireworks - look for solid food in the taught word.

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