All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works. —--II Timothy 3:16-17
I was reminded this past Christmas eve of earlier “night before Christmas” struggles trying to put together one toy or another. I suspect most of us have experienced similar frustration when we suddenly discovered those dreaded words: “Some assembly required.” At one time or another, most of us have worked late into the night trying to “fit tab A into slot B”, or searched in vain for a “½ inch nut” which,we are assured, “is in the little plastic bag with all the other essential pieces.” Then, too, there are those joyous occasions when we set out to assemble that special present only to discover instructions printed in some foreign language.Thankfully, this year’s encounter with the “Some Assembly Required Syndrome” is passed and we can breathe easier for another year.
Trying to live out our Christian faith can often be as frustrating and difficult as attempting to assemble something with vague or unintelligible instructions, or missing pieces. Fortunately, God has provided all we need to know to enable us to live out our faith in a meaningful way. All that is required of us is a serious effort to glean the insight and direction found in His Word.
Studying God’s Word is a vital part of the ministry here at Baptist Chapel. Each week we offer several opportunities to learn more about God and about His will and purpose for our lives. The primary ministry for teaching God’s Word is our Sunday School. We have classes for every age group and dedicated teachers who prepare weekly lessons designed to help us understand God’s Word and how it applies to our lives. If you are not already attending one of those classes, now would be an excellent time to begin.
Our morning worship service provides another opportunity each week to study God’s Word. In this service, truth from God’s Word is proclaimed through both music and the spoken Word. The sermon is designed to explore in-depth a particular passage from God’s Word and to help us incorporate His Word into our daily lives. The morning worship includes a time of decision which provides individuals an opportunity to respond to that which God is doing in and through the preaching and teaching of His Word.
A third opportunity to study God’s Word here at Baptist Chapel is our Sunday Night Bible Study. The focus of this study is a verse-by-verse study of individual books of our Bible. This in-depth study offers both instruction and discussion as we learn from God’s Word how we ought to live out our faith in a most meaningful way.
It is through our study of God’s Word that we are enabled to live out our faith in the midst of a world which knows little about the love and joy and peace that is the fruit of a meaningful and personal relationship with our Lord. In his devotional, My Utmost for His Highest, Oswald Chambers writes: “The Bible is the universe of revelation facts; if we live there our roots will be healthy and our lives right.” As the challenges to our life of faith grow greater and greater, the more important it is for us to take advantage of every opportunity to learn about our God and His plan and purpose for our lives. It is my prayer for each of us that “our roots will be healthy and our lives right.” I look forward to seeing each of you in Sunday School, in worship, and in Sunday Night Bible Study.
What a joy it is to be a part of this church family and to experience the manifold blessings God continues to pour out in and through His people at Baptist Chapel.
Love,
