Sunday School 10:00-10:45
Worship 11:00
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Bible Study
Meeting at The Loft
Sundays at 6:30-8:00PM
205 Columbus St, East of Downtown Fayette
"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 complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work." (II Timothy 3:16 )
One of the most important thing we can do - privately, in our families, in small groups, or as a congregation - is to read, study, and seek to understand the Word of God. This is our starting point for everything we do.
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When St Paul was instructing his young disciple Timothy on how to faithfully tend to the people in the congregation he was called to serve, Paul's most fundamental point to him was the importance of basing everything he did on the Bible. In Romans 12:1-2, when Paul was writing to the people there, he said "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God... be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."
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The Apostle was pleading with them to be transformed by God. And how we they to be transformed? By the Word of God; by learning God's Word and allowing the Lord to change the way that they understood themselves, their problems, the world, and their place in it.
When Jesus began revealing some of the harder to understand aspects of His mission and ministry, some of the less committed of His followers began to drift away. He asked His friends - His disciples - if they were going to bail on Him, too. John tells us the response:
"But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (John 6:68)
"You have the words of eternal life." Every word of the Bible is part of that. If we want to live the abundant life Jesus promised (John 10:10), then we need His Word. If we want to live more and more fully as those who overcome trouble rather than as those who buckle under it, we need to know the Bible, and to let it have its work in our hearts and minds. This is why we do Bible Study.
Current Study:
The Old Testament & the Ancient Near East
(OT/ANE)
Starting August 4th, 2024
In this study we will be seeking to understand the setting of the Old Testament in it's original context.
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Before beginning our survey of the history of the Old Testament (OT), it is invaluable to have a general sense of several factors. These include issues related to hermeneutics (Biblical interpretation), the nature of the practice of history before the Classical period (Hellenistic & Roman period), the geography of NE Africa, SW Asia and SE Europe, a practical introduction to archaeology, and the basic outlines of the history of the ANE.
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The Revelation
Of Jesus Christ
Perhaps the most intimidating book of the Bible, Revelation was not given to us to be confusing, frightening, or impossible to understand. Far from it! Revelation was written to give God's people understanding of the world as it is, and hope for our eventual victory!
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Over the course of 10 months, we walked through this book, seeking to understand the imagery, the symbolism, and the narrative of Revelation. Approaching it from the amillennial perspective, we discussed genre (what kind of literature it is), the overall structure of the book, and then the meaning and implication of the book. We sought to understand it in its original context historically and as the capstone to the Bible as a whole., and then to apply the message of the book to our current lives.
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For a good introduction to this study, listen to the sermon titled "More Than Conquerors" in the sermons section.
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Previous Bible Study Christianity 101
Do you have questions
but are afraid to ask?
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Does it sometimes seem like everyone else knows what's going on in church but you don't?
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Do all of the "Church words" seem like some other language?
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Bring your questions. There is nothing too simple or basic to ask! In all likelihood, you're not the only one wondering about that very thing.
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The modern American Church has done a poor job of teaching people what we ought to know -- important things, essential things -- for a long time. For too long, pastors, church leaders, youth groups, and parents have assumed people knew things. But no one has ever actually taught those things. And now, we are in a state when churches are full of people who were never taught... but every one of them is too afraid of feeling dumb or ignorant to ask.
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Well, let's do something about that!
Previous Bible Study:
In 2022 we worked our way through St Paul's Epistle to the Galatians, what Martin Luther described this way: :The Epistle to the Galatians is my epistle, to which I have wedded myself. It is my Katherina Von Bora [his wife].”
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This epistle is the Christian's Declaration of Independence from guilt, shame, and soul-crushing effort and self-righteousness.
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What is the place of rules and "being good" in the Christian life? Is there one? How do we see spiritual growth in our lives if it isn't by trying harder? Isn't it a cop out to just believe more? What is the place of the Law in our lives, and how do we avoid legalism? Can there be a Christian life that doesn't revolve around works, guilt, and feeling like we just don't measure up?
Join us and explore Paul's surprising answers!
Previous Bible Study
Many people have a desire to study the Bible, but they don't know what to do. First of all, the Bible is big. It's 66 different 'books,' written by a whole bunch of different people over a period of over 1500 years.
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In this study we cover a whole range of principles and methods for Bible study, discussing what the Bible is, how it is to be understood, and various ways to approach it most productively. Finally, we practice several of these methods together, helping us all to know how to get the most out of our studies.
Previous Bible Study:
Our first study was a discussion group centered around the excellent book by Tim Keller titled The Reason for God.
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If you have not read this book, you really should. Whether you are a life-long believer, a new Christian, an agnostic who is open-minded toward beliefs you may not share, or an atheist who wants to convince others to abandon their faith, this is an important book.
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From the Amazon description:
Timothy Keller, the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, addresses the frequent doubts that skeptics, and even ardent believers, have about religion. Using literature, philosophy, real-life conversations, and potent reasoning, Keller explains how the belief in a Christian God is, in fact, a sound and rational one. To true believers he offers a solid platform on which to stand their ground against the backlash to religion created by the Age of Skepticism. And to skeptics, atheists, and agnostics, he provides a challenging argument for pursuing the reason for God.
And check out the video series on YouTube.
