LEARN

We cannot mature as followers of Jesus unless we grasp Biblical truths and glean spiritual insights. We just have to deepen our understanding of the basic teachings of Christianity. This requires both reading and studying Scripture. There is no replacement for time spent in God’s Word.  

If we are going to grow as followers of Jesus, we simply must ingest and digest spiritual truth. In his letter to the Ephesians, St. Paul stressed the importance of growth and maturity in the life of each believer (Eph 4:7-16).  

We live in a day of shallow thinking and superficial reason. While daily talk shows blare in the background and internet search engines offer nanosecond responses to our questions, deep-thinking has almost disappeared from the planet! Deep, mature thought, from a spiritual perspective, can only occur when our minds are being transformed by the power of God’s Spirit. The process of transformation includes a journey of enlightenment. Our minds have to be enlightened by truth.  

This first growth area will be given to providing a broad, sweeping, panoramic view of the story of the Bible—or, The Big Story. So, each week in this leg of our journey, we are going to address crucial components to grasping The Big Story. We will use a narrative approach to teaching sound theology. We live in a narrative-based cultural milieu. The good news is that the Bible is filled with narrative material!  

Hopefully, this growth area will build a framework for us as we continue to develop tangible resources for spiritual growth at FBCA. A solid overview of the biblical message is an asset to any believer’s arsenal in developing a true Christian worldview. Our prayer is that God will use this narrative approach to cast a wide net across our congregation as we continue to . . . Glorify God by Following The Jesus Way!

The Learn series of sermons will run January 30-March 26, 2011.