Kick-Off Sunday!

           I am very excited for this weekend. On Sunday we will be kicking off our "40 Days in the Word" campaign. Nearly 100 people will be meeting in small groups to study God's word. Along with small groups the weekend sermons will be lifting up the Bible as a sacred treasure waiting to be discovered.

            The first thing we’re going to look at is the Inspiration of the Bible.  How can I trust the Bible?  How do I know the Bible is true and that I can trust it for my life? 

             Then week two we’re going to look at the Foundation of the Bible.  What is the purpose of the Bible?  We’re going to get you to see the big picture of the Scriptures.  What is the overarching theme and what are the purposes of the Bible?  It’s sixty-six books in one book so it’s really a library but they all point to the same basic theme.

            Week three we’re going to look at the Illumination of the Bible.  That is how does God illuminate my mind so that I can see what he wants me to see in the Bible?  Sometimes you read a Scripture and you can read it over and over and it doesn’t seem to hit you.  Then one day you read it and go Boom!  I’ve never seen that before.  What happened?   The Holy Spirit just illuminated your mind.  We’re going to talk to you about how he does that and helps you see what he wants you to see out of the Word.

            Then week number four we’re going to look at Interpretation.  A very important week.  That is how do I know what this verse means?  Because a lot of times you hear people say, “That’s just your interpretation!”  As if everybody can have their own particular interpretation of a verse.  Actually there are correct ways to interpret the Bible and there are incorrect ways.  When you interpret it correctly you get what God says; when you interpret it incorrectly you become a cult.  And you get all kinds of weird and whacky ideas.  The Bible means what it means and you have to understand these principles of interpretation.

            Then week number five we’re going to look at Integration of the Bible.  That is how do I put the Bible into every area of my life?  How do I use the Bible at work?  And how do I use it in my home?  And how do I integrate it into my family life?  How do I integrate it into my finances.  Every different area – my past, my present and my future.

            Then finally week six we’re going to look at the Application of the Bible.  That is specifically how to use the Bible in specific ways.  Like how to use the Bible to make good decisions.  We’re going to look at that.  How do you use the Bible to overcome temptation?  How do you use the Bible to counsel or offer advice to a friend?  How do you use the Bible to find comfort for yourself?

           It is not to late to join a small group. This is the way to get the most out our the "40 Days in the Word" series. I hope and pray that everyone will be in attendance for all six sermons, be a part of a small group and commit to daily spending time in God's Word. I can't imagine a better way for our congregation to Kick-off the Fall.