2021 KOINONIA BIBLE STUDY COURSES

Koinonia Bible Studies announces its lineup for the Bible studies coming during the 2021 season.Two of the studies are single lesson studies, Tradition and Love of Another Kind. Both of these lessons will be active on January 1, 2021. The other lessons are parts of a series and will be available three weeks before the series is to begin. The series “Confirm Your Calling” can be used in connection to the Lenten Season leading to Easter Sunday. This series will have a daily devotional book, Confirm Your Calling, available through Amazon. Every lesson has several ways that it can be presented, both for individual and small group studies.

2021 KBS Course of Study

Let’s take a closer look at the “Tradition” lesson to see the format and structure of each series. Each lesson has its own web page. If you are an individual wanting a ten to fifteen minute study each week, you can read the information on the main page of the lesson. The menu on the left has several links for additional study. There are also links to internal and external reference sources within the text. Every Scripture reference is linked to a pop-up window, so you don’t even have to have a Bible at your fingertips. From the lesson web page alone, an individual could easily fill an hour or more time in devotion and study.

Studying On Your Own

Below is a screen shot from the web page for the lesson, “Traditions.” Each web page has an accessible menu bar at the upper left hand corner of the page. The three bars click to open a menu of links to biblical study resources, a daily Bible verse, an inspirational quote, and several other features. Every link on the webpage can be clicked or hovered over to access information or other websites to use for reference. Every Scripture verse is linked so the Bible verses themselves will appear in a window.

Needing More to Study?

If the individual wants something to study each day during the week, there are at least two ways to do so. With each lesson, there are daily Bible readings, quotations and prayers for five to ten minutes of meditation and contemplation.

If the individual wants a little more Bible study each day, there are five sub-lessons which will help the student develop a biblical context for the passage or topic. Each lesson has the following five sub-lessons:

Each lesson series has its own main page, with each lesson its own page that is accessible from the lesson series’ main page. The stand-alone lessons each have one page that functions as both. When a series is active, you can click on the picture above and be taken to the lesson series’ main page.You can click on these pictures to find out more about each of the units of study.

Studying the Context

Together these five lessons help you build a context for the topic or passage that is being discussed in the lesson. We often make the mistake in thinking that the context of a passage is the verses before and after the verse we are studying. Context is that plus so much more. “The Pointe” shares the main point of the topic or passage of Scripture. It is going to reference that point with the entire message of the Bible, so that an idea cannot be taken out of context. “Mediterranean Moments” helps you understand the cultural and historical background of the passage. “Wrangling with Words” digs into the background of some of the words in the passage to give you a better and deeper understanding of the subject. “In the Shadows” brings ideas and Scriptures from the Psalms to the table. Psalms captures the heart of the passionate emotions involved in the reality of living here on earth while we are trying to please a spiritual God. Finally, “Walk with God” explores the application of the passage to daily living. If I have understood the passage of Scripture correctly, what should I do about it?

Leading a Small Group

Personal study is helpful, but many of us are involved in leadership. We are often called upon to present in a more formal, almost “lesson-like” setting. Perhaps you lead a small group or Bible study, or have been asked to lead a devotional in an elders’ or deacons’ meeting. A KBS Bible study presents the perfect format to help you lead the presentation of a lesson to others.

There are several ways that you can use this material in a smaller group setting. First, you can handout an excerpt of the lesson material for use with the group. In addition to material that can be found on the website, the points to ponder and the conclusions to consider are printed on the handout. Hover your mouse over the image of the PDF handout. Make as many copies to distribute as your group needs. Second, there is a handout that provides daily Bible readings for the coming week. The Scriptures reinforce the material and pointe from the lesson. Again hover over the image to access a menu that will allow you to examine and print the material. Finally, each of the five context lessons (The Pointe, Mediterranean Moments, Wrangling with Words, In the Shadows, and Walk with God) will have devotional thoughts that you could use in a presentation.

Let’s return to the web page from the “Traditions” lesson.

Below is the list of the different lesson series, the day(s) when the lesson will be taught, when the main pages will be accessible and when the five special context lessons will be accessible.

Connecting with Other Leaders

More than likely, if you are on this webpage, you are a leader in your church. Leaders in churches face a unique kind of stress and pressure, one that often leaves feelings of isolation and confusion. My father used to describe it as “being alone in a crowd.” A church leader is rarely alone – meetings, worship, small groups, service – we find ourselves busier than what we want to be most of the time. But in the midst of being with people, we shield a portion of ourselves from others. We don’t want to come across negative, lest we discourage others in the church or leave a bad taste in the mouths of visitors. We don’t want to appear weak, we want to be the mature, strong believer. Probably most importantly, we don’t want to be hurt. Opening ourselves too much – being too vulnerable at the wrong time and in the wrong place can have devastating results.

One of the goals of Koinonia Bible Studies is to provide a safe haven for leaders. What does this website and these lessons hope to accomplish?

Three Purposes of Koinonia Bible Studies

• Biblical content – whether it be study material for small groups, inspirational or devotional books, or books on any of the theologies – can lead to several interpretations and different meanings. I attended a lecture from a very liberal biblical scholar who said, “The belief in the resurrection is the most attested to fact in history.” At first glance, it sounded like the theologian was being very conservative and biblical. But he wasn’t saying the resurrection was a fact. He was saying that it is a fact that lots of people (mistakenly) believe it.

One of the reasons for the site is the chance to share with you the results of almost fifty years of studying the Bible. These are not intended to be academic, scholarly works of theology. I studied Greek for six years in college and seminary, two years of Hebrew. If I mention Greek, it is not to impress you with my knowledge, but to share something that is going to expand your English. Here is why the Greek is important – here is the difference it will make in how you understand, how you feel and how you act. Maybe it will also give you insights that you can share in your teaching with others.

Many times I have wanted to talk with an author and ask, “What did you mean by this?” During the weeks the lesson is live, you can do just that. Ask me anything about what I have written or what I am saying. I am not here to argue with you, nor convince you to change your particular opinion. But if you want to know what my conclusion is, and how I reached it; I will be glad to share with you.

• Methodology – sometimes the examples writers give for discussion questions or activities are difficult to interpret. What is the point in doing this?  Sometimes you can see the point, but you know their suggestion would never work with your people. Again, I want to provide a forum where you can ask me – or interact with others who are using the lessons – about ways to present the material, teaching plans, and other ideas. When we share best practices and bounce ideas off one another, we are challenged, refreshed, renewed and probably become a stronger teacher.
• Prayer – if you are like me, you spend most of your time in leadership praying for others. For people in the church, people who have fallen away a bit, for your family, and for the lost. But it is difficult to even ask for someone to pray for you. We would like to create a place where you can share requests – even in an anonymous way – and know that someone will pray for the circumstance and for you.

Koinonia Studies

There you have it. The reason for these studies – and the reason this website is here. Join with me in this journey. Allow yourself to grow and strengthen and be encouraged. We all need that – regardless of the leadership role we play in the local congregation. Sometimes we need material that we can use as we teach others. But mostly we need the quiet place in the cave where we can watch the lightening go by, we can hear the thunder roar, we can feel the earth shake .. all while we are patiently waiting for the whisper. Lean with me to hear the whisper.