Communicating Sound Doctrine
From the days that I sat at the Seminary listening to seasoned, biblical scholars, sound doctrine stirs me. The professors were people who knew the Scriptures and taught them with confident authority. How do we teach the content of sound doctrine to others in the church? There are so many different opinions about Scripture, how can we make sure people get out of the Bible what it says and not what folks are just reading into it? Can the knowledge of years of study and commitment be taught? Is there a way to pass on scholarship and Christian living from one generation to the next?
Confronting a Problem
Lately much has been written about the growing concern about biblical illiteracy in our churches today. Not too long ago I began posting some of my thoughts on the subject. Our times demand we address this problem and do something about it.
For decades I have wanted to be involved in presenting Biblical content that people could share with others. I wanted the material to be accessible in a way that an individual could study and that a leader could share. Although application is important, I wanted the material to teach sound doctrine – what the Bible says and what it means first. It is difficult to do that online or in a book because there is no community – with the readers or between the readers and the author.
Passing Sound Doctrine Along
I think I have found a way to do that. Would you like to help me try the idea out?
I have written four #biblestudylessons for November called “Autumn Refreshing” and four lessons for December called “Tis the Season.” The lessons will be available on my website all week long. They will change each Sunday. The website will carry the lesson content for the week. First, you will find the Scripture that we are studying in several versions. Also, you will find brief devotional thoughts and quotations, links to other appropriate web content, and other goodies. Next, you will see places for you to leave comments or questions about the content.
Finally, I am aware that not everyone spends time online. There will be a brief lesson each week that you could print out to use with your small group or your less than “connected” friends. People can sign up to have the daily verses and thoughts sent to their email. Most importantly, the content will leave you feeling assured of the sound doctrine of the Scripture you are studying.
You are welcome to read or study as much or as little as you want.
What I think will set these lessons apart is that each Thursday at 8:00pm EST I will be on the site to “chat” with you. We will talk about ideas for study or presentation, what phrases or passages of the Scripture mean, and with the community share “best practices” for applying the Scripture to life. We will talk about what worked for me in the previous Sunday’s live Bible Study group. You can’t do that with a book or video.
Join us on the Journey
How does the idea strike you?
If you are interested, go to the top of this post or to the koinonia bible studies home page, koinoniabiblestudies.com , and look for the three lines in the upper left hand corner of the site. Click on those three lines and a form will appear. You can use the form to sign up for the study group.
The new lesson will be up on line on Sunday. The lesson will be the one that I am teaching in our Eastside Christian Church Bible Study that morning. Visit it anytime during the week. If you want to interact with me and others, join us each Thursday starting November 7th at 8:00pm EST.
I am looking forward to you joining me in this adventure.
Blessings,
