Some Group Learning

As you can see from this first picture, sometimes the group gets a little urnruly and I need to break out my "Pastor Posture." It's a little trick I learned at Prairie Bible Institute. We were having some fun with the camera while Ashlee was taking pictures.



I have some other pictures here as well, this first set with us on couches is from my Tuesday "How to Read the Bible For All It's Worth" Study group. As you can see all of the attendees are in their twenties or early thirties. It's a great group. Yesterday, the 28th November, they were learning about how to understand and read the Old Testament Laws of the Torah. They learned how the Law was a gift to Israel, revealing the character and heart of God. They learned how the law was a benefit and guide in the midst of idolatrous people. They learned how God used the law to turn the Israelites from Egyptian Slaves into His victorious children. Then for some added benefit, I talked about how the O.T Law is not required of Christians unless the Laws are reiterated in the New Testament. I talked about how the "Law of Christ" operates the same way for us under the New Covenant. Christ's commands reflect the heart and character of God, they benefit and guide us, and if obeyed turn us from slaves of sin into victorious Christ-like children of God. It was a good time.


Thes next pictures are of the Thursday evening "Christian Foundations" class. We sit around a table and I lead the lesson on basic Christian doctrines. This last week we finished our discussion of Jesus Christ, discussing his nature as "Fully God and fully man." This brought out a HUGE amount of dicussion. Some of the questions asked were, "If Jesus was a man, how can he fully relate to women who have different experiences and needs than men?" or "If Jesus remained single, how can he share in the struggles of the married or broken-hearted?" WOW! and some of the questions were more difficult.

One couple in the group were in Russia in the days the Iron Curtain fell. In those days every cult and sect of every religion flooded the barren lands of secular communist Russia. In their days there, Andrew, saw three different people who claimed to be God, who healed people, who accepted worship as God, and who had dedicated followers who sacrificed life and possessions to follow them. He wanted to know how we can know Jesus is God, since we use these same proofs to back up our belief in Jesus deity. He sees no difference between Jesus and these others, except Jesus lived 2000 years ago, and he sees no difference between these others followers and Christians in their devotion and service to their God. Good thoughts, and tough questions...I leave this with you to ponder. How would you answer this?

I will tell you that by the end of the night, things were moving in a very positive direction. Though sometimes it takes time for the truth to sink in and take hold.



God is good, and this is a lot of work, with a lot of stress and prayers, but a lot of fun too.

God Bless, from your currently snowed in, pumped up, wide-eyed, and energetic fellow bond-servants of Christ.


Pastor Jeffrey and Ashlee Thomas