Introduction
Laying a Foundation. Teaching the Bible is one of the essential 5-fold ministries. (Ephesians 4:11-13). What would the Lord say to us if we fail in this? Would it be ‘well done good and faithful servant’ or a reprimand along the lines of 1 Corinthians 3:1-2 & Hebrews 5:I1-12?
Salvation
What does salvation mean to each of us – our state before and after salvation? The only way to God is by faith. Our relationship with Him, spiritual position and growth, and what God wants us to do now.
Why should we study the Bible?
We could just say that the Bible is God’s ‘instruction manual’ to us on how to live our lives, so, of course, we should study it! But here are several more reasons – and all for our benefit. God really loves us and the Bible has many promises, and some warnings, all motivated by this love.
Understanding the Bible
The Bible is God’s instruction manual for our lives, so we really need to be able to correctly understand what we are reading, and how to apply it to our lives. We might like to think we do and base our views and actions on this, but maybe we need to look deeper into various factors that will lead to a far more clear and accurate understanding of the different books in the Bible, and everything in them.
The Church
The church (ecclesia) refers to the universal (total) body of believers whom God calls out from the world and into His eternal kingdom. What does, or should, the church consist of? Let’s take a look, using the picture of a dove.