Yesterday was my turn to teach the Bible study class…
I've been doing this for a long time now, and I enjoy the challenge of preparing lessons on whatever topics and subjects the Lord puts on my heart to give to the men. We usually get a dozen or so who attend faithfully. It is not a lecture type class, but one in which all in attendance can participate by asking questions, sharing their thoughts, or taking turns reading from the Scriptures.
The class is as much social as it is educational. I will start the session by asking one of the men to open the
gathering with a prayer. We will then share a few brief testimonies which we call "praise reports." These being reports on prayers that were answered since we last met.
Next we will sing a few worship songs to help lift our spirits and unclutter our minds from whatever negative things we've each had to deal with since our last meeting. And then our study begins.
My topic was "Stepping Out of the Boat." It was based on a passage from Matthew's gospel account where the Lord was walking on the water when Peter called out and asked if he could come to him (Matthew 14:22-33). Jesus said, "Yes, come." But when the wind began to stir and the water became choppy, Peter got nervous and took his eyes off Christ. He quickly began to sink, but the Lord came to hisrescue. It's a story many who are familiar the Bible know.
But the lesson was not about Peter's brief moments of walking on the water. It was about his fellow disciples who played it safe and stayed inside the boat. The focus was on choosing to remain in one's comfort zone rather than on taking a risk like Peter did.
We viewed the boat as a source of safety and security for the disciples who, at the time, happened to be in deep waters. The boat was familiar to them and thus provided a degree of comfort. "But faith demands that we leave our comfort zones to venture out and take on new challenges," I said. Thus the boat became the "spectators section" where the other disciples passively sat and watched the interaction between Jesus and Peter, and the miracle that took place.
In sum we looked at our lives and asked the Lord to search our hearts and reveal to each of us individually if we too have become mere spectators settling for living in our own comfort zones rather than wanting to venture into deeper levels of ministry.
Near the end of the class we acknowledged that it is possible, if we are not vigilant, to slip into a state of comfort and complacency and thereby neglect the gifts and callings God has given to each of us. That we can instead settle back into the safety of the boat in order to avoid discomfort and risk, and avoid getting our hands dirty as we shine as lights for Christ in this spiritually dark world.
We all agreed that gathering for fellowship in a house of worship is important, and socializing amongst ourselves is good, but not to the point of settling into a selfish level of comfort and ease while ignoring the needs of our neighbors.
I told the men, "Step out of your boat." The boat, I explained, represents our comfort zones. "Trust the Lord and walk toward what He has called you to do," I said. While I also admitted to them how I too will
sometimes find myself settling into a comfortable place and not wanting to step into a new challenge.
"It is human nature to want to always take the easy route," I said. "But to live by faith means there will come new callings placed upon us by the Lord to roll up our sleeves, gird up our minds, and step out of the safety of the boat and walk toward our next assignment, whatever it may be."
D. B.
The class is as much social as it is educational. I will start the session by asking one of the men to open the
gathering with a prayer. We will then share a few brief testimonies which we call "praise reports." These being reports on prayers that were answered since we last met.
Next we will sing a few worship songs to help lift our spirits and unclutter our minds from whatever negative things we've each had to deal with since our last meeting. And then our study begins.
My topic was "Stepping Out of the Boat." It was based on a passage from Matthew's gospel account where the Lord was walking on the water when Peter called out and asked if he could come to him (Matthew 14:22-33). Jesus said, "Yes, come." But when the wind began to stir and the water became choppy, Peter got nervous and took his eyes off Christ. He quickly began to sink, but the Lord came to hisrescue. It's a story many who are familiar the Bible know.
But the lesson was not about Peter's brief moments of walking on the water. It was about his fellow disciples who played it safe and stayed inside the boat. The focus was on choosing to remain in one's comfort zone rather than on taking a risk like Peter did.
We viewed the boat as a source of safety and security for the disciples who, at the time, happened to be in deep waters. The boat was familiar to them and thus provided a degree of comfort. "But faith demands that we leave our comfort zones to venture out and take on new challenges," I said. Thus the boat became the "spectators section" where the other disciples passively sat and watched the interaction between Jesus and Peter, and the miracle that took place.
In sum we looked at our lives and asked the Lord to search our hearts and reveal to each of us individually if we too have become mere spectators settling for living in our own comfort zones rather than wanting to venture into deeper levels of ministry.
Near the end of the class we acknowledged that it is possible, if we are not vigilant, to slip into a state of comfort and complacency and thereby neglect the gifts and callings God has given to each of us. That we can instead settle back into the safety of the boat in order to avoid discomfort and risk, and avoid getting our hands dirty as we shine as lights for Christ in this spiritually dark world.
We all agreed that gathering for fellowship in a house of worship is important, and socializing amongst ourselves is good, but not to the point of settling into a selfish level of comfort and ease while ignoring the needs of our neighbors.
I told the men, "Step out of your boat." The boat, I explained, represents our comfort zones. "Trust the Lord and walk toward what He has called you to do," I said. While I also admitted to them how I too will
sometimes find myself settling into a comfortable place and not wanting to step into a new challenge.
"It is human nature to want to always take the easy route," I said. "But to live by faith means there will come new callings placed upon us by the Lord to roll up our sleeves, gird up our minds, and step out of the safety of the boat and walk toward our next assignment, whatever it may be."
D. B.
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