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From Missions Pastor Jerry Benge:
Why Should You Consider the Word Partners' Training?
By now, many of you have heard about the Word Partners’ Training which will be in the Cornerstone Gym on Friday, May 19 (7:00 pm to 9:00 pm) and Saturday, May 20 (8:30 to 12:30 pm). If you’re already aware of it, you likely know it offers training to become a better reader of God’s Word. You may even think it’s a good idea…for some people. But with summer rapidly approaching and an ever-increasing “to do” list, you’re not ready to invest the time. Friday night, Saturday morning…there goes the weekend. Or you may be saying to yourself: “Bible study principles? Been there, done that.”
That’s what I initially thought when I first learned about Word Partners while teaching at Kyiv Theological Seminary in Ukraine. One of my seminary students invited me to attend the Word Partner training at his church in Eastern Ukraine. I thought it would be an encouragement to him, so I agreed to attend. Little did I realize how much it would help me. Though I had acquired a significant amount of biblical knowledge in my undergraduate and graduate programs in biblical studies, in my heart I knew there were gaps. Some types of biblical literature were straightforward and relatively easier to handle (such as New Testament epistles). Others were not so easy so I tended to avoid them (such as Apocalyptic books like the Revelation of Jesus Christ). Still others I thought I understood (like narrative books or the Gospels or OT poetic books). Yet, my understanding (and teaching) was too often hit or miss.
Participating in the Dig and Discovery principles that were taught and practiced during the training was eye opening. And shocking. Shockingly simple. My formal seminary training (like a dump truck) had inundated me with a lot of information. It wasn’t misinformation, just too much of it. And too little time spent practicing how to understand the text in a way that the Biblical authors intended. This step is absolutely critical if we would experience the transforming power of God’s Word. Word Partners reinforced a growing conviction in me that the Word of God is sharp and powerful (Hebrews 4:12) and thus able to probe the ultimate issues of my heart where repentance and change take place. The Word is most sharp when we read it and understand it the way the original author intended. The picture above illustrates this point. A soldier is provided with a rifle to effectively engage the enemy. However, if he fails to use the rifle according to its intended design, its effectiveness is greatly reduced! The same happens to us when we overlook or ignore the point of the text.
You may be thinking: “I don’t need another weekend of lectures. Then by all means come! There will be an interactive workshop-style of training. You will find it positively challenging to learn and work together with other believers to be better readers of God’s Word. You will also learn the wonder of its transforming power as the Holy Spirit engages your heart. My decision to attend the Word Partners' training several years ago proved to be a great help to me in my Bible reading. I highly recommend it. Join us as we learn and apply these key Dig and Discover principles in studying the book of Ruth.
To register click here. The cost is $6.00 until this Sunday, April 23. After that the price is $8.00.
Bring your sword with you,
Jerry Benge
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