So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God.

Hebrews 6:1

Dear God, I’m sure I’ve read this verse before, and I probably had the same reaction them that I am having now. I think this is one of my problems with the majority of the preaching I hear on Sunday mornings. The lessons that pastors teach are from the same playbook I’ve heard my whole life: God is love. There is grace for you. Love others.

Growing up, the pastor of my formative years really, really, really focused on your grace every week. I am probably being unfair, but my memory is that every week was a call to accept your grace and let go. And that was great as far as it gave me a very healthy attitude about your unconditional love for me. But when I got college I started to hear more sophisticated Bible teaching that encouraged me, challenged me, and helped me to start to enrich myself.

So now I’ve started to think about leading a local Bible study, with a focus being on getting men from a cross section of the community. Some lower class. Some middle class. Even some upper class. I’m not sure what it would look like. I’m not sure who I could get to come—or who you would bring to it. But I’m thinking this might be something for me to consider this fall. If we say we want to bring you to our community and we want our community to embrace you, doesn’t it include something like this?

Father, help me to really hear you and find you through this. I don’t want to do anything that’s not of you, and I don’t want to do it in a way that leaves out your blessing. Guide me, give me ears to hear, eyes to see, and the will to completely submit to you.

In Jesus’ name I pray,

Amen