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Posted on January 18, 2008 ...

     By now we have resumed all of our ministries that took a brief recess for the holidays. One activity that has not been widely promoted is the Tuesday Morning Bible Study group that meets at Panera Bread. Because so little announcement had been given to its resumption, I was afraid that not many (if any) would show up on our Bible Study meeting of 2008 on January 8. To my delight, we had ten there in attendance!
     We meet at 7:00 a.m. and have claimed a regular space along a series of tables. We spend about 15 minutes in casual conversation and then transition to a time of sharing prayer requests. Finally we walk verse by verse (sometimes word by word) through a passage of scripture before finishing about 7:50. Currently we are working our way through the book of First John.
     The purpose of First John is to grant people the assurance that they are saved and going to heaven:
I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. 1 John 5:13 NIV
     Many individuals are less than certain of their salvation. This uncertainty hinders the peace and satisfaction God desires for their lives. If you are searching for this assurance, I especially invite you to join us in this study.
We are easy to find on Tuesday mornings. If you are an early riser and your schedule permits, I hope you will consider joining us for this gathering. While the participants have tended to be men, any and all are welcome.
     As we pray and go through our Bible Study I can often hear the conversations of those people around us in the background. This reminds me that I am glad this is a ministry that takes place at a location outside of our church walls. We certainly do not pray and discuss the Bible in order to be seen by other people. Jesus warned against such an attitude of spiritual showmanship (Matthew 6:5). Still, I am proud that our gathering allows our light to shine before our community:
Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16 NIV
     Hope to see you there sometime soon, Jay