Grow Through Study

 ***I went looking for this talk that I shared in 2017, but couldn't find it so here I am years later, making sure I have a digital footprint of it. I went digging because today I finally watched "I Still Believe" about Jeremey Camp and his first wife, Melissa. Right before my talk that is listed below, I had Jeremy Camp's song "Living Word" play for all to hear. As you listen to the song, keep in mind that when I had it played, it was around 8 or 9 something in the morning, and no other talks the previous day included music....especially not this upbeat tempo. 

****A template for several points was provided so the format and flow is not my own. Some of the steps and excuses were generally provided and I added my own spin on things. 

When I was in 3rd or 4th grade ~maybe a little older~ I heard about a special Bible. A Bible given to my mom when she was a young teen~ a Bible that she was missing and hadn't seen since her marriage to my dad. It was white, with a zipper that went around it to close it up, and the zipper pull was a cross. It sounded amazing to my young ears. 

That summer while visiting my dad in Virginia, I went digging around...I just knew it had to be there. I would steal moments to dig while he was working on a car at the station. I would sneak into the closet in the main store building, sift through stuff, searching for that missing Bible. Finally I struck gold...or rather a black, grimy, filthy Bible with a zipper that closed it. A Bible that was once a bright white. A Bible where the dedication page proudly displayed my mother's name. That summer, I got my mom's Bible back to her. 

That's probably when I first fell in love with the Bible and longed for one of my own. I just knew it held all the answers. I just knew I had to have one just like hers. But I never found one. 

Fast forward a few years. I finally had a white Bible to call my own and I proudly carried it to church whenever I got to go. It was a New King James Version with Christ's words in red. The only kind I thought you were supposed to read. Trust me when I say I read from a variety of translations today. But that white Bible was mine and the closest I could get to one like my mom's. It still holds my highlights, my specials notes from friends, and even some old church bulletins. But as much as I loved that Bible and would read it from time to time; I never really studied the Bible. 

Fast forward some more. I started trying really hard to read through the Bible while in my 20s. I tried so hard to focus on reading the Bible in its entirety. I knew if I could just read through the Bible, I would finally have the answers. I tried it all...checklists, devotions, women's study Bibles, front cover to back cover. One chapter a day, multiple chapters a day. Nothing ever seemed to work. Then one year for Lent instead of giving up something superficially, I decided to add something. I put forth more effort than I ever did before and I started my one year journey of reading through the Bible. Every morning while I ate my cereal I would read the Bible using my daily reading plan on the Bible app I was using. And I read....every.....single.....morning. One year later I could finally say....I read the whole Bible!

But I quickly learned that for me just reading through the Bible to check it off my list wasn't the "answer" I was seeking. Of course at the time, I don't even think I knew what the question was. 

It took me several more years to realize that it wasn't about reading through the Bible...it's about growing, transforming...and one way to grow is through study. 

Now some of you may be groaning and thinking, "I don't want to study"  or "I was never any good at studying while I was in school" or you may be thinking, "YES! Finally something I can do well. I aced all my tests because I knew how to study." But I ask you right now to put aside your already formed thoughts about study. I ask you to open up your mind, open yourself up right now to let the Holy Spirit work within you. 

Let's take a look at what it is to study. Study can be one of the most energizing, liberating, and deepening of human activities. Study can be an adventure. It can be a doorway to discovery. Study can help us move beyond narrow, superficial understandings and help us begin to see more deeply into reality. 

I realize some of us probably thought study was simply memorizing just enough information to pass a test or that it's something only a select few can do really well. But the type of studying we are going to learn about is different. It's more than getting information. 

The studying we are learning about today is the kind that transforms every aspect of our lives. Study helps us grow. And the aim of study for a Christian is growth in spiritual wisdom and the mind of Christ. 

I'm going to say that again...The aim of study for a Christian is growth in spiritual wisdom and the mind of Christ. 

In Romans 12:2, the apostle Paul we are transformed through the renewal of our minds. And then in Philippians 4:8, we learn that we renew our minds by applying them to those things that are most worthy. And in John 8:32, Jesus himself tells us that the knowledge of truth will set us free. 

 

The knowledge of truth will set us free. Isn't that amazing and comforting! Shouldn't that be enough to make us all want to dive into study right now?

But this transformation, renewal of mind, and freedom are all things we can't get, we can't do, if we approach study the way we typically think of studying. Sure you will see some similarities, but this type of study goes deeper. You see the aim for Christian study is to go beyond the human desire for information and knowledge...hence why my just reading through the Bible didn't leave me changed or with the answers I was seeking. It was a decent start, but it was simply seeking knowledge...what does the Bible say (on the surface). The aim of study for a Christian is to seek the deeper transformation of our hearts and lives...spiritual wisdom and the mind of Christ. 

So how are we going to do this? How are we going to get there?

As an instructional coach, I spend much of my time working with teachers; helping them learn how to differentiate instruction to meet the wide variety of learning needs within a classroom. In turn, I do the same for the teachers I work with. They all have different learning needs, just like the students in their classrooms.

Each one of us in this room today has different needs. We are all at different places in our journey, on our path that God designed for us. So we are each going to need a unique plan for study. One that works for us to enable us to grow toward Christian maturity. 

This talk aims to help us learn how to give God our minds. 

What is Christian Study?

1. Study is a constant part of our life
• Children are busy studying the world around them, figuring out how things work. We pick up newspapers or watch the news to study what's going on in the world. We study a new skill we are trying to learn. We study how to get better at something. We study for our job....so we can get better at it. 
• But how much time do we spend studying our Christian priority? Are we maturing...growing...in our understanding of Christian faith and life?
2. Study is spiritual discipline that involves seeking understanding for one's faith; exchanging old thought patterns for new, life giving thought patterns. 
3. Growth through study involves our being informed of the truth and being formed in the truth. Let me say that one more time... Growth through study involves being informed of the truth and being formed in the truth. 
4. Finally, Christians must study so that we are equipped to share a Christ centered outlook and realistic faith with a complex world. We must study so we are equipped to share. Think about it this way...what if I told you, that you had to come up here next and teach all of us how to play the violin? Or you had to come up here and teach us about biometrics and why we should care about it? Now unless one of you knows how to play the violin or one of you studies biometrics, you are probably thinking I'm crazy and there's no way you could do that. You're probably thinking you would need to do a lot of STUDYING first and even then you aren't sure you would be able to do it. The same holds true about sharing Christ with others and not just share Christ, but share a Christ centered outlook. Big difference there. It's going to be very difficult to do this, if you don't spend time and GROW through STUDY.

So What Should We Study?

Here are 8 areas to spend time in study: The good news, scripture, yourself, others, spiritual classics, the church, history, and the world. 

1. The good news...Know the Good News. God freely gives grace to everyone in Christ Jesus. Seek and ever deepening understanding of this mystery and LEARN to SHARE your faith in a way that is authentic and true.
2. Scripture...Study scripture to know the heart and will of God. The central purpose of scripture study is not religious information or doctrinal purity for its own sake. The central purpose is for inner transformation. (See 2 Timothy 3:16-17)
3. Yourself...Know yourself. Sounds odd? It's not really. God made each and every one of us uniquely and for a purpose. You need to know that you are a child of God and He equipped you with special gifts for the purpose of sharing His grace in your particular situation. Seek to know your gifts, your purpose, your motives, your needs, your weaknesses. I tell you, this is an area that I'm only just now starting to really understand and be confident in...and it's only through study and faith in God that this transformation is occurring. 
4. Others... Get to know others. Listen to them. Hear their stories. Ask God to help you see them as He sees them. Seek to know their needs and how the Christian message can reconcile and make their lives new. 
5. Spiritual Classics...Study the lives and wisdom of saints, the writings of masters of the spiritual life, and the experiences of great people whose lives exemplify true humanity. 
6. The Church...study its history, its role in society and the ever recurring challenges and controversies. Study your own denomination. Now that's a "fun" one for me. I grew up back and forth between Baptist and Methodist churches. My mom grew up Baptist, my pop grew up Methodist, and my grandfather on my dad's side was a Freewill Baptist Preacher and I LOVED going to church with him when I visited them in Virginia. I've had to do some studying just to understand what goes on in my own church...and I've still got a lot to figure out. Especially now that I work so closely with our youth. Become an informed member. 
7. History...Studying history helps to give us perspective, helps us to be humble, helps us to see God's activity over time, and helps us avoid making the same mistakes over and over. 
8. World...Study current events, human issues, and the state of humanity today. God loved the world so much that His Son died for it, for us. So we must love and seek to understand our world because God calls us to ministry in the midst of it. 

But as we are studying, we must keep it in perspective. Though it's a means to holiness, it is NOT holiness itself. The reason for study is growth and maturing in faith...NOT acquiring knowledge for its merit. 

Now if you are anything like me, I'm thinking you've probably come up with some excuses on why you can't do this or why it's going to be too hard for you to do. But we must trudge forth past those excuses. 

Excuses:

1. "I don't have time..." There's a quote that pops up on my Facebook page from time to time reminding me that we make time for what's important to us. I promise I struggle with time too. I have 3 kids, 2 of them with medical issues. I have a full time job and a part time job. Depending on the "season" of life at the moment, I can go days with barely anytime at home...eat, sleep, rush back out the door. So I get it. Life can pull us all in a million different directions, everything and everyone vying for our time. It's up to you to decide what is worth your time and what you are going to prioritize doing. 
2. "I don't know what to study..." It's okay, I used to think there was only the Bible and attending church. But there's more than just the Bible!   Seriously, remember how we just learned you need to study yourself? Think about what you are most interested in, or about an area of life you want to work on. And then talk to your pastor, other church leaders,  a person at church whose opinion and insight you value, share what you want to find and seek their advice. Check out your local Christian bookstore. Turn to technology....do some Google searches. Find a Facebook group. Simply put the question out there on social media and see what your friends, family, followers have to say. I've gotten some great recommendations that way.
3. "I don't like to read books..." Okay, this one is hard for me to swallow, I'm at a teacher at heart, but I understand. And sometimes it's not so much reading a book that's the problem, it's that you don't have much time to read a book. There are alternatives...join a small group study, read articles, follow some of the authors who write books on social media or find out if they write a blog regularly, watch videos....there's YouTube...and there's also God Tube. Find something you can listen to as you drive to work. There are plenty of options these days. Find what will work for you.
4. "I don't understand parts of the Bible..." Guess what! Neither do I! It's okay! There are resources out there to help with that too, from books that help you study to online tutorials. There are commentaries and study Bibles. One thing I've found I love to do especially for a verse or section I am having trouble understanding, I go and read 2 or 3 more translations of the same scripture. Notice the words that are the same and those that change. Sometimes it's a simple change of one or two words...or the slight change in sentence structure and suddenly the passage makes much more sense. 
5. "Theology confuses me..." Don't worry about that at first. Theology is nothing more than the study of God. 

So now that we've talked past all those excuses and we know what we need to do to Grow Through Study, let's figure out how to develop a personal study plan. 

Personal Study Plan

1. Decide to make it a priority.
2. Carve out time for study.
• Do what works for you. If you are not a morning person, don't force it. Do it at a time that works for you.
3. Find the right place. 
• Find a place that is comfortable, quiet, with minimal distractions. Have your supplies there or in a container that can easily be brought to your study space. 
4. Choose a balanced diet of study materials...Bible, books, devotions, etc.
5. Keep a reading journal...write down quotes, summarize, write your questions, sketch....
6. Find a way to SHARE...we learn the most when we share with others. 

For me, I've done it many ways. Especially when I was trying to figure out how to get the Bible read from cover to cover. Finding quiet, alone time is hard with an 11 year old, a 9 year old, and a 5 year old all wanting your attention. Not to mention my husband, the dogs, and of course work. I've tried reading while I eat breakfast (and usually no one else is up) and because I just couldn't stay awake long enough to read at night. After a lot of trial and error over the years, I think over the past 1-2 years I've finally figured out a routine that works for me...most of the time. Now I have a combination of morning, day, and evening study. 

Mornings are my time for prayer and sharing a Christian song with others on Facebook. If I'm in the middle of a book, I'll read, highlight, and jot down notes while I dry my hair. 

In the evenings, I write in my prayer journal, read a quick devotion, and then read a short piece in the Bible. A few years ago I started Bible journaling and when I started doing that I started focusing on just a verse or a short selection of verses at a time. This allowed me to go deeper with my understanding because I was spending time rereading, thinking about the text, journaling, and drawing. This is when I finally started to change....to transform...in a way that I have trouble describing. The Bible came to life, my relationship with God grew closer. So now after I read in my Bible, I try to journal, sometimes through highlighting and underlining, other times through writing in my journal or in my Bible, and sometimes through drawing. And then I share with others via social media...my personal Facebook pages as well as through a group I manage called Scripture Sketchers. Sometimes I share by leading small groups at my church and nearby churches on how to Bible Journal...and that it's not just coloring. It's growing in faith, growing in God. 

So those answers to that unknown questions that I didn't find after reading through the whole Bible, I'm finding now. Sometimes it's in a quick 5 minute read and write...other times it's losing myself for an hour or more as I study the word and respond. 

My advice...find what works for you. My mom, she reads and studies in her car on her lunch hour. That's what works for her. 

So here's your challenge...and my challenge too!

Grow Through Study

1. If we are to grow and be effective, we can't stop studying. 
2. Also, we cannot be mature Christians in our thoughts and actions if we stopped our Christian study with a confirmation class or a Sunday School youth class.
3. Remember life brings change. But we must not let the world determine how we will change. 
4. We must be intentional if we are to grow with grace in the image of God and the mind of Christ. 

There's Hope...part 2

Overcome with sleep, she nodded off while waiting in the car for dance practice to end. 

Okay, I really set up the jacket between the driver's side window and the visor so the sun would be blocked, kicked off my shoes, reclined the seat back and purposely closed my eyes...

What I thought was only a few minutes of sleep actually ended up being closer to an hour. Ooops.....

The past couple of weeks, I've been hit with sudden tiredness and a strong desire to take a nap. Nothing regular to it, no rhyme or reason. It's the tired I remember feeling at the end of a school year filled with teaching and participating in my own classes.  Since March 2020, life has been "on" and there has been no off switch. No down time....not even when forced to stay at home. Hello...INTROVERT HERE! I need to be alone to recharge. 

I knew a couple of months into the pandemic that this introvert's batteries were going to deplete and I know that's part of what's happening right now. The batteries are almost dead. Or are they?

You see there's something else behind the tiredness. The desire to take a nap while waiting on my dancer. When I shared in part 1 of "There's Hope" that there would be a part 2 that would include my story, I didn't realize God would use the very next day (today) to give me the start to part 2, but it makes sense. "Here you go Brandi, you need to talk about being tired. You need to talk about rest."

You see with Mark going to church now and setting the expectation for the children to attend, there's been a shift in how we worship. That's really what I thought this would be about....stepping back, letting my husband take the lead. It's no longer me "forcing" the kids to go someplace when "dad gets to stay home." It's no longer me "carrying the load" of leading my family while desperately praying for my husband. It's no longer me holding onto frustrations of 'doing it alone'. 

This tiredness, is from trying to do it all. Trying to do more than I should have. God carried me through it all and He's reminding me to stay in prayer. God's letting me know that the shift that's taking place right now was no small feat. He carried me, He equipped me, but now He's saying to ease up, let go, let Mark take on some of the load. He's reminding me to TRUST HIM! to keep my eyes on HIM! to REST in HIM. 

I share all this with you because none of this is what I expected. When I felt the weight lift from my shoulders several weeks ago, I was overcome with peace and relief. Years of faithful prayer being answered!

And if you are anything like me, you want to be in control. You want to make the decisions....just not the decision about "what's for dinner?" You spend so much time being "in charge" of certain things, that when things suddenly change, you don't know what to do. 

Thankfully God knows me so well, He knows how I operate and so He's quick to provide me with just what I need. I was so busy focused on Him and working things out for myself and what I needed to walk away from, that I almost didn't notice the shift in dynamics for our family unit. I kinda was not even home to be part of Mark getting everyone ready for church because I was working at one church then rushing to the next church so I could be with my family. 

Then it hit me one day, "My husband is leading the family to worship together." And the weight lifted even more.  

Is it perfect?.....Absolutely NOT! But that's not what it's about. 

When I shared in part 1 that a change would happen, I meant it. God knew how to ease me into the change so I wouldn't take control. I trust He will do the same for you. I know He has me sharing with you now because of all that I didn't expect. So when your help arrives or steps up to lead, let him. Be willing to step back just enough. Trust God and take advantage of resting in Him. Keep your eyes focused on Him.  And then listen, because God is going to whisper your name. 

Y'all I don't know where all this is going to lead. What I do know is God has been here every step of the way....even when I get in the way. He has a purpose and a plan for each of us. We may not see it or understand it, but we need to step out in faith. We need to trust and obey. I can't help but be excited for all God has planned. 

There's Hope...part 1

Not a really creative title, I know. But God has been onto me all year about getting back to writing. I preach and preach about needing to share our story. I question if you are using the gifts God gave you. Yet, here I sit once again having to admit that I don't always use what God has given me. 

So here I am....a little rusty, but with something that He says I must share and that I need to stop waiting until the "right" moment. 

You see those journals in the picture? Those are the physical evidence from 2017 where I wrote prayers and praises almost daily from March 11 to December 30, 2017. Prayers and praises to God for my husband. 

I had prayed daily for him for years, but in February 2017 something changed and for some reason the next month I decided to write those prayers down. 

Through this prayer time I grew and changed as a prayer warrior. My prayer language changed. They weren't the most eloquent prayers....and guess what, they didn't have to be. Sometimes they were short, sometimes long and detailed. I tried to read through some of them just now, but can't without a ton of tears. 

I stopped writing the prayers down at the end of 2017...not sure why, I just did. I'm sure something else took it's place, but I never stopped praying. Praying for Mark, but also praying for me. Praying for God to keep working on me so I could be the wife He created me to be for Mark. 

I share all this tonight because many of those prayers included the words "patient" or rather impatient. I was impatient. I wanted God to reach Mark right then and there. I wanted my husband at church with me and the kids right then and there. I was impatient!

I was blessed...am blessed...that I have many around me that shared their testimony and through that I remained hopeful. God would open my eyes to the possibilities and reminders to be still and quit trying to rush things as I would hear the testimonies of others. Testimonies of not coming to Christ until mid-life and sometimes later. But oh, I could get so frustrated and jealous sometimes. Frustrated because I wanted things happening on my time. Jealous because others around me had what appeared to be the very thing I wanted.

Now here I am, 4 years after the journal entries, and even more years than that in prayer for my husband. I share with you tonight because for almost 4 months now, my husband has attended church regularly. Not only that, he gets the kids there too. There's no "oh, well they can just stay home" or anything like that. And it's not just a "let's go get this hour over with then rush out the door." Instead it's "let's sit around, fellowship, break bread, and more." Yes, I know 4 months is a short time in the grand scheme of things, but PRAISE GOD! HALLELUJAH! 4 Months! 

I share tonight, because others shared with me and gave me hope. Now it's my turn. Ladies, if you've been in prayer for your husband, keep it up! Trust God. Write your prayers out, what language are you using? What if you changed your language to turn inward and focus on a transformation within yourself instead of something that sounds like "God, please fix him"?

Gentlemen, if you've been in prayer for your wife, keep it up! Trust God. Note your language just like I shared with the ladies. 

I can't help you know the when, but I can promise that all things are possible in Christ. 

God's not done with me. He's not done with my family. He's not done with you. He's not done with your family. 

My husband's testimony is in the making. It will not be mine to share. It will be his. 

Part 2 will pick up with me. You see when there's a shift in how your family worships, there's going to be some changes. Are you ready?