Sunday, February 3, 2008

Bible Study

Starting the week of Feb 10, 2008 I will be doing an email Bible Study. I am looking for people who would like to participate.

Here is generally what it would look like.
On Sunday evenings, I would send out an email to everyone telling them what Scripture we will be studying. I would encourage you to spend time throughout the week studying the verse of Scripture to be studied. We will most likely start out in the Book of John, chapter one, verse one. Most likely it will be one verse per week. It will take time to go through the whole book, but if we truly want to learn the Bible, it shouldn't be a race to finish it as fast as we can.

On Friday evenings, I will send out my study on the verse. Do not worry about not understanding any parts of it. I will write it in a way that is easy to understand. If I use big words, I will be sure to explain what the words mean. As you receive the email, I would encourage you to read any corresponding Scriptures that are included. See if what I am saying (writing) lines up with your own personal study.

Once you have compared my study to yours, I would then encourage you to email me with your comments and any additions you would make to it.

As I receive the additions, I will send them out to everyone on the next Sunday evening email so that everyone can gain insight into the Scriptures. The idea is to edify the body of believers.

This Bible study will not have any PDL, Emergent, Willow Creek bashing whatsoever. It is not about attacking people or groups. It is about getting into God's Word one verse at a time. I have tried getting on yahoo groups that have a bible study and it ends up being a shouting match between different beliefs. Let's not do that. Let's take it one verse at a time each week and let God's Word do the work!

Are you interested?

Here are some ground rules...
1. inappropriate language is not accepted
2. abusive language will not be tolerated
3. you must have a sincere desire to study the Word of God
4. if you have a point to make, please refrain from using terms like, "I think the Bible says..." or "This is what I feel it is saying..." or any other terminology that takes a feeling of Scripture over actual facts of Scriptures. When we come against Scripture that seems strong on both sides, we will dig deeper into God's Word because we know that God is not the author of confusion. It is about taking verses in context and backing them up biblically. You will never see me say (or write) that one group of people are guilty of something that we are studying. It is God's Word that convicts us and we will allow the Holy Spirit to open our eyes.
5. As brothers and sisters in Christ, we are here to be edified and to encourage each other.

How do I join?

pretty easy actually!
just send me a comment that you want to join so that others can see people are doing this.
then send me an email at: brianculver@yahoo.com and in the subject line put -- "add to Bible Study"
then in the body of the letter please tell me a little bit about yourself.
Are you a pastor, an elder, a doctor, a nurse, a graphic artist, a paint-by-numbers artist, a working mom, a stay-at-home mom, married, single, whatever, just to give me a little idea of who I have in the group.

Sunday February 10, email will be sent to all in group stating Scripture verse to study
Friday February 15, email will be sent with the actual study I have gathered
Friday or Saturday and even Sunday morning 15-17, send me any replies on something you would like to biblically add to the study.

Sunday Feb 17, in the evening, I will send out an email with all of the added comments from the previous study that I have received (provided they are biblical and not heresy). At the bottom of the email will be the new Scripture for the next week.

I am looking forward to getting into God's Word with you all. Again, there will be no bashing of groups or individuals allowed on here. It is solely to delve into His Word for the sake of edification.

God bless
Brian Culver

15 comments:

Layneh said...

Why not just run it off a blog instead?

Personally, I am not a fan of online debates, it takes to long for a response.

Jfranklin6 said...

I look forward to joining your Bible study.

Thoughts From Jeff said...

I will attempt to do this. I tend to agree with layneh that the process seems a little long without seeing the discussion.

I am also not sure if I will get included in the studies because you will probably (since you are deciding) that my view will be considered heresy.

Obviously, if there is any pokes at beliefs or movements, I will gracious bow out.

pastorbrianculver said...

Hi Layneh,
I considered doing that, but to be honest, I am not sure how long I will be blogging on here. I am putting it to serious prayer right now. My original purpose of doing this blog was to get people to look for biblical teaching in the church. I wanted people to get away from the soft gospel and back to the whole Word of God. I truly enjoying reaching out to the lost and to Christians who need support in their community. I enjoy the thought of doing a Bible study to help people come to learn God's Word and to encourage them to get into His Word on their own. I am finding that the cynical attitudes that come from some people is very frustrating. I have to decide, do I want to continue arguing my point to someone who is arrogant with only a desire to create discord, or is my time better spent out in the streets reaching the lost for Jesus? I think I just answered my own question with that comment. I am spending way too much time reading negative comments from lost people who are only interested in promoting hate (disguised as the love of Jesus). Sounds a lot like the way Satan would disguise Christianity. It has been disgusting to see how some people respond (people who claim to be Christians). They accuse you of being a liar when you are sincere and being truthful. They accuse you of being like every other arrogant and obnoxious person they have met (when they really need to be looking in the mirror at themselves). I can handle the persecution because I know they hated Jesus first, so that is not the real issue. The real issue is that it is keeping me from spending my time in service to Jesus and fulfilling the Great Commission. While the suicide rate for teenagers is the highest it has been, it is important that the Word of God gets out to them, because so many churches are not giving them what they need, the Truth of God's Word. So many people feel that it is okay to lie, they teach their kids to lie and feel that is okay with God. There are people who are flipping people off, all in the name of the forgiveness of Christ, and there are people who, as pastors, are turning their heads away from outward sin within their church walls. Many people are not learning what they need to learn from their own church, so I feel a desire and an obligation to reach the lost and to not wait another day.

Jfranklin6, I will be looking forward to working with you on a Bible Study.

Jeff G, if you are coming into the Bible study with preconceived ideas that I am going to pick on you, then don't bother joining. I gave you my word in a personal email and you still question it. It is not "my" words that decide whether something is heresy, it is the Word of God. You say a key word that shows me you are not willing to participate with an unbiased point of view. The comment that your "view" will be considered heresy, shows me that you are already making judgments about this. I ask people to not just say, "I think..." or "this is what I feel it means..." what we are going to do is read the Bible and back up everything we say biblically. If there is anything that seems contradictory, then we will go deeper into God's Word to study it. If you want to contribute your study, using the Bible only as a reference, then you are more than welcome to. Again, I do not appreciate the hint that I am not going to keep my word with you or anyone else. You have been in the ministry long enough to know that behavior is not of God with fellow Christians.

Thoughts From Jeff said...

I have not received an email from you. Did you reply to me ot write seperately, using my addy. If you did the later, it may have went to my bulk mail (being the first)

Unknown said...

Please add me to this! I've been looking for something like this!

S.J. Walker said...

Jolly good.

And I feel ya with the purpose of the blog. Soon after starting my own, I was very convicted that in whatever I do, I must do as unto the Lord. The main thing I am told to do is preach the Word. So, I must preach the word from wherever I am, a voice crying in the cyberspace. We still have arguments there from time to time, but I was convicted that if I was going to blog, it better be solid exposition of Scripture.
This Bible Study could be a really cool thing to do instead of the "negatives" you mentioned. Well done. If we are known more for the plethora Scriptural studies, and messages than for the great debates we have on certain "church" issues, I think we have done well by Him Who sent us.

Count me in Bro, I'll do what I can.

Tim Brown said...

Regarding the issue of "bashing", I think Brian dealt with that sufficiently in his original post.

Having said that, I would add that we (at least I) would expect to let the Word speak when taken in it's Literal, Historical, Grammatical, Contextual sense. If that steps on something, so be it.

Bashing is one thing, and I wouldn't want that any more than Brian. However, I see no reason to restrict what we share in the name of "getting along", either.

If Brian allows, I'll try to take a part in this -- it goes along with what we do at our home church on Sunday mornings. It's not about bashing, but I'll have nothing to do with a symposium (that's where we all just pool our ignorance and say "I think...").

Tim Brown said...

Just thought of an example. John 15:18ff.

You'd better believe I'll speak my mind on what that means. Would I mention movements? No. But if simply exegeting that passage is deemed "bashing" by someone then this may not be the study for them.

Just getting my intentions out in the open.

Jfranklin6 said...

I'm with you as well, if the truth bashes what you seem to maybe kinda believe, then bash away. We all ought to be able to take our beliefs of what God is, read the Word, and come to the same conclusion. If not, then change your beliefs, the Word is truth, and by it you will be sanctified. Regardless of which denomination you are a fan of, many of those people are on their way to hell because they do not know Christ. Narrow, both the gate and path. If it's not studied in that manner, it sure won't be preached in that manner.

Tim Brown said...

While I don't always agree with Erwin Lutzer, I do remember him quoting someone as saying "The truth is like a football. You can kick it around all day long and at the end of the day will still be full and round".

michelle said...

i'll join!

pastorbrianculver said...

I have you in with us Michelle, thanks!

Jessie, I would love to be able to go to it but I do not have the extra money to be able to afford it. you will have to let me know how it goes! Sounds like it would be pretty powerful in reaching the lost! What great teachings!

Unknown said...

I'm checking the website daily to figure out the cost. The one in Florida that will take place in March is free. It will just cost us money to get down there (and we might be able to stay with some family). I'm hoping the St. Louis one will be free as well. And hopefully by the time registration comes around, we'll be able to see if there are anymore that will be closer to us. But I love road trips anyway. :)

stella said...

add me, yo!!! february is a crazy month for me...but i'll try to be on top of it. :)