Barnabas File

“What we talk about here on Sunday morning has very little to do with what I do on Monday.”     The Sunday school class member who said this during a class session was not mean or angry; he was just stating the truth as he saw.  Although he caught me off guard, I tried not to take offense and understand what was going on in his life. Since then, his comment has stuck with me as a Bible study leader.  Does what we talk about on Sunday really make a difference on Monday morning?  The question challenges me as a teacher to consider several things. First, do I take seriously the types of challenges class members face each day?  Not everyone is in their dream job and may have to struggle to get up and do to work on Monday morning just to pay their bills and care for their families. Some find themselves in stressful situations that may be not only physically but morally challenging.  A reality for many is the possibility t...

Sunday morning Bible study is still an important part of the church I attend.   I teach a class most Sundays and have served in leadership roles in the Bible Study/Sunday School program over the years.     Our church has long had the policy of giving teachers and classes the opportunity to select their own curriculum.     This can be a bit messy, but I have been impressed by the wisdom and creativity shown in this process. I think a written curriculum is important.  Not only have I used materials from a number of publishers, I have written lessons in the dim, dark past.  The idea of scope and sequence in a series of lessons is important, but there are many ways to organize Bible and discipleship studies. In recent years, I have come the conclusion that a teacher and class can have the best materials in the world and still have an inadequate learning experience.  What makes a Bible study effective?  I think there...

Sociologist Brene Brown once said, “What we know matters, but who we are matters more."  This applies to our understanding of Christian discipleship.  As Christians, we often struggle with the balance between orthodoxy (right knowledge or doctrine) and orthopraxy (right practice or action). This is the challenge that James presents when he writes, “ But someone will say, ‘You have faith; I have deeds.’ Show me your faith without deeds, and I will show you my faith by my deeds.” (James 2:18, NIV) Both right belief and right action are necessary in the life of a follower of Christ, but can one get in the way of the other? Historically, Baptists have been very good at communicating information about the Bible and the faith.  They delight in asking questions of scripture that exegete the text in an attempt to understand the who, what, how, and why of the passage.  We are less open to letting the text speak to us.   For example...

This week I was part of a group reviewing Bible study lessons for a special emphasis in our congregation.  The participants were of different ages, and the classes they teach represent several different stages of life--young, median, and senior adults. As we reflected on the scriptures, reviewed goals, and discussed teaching approaches, I was reminded of several things. First, how we respond to scripture is necessarily conditioned by our stage of life.  Even those passages that we have read repeatedly expose new insights as we experience life.  A passage that might have been a challenge for personal growth when I was a college student now calls me to invest in the lives of others. Blessing, tragedy, love, loss--these change the lens through which we read the Bible. Second, when we are teaching a particular age group, especially one that is different from our own, we must not assume that we know their mindset.  As we plan our lesso...

Legend says that in his later years, believers would bring their questions and disagreements to John the Elder and he would respond with the words, “Little children, love one another.”     As I have been preparing Sunday school lessons on the book of 1 John, I have gotten the feeling that there is an underlying tone of rebuke there.   It is almost as if we as parents were dealing with one of our children who has made a mistake and we say, “I really expected more of you.” Commentators suggest that the writer of 1 John is dealing with church members who have broken fellowship by following heretical teachings about the humanity of Christ.  They have turned their back on sound doctrine and are creating dissension.  Even so, the writer continues to remind them of the fellowship that is available to them in Christ and Christ’s command to “love one another.” The writer of 1 John has something to say to the church today.  Rarely do our doctrinal dif...

Are you familiar with TED talks ?   These are relatively brief presentations by thought leaders that stimulate, inspire, and encourage.   At the Annual Fall Gathering of the AlabamaCooperative Baptist Fellowship yesterday, one of the breakout sessions was titled “CBF Meet TED:   Inspiring Stories from and for Our Movement.”    Hosted by Chris Aho, the session featured three short presentations to stimulate, inspire, and encourage participants. All of the presentations were helpful, but the presentation by Jamie Mackey, minister to students at First Baptist Church, Huntsville,Alabama , particularly caught my attention.   Jamie identified the four ingredients of a healthy student ministry—relationships, Bible study, ministry, and fun—and explained their importance.   He made some application to other types of ministry as well—senior adults, campus ministry, etc. As I listened to Jamie’s presentation, I realized that these are the ingredient...