Discovering God Through the Power of Community
Recently I started a new Bible study. Thirty people showed up in a room which holds twelve. We were packed in like sardines. This physical intimacy led to personal intimacy and connection. When I asked why they came to this study, they were all very honest.
“I am interested in knowing what the Bible is about.”
“I want to know what the Bible says about work.”
“I want to understand the message of the Bible.”
“The time seems right for me to figure out this God thing.”
“I’ve gone to church all my life and heard stories from the Bible. I still don’t know how to read it and understand it on my own.”
Taking the Next Step
At High Tech Ministries, we call these studies Grace@Work. We invited some of our guests who attended the High Tech Prayer Breakfast and were interested in the next step with God.The theme of why people came was clear to me. Over twenty years ago, when I was forty, I would have given the same answers to this question.
Finding My Own Way
At eighteen years old, I walked away from God. What I was asked to believe and how I was expected to act didn’t fit with my community of friends. We were all good guys. We worked hard and partied hard. Because of this God-thing, I was feeling guilty, and, in my estimation, that just wasn’t right. I didn’t need God in my life. I was in charge. I walked away.Over the next 20 years, I lived the consequences of being in charge of my life. I decided what was right and wrong. I was not totally independent. I always sought the advice of well-meaning friends. But over time, I was feeling lost and knew they were just as lost.At 39 years old, I had the career, the wife, the kids, the house, the cars, and the prospect of college tuition in front of me. I was drinking every night, and Kathy was going to a psychiatrist. I was an alcoholic, and she was unhappy. We had achieved the American dream. This conclusion got my attention.
I Thought I Was Unique
Through AA and Christian leaders in the Atlanta technology community, I came to know the life-saving truth of Jesus Christ. Over time, so did Kathy. We then both became interested in the Bible, the Word of God.Like the men and women in the Grace@Work group I just described, we were in search of authority we could trust. Our first step was looking at our lives and questioning our authority. We then sought God’s authority. His authority is found in His unchanging Word, the Bible.The more unique I think I am, the more I realize I am just like everyone else. I wanted to be in charge of my life. I wanted to read, think, talk and figure life out. Live it on my terms. But I came up short.God figured it out a long time ago. After all, he is the author of life. And he gave us the Bible to prove it. Yes, B.I.B.L.E is an acronym: Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth!