Upcoming podcast guest Joyce Zook shared her best tip for living a seven-day practical faith: Read the Bible and get in a small group studying the Bible.
This may seem obvious, but many Christians do not participate in small groups. Aside from the social aspect, a learning richness can occur when studying side by side.
Zook says in a study group, you can "flesh out what the Bible means and how we're going to apply it." So a study group can inform your seven-day practical faith.
I could list so many times that I have gotten fresh ideas from studying scripture in a class or small group (or even while teaching such groups). We get this notion that there is only one way to interpret the Bible, and that's it, that's the whole truth. But each of us brings our own God-given minds, our own experiences, our own worldview to reading the Bible. This can lead to healthy or even contentious discussion, but hopefully we walk away with deeper understanding.
A little more than a year ago, my friend Bill was leading the class I attended. As we studied the Gospel of John, he said something about Peter that I had never thought about. It led to an entire chapter in my book, "From Comfort Zone to Trust Zone."
In a study group, you can be surprised by what others tell you, and it leads to deeper understanding. Just as often, you'll say something that will surprise others, too, helping them with their grasp of the Bible.
God means for us to be in relationships, so to be in relationship with Bible-studying companions is a holy connection. We each should consider how to join study groups and be consistent in our small group participation in order to develop our seven-day practical faith.
Tomorrow (June 15) is the start of the "From Comfort Zone to Trust Zone" blogger tour. I'll explain it further tomorrow, but I urge you to check in on this site daily for the next two weeks to learn more about the book and how it can have meaning in your life.
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