Men’s Group
The Men’s group is currently on a Summer break.
Mens’ Meateaters Bible Study
“For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you have need again for someone to teach you the elementary principles of the oracles of God, and you have come to need milk and not solid food. For everyone who partakes only of milk is not accustomed to the word of righteousness, for he is an infant. But solid food is for the mature, who because of practice have their senses trained to discern good and evil.”
Hebrews 5:12 - 14, NASU
Umm, mmm, mmm! Pre-chewed Christianity! If you like your Christianity pre-chewed, pre-digested, lukewarm, and 100% free of hard work, complexity, and any requirement to actually change the way you live and think, well, look no further. Seriously, look no further, because you won’t find that here. At least not if we can help it.
Our Mens’ Team is about humbling ourselves before God and submitting to a correct interpretation of His word. We do that by learning and using “hermenutics”, or in plain language, bible study methods. We have a vision for our team: to be the very best Christians we can be, and to create a church and culture of such Christians.
Join us. You need to. Plus you’ll like it. You really will. And it’s probably like no other bible study you’ve ever been to. Yes, join us, and you can change your entire life for the better. No kidding.
Bring:
- Your Bible
- A notebook with some paper in it and/or a notebook computer
- A pen
- Humility
- A will to work
- A will to stick with it (to persist, to persevere)
Now is that too hard? No, I think not. (Ok, it’s a little difficult, but you can do it.)
March Homework
Test for the 26th! Download PDF and fill out. You can also view and print this web version.
All right, let me ease you into this a bit: you’ll have to work. Don’t worry, we can sympathize: we all have other responsibilities, so we’re not trying to overburden you. But that’s kind of our problem these days: a lot of Christians don’t either (a) know how to work at studying the bible or (b) have no inclination to work at it. If I’m wrong, wonderful! If you’re here because you’re ready and willing to work at understanding God’s word, and willing to be humble and persevere at it, well, yahoo! That’s the spirit! (With a capital “S”, too.) If you don’t know where to start, that’s what we’re here for. Come as you are; come expecting to grow.
Based on our knowledge of the Situation or historical context of Titus, be prepared to discuss the roles of one or two groups of people in the church or that undermine the church. (Observation and interpretation)
Show other Scriptures that support your conclusions. (Implication)
For example, what does Titus say about the role of younger men? What about elders? What about women? What about Christians? What about people who upset the church?
Get at least one application that is a personal, practical, and precise application of God’s word, from your correct interpretation. (Application)
We need tools to do good Bible study. Although we of course need people to do bible study, I am not referring to people, I’m referring to critical tools such as:
- A concordance. One example is found at www.berbible.org - this reference is “freeware”! It’s not bad, but you can also spend money on better tools, if you wish. You can Google “bible concordance”, “bible study software”, “free bible concordance”, etc. and come up with whatever you like.
- A reliable English translation of the Scriptures (recommend NKJV or NASU because they are more literal translations. These translations also lose the archaic language, i.e., the thees, thous, and “-eth” type verb endings, which has been shown in studies to decrease modern English speakers’ comprehension. I’m aware there is both preference and some controversy regarding which translation to use. It’s up to you which of the many versions you use, but for brevity’s sake and as a practical matter, NKJV or NASU are what I recommend.)
- Other reliable English translations are or may be useful for comparison
- A notebook, whether that’s the kind with actual paper and those rings that pinch tiny folds of finger-skin, or a computer. A regular old notebook, 3-ring binder is highly encouraged, however, especially for our group. Also having some notebook paper in it is strongly recommended.
- A pen
There are other tools that are very important and useful, but these rudimentary tools are most important and most accessible for most Christians.
Mid-Term Progress Check
We started meeting in September 2008, give or take, and we missed a few meetings here and there. Also, we went from a monthly meeting to twice a month. So in that time, I think you’ll see you’ve learned some really essential, useful information that will change your life and can change the life of the generations to come.
Not sure what your reaction to taking a “test” will be, but view this as a teaching tool and a means for feedback, so we can see where you’re at. (1) Print it out, (2) Do your best, (3) Note what you got wrong, (4) Know why you got right what you got right. We’ll plan on discussing it March 26, 2009.