Thanks for your comment. I hope we can all get to a point where we aren't trying to follow a legalistic checklist but simply follow Jesus with our lives. Some days that means reading and studying and spending extra time in God's Word. Other days we may just take one verse and meditate on it throughout the day. I think there's value to a consistent, daily habit (say, reading one chapter a day), but there are also times where that's not as important as simply allowing God's Spirit to guide our times with Him.

Thanks again for your thoughts!
My recent post Genesis One and the Framework Hypothesis- Part Two

And i think your right on the button with your comment, and i only pray one day i could actually digest 3 bible studys a week, but for now i can barely take in the time i spend alone with the bible each day, sometimes it only takes 10 mins of reading before i feel my cup flow over, thanks for not making me feel so bad about my lack of studies with the bible, I just try my best to finish whats on my plate daily.

Rick, feel free to continue this discussion here, or on my blog, where you can find contact details to reach me in other ways.

You got what I was getting at! The problem I identified is measuring our spiritual growth by how many bible studies we attend. But what if our methodology is flawed, as you said? At my church, we have a Sunday morning bible study, a sermon, and a Wednesday night bible study. Of course, members are "expected" to be there because "studying the bible is a good thing and will help you grow in your faith." I agree with that–but I also agree with you that it can be overkill.

I've often wondered why, in a bible study, we don't study a book of the bible, then take a break from studying so we can implement what we learned. Why not study for a month, then take the next month to apply? I wonder if this approach would "weed out" those who are focused on the checklist (mere attendance) and those who are focused on true spiritual growth.

I really like your idea of preaching on the first Sunday, then unpacking and applying it the next weeks. I may try to implement something like that here.

"There are what I consider to be “fake” Christians. I do not mean this to imply they aren’t saved…."

If, indeed, these are "false Christians' (and I have no idea of whom you speak), why in the world would you feel the necessity to "not imply" something about their being "saved"?

Why, just because at some point some person has expressed some sort of verbal assent to some list of things about themselves and Jesus, do we feel the need to "safe a seat for them at the Table"?

I feel this perpetuates a "two-tiered" Christianity: the "entry level" Christian (who claims the designation on the basis of "praying the prayer") and the "being transformed" disciple. We confuse the mediocre cultural imitation of Christianity ("it really is all about me/us") with the authentic version where it really is all about Him.

Yet, in the final analysis, is the problem actually our tried and true Sunday methodology that relentlessly piles one sermon after another on those who are not given adequate time and help to digest? Imagine the indigestion in those who hear two or three sermons a week. Three meals each day is great…if the digestive system is active. Otherwise we end up with spiritual constipation: much food, little movement!

What if we preached a sermon on the first Sunday of the month, then used the remaining Sundays to unpack, apply, emphasize, underscore. Use our times of gathering as aids to digestion. Only food that is digested gives strength to the body to live and to act.

Nathan, thanks again for the invite to guest post!

My only point with the 4,000 bible studies was that I can check off 3-4 bible studies each week for over 20 years and not be any closer to Jesus as a result. The quantity of bible studies isn't as important as the quality–measured both by the content being delivered and by the desire of the one receiving to apply it.

Thanks for stopping in to "rebuke" me!