Going Deeper in Study

The question that I am sitting with this week is how does the Resurrection of Jesus Christ impact the lives of believers? Another way to think about this question is, “What does the Resurrection of Jesus Christ require of me?”

I know this question may rub some the wrong way. We don’t like requirements. We enjoy being on the receiving end of a faith that doesn’t ask much of us. But I believe firmly that although salvation is a gift that we did nothing to earn, a gift we could never pay for, the grace of mercy of God through Jesus Christ ought to prompt and provoke a response from us as Unashamed and grateful recipients of the gift of God.

This brings me to the second aspect of our vision: Going Deeper in Study. Going deeper in study has at its core discipleship and a rootedness in the Word of God, with particular attention on the life, teachings, and revelation of Christ and the work of the early church. Discipleship is about our beliefs and behaviors being transformed, as Paul writes in Romans, “By the renewing of our minds...” To go deeper in the study of God’s word is a declaration of intent to grow in the knowledge of God, so that we become living witnesses.

There are two ways in which I invite each of us to “go deeper in study” individually, so that corporately we can become the church God intends. The first is to commit to daily reading of God’s Word. One of the best ways to do this is by using the YouVersion app which has reading plans suited to a variety of levels. The second way that you can go “deeper in study” is to attend weekly Bible Study on Wednesdays. I am a witness that the deeper you go in study, the closer you draw to God, the more your life will reflect the light and life of Christ in the world.

Growing in Christ,

Pastor Donna Olivia Owusu-Ansah