Sometime late last summer, my husband decided that God was calling us to lead a Bible study together at church. (The story is actually much more detailed than that, but that’s the version you’re getting right now.) We had both utilized The Bible Recap by Tara Leigh Cobble and found it to be incredibly encouraging when it came to reading the Bible on a daily basis. Our church has a focus on discipleship, and it seemed that partnering these two things together made perfect sense.
The year started with excitement for this new ministry opportunity. Embarking on a journey that would last a full year is a significant undertaking. Every Wednesday night meant sacrificing other things. But we firmly believed that this was God’s plan. Our original sign-up list in the first two weeks of the year brought 86 participants. That greatly exceeded any expectation we had. Young and old. Men and women. Married and single. New believers and lifelong followers of Jesus. A few of them had never owned a Bible and wanted recommendations for which one to purchase. It was a very humbling time; such a sweet display of the goodness of God.
Naturally, as happens with most things, the enthusiasm wanes. Schedules become challenging. And unfortunately, the first thing to be pushed to the side is often Bible study. Even though the number of participants on Wednesday evening decreased over time, we continued to be encouraged by the fact that we were hearing statements like this: “I’m genuinely enjoying reading the Bible every day with this resource. Even though we haven’t been coming on Wednesday, we wanted you to know we’re still on schedule with the reading. It’s been great. Thank you.” There are a vast number of people who are corporately reading the Bible together (even if they don’t all realize it), and I believe we’re seeing the fruit right in front of us. It’s amazing!
I’ve found myself questioning whether I’m supposed to be leading this study again in 2026. Maybe I’m supposed to go back to leading studies only for women? Is this making an impact for the Kingdom? Numbers don’t always tell the whole story. I just need to trust that I’m following and being obedient to what God’s calling me to. And just when I found myself wondering again, Terra came to talk to me. She only recently began attending BRCC. She started coming to Wednesday nights with her mom and sister. The announcement was made that we would have a baptism class in November and she wants to be baptized. All because of a Wednesday night Bible study. Because God’s Word is living and active. Because something is happening and people are listening and hearing.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard God say to me, “If you sacrifice ‘the one’ you’re missing the point”. Standing in front of large groups isn’t important. Making it tangible and real for ONE; that’s important.
Luke 15:10 ~ Just so, I tell you, there is joy before the angels of God over one sinner who repents.
Amen! The Bible study/learning the Bible in a year with your husband and you has been part of my faith journey. God knows where you are needed.
Thank you, Terra! It’s been an honor to facilitate this group.