Wednesday, August 20, 2008

Is That God (or Jethro) Slapping The Back of My Head?

Have you ever heard of the Bible study, JESUS IN THE GOSPELS?
It's a 30-week class involving disciplined reading, study, note-taking and prayer which focuses on the portraits of Jesus found in the four Gospels. We will also reach into the Apocrypha and the Old Testament for context understanding.

"Who is the Jesus I bring with me to this study?"...this is the question I am to answer now ... then, at the end of the study I will be asked to note "Who is the Jesus I will take out of this study?"

I'm excited to see the differences in my interpretations and God-incidences at the end of this lengthy study. Why have I signed myself up for such a long and rigorous study? In the past, I have taken Disciple 1, 2, 3 and 4--every time I honestly opened my heart, intentionally centered my mind and dug deep and searched my soul while studying His Word, He has given me rich, new understandings.


Even though this sounds wonderfully rosey, there have also been "uncomfortable times" when He has shown me where I need to change...
or better said,
"transformed" by His Holy Spirit through His Living Word...
transformed in things learned,
transformed in listening skills,
transformed in my heart to follow His nudgings,
or in my case,
slaps across the back of my head...
you know like Jethro Gibbs, aka Mark Harmon, does on NCIS --when he gets frustrated with his subordinates and REALLY needs to get their attention. (Now I don't condone physical abuse, but I wanted to get my point across about how my head feels when I finally GET what God has been trying to tell me in His Word in my quiet time.)
Plus, I just love Mark Harmon and thought it would be nice to see him in my blog...
can you tell I'm a child of the 70's and 80's...
Were you as crushed as I was when he married Pam Dawber?
Back to the important stuff...

Have you ever taken this course?
If so, leave me a note with your God-incidences and your interpretation of this study...
How were you transformed...or how did God slap you on the back of the head? lovingly, of course : )