You’re Invited to a Summer Bible Study!!! Join us for 5 Weeks of Challenging and Encouraging Lessons from Acts of God—Why Does God Allow So Much Pain? by Bob Russell
Bring a friend and head over to Middletown United Methodist Church for a short-but-enriching five weeks of Bible study!
11902 Old Shelbyville Road, Louisville, KY 40243 http://www.middletownumc.org
Classes will begin the week of June 22nd with the movie, Acts of God, being shown Monday night at 7:00 p.m. **Men and women are welcome.**
Tuesday morning, June 23rd, the WOMEN’S class will begin at 9:30 a.m., followed by Wednesday evening, June 24th, the CO-ED class will start at 6:30 p.m. My good friend and mentor, Nancy Tinnell will be teaching us as well as everyone’s favorite pastor, Bob Russell, will teach via the DVD’s. Plus, as a bonus, Bob will personally come teach the last class, on Tuesday July 21st and Wednesday, July 22nd!!
We will be studying thru’ Bob’s book, Acts of God: Why Does God Allow So Much Pain? This book is a must-read for all of us. This opportunity to dig in and study the book is a perfect scenario for Summer Bible study.
The first week, we’ll be doing a double lesson. Please come having read the first four chapters. Nancy calls this an “Immersion Event”!!! This means the first week’s class times will be longer than the other four. Tuesday morning’s group will meet June 23rd from 9:30 a.m.-12:40 p.m. with a snack lunch provided. Wednesday night’s class will meet June 24th from 6:30 – 8:50 p.m.
The rest of the four weeks, we’ll cover two chapters per week and the class times will only be ninety minutes. (Dates include: Tuesdays 6/30, 7/7, 7/14 and 7/21 from 9:30-11:00 a.m. and Wednesdays 7/1, 7/8, 7/15, and 7/22 from 6:30-8:00 p.m.)
Go out and grab your book and start reading! Here’s one of several fascinating points: Bob maintains we’re all asking the wrong question when challenging circumstances come our way. “Instead of asking, ‘Why?, we should be asking, ‘Who?’ Who is God, and what is He doing as our hearts are hurting?”
This study will help us learn to lean on and totally trust God. Bob says, “The counsel of Scripture is to keep on walking. Keep on obeying. Keep on listening to what God has to say, because now the soul will be tried more seriously than ever.”
He adds, “The secret is to praise God during the times of storms, and to double down on serving him during the sunny days. When times are good, we need to remind ourselves every day that we owe everything to God, who has given and who can always take away.”
One of many Scriptures Bob gives us includes the lesson of waiting :
Isaiah 40:31 says, “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.” (NKJV) Bob teaches us, “the NIV translates the phrase in that first line as ‘hope in the Lord’.
In other words, waiting is a form of hoping…there’s nothing passive about it—not like sitting on the sofa checking your watch with impatience. No, this is a form of waiting drenched in solid hope and eager belief, and it doesn’t sit still. Waiting on God has a special energy.”
From looking at the life of Joseph in the Bible, Bob teaches us ways to practically apply several lessons to our life today. These are for everybody of every age.
Pray and ask the Lord who He would like for you to invite! You can sign up by calling the church office at: (505) 245-8839 or email Nancy at: Ntinnell@middletownumc.org
If you think you don’t have time to take this study, and perhaps just want to take a break this summer, please let me encourage you to sign up anyway. In God’s economy, when we put Him first, He provides the extra time we need. You will be blessed!
We look forward to seeing you the week of June 22nd ! Don’t forget, invite a friend to come with you!
Fun sidebar: We will get to hear from both Bob and Judy here on this blog in the following weeks leading up to the study!
‘Til next time!