Day 2: Getting into the Word

Wednesday and we were into the hard work - over the first day honeymoon; the numbers of participants down a bit but holding up pretty well; into some meaty sessions and into groups to start tackling a real life text. The rubber has begun to hit the road and we find out what are natural instincts are when we approach OT narrative.
James started us off with an exposition of 1 Corinthians 1:18-2:5 that set the agenda for the whole day. "The Cross is not glamorous; it looks bad; it's not the signs and wonders and power and wisdom that people want; but actually it is The Sign and Wonder; the amazing way in which God has managed to deal with wrath, reconcile sinners and at the same time maintain his holiness - that is real Wisdom; so if we're not preaching the Cross our ministries will be powerless and foolish in God's sight."
Fidel showed us from 1 Peter 1, Acts 1-2 and other texts that you can know that the Spirit is speaking not when you get a direct 'rhema word' specific to you and your physical situation, but when The Word is opened and Christ is preached from the Word. He gave a wonderful testimony of how a small group of men had been converted through going through the Gospel of John in a small group over 8 months - unspectacular but truly miraculous, Spirit-filled ministry.
We were reminded that thinking and wrestling with the text in preparation is also a Spirit-filled activity (2 Tim. 2:7) and that's what we did for 2 hours on Genesis 22 and 39. Knees on the floor, noses in the text.

Please pray for us all today as

Fidel preaches from 1 Cor. 2
James leads an absolutely crucial session on Application
And Fidel and Andy try to get us to focus on clarity and the Word doing the work
Pray that numbers would hold up, that we'd all approach the Word as little children and the Word truly would do the work.

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