Today
started a little before 6am and looks like it will continue well into the
evening. One never gets much sleep on these trips, especially when involved in
preacher training efforts. I spent until midnight last night and several hours
this morning getting ready with last minute changes on charts and other
preparations.
All of
the materials for the class were taken to the venue last night when I went for
the 6pm service. This morning, each student was given a notebook with an
introduction to Hebrews, an outline of the book, sheets with the full text of
Hebrews printed on the left and lines for taking notes on the right, a black
pen, a red pen, a dry highlighter and a NKJV Bible. I appreciate Angie Legg and
her girls for helping get the material printed and assembled into the
notebooks.
The
class began promptly at 9am as we had said. Given the tendency for almost
nothing to get started on time, I thought this was a major accomplishment by
those hosting the class as well as the participants! In the morning session, we
covered the introduction and the first chapter of Hebrews. In the introduction,
we discussed at length the fact that the Hebrew writer does not appeal to his
own inherent authority to make his points, but rightly uses the Old Testament
record to make his points by bringing out the explicit and implicit teaching of
the text. Since he uses Scripture so abundantly, we can learn how God wants us
to use Scripture by seeing the principles from this book (“Hermeneutics”). We
dealt in depth with the text as well.
We broke
at noon for lunch and a short rest period, resuming at 1:30pm. The afternoon
session covered Hebrews 2:1 to 3:6. At the close of the textual study, we had a
short question/answer period. We ended a little early so that the students
could have some time for their homework assignment of one sermon outline,
either textual or exegetical, from the passages covered as well as answering
the 24 questions assigned for that section.
There
was very good attention and participation from the men registered for the
class. Several brethren from the local area also came to sit in on the classes
though they are not registered and did not get the materials handed out. Please
pray for the continued success of these classes.
