(15) ...consider that the longsuffering of our Lord is salvation--as also our beloved brother Paul, according to the wisdom given to him, has written to you,
16 as also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things, in which are some things hard to understand, which untaught and unstable people twist to their own destruction, as they do also the rest of the Scriptures.
17 You therefore, beloved, since you know this beforehand, beware lest you also fall from your own steadfastness, being led away with the error of the wicked;
18 but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever. Amen.
This passage can really challenged us to build our lives on the solid foundation of God's Word and to pursue growth in the Lord. He wants us to move forward in our walk with Him, to improve in certain areas, to not be weighed down by the power of sin, and to enjoy the abundant life that He promises. A commitment to go deep into the Scriptures can enlighten and empower us as we know Him better. He wants us to experience His freedom and to abide in His presence.
Our lives in Christ can be characterized by a desire to learn, to grow, to know Christ better. 2nd
Timothy 2 states:
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.
For many students across America, they are now about to enter their second month of classes. As a culture, especially down South, we are fixated with one aspect of college life - the performance of the football team! But, what's really going on in the hearts of college students, especially regarding their spiritual growth?
Well, the Barna Group, partnering with the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE), according to the survey summary, "Barna asked Christian students about their openness to faith-based or religious learning opportunities."
In light of our exposure to God's Word, we can also think about how we have developed our own personal theology - what do we believe? What are we driven by? We have to make sure that those components are informed by and consistent with God's Word.
This is a survey of college students, and you see a relatively small but significant number of young people who are interested in boosting their spiritual knowledge. We can be challenged to encourage the younger generation to build their faith.
Finally, we consider that there are always opportunities to build our faith; we can choose the best ones for us - there is no right way to accumulate Biblical knowledge, but we can be challenged to make sure that our search is always centered on the Bible itself.
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Our lives in Christ can be characterized by a desire to learn, to grow, to know Christ better. 2nd
Timothy 2 states:
15 Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
16 But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness.
For many students across America, they are now about to enter their second month of classes. As a culture, especially down South, we are fixated with one aspect of college life - the performance of the football team! But, what's really going on in the hearts of college students, especially regarding their spiritual growth?
Well, the Barna Group, partnering with the Association for Biblical Higher Education (ABHE), according to the survey summary, "Barna asked Christian students about their openness to faith-based or religious learning opportunities."
One area about which the surveyors asked concerned the purpose of college. The summary states: "Americans overwhelmingly see higher education as a path to gainful employment (69%) and financial security (55%). This is a view shared across religious demographics: by Christians, by adherents to non-Christian faiths and by those who profess no faith at all." Regarding Christian students, the summary says, "Moral and spiritual development are seen as important but not the best reason to pursue a college education."
But, in an encouraging development, there are Christian college students who want to pursue Biblical knowledge "outside of traditional undergraduate or graduate degree programs."
31% of those identifying as practicing Christians and 33% of evangelicals stated that they were interested in "continued professional development that focuses on integrating faith and applying it to my career." These could take the form of “single, one-off intensives, refreshers or workshops on a religious topic for personal enrichment,” a concept embraced by 26% of evangelicals, or “engagement in a religious education hub in my area where I can study theology for personal enrichment," which was appealing for about 1-in-5 evangelicals.
About 1 out of 5 evangelicals also indicated interest in an undergraduate or postgraduate degree in "religion, theology, ministry or biblical studies."
This survey can cause us to think about certain concepts. One is the issue of how do you grow? We certainly look to a regular, in-depth study of God's Word. Christian resources, including Christian radio, can be a valuable tool that God will use. We have to pray and seek God, so that we will know and be able to apply the truth we discover. So we can consider what we have incorporated into your own lives.
This survey can cause us to think about certain concepts. One is the issue of how do you grow? We certainly look to a regular, in-depth study of God's Word. Christian resources, including Christian radio, can be a valuable tool that God will use. We have to pray and seek God, so that we will know and be able to apply the truth we discover. So we can consider what we have incorporated into your own lives.
In light of our exposure to God's Word, we can also think about how we have developed our own personal theology - what do we believe? What are we driven by? We have to make sure that those components are informed by and consistent with God's Word.
This is a survey of college students, and you see a relatively small but significant number of young people who are interested in boosting their spiritual knowledge. We can be challenged to encourage the younger generation to build their faith.
Finally, we consider that there are always opportunities to build our faith; we can choose the best ones for us - there is no right way to accumulate Biblical knowledge, but we can be challenged to make sure that our search is always centered on the Bible itself.
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