This coming Thursday my ministry partner, Michael, and I will be kicking off a weekly Bible study during lunch for employees at a textile manufacturing plant. This opportunity opened up not as a result of us looking for it, but as a result of God working through relationships to lead us to it.
A key calling of the ministry of Journey in Christ is to be a part of the body of Christ discipling Christians in the workplace.
Jesus originally called ordinary businesspeople to be His disciples (fishermen, shepherds, a tax collector). God's method is still to equip His saints in the workplace "for the work of the ministry" (Ephesians 4:11-12).
This area of ministry is near and dear to my heart because the Lord discipled me for 31 years in the workplace as an engineer. Now as His disciple and a listener for, and learner of, His Word, I believe with all my heart that He is engineering everything in my life!
This Rest Stop presents the introductory Bible study that we will present to the textile plant employees this Thursday. Be encouraged. Pray for us.
Ultimately, work is worship.
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FOUNDATIONS FOR BIBLE STUDY
Then He (the risen Christ) said to them,
"These are My words
that I spoke to you while I was still with you,
that everything written about Me
in the Law and the Prophets and the Psalms
must be fulfilled."
Then He opened their minds
to understand the Scriptures.
(Luke 24:44-45)
Jesus Himself proclaims to be the fulfillment of all Scriptures. After His resurrection and before His ascension back to heaven, Jesus' first priority was to teach the disciples how to study the Bible!
This is still His priority for you because the Bible is God's love letter to you.
Following, in order of priority, are three basic aspects of Bible study as you relate to Jesus.
Observation
Learn to observe as an inquisitive detective. What words stand out to you in a verse? What words are repeated? Who was the author writing to and why? Etc.
This is an opportunity to experience the Holy Spirit nurturing you to observe as if you were mining for gold. And guess what? You are! You are seeking to find out more about your glorious Savior who indwells you!
Be in awe as the Lord walks you through each verse to recognize and appreciate the perfect beauty of each word that points toward the perfect beauty of the Lord Himself!
Interpretation
Because all Scriptures point to Jesus, a key interpretative question to first ask following observation is, "How do these verses relate to Jesus?" Beware of the temptation to ask initial interpretative questions such as, "How do these verses relate to me? How do I apply these verses to my life?"
In other words, interpretation ultimately focuses on Jesus Himself and not on your striving to understand the verses intellectually for yourself and for your needs.
And because the whole Bible is God's inerrant Word, you can seek other parts of the Bible to help you interpret the verses you are reading.
In other words, focus on other Scriptures to be commentaries of the Scriptures you are reading. Use human commentaries only as an affirmation of what the Holy Spirit through the Scriptures is revealing to you.
Application
After interpreting the verses with a focus on Jesus, the next key question to ask is, "Now...how do I relate to Jesus through these verses?"
| Bible study is all about relationship with Christ. |
The primary "application" is that as you read the Bible, you are actually beholding the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ and you are being transformed into His same glory!
CLOSING
Ultimately, Bible study is sitting at the feet of Jesus and looking up into His eyes as He teaches His Word. We, as His disciples, are, by the grace of God, simply privileged instruments of His teaching!
God bless you!
Christ in You at Work 
