Monday, May 5

If you could choose, which would you study?

It’s that time of year where we wrestle around with what we think God wants us to study at Crossings this next year…

Right now, we’re good through the summer…we’ve got some things I’m really excited about studying, including 4 weeks on something called ‘Sacred Pathways’ beginning this Sunday…

To review…
This past year, beginning in September and ending at Easter, we spent 26 weeks studying the story of Jesus from John’s narrative. I think it went well, and I think it was crucial to us as a faith community to lay this foundation that everything else is built upon.

Now, as we think and pray about what’s next for us beginning in the fall, we think we may want to enter into another book in much the same way we did with John. Maybe a shorter time, maybe not.

Where I feel like God is leading us has three possible angles. Some of the leaders I’ve polled are evenly divided in their opinion… I’d like to hear yours…

The three books were looking at entering into are: Genesis, Acts and Romans

I don’t want to taint your perspective with any commentary on the ‘why’ part of any of the three. I’d just love your thoughts on which you’d love to study the most and why…

Mark Nelson at 11:06 AM 8comments

8 Comments

at 2:15 PM  Unknown said...

hey mark,
don't think i've ever posted on your blog before...don't know if my two cents really matters, but i gotta say, Romans is one of my favorites...can be really tough to teach, but so very good to digest

 

at 2:21 PM  Mark Nelson said...

Ken posted on my blog! Ken posted on my blog! Woo Hoo!

 

at 8:58 PM  ragamuffinminister said...

i listen to your podcast so i'm allowed to suggest... :)

Go for Acts...I remember you teaching on that (or maybe it was parts of it) a looooong time ago. i remember it being really good. and the why, as it relates to Crossings, is that Acts is such a good book for a plant to study as far as foundational and relevant material for its future. there's my 83 cents.

 

at 9:34 PM  Anonymous said...

Acts is probably my favorite NT book, so it has my vote. Genesis would be my second vote of the choices.

 

at 11:48 AM  Anonymous said...

I find Romans to be really really difficult. So I would "vote" for Romans. I have been stuck in chapters 4 & 5 since January. Over the weekend I went to Sojourn in Louisville, and they happened to be in Romans. I have been trying to truly understand and know hope and chapter 5 talks about a hope that does not disappoint. I find that stunning. The second half of chapter 4 is quickly becoming a favorite. I recently heard the recommendation to separate my hope from my faith. I find this to be impossible and wrong. I love that longing and God's promise are the arguments used in chapter 4.
Verse 18: "Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed" always leads to me to the question, "How do I do this?"

A couple of years ago as I sat in a spearmint green bridesmaid dress waiting for the wedding to begin, a girl asked me and the six other bridesmaids, "What do you need more in your life right now: faith, hope or love?" I always think about love and faith, but of the three I feel like hope is the middle child- Hope has fewer pictures around the house, it is a little quirky and misunderstood,and often is refered to as "the sibiling of ______"

Susan Miller

 

at 7:38 PM  Preston Searcy said...

Genesis. Everyone's story starts in Genesis. Large parts of Romans and Acts look back to Genesis. I think it would be a great way for Crossings to enter deeper and further back into The Story.

 

at 4:03 PM  Anonymous said...

My vote's for Romans, and that you wait til us college folk are back. There's always the podcast but it's not the same :) I'll miss Crossings this summer - it's the only part of knoxville that feels like "home."

 

at 7:56 AM  Mark Nelson said...

Rachel,

Don't worry...we'll wait til sometime in the fall to start...not sure when, but probably September...

Have a great summer...

mark

 

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