"Hurtling along on the edge of chaos"

The title to this post came from a sermon that was preached at our Church.  You can listen to the sermon series on their web page which you can access on our side bar under Freedom Church.  The sermon series is entitled "The Great Locomotive".  Sometimes our lives are like that here in Uganda where we feel like we are on a fast moving train.  This is not necessarily a bad thing and we are enjoying what God is doing in us and through us.  However, it might be the reason you haven't had a blog post in a while :)

I started a new season in Bible study in September.  It has been amazing how God has led in these studies and the things that are coming out of them.  With the two National Ugandan groups we are going through the book of Exodus, chapter by chapter, verse by verse.  We are learning a lot from the life of Moses and all that he had to deal with in his life from growing up in the courts of Pharaoh to tending sheep owned by his father-in-law, Jethro to then being the leader of the Israelites.  God has incredible plans for our lives if we give Him the freedom to reign.

In the International group I have ladies from all over the globe with different backgrounds and stories to tell.  We are currently going through "Lord, teach me to study the Bible in 28 days" by Kay Arthur.  This enables us as ladies to have the tools to study the Bible at a deeper level and to glean the nuggets of gold that are for everyone to find if we take the time to dig.  During this study we will dig deep into Jonah and the book of Jude.

A good friend of mine here in the MAF Uganda programme, Marieke Verboom, has joined me on this fast train ride in teaching the Bible.  She has a passion for God's Word and to see ladies thrive in that.  Before the summer I asked her if she would be willing to take on one of the groups and lead it. At the end of the summer, after some prayer, she decided to take on the MAF office ladies group.  Yesterday was her second time to teach on her own and she did a great job.  We are a good team and she also facilitates one of the groups in the International Bible study (yes its growing and needs to be split into two groups :))

I had a "dream" for these Bible studies at the beginning of September but only the bare bones.  This past week I added some meat to them as the Lord led.  I share these with you below.

•  I want to develop these Bible Studies further – stretching people further than they have gone before
• I want to develop them deeper – no surface studies but digging deep
• I want to increase our numbers – because of this people are encouraged and it widens our learning because of hearing other people’s experiences.
• I want more accountability within the group – praying for each other at a deeper level….sharing the good times and the bad times…..relationships that are deep enough that there is always someone you can be open and honest with whatever it might be and be corrective when necessary.
• I want people coming with an expectant heart of what God is going to say to them, - Is this happening?  Do you hear God’s voice?
• I want lives that are going to be changed because of proactivity, - When God speaks what do you to do with it? Are you living in obedience or are you shying away from God and His leading?
• I want peoples’ faith increased – Do you trust God more because you have an increased knowledge of Him?  Do you have a passion to see your faith increased?  Are you being proactive about it? 
• I want peoples’ dreams realized in their own lives. – What is your dream?  Have you realized it?  Are you living it?  Write it down and work with all your heart to achieve it even when there is obvious opposition.

If you think of it please pray for these Bible studies that, not only, will we have head knowledge but that it will become heart knowledge and it makes a difference in our lives.