Another Study Year Up!

A frantic last month or two has rocketed past - and here we are in the middle of my final week in the Hawkes Bay this year.

   I've just completed my final exam and sent it off....

   My Mum arrives tomorrow afternoon....

   I get my first tertiary qualification on Saturday (a diploma from The Shepherds Bible College)....

   The CD I've made arrived in the mail this morning, and will be available next Friday....

                  Lots is happening. 

Next Monday I travel down with my Mum to Dunedin for five weeks down in the deep south, mostly working on the farm up in the scorching Central Otago heat. Following that I return north to set off for three weeks of music ministry in churches around the upper North Island.

Then next year I'll be doing a internship in music (what else) at Onekawa Bible Church, where I've been since February. Very excited about this opportunity. Also I'll be continuing to take papers at The Shepherds Bible College (tsbc.org.nz). Then after that.... we'll see. In other words, I don't know yet. But God does, and I'm resting in that. What's the point in being anxious about the future? God has it already all mapped out.

What a year of study its been. I continue to say that this is the most enjoyable study I've done in my life. Just a pity it took me 25 years to discover that (it could have been 50 I guess). The Bible is continuing to come alive for me! I continue to understand God's ways and nature more and more each week, and growth is often slow, but I think I have been slowly growing in different ways.

Theology has never been so practical! The Bible has never been so real-life! Now I just want to get out there and teach others - impart some of what I've learned, and help others grow and mature in their faith.I think growing in my desire to live my life alongside and disciple other Christians younger in the faith.

Discipleship. It may not be easy, it may not always be fun - in fact it generally will take patience, sweat, tears, prayer, humility, honesty, and a lot of time. It's what we're called to.

Is Christ Fully God and Man?

Recently I took some time to think though a major question about the nature of Christ - that I'm guessing a fair few Christians think about and wrestle with from time to time:

How can Christ be 100% God and 100% Man in His Incarnation?

To see my thoughts on this question, which seems on the surface to be an impossibility, have a read of this essay that I wrote for theology at Bible College. I discuss what the Bible has to say about the nature of Christ, and what our response should be.

I tell you, it should be exciting and encouraging as you come to a deeper knowledge of Jesus Christ. It was to me!!

Have a read here

Study Mode

It's been several years since I last got down and studied. So it's like re-learning a lost skill all over again (not that I was very skillful at it to begin with), and it's taking time to get back into the swing of it. I'm attempting to do Greek level 1 which will be a momentus challenge but I've no doubt will be worth the sweat. I'm also studying english grammer which is more complicated than Greek, and New Testament survey which is real fascinating, currently looking at the historical context the gospels were written in.

Below is a photo of me just to prove I'm not lazing around up here, but getting into the studies! I'm holding a book of the Scriptures in Greek in one hand... and my name written out in Greek in the other.

Notice the guitar in the background... my occasional compulsary diversion from the books.

My weeks are already filling out with Bible studies, lectures, 15-20 hours of work in a local restaurant washing the dishes and a nursery each Saturday, church and other church events, writing songs, watching live music and exploring the local beaches and hills, and at many hours study a week. And I haven't even started my ministry internship within the church (I get to choose what that will be, and will be sorting that out this week). But really settling in up here, enjoying Hawkes Bay life... well apart from my car being broken into and laptop nicked, and being part of a new church family. Right better get back to study!!