The Missing Essential for Greater Impact

I so often find people craving God in the way that some seek after wealth. There is a feeling that churches are missing something, that they don’t yet have enough, and that a kind of lotto jackpot of revival will fix whatever may seem broken and then propel them into perpetual spiritual bliss. Naturally, this analogy is limited and we all need a greater experience of God, but there is a danger of too easily missing the most basic and essential key to a Christian’s optimised effectiveness.

It is the twin turbo synergy of Spirit and Word through which the vehicle of training can propel us to success! And the right training vehicle is essential. Too short and it doesn’t develop us. Too long and it seems out of reach. To deep and it loses its relevance. Too shallow and it leaves us unfulfilled.

An experience in God will energise us, but it won’t bring lasting transformation without grounding us in the applied foundations of the Bible, the Spirit-inspired source of faith and life change. Scripture, without inspiration and context, though, will be devoid of practical impact.

That’s why a new course I have developed provides a great answer to being greatly used by God! “Bible Basics” is the most concise, thorough and all-encompassing essentials package available. No essays, no homework, no need to quit your job and no huge expenses.

Just a great complement to your personal walk with God. Also to any mentoring or Christian service you will undertake so as to help better activate your spiritual growth in 2016. In fact, Bible Basics is not designed to replace accredited courses or higher education, but to provide an easy and accessible all-in-one package of simple essentials for those who would otherwise be unable to be thoroughly trained.

Look at some of the comments from students in the pilot program: “I came along to Bible Basics with no preconceived ideas on content and I have found, to my delight, that every session has been fantastic” … “Highly recommended for any Christian without formal theological study” …  “I didn’t really think that Bible Basics would be much help to me since I had grown up in the church my whole life, but boy was I wrong!” … “I went into the course hoping it wouldn’t be too basic and I was pleasantly surprised, it wasn’t!” … “It has invited a deeper study into subjects of which I previously considered I had a pretty good grasp” …  “I find myself reading the Word with renewed passion and revelation.”

In just 36 sessions (with four units of nine, each unit able to be taken in isolation), you can discover powerful insights that give an inspiring overview of the whole Bible and of application to prayer, faith, spiritual warfare, healing, leadership, ministry, theology, apologetics, church history, people dynamics, ethics and much more. This course is initially running live in Endeavour Hills, Melbourne, on Tuesday evenings in school terms throughout the year (or in a two-week weekday intensive from 9^th – 19^th February, subject to sufficient registrations). Each unit is completed for a mere introductory price of just $20 on site, but the entire package is planned for release as a web-based course fully accessible from your home later this year.

We might well say that we already have at our disposal the raw elements to facilitate our maximum effectiveness if we are born again followers of Christ. Of course, by living out our Spirit-empowered New Testament Christianity in a vital faith based on a living daily relationship with God, then our world is transformed and the Kingdom is advanced. Many will also say that Church attendance and personal study should surely give us all we need. But Jesus’ plan was not for us to develop ourselves with selected sermons, self-study or trial-and-error growth in isolation. It was to have us become discipled and then to disciple others, to do so within a community. Jesus said that disciple-making would include teaching for obedience, not ‘telling’, and not just teaching!

There is often a stigma attached to training. Thoughts sometimes turn to the burdensome costs of time and money, the perception that help is not really needed, or the belief that specialised teachers may be uninspiring or unhelpfully academic. These myths even prevent some from engaging with necessary first-step discussions about their own growth. That’s why Bible Basics is different.

While there is more information available today than ever before, saturation means that the basics are seldom digested in all essential areas. Bible Basics offers clear, straightforward and relevant insights essential for growth and effective service for God. It provides an understanding of the Bible and an application of its teachings to everyday life. It helps you to share your faith in Christ confidently and to provide a more engaging connection in your church. It gives a great balance of depth and simplicity and is easy to follow for those needing a refresher, or newly exploring faith, or just stepping up to greater impact.

Finally, I am confident that my breadth of experience in teaching, pastoral work, leadership development, administration, education, healing the sick, evangelism and worship leading will underline a training experience unlike any you have ever had.

Register for the weekly sessions or the February intensive today via info@secc.org.au or +613 9700 2314 and, if outside the Melbourne area, contact us to indicate your interest in the upcoming online course.