First BC Bible study!! (details inside)

Elihu

Elihu

Tribe of Judah Staff Manager
Come one, come all!!

We will be hosting the first post-BC guild Bible study on June 12th, 6:30 PM ST. The location of the teaching in-game has yet to be announced, but the message will be voiced out over the Redeemed Ventrilo server as well as ToJ's Teamspeak for those unable to come to the location for whatever reason. This will be a 15 minute teaching followed up with prayer requests and prayer for those requests. Look for Fjorboug for in-game invites to a group during this time, and come with an open heart

We now plan to hold regular planned Bible studies every two weeks. This being said you can look forward to seeing another on planned for June 26th.

I am looking for guest speakers that wish to share something from their heart with the guild and others. Please message me if interested.

God bless!
 
I would love to come but I can't make it then. I' glad to see it starting back though.
 
Yayyy! I really missed the Bible Study time we had together. I used to enjoy it so much. Great to see it's starting back up again.

Not that it means anything but has anyone ever noticed that Bible Study can be abbreviated B.S.? ;-)

Toons: Syre (37 Human Holy Priest, Healing spec), and Eoghlen (16 Dwarf warrior, ? spec)
 
On vent and TS for sure....as far as in-game I'd like to see how many people can make it to the temple of Tel'Hamat in Hellfire Peninsula.
 
One of the most well known and remarkable men of our country's early history was Benjamin Franklin who was born in 1706, and died at the age of 84 on April 17, 1790. Of course, he is widely known for his famous "kite experiment," but he was also the founder of the first library, the first fire department, the University of Pennsylvania, as well as being known for being a signer of the "Declaration of Independence." Near the end of Franklin's life, he composed what would be a long letter to his son, and what would become known as his autobiography.

Now it may seem strange to some, and even inappropriate for us to begin a teaching with a reference to a man that many do not believe was a born again Christian. However, it should be noted that at the beginning of this autobiographical sketch, Franklin openly gave thanks to God for his life of success and prosperity.

During one period of his life, Franklin made an effort to regularly attend church services. However, he became disheartened and finally quit because, even though he liked the preacher, the sermons seemed to consist mostly of doctrinal arguments, and were "very dry, uninteresting, and unedifying, since not a single moral principle was taught or enforced, their aim seeming to be rather to make us Presbyterians than good citizens."

What clinched it for Franklin was when he listened to a sermon on the verse Philippians 4:8 "Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things." Afterwards, Franklin observed, "I imagined, in a sermon on such a text, we could not miss of having some morality." However, to his dismay, all he heard was exhortations about keeping the Sabbath, reading the Bible, taking communion, and "paying a due respect to God's ministers.”

Having been disappointed that no moral instruction would be coming from the church, Benjamin Franklin devised his own system for moral improvement. He started out by naming what he considered to be the top thirteen virtues, and then determined that he could "live without committing any fault at any time," in other words, by conscientious effort, reach moral perfection.

Franklin's chosen virtues, with their precepts, were as follows:
1. Temperance. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.
2. Silence. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.
3. Order. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.
4. Resolution. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.
5. Frugality. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.
6. Industry. Lose no time; be always employed in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.
7. Sincerity. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly.
8. Justice. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.
9. Moderation. Avoid extremes; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.
10. Cleanliness. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, clothes, or habitation.
11. Tranquility. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.
12. Chastity. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation.
13. Humility. Imitate Jesus and Socrates.

Very quickly, Franklin admitted that “I found I had undertaken a task of more difficulty than I had imagined." For one thing, it was too difficult to keep all of these virtues in mind at all times, so he decided to work on one virtue each week, so that in the course of each year, he would have given concentrated attention to each virtue for four weeks. To help keep track of his progress, he made a small notebook that was ruled with seven columns and thirteen rows so that at the end of each day he could record the number of times he had violated the particular virtue of the week. In the square representing that virtue and day, he would place a mark to show each fault committed in respect to that virtue.

Contrary to some opinions, Benjamin Franklin was not a thorough humanist, for he realized that his project of moral self-improvement would not be successful apart from God's help. He wrote, "Conceiving God to be the fountain of wisdom, I thought it right and necessary to solicit his assistance for obtaining it." He composed a little prayer which was included in his notebook.

Franklin's conclusion was twofold - he soon realized that his faults were many more than he had imagined, but he also "had the satisfaction of seeing them diminish."

In the end, he seemed to have allowed his expectations to be reduced, and be satisfied with "speckled success." Referring to a gentlemen who wanted to have his axe polished so that the entire axe would be as bright as the sharpened edge. The smith was wiling to do this only if the neighbor agreed to turn the grinding wheel as the smith pressed the axe against it. As the smith pressed the axe heavily on the grinding stone, it made the wheel hard to turn and the man became very tired and wanted to give up. But the smith said, "No, turn on, turn on; we shall have it bright by-and-by; as yet, it is only speckled." "Yes," said the man, "but I think I like a speckled axe best."

Perhaps that's our problem too; we become weary and are content with "speckled morality."

The point is, we must make every effort to practice moral living. Our behavior must be above reproach. If being a Christian is not demonstrated by a higher plane of moral living, then it's not true Christianity.

Just two days ago I saw a Fox News report saying that 84% of Americans consider themselves to be Christian. What a different world it would be if all who claim the name walked the walk - in the words of Paul I say, “I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received." (Ephesians 4:1)

Don't be content with "speckled success."
 
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