A few days ago I listed several men who have had significant input into the core of what I do. I then gave a sentence or so on what they had done. I want to expand on one of them a bit today, Larry Whitehouse.
I mentioned that he placed a barrier between me and what I thought my wife and I had moved to East Lansing to learn. He required us, well me in particular, to spend a minimum of 20 hours a week in Bible Study. Additionally, I had to work a part time job 20 hours a week. Any ministry at Hubbard dorm had to be after that. So my weeks were 60 – 80 hours.
That was required of all of us who moved there for training.
The studies we did were intense, exhaustive topical studies on the core of the ministry in which we were being trained. Topics like the promises of God, spiritual multiplication, the Great Commission to name a few.
What did I learn from that? Well, as I mentioned in the earlier post, I learned that job 1 for me was to be consistently and deeply in the Word of God. I learned that anything that I do or did in ministry must be grounded deeply in the Word. I learned that if I was not in the Word that there was not much for me to share. I learned that I had to train others to study and base their lives on these truths as well.
Unfortunately over the years I have encountered many in both church and para church ministry who do not practice this. Rather than live and minister from an overflow of their personal time in the Word, they either just dip into the Word enough to get a message or else find passages that support what they have decided to say.
I hurt for these. They have the barriers reversed. Instead of the Bible being the barrier to ministry, ministry has become the barrier that keeps them from the Word. It will not work out well for them or those they serve.
That was required of all of us who moved there for training.
The studies we did were intense, exhaustive topical studies on the core of the ministry in which we were being trained. Topics like the promises of God, spiritual multiplication, the Great Commission to name a few.
What did I learn from that? Well, as I mentioned in the earlier post, I learned that job 1 for me was to be consistently and deeply in the Word of God. I learned that anything that I do or did in ministry must be grounded deeply in the Word. I learned that if I was not in the Word that there was not much for me to share. I learned that I had to train others to study and base their lives on these truths as well.
Unfortunately over the years I have encountered many in both church and para church ministry who do not practice this. Rather than live and minister from an overflow of their personal time in the Word, they either just dip into the Word enough to get a message or else find passages that support what they have decided to say.
I hurt for these. They have the barriers reversed. Instead of the Bible being the barrier to ministry, ministry has become the barrier that keeps them from the Word. It will not work out well for them or those they serve.
What Larry has done by setting the goal high -- filtered non-committed and challenged the committed to grow. Tough and excellent! And he laid a solid foundation in you.
ReplyDeleteI also sadly notice that few men are truely routed in and minister from the abundance of their personal time in the Word. As you put it: "Instead of the Bible being the barrier to ministry, ministry has become the barrier that keeps them from the Word."
What you do though your blog and seminars, Mike, is of supreme importance. Keep the good fight! I am grateful.