Preaching & Teaching
"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you." Matthew 28:19-20
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Biblical teaching has been a staple of a healthy Christian life since people first began to follow Jesus—and even earlier for the Jews, from when the first books of the Bible were written over three thousand years ago. We believe the Bible is God's timeless message to us in the past and today, and that it guides us in right living, growth in wisdom, and the development of excellent character. In short, it teaches us how to obey God and live as his children.
The Bible is not always easy to understand, though. Its various parts were written 1,900-3,400 years ago, in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, on the other side of the planet, in times and cultures very different from our own here in Washington State. Scripture speaks in a variety of ways: through history, stories, commands, proverbs, prophecies, letters, prayers, songs, and so on. Each of these genres requires a different approach for proper understanding. Indeed, each of the 66 books of the Bible requires an understanding of its own context, style, and content.
And then there's application. It's not enough to study God's word and then leave it behind like an old novel that doesn't connect with real life. We must put its teachings into practice—and so our ministry of teaching and preaching focuses first on helping us understand the scriptures, then on putting what we learn from them to work in our lives. As the Bible's book of James teaches, "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says" (James 1:22).
Making sense of the Bible and applying its teachings to our lives takes work—and it's worth the effort! Here are some ways we help each other grow in God's word and ways:
• through the weekly sermon, a presentation to the whole church offering teaching directly from the Bible
• through Bible classes and Bible study groups for all ages, some on Sundays and some during the week — See the weekly schedule on the Home Page.
• through our podcast, Cross-Section
• through curated lessons in our Treasure Chest
• through personal studies. If you would like to study the Bible with someone, please contact us.
The Bible is not always easy to understand, though. Its various parts were written 1,900-3,400 years ago, in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, on the other side of the planet, in times and cultures very different from our own here in Washington State. Scripture speaks in a variety of ways: through history, stories, commands, proverbs, prophecies, letters, prayers, songs, and so on. Each of these genres requires a different approach for proper understanding. Indeed, each of the 66 books of the Bible requires an understanding of its own context, style, and content.
And then there's application. It's not enough to study God's word and then leave it behind like an old novel that doesn't connect with real life. We must put its teachings into practice—and so our ministry of teaching and preaching focuses first on helping us understand the scriptures, then on putting what we learn from them to work in our lives. As the Bible's book of James teaches, "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says" (James 1:22).
Making sense of the Bible and applying its teachings to our lives takes work—and it's worth the effort! Here are some ways we help each other grow in God's word and ways:
• through the weekly sermon, a presentation to the whole church offering teaching directly from the Bible
• through Bible classes and Bible study groups for all ages, some on Sundays and some during the week — See the weekly schedule on the Home Page.
• through our podcast, Cross-Section
• through curated lessons in our Treasure Chest
• through personal studies. If you would like to study the Bible with someone, please contact us.
