"Layers of Bible Study: Reinforced, Concrete"
Concerned that random biblical input—one passage of Scripture for Sunday school, another during worship, still another for midweek groups, possibly several more during personal devotions—was creating confusion. Dale Schlafer began to coordinate texts. He discovered, as a fringe benefit, a source of concrete preaching ideas.
The midweek Bible study groups at South Evangelical Presbyterian Fellowship in Denver, called "Women in the Word" and "Men in the Word," began discussing the same text Schlafer would preach the following Sunday.
"We pass out a sheet each Sunday with quiet-time helps for the following week's passage," says Schlafer. "These are used as the basis for the midweek discussions."
Schlafer found at least three unexpected benefits:
• More concentration on worship. One layman told Schlafer after a morning service: "When you spoke on John 4 and the woman at the well this morning, I didn't bother to take notes. I already knew the content of the passage. Instead, I was able to focus on worshiping God as the living water."
• More preaching material for the pastor. During the midweek Bible study on John 8, where Christ says, "Before Abraham was born, I am," one man commented on the parallel "I am" statement to Moses in the burning bush.
"Moses had to remove his sandals and hide his face because he was on holy ground," the man observed. "And if Jesus is also 'I am,' then he deserves that same reverence. We're often very flip with Christ, as if he's our buddy. Maybe he deserves our awe, too."
Schlafer used that in the sermon the next Sunday.
• Greater interest in the sermon. "At first I thought having people study the passage before I preached it would steal my thunder," says Schlafer. "But it works just the opposite. We tried ...
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