Welcome Home

it is important that all Bible study leaders be very clear about who God is, three in one, Jesus is the way the truth in the life… That we know who we are, and that we know what we believe about the scripture.  Is it a good book or is it the inspired word of God?  Unless Jesus is the savior and you believe the Bible is the inspired word of God, you should not be leading a Bible study.

If you do not hold a firm conviction on either of those facts, spend some time in the word and prayer, asking God for our revelation and a conviction of those truths before seeking to lead others.

You do not need to be in a place where you can pull up scripture and defend your beliefs. You need to be in a place where you believe it enough that you do not feel the need to defend it.  

People will come with all sorts of questions and it’s important that you allow space for them to wrestle without Becoming the one with whom they wrestle. Their wrestle should be exclusively between God and themselves.

Imagine yourself, stepping into a medieval chamber room of a palace in the kingdom of God, surrounded by all the armor you need to join the battle. Walk around the room and take a look at the equipment.

The first thing you’ll need to grab is a helmet of salvation. Do you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior? If you don’t, visit the link to learn more before proceeding with the armor. (link to the salvation invitation.)

Once you have your helmet firmly in place, it is imperative to put on the belt of truth. (link to TYPIC). Discover for yourself what the Word of God has to say about who God is, who you are in him, and what is available to you. How can you stand on the truth if you don’t know what it is?

As you get in the Word, your feet will become fitted (link to the armor room, zoom Bible study leaders section) with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. You will be ready to carry the gospel to the hurting world around you.

Don’t dare to leave the armor room in disobedience to God‘s Word. Put on the breast plate of righteousness (link to radical obedience letter) because that is how you protect your heart.  Psalm 7:10 says “my defense is of God who saves the upright in heart.”  it is not enough to know the word of God, we must also learn to obey it.

Now that you’re fully dressed, it’s time to grab your offensive and defensive equipment. God gave you two hands and two things to hold.

Every sword (link to a document explaining versions of the Bible, not yet created) lining the walls of this room are valuable, and you can choose which weapon fits best. You can switch one out for another, but always have a sword in your hand. This is the only weapon we have been given and defeating the enemy is impossible without it.

When satan tempted Jesus in the wilderness, Jesus didn’t pull out a gun and shoot him, he pulled out the word and resisted him by correcting his lies.

Finally, grab a shield of faith (link to TYPIC week faith versus belief) to protect yourself against the flaming arrows of the enemy. This shield is a reminder that the devil is already defeated, you already have the victory, and God is sovereign.

He was here yesterday.

He is here today.

He is already in tomorrow and he knows how everything in your life… Everyone of your struggles, fears, and troubles ends.

He knows how he plans to provide, protect, and preserve you. This shield keeps you in the throne room (link prayer page) of heaven, ever before the throne in prayer, knowing that God is our protect protection and our shield.

Hebrews 4:14-16 says that Jesus is our high priest who ascended into heaven, who is able to empathize with our weakness, and we can come boldly before the throne of grace in our time of need, not because we are amazing, but because of his love and Grace.

Let me give you a quick tour of the DSM armor room:

I encourage you to take the time to listen to all 12 weeks of the Bible study called taking your position in Christ. In that study, I share the powerful understanding of God‘s word that took me from saved and starving, certain I would be spending an eternity with Christ, but battling Addiction, relational struggles, and a life of internal chaos with mental illness, to a life where I consistently walk in the peace, Joy, and Hope offered to us in scripture.

By the end of that Bible study, you will have a solid understanding of who God is, who you are in him, and what you can legitimately expect to gain from walking in a right relationship with God through the finished work of Jesus.

Christianity is not a religion ABOUT Christ, but a daily relationship WITH Christ.  When we are working for God instead of partnering with God, we miss the richness he has to offer.

Without understanding that, you could spend the rest of your life exhausting yourself, trying to work for God instead of partnering with him to seek and save the lost.

All future Bible studies will be posted in the armor room, including links to handouts and anything you will need to successfully host your own Bible study with these resources.