Should We Have "Friday Night Family Bible Studies" ~ Or Be Separated Into Groups?

SHOULD WE HAVE "FRIDAY NIGHT FAMILY BIBLE STUDIES" ~ Or should churches separate families to have Men's Bible Studies, Women's Bible Studies, Young Adult  Bible Studies, Young Marrieds Bible Studies, and on, and on, and on - covering every possible aspect of human life ~ except the "Family Relationship"?

When my wife and I discuss this, I ask her, sort of tongue-in-cheek, and sort of being realistic, "Did God create different Bibles - one for men, one for women, one for young adults, one for young marrieds, one for seniors, etc.?"  And, of course, by this time she wants to hit me over the head with her Bible - for she knows I am not kidding.  I believe God would have us do Bible studies as a family.  But man, often wanting to play god, tries to separate everyone into specific little groups.

Let's talk real life facts.  I have seen so many wonderful results from Friday Night Family Bible Studies.  First, I was saved in one in 1987.  And in that same Bible study group I saw a single mom bringing her 3 and 5 year old daughters to our Bible studies.  Today those two young girls are graduates of good Christian colleges and are living Christian lives as adults.  I personally believe their Christian lives began when those two young girls came to our Friday Night Family Bible Study each week with their mom - and experienced the love of God being shared.

Fast forward a few more years and I personally saw a family "heavenly impacted" through a different Friday Night Family Bible Study.  Dad was Roman Catholic so mom and their two young boys came to our Friday Night Family Bible Studies alone.  They came to our Bible studies but not to our worship service, I suppose out of respect for dad.  After about a year, one evening our pastor unexpectedly gave an altar call at the Bible Study.  That had to have been the Holy Spirit working - for I had never seen him do that before.  About 6 or 7 people stood to receive the Lord, three of them were that mom and the two young sons.  The next week dad came to Bible study with his family - and he received the Lord.

I later learned from him that his two young sons came home the previous week after receiving the Lord - and started witnessing to him.  Literally, just like Andrew and John brought their brothers, Simon and James, to Jesus Christ (John 1:35-42) - these two young boys brought their dad to Jesus Christ.  Then the dad brought his brother and his family to our church.  And the two dads brought their mom, who was Roman Catholic, to our church - and she received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.  In thinking about it, maybe she was the one who was most immediate on God's mind - for one year later she died from cancer.  But she died a believers and is with her Lord right now. 

By the way, the oldest of those two young boys is now an associate pastor in one of our local Fil-Am churches while attending seminary.  Both of those boys are young adult married men now.  Both boys, forgive me, both young men - and all that family whose Christian walk started with mom and two young sons at our Friday Night Family Bible Study many years ago - are closely bonded as a Christian family doing the work of the Lord.

From just these examples you can see the power of God working in Friday Night Family Bible Studies.  And these are just a few of the positive examples Dory and I have experienced when the family is not split into groups, but studies the Word of God together, as a family.  And that is why I am a strong advocate for Friday Night Family Bible Studies.  For most folks, the work week is over, time to relax and come together with family and friends for fellowship and to study God's Word. 

In the early days of my Christian walk, circa 1989-90, I was a member of the Filipino-American Church of Irvine (CA) and we had regular Friday Night Family Bible Studies.  One Friday we were having Bible Study at the home of Richard and Zina who had two small children.   Richard and I had several things in common.  We both were relatively new believers and we both were Caucasian Americans married to Filipino American wives. 

How well I recall a conversation with Richard one evening before the Bible study at his home began.  He told me, "You know, Bill, before I was a Christian believer, Friday evenings were a time to go to parties, bars, and night clubs.  But today I have so much more fun at a Friday Night Family Bible Study at home.  If is much more fun being with my Family, my Christian friends, and studying God's Word with them."  And I had to wholly agree with him.

I am sharing these thoughts because today Facebook popped up a post I had shared four years ago in 2016.  My Christian brother and Friend, Mark Lacanienta, had posted the graphic and the article below which caused me to post the following blog then.

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Bill Gray February 16, 2016 at 2:12 PM posted:

PUSH CHILDREN OUT - OR INCLUDE THEM?   A post which my Christian brother, Mark Lacanienta, shared today asks the question:

"Should children be allowed in the main worship service?"

The article below and the graphic shows five reasons children should be in worship services and Bible studies with their parents.
Those who know me, know that I am a strong advocate for Family Bible Studies which include Mom, Dad, Grandma, Grandpa, all their Friends, and ALL the little ones.  Why?  Because as this article points out - little ones learn a number of things in Family Bible Study and in Family Worship Service:  (1) They see all their Family and Friends sharing the Word of God and sharing Love in fellowship.  Even when they are too young to understand Scripture, they still can understand Love.  (2) As they get a bit older, in Bible studies they can be included in the Scripture reading and discussions.  You will be amazed at the results.

As a Christian for 28 (now 32 years) years, I have seen at least three generation of Youth grow up in our churches.  With those who were included in the Bible study fellowships - I have seen almost 100% of them stay active in church and in some form of ministry.  At studies and services where I have seen Youth excluded, sent off to play while the adults study and worship - I have seen failures.  Which group would you want your children and grandchildren in - the successes or the failures?

Does the noise of the Little Ones in Bible Study or Worship Service bother me?  Not in the least.  That is just another form of "worship music" to me.

What REALLY bothers me is when I hear adults talking and chatting with the person sitting beside them - at that same time that our pastor is sharing the sermon.  Many times I have wanted to remind them that 1 Timothy 2:11 really applies to both men and women.  When this happens, and believe me it does, I have the urge to walk over and tap them on the head - but, of course I cannot do that for that would also be a distraction from the sermon.

Please read this article in the link above.  And, please, heed its advise - for the sake of all our children!

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill Gray 

5 Reasons Children Belong in the Main Service Regularly
https://churchleaders.com/children/childrens-ministry-articles/261362-5-reasons-children-main-service-regularly.html?fbclid=IwAR1dNVW2dJ3PuoRGGZV0ywSPCOwJ_1A1J2peoIVzxCTqY1jFuxFShggL4H4

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The Little Earthworm ~ God's Messenger?

Yesterday I posted a blog titled "Pastor Sam & Ida Lacanienta - Servants Of God!" - and my Christian brother and Friend in our International Bible Baptist Church of Riverside, Jerry Baker, responded, "I can’t wait to hear the earthworm story next time we meet."  So, let's talk about that earthworm and how it was responsible for me doing Christian apologetic writing for the past 30 years.

But first let me regress for a moment.  It was through the Godly love of Pastor Sam Lacanienta and his ministry partner and wife, Ida, that I was shown the way to the cross.  It was this man who first taught me in Bible Studies and Sunday School Classes.   It was this man who baptized me into the family of God.  About fifteen years ago, he and his wife, Ida, went home to the Philippines to do ministry there.  She has since been promoted to heaven.  But he still has a dynamic, thriving Christian ministry in the Talakag Church on the Solid Rock, near Cagayan de Oro, Philippines.

In 1987 I became a new believer and as a baby Christian I was trying to understand God's will for my life, trying to understand the messages He has for me in His word, the Bible.  I was attending the Filipino-American Church of Irvine (California) and always looked forward to our Friday Night Bible Study.  It was during a warm spring day lunch break that my earthworm incident described below occurred. 

Later at our Bible study that evening, I shared my worm experience with our group and Pastor Sam, pastor at our Fil-Am Church of Irvine, suggested that I put it in writing.  Although God had given me the ability to write several years earlier, it never occurred to me to do Christian writing.  That suggestion from Pastor Sam was the catalyst which got me started.  So, if my writings bug you - blame Pastor Sam Lacanienta.  He started it!

So, back to my Worm Escapade!

It was a beautiful spring day, so I decided to walk to the Food Pavilion for lunch.  It was only three blocks from my office and a nice day for a walk.  Just by coincidence, I met Fred Almeda, one of our church Elders, at the Pavilion and had a nice lunch chat with him.  I always enjoy fellowship with Fred.

After lunch I strolled back toward my office.  At one spot there is a wide sidewalk and a beautifully landscape lawn with lush green grass.  An earthworm was crawling across the sidewalk toward the street.  On the street and on several other areas of the sidewalk I could see other worms that had been either crushed by cars, by people walking on the sidewalk, or killed by the heat of the sun beating down on the hot concrete.  My earthworm was totally oblivious to all this danger as he crawled away from the lush green grass, toward the hot deadly street.

I stood for a while watching it crawl.  I could see the danger the worm was in, but it could not.  It was just going from one place to another with no real sense of purpose.  That is what I imagine worms do.  They burrow or they crawl to reach another spot, but with no real purpose.  I decided to have mercy on my worm, pick it up, and lay it back into the lush green environment it had left.  To my surprise, the worm fought me fiercely.  Never had I seen an earthworm literally rear up and wriggle as furiously as did this one.  I remember thinking, "I'm only trying to save your life.  Why are you fighting me?"  Eventually I was able to pick up the worm, return it to the grass, and go on to work.

As I sat in my office I began to think about that worm and how many of us are like that little earthworm.  As I stood watching the worm I could see the green grassy area he had left - and I could see the dangers of the wide sidewalk and the street, which the worm could not see.  The worm's viewpoint, like ours, is finite, limited, just that little area of sidewalk before him.  He could not see the dangerous street, nor could he see the other dead worms who had attempted this trip before him.  Maybe he could look back and see the cool, green grassy area that he had left - but not what was ahead.  His view was very limited. 

I could not help thinking that we are like that worm.  We have a very finite view.  But God is standing over us and can see the dangerous streets ahead of us.  He can see the strewn bodies of those who had made this trip before us and others who are making this trip right now.  He can see the beautiful paradise awaiting us if only we will turn around and follow Him.  He is omniscient, He sees it all - but He will not force us to turn to Him.  We have to choose to turn and follow Him.  We have to let Him pick us up and put us back into His plan for our salvation.

How often have we furiously reared up and fought the Lord when He is only trying to show us the Way?  Yes, many of us are often like that worm.  We fight the Lord - instead of accepting His grace, mercy, and free gift of salvation.

Psalm 23:1-4, "The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want.  He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.  He restores my soul; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name's sake.  Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me."

Psalm 27:1, The LORD is my light and my salvation; Whom shall I fear? .  .  ."

So, for my Christian brother, Jerry Baker, and all my Christian brethren - you and I are like the Obedient Worm who rests in the palm of our Lord's hand.  But there are still many, many in the world who are wriggling and resisting God's offer of rest in Him. 

That is what Jesus' Great Commission (Matthew 28:19-20, Acts 1:8, Mark 16:15) is all about - that we should go into the world and tell folks that since God can love a lowly earthworm, He can surely love them.   They just need to stop wriggling, turn to Him, and accept His freely offered eternal love.

God bless, have a wonderful, blessed day,

Bill 

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