It’s always such a pleasure to participate in Neighborhood Bible Study with G.O.D. Int’l. It seems clear to me that one of the major challenges to Christianity is a lack of Biblical literacy. For example, there are two moments at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry which highlight just how foundational a knowledge of the Bible was for Jesus. The first instance is where Jesus is tested by the devil in Luke 4:1-13. With each test Jesus overcomes the temptation by quoting from verses in Deuteronomy 6 and 8. In the second instance, immediately following in Luke 4:14-21, Jesus is about to teach in the synagogue, and it is said of him that “the scroll of the prophet Isaiah was given to him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written…” The point I'm making is that the scrolls were not broken up by chapter and verses and often didn’t have spaces between words or consonants (remember it was ancient Hebrew) — But Jesus was studied and capable of locating the relevant scriptures for his weary audience. Jesus used his Biblical knowledge to defeat the devil and upbuild God’s people.
So when I think of what's being accomplished at Neighborhood Bible Study, I think of Jesus. I think of how pleased he must be with his followers — that we are, in our leisure, reading and thinking about the Lord Jesus who changed the world, and the God who made it and loves it. I think about those times when Jesus said “it is written,” or when he says “have you not read?” I think of the Spirit at work bringing about a unity of mind! We are not there to just set aside the worldly dilemmas we face on the day to day, but to gain the tools in God’s word to deal with them — and not just for ourselves!
I really do think those things. And I really do treasure them.
Teaching Neighborhood Bible Study is such a joy. I get to cover important themes like following Jesus. We not only learn to think correctly about Jesus, we also learn how we can change the world like Jesus even in our day-to-day, modern lives. It can be tricky, let’s be honest. The Christian task to follow Jesus can feel lonely. But thanks to Neighborhood Bible Study I have found myself connected to like-minded men and women who have prioritized something I, too, prioritize - Jesus. So perhaps we’re not as alone in our searching and hunger as we might think. We just need the right venue to connect with other family members in Christ.
Whether I get to teach or whether I get to attend, I have found Neighborhood Bible Study to be a place of solid Biblical teaching by experienced teachers who are actively involved in local and international ministry, and who are academically trained AND spiritually enthusiastic about our God, our Lord, and the Holy Spirit. It is a place to think past oneself and be drawn again into the sweeping story of God’s love through Jesus. And it’s a place to meet neighbors; neighbors who, like you and me, want to love the Lord better than they did yesterday. And neighbors, like you and me, who need the Lord’s love more than they did yesterday.
Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart.Recite them to your children and talk about them when you are at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you rise. -Deuteronomy 6:6-7
Rylan Aaseby has been part of the ministry for G.O.D. Int’l since 2003, when he moved from Minnesota to be a student at the Institute for G.O.D. He has a lovely wife, Grace, and 5 wonderful children, ages 3-13. Rylan is a graduate of the Institute for G.O.D. and has had the privilege to teach courses there in Biblical Hebrew, theology, and philosophy. He volunteers to teach the Bible to 8th graders at the Academy for G.O.D. Int’l.
For him, to learn and teach the Bible is a passion. In it and through it, he has learned the overwhelming love of our God, and through the death and resurrection of Jesus, the possibility to be united and transformed as a people.
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