Had a great time at the most recent get-together. Looking forward to seeing everyone at the next gathering this Thursday night, December 12th. Same place, same time......6-8pm in the youth/multi-purpose room. We'll be discussing Lesson 7 on page 155, which covers Chapter 10.
Please contact Mat Tomlinson for more information!
Here's a link to order the book if you'd like to get it:
Click Here to purchase "The Pursuit of Holiness" on Amazon
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Most recent follow-up email (sent 11/18/24):
Hey, guys! Hope the week's off to a great start!
Just following up with you from last week. Had a great time talking through a fairly difficult (not necessarily to understand, but to swallow) chapter in the book. Looking forward to getting together again - as a reminder, we're planning on meeting one more time this year on December 12th. Had someone hit me up since last Thursday and offer to help with food, so you'll have to come next time to see what we're having, but I can just say it's gonna' be a Brunswick Stew with a li'l somethin' special thrown in, as well as a surprise side that should go really well with it, especially if your name's Jim Stolze or Charles Rooks. LOL!
I also wanted to re-clarify and reiterate a few things I said at this past meeting, just so you hear my heart on those things. I really do believe that every single one of us has the capacity to learn, albeit in and with varying degree and aptitude, but we can all learn. And the fact is, we all take the time and necessary measures to do things and learn about things if and when we want to and have the desire. Don't tell me you're not smart enough or don't have the ability to understand the Bible when you can tell me every stat of every GA Bulldog running back from the last 6 decades. LOL! If we ever find ourselves with a lack of desire to grown in our knowledge of God in His Word, then something's off and we need help with that. That's why we have pastors and leaders, and each other - to spur us along. All of us in that room are either currently in school of some kind, have gone through the necessary schooling or training to have the jobs/positions we currently hold, and seek to excel and do our jobs well as we've been gifted to do them. And we all also have hobbies and other interests and will move and shift things daily in our schedules so that our plates allow for growth in knowledge and experience in any of those areas, yet for some reason, we can all find ourselves excusing our plates that have no room for serious study of God's Word when we've been given ample means and resources to do it. Yes, growth in our knowledge of and right handling of the Bible requires a measure of the Spirit of God in us to enlighten us to truth, but we sometimes over-spiritualize the discipline of study and disconnect it from our goals and routines and claim we're just not smart enough or equipped enough. Yet we do all those other things necessary in other areas of our lives, knowing that those other things are/can be very important - I mean, our jobs provide for our families - that's pretty important - but if the goal of study of the Word of God is to know and love the God of the Word all the more, is there anything more valuable than that? Some of us probably need to reorient and re-prioritize our lives and quit compartmentalizing God, the Bible, Church, and community with our fellow believers. And there's absolutely ways to do that without feeling like we have to give up anything........unless we do need to give up something. Is He not worth it? As we discussed on Thursday, it's a myth that we can coast........that we can not be serious about these things and think we're ok not intentionally pursuing growth in holiness by a greater knowledge of God and His Word. That's not how Christianity works......not how God designed it. Remember, "Lone Ranger" Christianity is disobedient Christianity. Our walk with the Lord is a community project. You'll miss out and rob yourself of joy and God of glory otherwise. Please don't hesitate to ever hit us up if you'd like help and direction in this area. We're here for it!
Anyway, I look forward to it! We'll be doing Lesson 7 on page 155, which covers Chapter 10 - "The Place of Personal Discipline."
See y'all soon,
-Mat
