The Study Talk is one of fifteen talks shared on a Walk to Emmaus. The Walk to Emmaus is a three-day event for church leaders who have already committed their lives to following Jesus. The Study Talk is presented by a lay person with experiences in the holy habit of study.

One of the suggestions for study by a faithful Christian living a life of grace is to study church history. I’m fascinated by the colorful history of Christianity.

Last year I took Brandi Diamond’s online class entitled Off With Their Heads. I was glued to my screen every single week learning about the start of the Anglican church, the revolt of King Henry VIII against the Catholic Church, and the bloodied history which led to the very first amendment to our U.S. Constitution prohibiting the government from establishing a religion. The goal was to keep the government out of the church, not the church out of the government. Now I have an idea why.

Another suggestion is to study the gospel. Have you ever studied the gospel?

If the marching orders of a Christian is to make disciples of Jesus Christ, we must know the gospel.

Every five years I study the gospel. I need the reminder, the refresher, because I can get bogged down in the minutia of church staff life and forget the WHY of it all.

The first year I studied and practiced sharing the good news of God’s salvation with The Wordless Book offered through Child Evangelism Fellowship.

This year I came across a great resource which I’ve used to study the gospel: The Gospel Course and Brand New, both by Brian Clark and available from Amazon.

These two small less than 25-page paperback books keep the main thing, the main thing. The premise for The Gospel Course is that Christians may know the gospel, but are typically unable to articulate the gospel confidently. “The Gospel Course was written as a tool to help you walk someone through the saving message of the gospel in a way that is clear, complete and compelling.” Clark uses the parable of the Prodigal Son and plenty of scripture to show the greatness of God.

Brand New is the followup to The Gospel Course. The goal of Brand New is to “see from scripture that new life in Christ is meant to be full of joy, excitement, and purpose, not just a list of tasks to check off.” This small book packs a big punch regarding the perspective of learning how to enjoy our great God. Clark embraces a righteous life to jumping in with both feet to enjoy our Savior, like the cake and not the broccoli. Like marriage, this relationship is exclusive. Like running a race, this relationship requires discipline and training. Like putting the puzzle of a righteous life together by completely starting over rather than making pieces fit that belong to other puzzles no longer meant for a Christian. This little book blessed my socks off, but would have meant nothing had I not studied the The Gospel Course.

How do you study the gospel?

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect, keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.” 1 Peter 3:15-16