Lessons from The Hill

Hi there,

Sorry that I've been absent from here this past month. I know some people really want to know how I'm doing. I am doing SO incredibly well! I love it here at His Hill. This past month has been a whirlwind. It's been so crazy and fun and busy and hectic and wonderful. Texas hill country is beautiful. This campus is so fun. I just love my dorm and roommates. And most of all I've been loving my classes. I wanted to share a little bit of what I've been learning. 

Thus far we have done Genesis through to Joshua as well as Romans. We have had a class on theological terms and even an etiquette class which I thoroughly enjoyed! We just finished a class on Bible study methods along with it all. Right now we are working on Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel. Our teachers have been so wonderful. Usually, each week we have one guest speaker and two resident teachers. On an average day, we start the day off with Chapel which is worship and then someone will share their testimony. I shared mine last week which was terrifying but also liberating. We also, usually, have five class sessions of  50 minutes.

Sometimes all I need is a walk in nature with God and my camera!

Know that you know how our classes are set up a little let me tell you about what I've been learning specifically. Firstly, Bible Study Methods as been such a useful practical class. It has been so much fun to apply what I've been learning to my personal studies. It has given me specific things to look out and notice and specific questions to ask about the passage. We apply a really basic three steps to study a verse or passage. The first step is observation. The more time we spend in observation the less time we have to spend on the other two steps. In observation, we simply take the time to observe everything about the verse, down to the most minute detail such as punctuation and verb tense. Where is the punctuation? Who wrote this? Who were they writing to? Where did they write it? What is being emphasized or repeated? Repetition equals emphasis. We never ask the "why?" here! We never read into the text here. We simply look at the ink on the page. Once we have torn the verse to pieces and observed every angle of it then we move to the next step which is interpretation. This is where we ask the "why?" This is where we read into the passage. What's the message? What is the author trying to communicate here? Why is this here? Why did they write this to these people? Why is it in the Bible? What kind of literature is this? Is it literal or figurative? This is where we decipher the verse. This is where we look at the context in which the verse lies. This is when we can take out our Bible dictionaries and concordances. This is when we look into the language, geographics, and culture in which it was written. This is where most people go wrong. they misinterpret the Bible. But everything we need to understand God's word is in His word. He has given us everything we need. A lot of people also stop here. But there is one more step to studying the Bible. Lastly, we go into the application. Without application, there isn't really any point in studying the Bible. All you've got is head knowledge. We must apply what we have learned to how lives and let it shape our lives. What is God saying to me? What is He telling me to do or not to do? What is he telling me to see or notice? How is He telling me to live? Where is He telling me to go? It has been so cool to see how this has changed how I study the Bible and to watch it when I hear our teachers teach and pastor preach.

So many stunning sunsets!

Throughout all of our classes, there has constantly been an emphasis on our deep need for Christ to reign in our lives. We've seen throughout the Pentateuch and Romans how God gave us the law to show us just how far we have fallen and how sinful we are. The law is God's written version of His righteousness. When we fall short of His law we also fall short of His righteousness. The law is a sure witness to our fallen state. And that is why we need Jesus! He demonstrated through His life that He can fulfill the law unlike us. As we went through some key theological terms we saw how vast and complex our sin problem is. We saw how Christ's sacrifice on the cross and resurrection from the grave covered and solved every single aspect of it. For example, Propitiation is specifically the satisfaction of God's just wrath against our sin. Redemption speaks of how we were bought out of slavery to sin and released into freedom. And sanctification refers to being separated from sin and separated to God. These terms may be similar are and they are. They overlap in some ways but each addresses a different aspect of our sin. Through Joshua, Judges and now 1 Samuel we have been seeing how when the Israelites follow God and obey Him He gives them victory over their enemies. However, when they stray from Him they fall at the hands of their enemies. Through everything we have been studying we have seen our complete and utter need for God in our lives. We can't live this life. But we have Christ in us and so we must allow Him to live this life through us.

I have also been learning about God's great and unwavering faithfulness. All throughout the Old Testament, the Israelites broke their covenant with God. But that does not mean God broke His covenant too. No, He remains unwavering in His faithfulness to His people. Even when Gideon asked for many signs, God still used him for His purpose. Even though Rehab was a non-Jew and a prostitute, God still used her for His purpose. Even when the people made idols to other gods, God still delivered them from their enemies. Our God is good! When we are faithless, impatient, proud and self-reliant God remains to be patient, loving, faithful and good. How mind-blowingly beautiful is that? How much grace and mercy God has for us is way beyond my comprehension. 

Sweets times with sweeter people!

I really don't want this to be a really long blog post. So, I will end it here. God is so good and my need for Him is so deep. There is so much that God has been teaching me that it can be overwhelming at times. But, I am so grateful for all of it and this time of intentional learning and fellowship. I love everyone here! There are so many beautiful people with beautiful stories and I feel so blessed to have each of them here with me for this journey. Until next time friends,
Darcy-Rea