It's Been A While

Wow....

So much has happened since I last posted. Where should I start? Nobody thought this would happen! I know my Cardinals are huge underdogs but you never know!

It has been a phenomenal week at Upward! Can I just say that these people are awesome.

I'm also beginning a personal journey of sorts. I've decided to go slowly through and really dig into "Systematic Theology" by Wayne Grudem. I'll be sharing that journey on my blog and really want to be daily in my thoughts. It's a great time of year for me. I'm always more reflective and dutiful in my reading and learning in the fall of the year. God uses the autumn to change me in so many ways. I pray that this one will be no different.

So let's get started. I think the first question to ask is: "Why are you studying and reading systematic theology". I like this answer! Also, I think many would argue that doctrine is unimportant and that unity is the main thing. To them, I would say that's not true!

Gruden gives 2 major reasons why we should study systematic theology:

The Basic Reason

The task of fulfilling the Great Commission includes therefore not only evangelism but also teaching. And the task of teaching all that Jesus commanded us is, in a broad sense, the teask of teaching what the whole Bible says to us today. To effectively teach ourselves and to teach others what the whole Bible says, it is necessary to collect and summarize all the Scripture passages on a particular subject

The Benefits To Our Lives

-Overcome Our Wrong Ideas

If there were no sin in our hearts, we could read the Bible from cover to cover and, althought we would no immediately learn everything in the Bible, we would most likelylearn only true things about God and his creation....But with sin in our hearts we retain some rebelliousness against God.

-Able To Make Better Decisions

Whatever the new doctrinal controversies are in future years, those who have learned systematic theology well will be much better able to answer the new questions that arise.

-Help Us Grow As Christians~

The more we know about God, about his Word, about his relationships to the world and mankind, the better we will trust him, the more fully we will praise him, and the more readily we will obey him.

Gruden also goes on to share How We Should Study Systematic Theology. All in all, a convincing introduction to the book. I can't wait to dig into Chapter 2 "The Word Of God"