Hello again, dear reader. It’s me once more, rambling on about whatever happens to be on my mind, and this week’s topic is exactly what the title suggests: my first experiences with Bible School and Discipleship 101. I have to say, even though the two are actually pretty similar in scope, Bible School really stands out when it comes to the amount of knowledge and information it provides. I feel incredibly blessed to be able to attend something like this for free and to have access to teaching that helps deepen my understanding of the Word. That said, I don’t want to discredit Discipleship 101 at all. It’s still an amazing resource and touches on some topics I’ve always wondered about but never quite had clear answers for. In many ways, it fills in the gaps and helps connect the dots. Anyways, moving on to the real meat of this entry…
For Discipleship, I honestly had no clue what to expect going into it. The name itself made me think it would be something more active or practical, like worship, serving in the community, or helping people in some kind of ministry setting. Since we already had Bible School covering the teaching side of things, it seemed logical to me that Discipleship would focus more on how members of the congregation actually live out their faith and serve one another. I imagined it being a kind of hands-on guide to what it means to be a disciple in everyday life.
For Bible School, on the other hand, I had a much clearer expectation. I assumed it would mostly consist of lessons presented through text or videos, followed by questions or reflections after going through the material. At some point, I also heard rumours about an essay being part of the course, so naturally, I started mentally preparing myself for that. I pictured having to read through a book and write a summary, or perhaps take notes during the video lessons and eventually turn those notes into some kind of essay or reflection. So going in, I was ready to do a fair bit of reading and writing.
Something I want to know more about
Some of the things I’ve really wanted to understand better, and that Discipleship 101 has actually been helping a lot with, are the kinds of basic questions that might seem obvious or even a little silly to long-time believers. But since I’m still fairly new to the church, these are the questions that have been sitting in the back of my mind for a while. Things like: “Am I reborn? What actually makes someone reborn? What exactly is sin? Who is Jesus? And what does it really mean when we talk about the Holy Trinity?” These are the kinds of questions that seem simple on the surface but actually carry a lot of depth. Thankfully, many of them have already been answered, at least in part, through conversations with my fellow iXchangers and through the lessons in the discipleship course. And even when I don’t fully understand something yet, I at least feel like I’m starting to move in the right direction.
Well, from Discipleship I learned in the very first week that I am a son of God and that He will never turn His back on me. Because I am reborn, Jesus died on the cross for me and covered my sins with His blood. That alone is already a pretty powerful realisation. We also talked about what sin really is. In simple terms, sin is anything that goes against God’s plan or His will for our lives. In other words, it’s not always about the big, obvious wrongs; sometimes it’s just about choosing our own way instead of God’s. But at the same time, we were reminded that no ordinary sin can separate us from God or stop us from entering heaven and being with the Holy Father. The only true danger lies in the ultimate sin, removing the Holy Spirit from your heart and turning away completely.
In Bible School, we’ve been learning about the power of faith, where faith should be placed, and even the importance of first words. It’s honestly both funny and incredible to watch Ps John and Sharon in the older recordings when they were much younger and full of that energetic, youthful passion. At the same time, it’s really encouraging to see how clearly they preach the Word of God and how their teaching helps build a stronger and deeper understanding of His message. Every lesson feels like another piece of the puzzle falling into place.
In conclusion, while Discipleship 101 definitely surprised me in the way it was structured and presented, it has still been an amazing experience to attend, even if it runs from 6–8 pm. Despite the time, I’ll gladly keep setting aside those evenings to attend because it’s genuinely worth it. It has helped me understand the basics of the faith and given practical guidance on how to deal with difficult situations, conflict, and personal struggles in a way that is healthy, respectful, and grounded in God’s teachings.
At the same time, Bible School has expanded my understanding of the fundamental principles of a healthy and thriving Christian life more than I expected. If I had to describe the difference it has made, the best comparison I can think of is going from the Stone Age straight into the Modern era. Everything suddenly makes more sense, and the bigger picture becomes clearer. Because of that, I find myself both hopeful and genuinely excited for the lessons that are still ahead.
