Welcome to our new Bible study…today we begin learning Experiencing God by Henry & Richard Blackaby. During this Bible Cafe™ Introduction week, you will have the opportunity to participate in online Bible study groups. While it might be tempting to study solo, we have learned the added value of community Bible study. By participating in groups, we examine different concepts from the workbook. And we keep one another accountable to finish the study.

When you join the Experiencing God online Bible study groups, you will see how online Bible study works. Both introverts and extroverts have benefited from online learning. Before we begin the group, we ask that you will pray for the women leading this Bible study. Also, pray for each other as we grow, learn, and spend time with God.

Henry Blackaby, the primary author of this study, pastored churches in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Canada, and British Columbia. There are two coauthors for this book: Claude King and Richard Blackaby. Coauthors are helpful to the learning experience. The four Gospels were written by different authors. Each one brought a different perspective and had a specific target audience. They also had different experiences with Jesus, and this is reflected in the writing.

Today, the Bible is often translated by several scholars. This is done for accuracy.

I enjoy Bible Cafe™ groups because we get different perspectives. We are a blend of backgrounds, denominations, married/single, kids/fur kids, and even our geographic location. Yet we BLEND (coffee term intentional).

“Experiencing God” was originally published in 1990. And so, this book does not reference some of our modern technology or social media.  AFTER this workbook was written, we have social networks, rapid transfer of information, blogs, and communication like never before.

Also, the book was not written for online Bible study. Yet, it works marvelously in this format (we have led this study many times here). Be warned, if you decide to watch the OLD videos, the video format is OLD. Blackaby speaks s…l…o…w…l…y and monotone. Newer studies tend to be more “vibrant” in delivery.

This is a classic study. As students of the Bible, we will be seeking a modern application. My opinion… it’s harder for people today to apply the Bible to everyday life. There are more demands on our time. We have cultural challenges and pressures which are anti-Christian. Satanists no longer hide…and witches, tarot readers, and mediums are celebrated as “authorities.” The temptations away from experiencing God are HUGE. It’s important to anchor to Scripture, fellowship in groups (like this), and pray.

If you are new to Bible study, Make sure someone is praying OVER you. We have the traditional needs-based prayer. But in addition to this, make sure someone is praying for your mind to absorb the Scripture truths, and for your heart to be open to hear what God is saying each time you read the workbook. Our leaders will do this and I encourage YOU to pick one or two names from the icebreaker question, write them down, and pray for these women each week.

In this classic study, the answer to the question is posted in the paragraph BELOW the question. I found that interesting and helpful for someone new. First Blackaby ASKS, then he TELLS. Old-school writing.

One of our favorite things at the Bible Cafe is connecting with women on the same journey. We encourage prayer, empathy, and kindness toward group members.

Let’s get started with Experiencing God online Bible study!