Hello World (or should I say “blog-o-sphere”?)!

I’m a little new to this, so please forgive any gaffs. Blogging is a whole new world just opened up to me by daughter and son-in-law. On future visits here, I hope to (more or less) faithfully elaborate upon the theme I’ve assigned this page: “Contemplating His Word, challenging our worldview and musing about mankind and ministry in an Agree/Disagree world…”

As I stated in my profile, I teach a Journey 24/7 group at my church – Grace Baptist Church, Santa Clarita, California. For the uninitiated, Journey 24/7 is a youth program developed by Awana Clubs International. I also mention the “old school ‘purists,’” meaning those who still refer to this program as “Varsity,” a title discontinued over the past two years. However you choose to characterize it, every Monday evening, September through May, will find me teaching a group of about 65 teens, 9th through 12th grade. What am I teaching them? God’s Word – plain and simple (more about my philosophy about teaching youth later on).

Over a four year period, Journey 24/7 allows me a vehicle to teach four basic and four elective studies in twelve week intervals. The basic studies include three studies of New Testament books; Romans, 1st Corinthians, and a combined study in Ephesians and Galatians. The fourth study covers basic bible doctrines (God, Jesus Christ, Sin, Heaven, Hell, the Bible, etc.). These four studies set a strong foundation for a believer’s faith in Christ and their walk as a Christian. The electives are chosen from a variety of topics, such as: Old and New Testament Surveys, The Life of Christ, The Names of God, The Will of God and even a study through the book of Revelation.

Among other things, I intend this blog to be a point of contact between me and the students I teach on Monday nights. For their consideration (and yours whenever you happen to drop by) I will ask questions, make comments or expound further on the topics I’ll teach from on Monday nights. Through these postings you’re likely to become acquainted with a technique I use in my teaching; the “Agree/Disagree” proposition. I did not create this technique (I learned of it about thirty years ago), but it has been the source of hours of discussion and debate among those who enjoy thinking about and discussing God’s Word and His teaching in new and differing perspectives. It’s not easy to recreate in the written word, but trust me; God has blessed its use in my classroom sessions!

Beyond all that, I hope to open up my heart and mind on a number of subjects. As I share in my profile, I have some pretty eclectic tastes in movies and entertainment. We’ll no doubt spend some time discussing film, television, and popular culture here. Then there’s music. How do we use music in our life? What is its impact on us, conscious and unconscious? And, of course, there’s politics. What are a Christian’s responsibilities to the civil environment we find ourselves in? Am I Republican or Democrat or Independent? That’s of little importance. I’m a believer, and that carries some responsibilities into how I respond in the political realm.

So, shortly, there should be a few postings here to get the ball rolling. Journey 24/7 begins in about a week, and then we’ll be off and running. I hope you can find time to drop back by occasionally. I’ll try to make your visits as lively as possible. As soon as I get the hang of editing this site, I’ll have some links to some interesting people, places and sights too. Until then, may God bless you all and Grace 2 U!