Friday updates
November 3, 2007

Megan Adams
This year has been good, and the students are all great. One recent verse that stood out to me in class was Acts 3:11, which was describing Peter‘s response after he healed a lame man. Speaking to the onlookers, he said, “Why do you gaze at us, as if by our own power or piety we had made him walk?” This was a good reminder where we get our power from. It kind of lifts the burden from my mind too…my power or piety isn’t necessarily going to make me or anyone else walk. It’s all about gazing with open face on Jesus.

Stephen Adams
I was really blessed by a recent meeting on personal devotions in which Dave Hansen talked about what happens when you give Jesus a quick minute vs. when you give Him quality time. The comparison helped put things into perspective. I also enjoyed the fellowship that we have now that we are all taking the same class together (Life and Letters of Paul).

Vanlora Aldrich
It has been a good year so far. One recent meeting was about giving everything to God. Shortly after the meeting I went up to my room and got rid of some things that were keeping me back spiritually. Since then some old habits that I couldn’t get rid of went away, and the desire to do those things left me. It’s been easier for me to deal with temptation on some things, and I feel happier and just plain great. I also got a lot from a recent women’s meeting about letting go of control in your life. You have to give it to God for anything to change. I am working on giving all to God, letting Him run my life and take care of everything.

Andrew Bean
The class on Acts and the Epistles has been a great refresher on how we, sons of God, should be living. I really latched on to that part about sons. It’s so great to know God as a Father. The Holy Spirit, in a sense, has been like an ongoing show and tell project. We’ve been doing a lot of talking about Him, and all the while seeing Him at work in our lives.

Virginia Cowart
Bible school is continuing to be a blessing for me. The Harmony of the Four Gospels class was wonderful because even though the Gospels are the most familiar part of the Bible to me, I still felt like I learned so much! God has been helping me to grow in other areas as well. Showing love for other people has never been my strong point, but I feel that, since I asked the Lord to help me, He has been changing my heart and making me grow in that area.

Rachel Camuso
Thus far, our classes have been full of wonderful material from God’s Word. Our most recent class was about the Life of Christ, and the question, “What would Jesus do?” Another area of growth was caused by a family sickness. My brother Jon’s serious illness came on rather suddenly, and none of us had much time to prepare emotionally for such a thing. I was impressed to completely turn it over to my Father in heaven, and let Him know that the situation was His. After I did that, I felt a peace and assurance that “the Lord will provide.”

Bobby Godfrey
Recently, David Hansen had a great meeting in which he talked about devotions, and that really made me think about my own devotions and how I hadn’t been giving God a good quiet time. I’m trying hard to give Him something that He will enjoy, so He will be able to pour out extra blessings on me. Also, I recently finished up a class on Harmony of the Four Gospels, and I got a lot out of the classes. I learned new things that I didn’t know, and things that I had never thought about came up, and it made me want to take time and look things up for myself, something I never really did before.

David Hansen
My spiritual condition is pretty good right now. I am giving God more time, giving things up for Him, wanting to see His will done more and more, rather than mine. So things are going well overall. God is working, and I am excited about seeing how much we can do together, He and I.

Ben Holscher
I’m feeling cheerful spiritually because I believe that God is working on me. I know that He has been all along, but it’s become clear to me what I need to work on in order to go “further up and further in.” I’ve recently been blessed by my time alone with God. I’ve felt like I have really connected with Him and that’s an amazing feeling! I can say with certainty that I’ve had some of the most powerful prayer of my life, just one on one with God. Bible school has begun to prove itself as a wonderful place to grow and meet with God. I just have to do my part and throw myself on Him.

Katherine Holscher
Our recent class on the Life of Christ was very good. I have been blessed each time we go through the gospel, and this year was no exception. I was especially blessed because of the situation I came out of this summer, and coming back to the gospel has been exactly what I needed to shed the things that had caught hold of me while I worked. We heard a meeting today about giving up our struggles and fears and giving them to God, and I think I have been able to do that a little. Even though recent circumstances have not been easy, I feel at peace.

Katie Knowles
God has been very good to me. Classes are going well. I loved the class on Harmony of the Four Gospels. It was really cool studying Jesus’ life here on earth. I had never done such an in-depth study of His life before. I enjoyed it a whole lot and I also liked all the discussion. Overall, I have been having a great time at Bible school. That is such a blessing because I did not think that is how it was going to be. I was expecting to find a little good among lots of hardship. Well, let me tell you, there has been tons of good among a little hardship. You have to love how God does that. God is GREAT!

Joshua Roe
This new year of Bible school is going great! I have grown much more in Christ this year already. He has pointed out areas in my life that I had to change, and personal possessions I had to get rid of. I got rid of the possessions, and now I am working on the areas of my life. It is proving difficult, but I have faith that He will help me through.

Aaron Sandford
Bible school has continued to go well for me. The meetings have been good, as have the classes. One thing that caught my attention recently was something that Mr. Timothy Murray pointed out in our study of Acts and Paul’s Epistles. He noted that if we are fighting the sin in our lives, we will certainly win, with the help of the Spirit. As long as we ask Him to help and continue to make great choices, He will give us the victory. I have been repeatedly impressed with how much the Word of God contains, and how relevant it is to my life.

Bria Sandford
I’m happy to report that I am continuing to feel God’s blessing this year. Meetings, classes, and personal devotions have all been meeting needs. Recently, my heart has been stirred to be real with God. I don’t want to waste this last year of Bible school by just mentally accepting a lot of truth and outwardly going with a good program. I want to know Him and His power. Also, I’ve been excited by the importance of what I do and say before Him alone. I’m grateful for His gentle nudging to walk before Him and not before men, and am in faith that He won’t let me forget this lesson.

Kate Sutton
Bible school has been going well so far this year. We have been having some good classes and meetings. The recent class on the Life of Christ was really good, especially thinking and writing about what Jesus would do in different situations. Now often it seems that the question, “What would Jesus do?” comes to mind in small areas. Also, our current class on Paul’s Life and Letters has been filled with a lot of rich instruction that doesn’t give me the feeling of, “Oh no, I have to change,” but instead a feeling of encouragement and inspiration to do better.

Jane Turner
One of the biggest things that has made an impression on my heart recently was a meeting on devotions. I had recently read on my brother’s blog about how we should never be content with our current relationship with Jesus, but always desire more. Coupling this idea with the devotions meeting, the Holy Spirit really drove the point home. This week, I have been striving to give God more, and in return, He has been giving me a desire to know Him in a more intimate way. I have found Him working to fulfill that desire the more I spend time with Him.