X-trials Bible Study

This past Thursday was the first of my 13 week Bible Study class. The study is called X-trials and is based on the sermon series by Ed Young. We meet each Thursday at Starbucks. It was quite a class. It is one of the first that our church is having out in the public instead of at the church or in a home. We had 12 people in the class which is quite large and almost too large for the number of chairs that we had available at the coffee shop. As I had hoped we had several people listening to the discussion from other tables. Whether they approved or not I do not know but they were actively listening. We even had one young man pull-up a chair and join us.

We are working our way, verse by verse, through the book of James. Our first session focused on James 1:1-12. It covers God's purpose

for testing us and how we are to respond. We covered Ed Young's formula Eic2=M and how to use it in the trials of our life.

E=Evaluate
Examine the trial, identify it, and take a step-back to examine it. Look at trials through the eyes of faith. Then make a conscious decision on how God wants you to address it.

i=Information
Each trial gives us information on our strengths and weaknesses.

c=Cooperation
We must cooperate with God in these tests by relying on Him, persevering, and learning the lesson He is placing before us.

c=Conversation
Always go back to God. Talk with Him, listen to Him. Ask Him for your needs. Remember the quote from Oz Guinness

“As believers, we cannot always know why,
But can always know why we trust God,
Who knows why and that makes all the
Difference.”



M=spiritual Maturity
Doing all these things is how we grow in our faith.


Pray for our next class this Thursday and if you want a little more information on the class check out my website www.x-trials.com.