The other day I received an advertisement for a course on the canonization of the Bible. It's a subject of interest for me but doubts arose about the course when I saw who was teaching it. He is a well-known scholar with a long list of credentials and one serious flaw. He doesn't believe the Bible is inspired by God. In fact, I'm not sure he is convinced that God exists. I decided to discard the ad because the scholar was overlooking a fundamental truth.

When a friend returned from a summer project at an archeological dig on the temple mount in Jerusalem, he told me about a tour he took. The guide announced to the group that they were walking on the same street Jesus walked. My friend remembered he had spent most of the summer digging to get down to the level of earth people actually did walk on 2,000 years ago. The road Jesus walked was really several yards below them.

Getting to the truth requires digging. Just as archeological evidence can be buried by years of wind blown dust, so truth can be covered up by misguided professors, cultural biases, or even a couple of abusive churches.

Even though the Bible contains truth that has endured time it takes some digging to find the foundation of faith. That's why we're starting a program for Young Adults called "Fundamentals of the Faith." It is designed for the young person who "believes" but needs knowledge to support his beliefs. Generally this person has grown up in the faith of his parents. He has reached a stage to take responsibility for his own beliefs.

The response from the young adults has been excellent. We'll be spending the next six months studying after which they will have the opportunity to talk to the congregation about what they have learned. I'll keep you updated on the progress.

Until next time,