Bible Study Fellowship

“BSF is an in-depth interdenominational Bible study that helps people know God and equips them to effectively serve the Church throughout the world.”  

I first attended BSF in 1980.  I had been redeemed by the blood of Christ in the summer of 1974, but things were not going well for me.  For two years I had been separated and then divorced from my wife.  My mother found a men’s class in San Antonio and convinced me to try it.  It was a big committment; San Antonio is 75 miles from Fredericksburg and the class met on Monday nights.  I was a big football fan and the class met during Monday night football.

I decided to give it a try.  The study was the book of John.  I still have my notes from that year and underlined on the first page it says:  “Therefore, if you want to understand the true meaning of life -- the secret of the universe, if you seek to have eternal life, if you long to know God, you will find all these desires fulfilled in the Person of Jesus Christ as He is revealed in this Gospel.  If as a Christian you crave the “life more abundant,” that springs from within which flows forth in rivers of living water to those who touch you -- that fulness of the Holy Spirit promised in John 7:38-39 -- you must receive the words of this book.

All the years since coming to Christ I remained in the dark not understanding the light.  The seed was planted in my heart, but it had not been taken care of.  Plant seeds are like that.  Sometimes they stay in the ground for years and then one day the conditions are right and it sprouts and a little green plant appears.  

The conditions were right that fall and I began to receive the words of John.  The little sprout inside me began to grow as if time had to be made up.  Another underlined part of those old notes says this:  “When Jesus was with the Twelve Apostles, He stated that the Holy Spirit would  ‘bring all things to your remembrance whatsoever I have told you’ (John 14:26).  He also promised that the Holy Spirit would ‘guide them into all truth’ (John 16:13.  He further promised that the Holy Spirit ‘shall take of the things of Mine and show them to you’ (John 16:15).

After the Christmas break from class I spoke with my former wife.  We had a son together and stayed in touch.  I told her about BSF and asked her if she would like to go; there was a women’s class at a church not far from where I met.  She agreed to go.  Her experience was similar to mine; God’s word took root in her and both of us grew closer to God.  As we grew closer to Him the Holy Spirit, now alive in us, brought unity in our relationship.  Later that year we remarried.  That was 35 years ago and Dana and I are still together.  God later blessed us with two little girls, Rachel and Lara.  More recently He has blessed us with three grandsons and a new baby grandaughter.

God’s word is powerful; it changed our lives.  BSF was the instrument God used to bring His Word into our lives.  The depth of understanding it brings, indeed equips God’s people to effectively serve and build the Church throughout the world.