Let's discuss how to prepare for a Spirit-anointed classtime and the seven ingredients within a Spirit-anointed small group meeting. If I can identify and define these steps, I can pursue them. I don't want things to just happen occasionally by accident. I want to know where I am seeking to go, and a good path to get there.

I have been a Christian for 26 years and served in various ministry leadership opportunities for nearly the same period of time. Although I went through good discipleship training programs as a young man, and even though I have studied the Bible for all those years, nothing has intentionally worked on my personal intimacy with Christ in such guided, diligent and detailed fashion as my courses with CLU.

How blessed is the man who delights in the law of the LORD, And in His law he meditates day and night. He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water, Which yields its fruit in its season, And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers (Ps. 1:1-3)

I sure hope the Bible says to study, because when I was a young Christian, I memorized this important command from the King James Version:

“Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15 KJV).

This resulted in me devotedly applying my mind and intellect to the acquisition of knowledge of the Bible for many years. However, one day I discovered that the New King James Version replaced the word “study” with the accurate meaning of the Greek word spoudazo (G4704), which is, “Be diligent.”