Altar Call - Opelika-Auburn News
Walter Albritton
March 12, 2000

A ten-dollar "walk" through the Old Testament

Ever wish you understood the Bible better? For ten bucks you can. That's the best offer in town this weekend. Our church, Trinity UMC, is sponsoring this unique opportunity today.

All you have to do to participate is to show up at Trinity by 1:00 p.m., pay your ten dollars, and you are on your way. Five and a half hours later you will know the Old Testament better than you ever dreamed possible. Plus, there is no note-taking in this unusual seminar!

Wait a minute now, you think. No note-taking? Then how do I remember what I learn? Simple. You will have so much fun learning by other methods that taking notes will be totally unnecessary. But, to jog your memory in months to come, you will be given a notebook to take home with you. You can use it to refresh your memory down the road.

Why spend all Sunday afternoon focused on a major portion of the Bible? Because it is the finest way possible to get a handle on what these ancient books can mean in daily living.

You will learn the connection between Genesis and Malachi, and how all these 39 books relate to the 27 books in the New Testament. You will gain, perhaps for the first time, an overview of biblical history that will help you explain to your children and grandchildren what took place between the days of Noah and the birth of Jesus. Names like Abraham, Moses, Ezra, Daniel, Nahum, and Haggai will have new meaning for you as you journey through this period of ancient history. Whoa Nellie, you say; history can be boring.

Not this time, and not this history. Mike Spain teaches history at Opelika High School. He says, "Learning history has never been more fun than it is in these ''walk thru the Bible'' seminars. I have been on these ''walks'' before and I can't wait to do it again."

Earl Ballard has "walked" before. He says, "I learned more about the Old Testament during the ''walk thru'' than I did during three years of seminary. They know how to make it come alive for you." Earl is one of the pastors at Trinity.

If you belong to another church, or to no church, you are welcome to share this "walk" with us. It is not about a denomination, it is about grasping a better understanding of the Bible and its colorful characters. We promise not to try to make a Methodist out of you.

Perhaps the best reason for sharing in this "walk" is that you will never have to say again, "I wish I knew more about the Bible." By Sunday night you will have been cured of that problem and you will be glad you took this walk through the days of Joshua and Jonah.

You are welcome to join us!