It is obvious that as someone who teaches Bible classes I want you to go to those Bible classes. However, I do not just want you to go to Bible class: I want you to believe that Bible class is of great benefit; even more, I want you to seize those benefits offered in these classes!

What are the benefits of Bible class? The most obvious benefit is that you are learning God’s word. The teachers (hopefully) spend a great amount of time in the Bible during the week preparing themselves to teach the class in order to maximize the benefit you receive from the class. God’s word is a gift to us, and it can bless us with knowledge, encouragement, and faith-inspiring characters and stories. Discussion of these stories as a group can help you learn and internalize the Word in a very special way.

A second benefit is encouragement from Christians. We all need encouragement. The lesson will hopefully encourage you. Even if you just sit passively in Bible class, you can still absorb some helpful information or hear some encouraging insight that will get you through the week. But before and after the classes is also a time we receive encouragement. It can be worth going to Bible study just to talk to people before and after the class.

If these benefits do not persuade you to go to join Wednesday night Bible study, hopefully your sense of duty can convict you. Even if you think you do not need encouragement, you are still called to encourage others (1 Thes 5:11). How can you encourage other Christians if you are not with those Christians? Additionally, we are supposed to submit to our shepherds (Heb 13:17) and our shepherds expect all members to be at Bible classes. Finally, knowing the Bible is something that every Christian should desire to do, since God took the time to reveal it to us and thousands of people have labored and spent countless hours and resources to make sure that you had access to it.

I hope that you do not think two hours each week to spend in corporate Bible class is too burdensome. We all spend far more time on things of far less eternal importance. I can guarantee you that at the end of your life you will either be thankful for all the time you could spend with the saints in Bible study, or you will regret that you did not take the time to do so.