The Disciples

Thursday March 3, 2016

Amy mentioned the Disciples in one of her recent blog posts. They are a group of about 20 young men and women who are being groomed by Pastor Chan Tha to be among the next generation of leaders in the Cambodian church. They are truly remarkable young people. Each day this week, I led them in a two-hour Bible Study. They are really sharp young men and women, who already have deep theological knowledge and a genuine hunger for God’s Word and a love for the LORD. The service they provide to Rahab’s House and the community of Svay Pak is phenomenal.

It has been a real honor and a blessing to spend time interacting with them. Over the course of the last four days, I took them through the creation accounts found in Scripture, such as Genesis 1, Genesis 2, Proverbs 8:22ff, Psalm 148, Psalm 104, Psalm 8, Psalm 33, Acts 17:15ff, John 1, and Job 38-39. I hoped that they would develop a comprehensive understanding of the creation accounts in Scripture and that they would see how these accounts interrelate to each other and how they provide the foundation for key doctrines of the Christian faith.

At times during the week, I wasn’t sure if the Bible study was having much of an impact on the Disciples. Even though I had a translator, the language barrier was a challenge. And cultural differences made it hard for me to “read my audience.” Each evening as I reviewed the material for the next day’s study, I would struggle with doubts, wondering if I should have chosen a different focus for the study.

On Thursday evening, we had a debrief time with the team from Rahab’s House. We shared with one another how we felt the week went. I was really touched by a number of the Disciples who expressed how meaningful the study was for them.  These were not just niceties, but sincere comments. They told me that I stretched them. They told me that they never realized how often the Genesis 1 creation account recurred throughout Scripture. They told me that they never realized how Adam related to Christ.  And they told me that they have a better idea how they can use these creation passages to share their faith.

One of the Disciples is getting an engineering degree. He was particularly excited to spend time with me. I left him with some materials so he could dig deeper into science-faith issues.

What a privilege it has been to make a small investment in the lives of these remarkable young people. I had the chance to spend 8 hours interacting with the future leaders of the Cambodian church. I am filled full of hope for what is to come. These young men and women have made a huge difference in Svay Pak. And they will be the ones who will plant churches in other communities bringing light into darkness. And the darkness will not over come it.

John 1:5