I’ve been involved in prison ministry at FCC Butner for the past 20 years. During that time, I’ve developed a set of guidelines for our Bible studies there. Every new man has had to endure the recitation of my ground rules for our study. Over the years, I’ve reduced them to a 30 second spiel. If the guys at Butner have to go through the ritual, why shouldn’t you?

• I accept the Bible as the word of God. It’s inspired by Him, accurate as originally written and able to be understood by all of us.
• We’re all students of God’s word, especially me. If you ever catch me teaching (or writing) something that’s wrong, let me know and I’ll fess up. I’ve done it before and I’ve no doubt I’ll be doing it many times in the future.
• In studying Scripture, everyone should participate. However, we should focus on what’s written in the Bible rather than our own opinions. I checked today and I’m still batting 1.000: so far, my opinions haven’t saved anyone.
• The only dumb question is the one you don’t ask.

In this column, I’ll be reasonably eclectic, but always with a focus on what God has to say and how it impacts our lives and actions. Thursday, provided the hotel has a wireless connection, I’ll be live blogging the 35th Annual Jail and Prison Ministry Workshop from Livonia, Michigan. There are some wonderful people involved in presenting the message of spiritual freedom to those who are physically imprisoned. Over the next couple of days, I hope to introduce you to some of these great servants of God.

Tags: bible study, prison ministry