With the introduction to BSF, first by my mom, and after that by Clyde from church, I participated their Online version. I came prepared - knowing that they of the non-denominational denomination and based on puritanboard's info, that they lean towards Baptist-Arminianism. ubermadchen of that forum also gave a interesting historical background: That BSF was founded for women originally. When I spoke to Clyde, I realized that I was wrong about Anne Graham (Billy Graham's daughter) being the founder of BSF, she had led such a group before, but she wasn't the founder.
While most people are familiar to BSF as a local Bible study group, I am more interested in the online Zoom ones. It's global, I can connect with Christians from around the world. But at the moment, the farthest one (Mandarin group) is a Malaysian Chinese in Brazil, when I joined the Mandarin group. It is still interesting to meet everyone so far (mostly Seattle, at the moment). I joined the Mandarin group to expose myself to Chinese Christians, since I have no other choice, being that the only reformed churches in NJ I've met are English speaking ones.
When I joined, they were on their last day, so I didn't learn or get anything other than chatting. So I immediately left the first Mandarin Zoom I joined half way through as everyone tried to share each's own "testimonies" for about 20 mins each. Another good thing with Zoom, come and go as you please I suppose. I read some of their material, mostly asking about how you feel about this, how you think of that...very shallow questioning. But it was the last material I read, so perhaps that's not the main study material, which if they had, I didn't get a chance to look at. Apparently, BSF is seasonal: i.e. From around October to May, then summer vacation. Which is when someone from the second BSF Mandarin group shared his church's (in Seattle) online Bible study for me to join when I asked if anyone knew about online Bible Study groups around the world. This Covid thing really motivates me! This also reminds me of the Monmouth Chinese church I visited, they also have Zoom sessions.
I joined the the LECC (Seattle)'s Friday Bible study for the first time and they were doing 2 Samuel 12. I think they're doing expository study, so I definitely like it, regardless if they are not reformed. They still relate biblical matters very well and are serious on studying God's word, and not just about chatting or testifying themselves, which would have been a No for me. I can look pass the Arminianism or wrong view of denomination or even rotating leading roster.
I've learned that in these situations, it's best to not talk or teach them all the time if I find them knowing less but rather, asking questions in ways that stimulate their thinking.
John Calvin did Bible study everyday, and more than once a day. So it's natural I find Bible study group everyday. Because I wished I was in Calvin's time, if not the time my Lord was on Earth. This is perhaps the best blessings there is: Zoom/Online Bible study groups. I do hope I find good ones, because there are really really bad ones, particularly the ones influenced by Charismatics. If not, at least I could consider kickstarting a reformed online group, after all, it's a good idea that the Reformed Christians haven't really done much about. Closest one was Reformed Forum and though it's very professionally done, but it's a single topic with set period, and I had to pay $400 for a single "cohort" session/class. Although, even though the entire session was somewhat nominal, but I got to set a one-on-one talk with professor Lane Tipton, that was an incredible bonus.
Since I'll be looking for expository style Bible study groups, I will start my own commentary entries accordingly, building my own commentary of the entire Bible in this journal, as I've already done for James, John, Exodus, Job, etc.
