Chef Marc Murphy just published his debut cookbook, Season with Authority: Confident Home Cooking. Part worldly epicure, part laid-back surfer, Marc fell in love with French and Italian cuisine during a childhood spent living throughout Europe (his dad was a “globetrotting diplomat”). He went on to work in some of the most highly esteemed kitchens in the world from Paris to Monte Carlo, and today Marc is one of New York’s most popular chefs. You might have seen him on the hit cable series CHOPPED.
In a question-and-answer interview with The New York Times, Murphy attributed his cooking influences to his mother and grandparents, and he credited his strength and leadership to Winston Churchill’s My Early Life: 1874–1904. Who knew?
When you and I take up the Word of God – our “daily bread” – our first impressions of the text we’re studying matter. Always remember: God’s Word is “living and active” (Hebrews 4:12-13) – it is always speaking to us and influencing us. That’s the power of God’s Spirit at work impressing Biblical truth upon our hearts.
Last time I began an outline for you of an initial approach to a sound Bible study (Steps 1-6). We’ll pick up there now.
- Identify, and perhaps outline, the main idea of the book. (You might think of it as the book’s main “argument.”) Don’t worry about sophistication – just focus on accuracy. This is very important, as the specific passage that you’re studying is impacted by this controlling, overarching idea of the
book where it’s found. - Notice the book’s structure, and how your passage fits in. (Look for summary statements, key transition words/conjunctions, and the introductions to new topics as clues to figuring out the book’s structure.)
- Begin to exegete your specific passage by determining the specific parameters of the passage. Normally you should plan on exegeting at least a paragraph in English. If you’re going to teach this passage, you don’t want to cover more text than you have time to teach. But you also want enough material to work with. Establish the limits, and stick to them. This will be your primary text. DRAW THE LINE!
More next time.
Chef Murphy admits a general dislike for okra. So, you see – when it comes to food – even celebrated chefs draw the line.
Pastor Charles
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