We begin our classes this week and the first session of our study of the Gospel of John is now online. I am very excited about this study. Of the four Gospels, John presents the inexhaustible, profound beauty of Jesus most clearly. He desires that we become captivated by all the Jesus is just has he did. I hope you will plug into this study and that it is helpful in your following the Lord. You can go directly to the John page by clicking here.

It is time to get our classes going again this year. We will be offering new MilktoMeat classes as well as a study of the Gospel of John. We are looking forward to a good year of learning and growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus. We hope you can come and join us. All our classes will start the week of September 12th.

To get more information about the classes, download our Newsletter which you can find here.

This September, we will be launching a new “program” called MilktoMeat: IMPACT and we would love for you to get involved. For the past several years, the question that has captivated my thinking about teaching and discipleship is “How do we move beyond information transfer to life transformation?” With our IMPACT program, we hope to do just that. Basically here is what we are planning to do: Read More...

We have just started our Summer Bible Study this year and the topic is Prayer. In this six session study we are going to trace the ways the Scriptures instruct us in prayer from the Hebrew Scriptures through the teaching of the Lord Jesus to the pattern of the Apostles and the early Church. Our goal for this class is that we might all be more aware of the reality that praying is one of the most significant, important and powerful things that we do as followers of the Lord Jesus.

Click here to go to the study.

We just posted the new issue of follow, our eMagazine. In this issue we list the 12 Authors whose books and work shaped the last decade. I am constantly getting requests for book recommendations and this list charts out the past 10 years in terms of the books that have made the greatest impact in our minds and hearts. Hope you enjoy it and that you might discover a ‘new’ book to read. You can click here to get to the follow page.

As Christmas is coming upon us, we thought we would share a resource that has been meaningful to many families in this Holy Season: The Advent Calendar and Candles. Matthew and Kristen Thornton have put together a fantastic resource to help you add this time of family sharing into your holy-days. Celebrating Advent using the calendar and candles is a great way to help your children experience the significance of the whole Gospel Story and can lay a foundation for your year round family growth.

>>Download the Advent chart and explanation here.

We have just posted the first sessions of our MilktoMeat Living The Life study. This is the third workbook in our MilktoMeat 2.0 revision. We have the first two lessons posted as well as the first session lecture and discussion. Go here to find all the resources.

We have just posted our new eZine, follow, to the website. You can go here to download it. We are very excited about this new resource. We will be featuring articles, interviews and resources to help you “make your journey worthy of your destination.” If there is any question or topic that you would like for us to cover in the future, send us a note here. In our first issue we are focusing on Transformation. We hope you enjoy it and that it is useful for you as you desire to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Christ Jesus.

All our classes started up this week and we are excited to begin a new year, growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Our bible study this year is on The Book of Ezekiel. You can download the notes and lectures for that class by clicking here. It is not to late to join in on a class. Just let us know and we will get you connected.

Our new newsletter is out which has all the information about our Fall classes into. Download it by clicking here. We will have new MilktoMeat classes as well as a study through the Book of Ezekiel. Hope you can join us.

This past Tuesday, we had our annual student and supporter thanksgiving dinner. This year we were blessed to have Dr. Maxie Dunnam give our keynote address and David Rhodes tell some of his story about his relationship with Tom Murray and Truth Seekers. Both of these brothers “knocked it out of the park” - encouraging us all and challenging us all. Dr. Dunnam focused on the Great Commission, the Mission of the Body of Christ and our part in Christ’s work in the world. This was one of the best messages I have heard this year. You can hear their talks by clicking on the following links:

Listen to or Download David Rhodes testimony.
Listen to or Download Dr. Maxie Dunnam’s keynote.

We also gave a few updates on MilktoMeat and some new resources that will be available soon. If you notice on the menu above there is a new link called “follow.” This link will take you to the download page for our new eMagazine called follow. This will be available in early September and will be a full-color, feature rich eMag focusing on discipleship and spiritual formation. We are also making great progress in completing the MilktoMeat 2.0 curriculum. We will be updating those pages here on the site very soon, so check back to find out more.

If you would like to keep in touch with us more regularly, you can subscribe to our email updates which come out a couple of time a month. Just send us an email here. Our newsletter is out now and you can download it by clicking here.

July 11 - August 1 Stacy will be teaching a four week series called The END is Coming: How Knowing the End Gives Meaning to the Present. In this study, we will explore how the Scriptures’ description of the End of the present Age calls us to Hope, Holiness and Action. The EvenSong services are from 6-7pm in the Fellowship Hall at First Evan (735 Ridge Lake Blvd Memphis, TN 38120). We would love for you to come join us. You can download the notes and the audio for this series in the links below. (Please check back each week; we will update as we go)

>Download the Handout for this series here.
>Download Session 01 How Will It All End?
>Download Session 02 Knowing the End Motivates Us To Hope
>Download Session 03 Knowing the End Motivates Us to Holiness
>Download Session 04 Knowing the End Motivates Us to Action

This year our Summer Study will focus on the Heart. At the core of all human activity lies the heart. At the core of every thought, desire and emotion lies the heart. Obviously, we are not talking about the physical organ that pumps blood through our bodies; we are talking about the spiritual organ from which our life flows. Proverbs tells us, “Above all else guard your heart, for from it flow the springs of life” (4:23). To go to the page for this study click here.
In this 6 week study, we are going to consider the centrality of the heart in terms of what God is seeking to do within us as well as Read More...

For the Winter/Spring term, we will be studying through the letters of 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Two of the earliest letters written in the New Testament, these letters give us a glimpse into the life of the early church and call us to ponder the role affliction plays in growth and maturing of Christ’s people. You can follow the study by going here.

On Thursday, July 16th we hosted a student and supporter “thank you” dinner and First Evangelical here in Memphis. We were over joyed to see so many of you there and want to provide links to some of the resources mentioned that night. If you were unable to attend, we are posting the recording of the evening in the following link:
>>Listen to or download the audio here.

We also circulated some brochures about a new resource that we are going to test out called Life Transformation Groups. We need more than just “classroom” time to cultivate the transformation that comes about by focusing on Christ. These small groups meet to 1) hear the Word, 2) share life - celebration and confession - and, 3) motivate one another to mission. If you would like to read more about these, you can download the brochure here:
>>Download the Life Transformation Group brochure here.

We are also working on several new MilktoMeat resources and tools. We will let you know more about them as we get closer to the Fall. If you would like to receive an email newsletter update about current events and new resources and opportunities, please let us know by contacting us here.

Thanks to all of you who support this ministry with your time, financial sacrifice, prayers and participation. We are excited about the days ahead, looking forward to the opportunities that our Father will surely give us all to proclaim the excellence of His unique Son Jesus!

Defending Our Hope: What Can We Do When Our World is Falling Apart? This year, in light of all the current crises in our nation and land, we are going to explore the ways we can prepare ourselves to “give a defense of the hope that we have” (1 Peter 3:15). As a follow up to previous years’ studies, this study will focus on how we live out our faith in hopeful and loving ways even in the most difficult of times. The study will run June 18th-July 23rd in the Chapel at First Evangelical here in Memphis. If you would like more information, give us a call or send us an email.

We just added Tom's study of Angels to the archive and the study on the Messiah in the Hebrew Scriptures. Soon we will be adding Tom's MilktoMeat lectures. You can access the Archive on the navigation menu above the banner or by clicking here.

Over the past several weeks, we have been working to improve the website. We have had several of you say how much you have enjoyed being able to listen to the classes online and download them to your computer or iPod. Here a several new things that you may want to check out: Read More...

I had a fantastic time in San Antonio working with the students at His Hill. I think I learned more than they did! I was able to give a broad overview of the MilktoMeat curriculum in about 12 hours. This has really helped clarify what to do for a 12 hour “bootcamp” introduction to MTM. I would encourage you to check out His Hill and the Torchbearer schools. They are doing an awesome work training students in the Word, equipping them to live life for the glory of God in Christ. You can find out more about them here.

I appreciate all your prayers for this. Keep on praying for the opportunities that are still ahead to spread the truth of the Gospel. / ST

We have a lot going on in the first part of 2008. In February I will be teaching a four week overview of the Book of Daniel at First Evan here in Memphis. I have to cover 12 chapters of some of the most difficult material in the prophets in four weeks! I am praying for wisdom on this one. I will also be speaking at the ECS chapel on Thursday February 7. In May I will be teaching for a week at His Hill in San Antonio TX. Read More...