During my School of Ministry Development (SOMD) the Lord first placed it on my heart to be a part of YWAM Louisville’s Bible School for the Nations (BSN). I had already determined in my mind that I was going to apply for staff after I graduated my SOMD. My hope was to join at the same time the BSN started. It would be challenging to raise the support necessary to be a staff member as well as have the money for the Bible school, but I knew it would be worth it.
I’ve always loved discipleship and have always enjoyed pouring into the lives of students that have come through YWAM Louisville. I’d heard so much from previous students about the BSN. I could tell that having a strong foundation in the Bible would strengthen my ability to disciple others.
I’d heard so much from previous students about the BSN. I could tell that having a strong foundation in the Bible would strengthen my ability to disciple others.
Going into BSN I had a large array of questions that I was hoping to find answers to. I’d already known quite a bit about the New Testament and had read all the way through it in my Discipleship Training School (DTS), but there was a lot that I didn’t know about the Old Testament. I’d grown up knowing all the different stories about the different prophets, kings, etc., but had never actually read through it. There were so many questions I had revolving around God’s goodness within many of the stories. Why didn’t God stop the serpent from tempting Adam and Eve? Where was God’s goodness when He restarted humanity with the flood? If God really is all loving and all powerful, then why does hell even exist?
There were so many questions I had revolving around God’s goodness within many of the stories.
In the first week of BSN there were a few things that we talked about that have stuck with me. The first thing is pretty simple: questions have answers. This may seem obvious, but it was important for me to keep in mind as I went throughout the school and as more questions came to my mind every single day. The second thing was that we can find those answers. The Bible can be an intimidating book. It’s huge. A lot of it doesn’t seem to make sense if you’re just casually reading through it, but if you invest the time and study what’s been written, who wrote it, who it’s being written to, etc, answers can be found.
One of my favorite parts of BSN was reading through the entire Bible in less than five months. The process of doing that in such a condensed period of time opened my eyes to a lot. I saw things that I never would have noticed by just reading one part at a time. Throughout “The Book,” I saw the Lord’s constant grace towards the nation of Israel. In my own life I’ve experienced God’s faithfulness, but seeing the things the Israelites did against Him and the Lord’s determination to constantly pursue them was something new for me.
From the time of the priests through the time of the kings, Israel was constantly going back and forth between faithfully serving God and committing abominations against Him. Throughout all of it, and even into Israel’s exile, we see grace unlike any other from the Lord. Reading the Old Testament gave me more clarity of the New Testament and understanding of God’s constant and unchanging character.
Reading the Old Testament gave me more clarity of the New Testament and understanding of God’s constant and unchanging character.
As I said, going into BSN I had a lot of questions. Did I find the answers to every one of those questions? Not even close. I still have many of those same questions. Even now, I’m seeking answers using some of the skills I learned in my BSN. I actually left BSN with more questions than I went into it with. Within BSN I found freedom to ask the questions that I’d never allowed myself to ask because they were “impossible questions” that simply “didn’t have answers.”
It’s true that there are questions I could seek answers for my whole life, but I’ve come to realize that the Lord isn’t like a master, waving a bone just outside his dog’s reach. He desires for us to know Him more. He invites us to study His word. It would be unjust for Him to call us to seek Him without giving us the ability to do so.
He desires for us to know Him more. He invites us to study His word. It would be unjust for Him to call us to seek Him without giving us the ability to do so.
BSN was not an easy school. I’d recommend a DTS and SOMD to just about anyone , but I’m more careful about recommending BSN to everybody. If your desire is to know God’s word on a deeper level and to learn how to study it even more in depth, I highly recommend it. If the Lord has called you to do it, please don’t hesitate. I believe that I am more equipped now to disciple those around me than I was before I did BSN. It’s a school that equips you with tools necessary to dig deeper into God’s word. They’re tools that I’ll continue to use throughout the rest of my life as I grow closer to the Lord and pursue the things He’s called me to.
– Hunter M, 2019 Bible School for the Nations