There is a world of difference between knowing about God and truly knowing God's Word. One of my great concerns for believers today is that we live in an era where there is a tremendous amount of misteaching — smooth-sounding sermons that scratch people's ears but don't align with Scripture, theological shortcuts that feel good but lead people astray. The best protection against that is knowing your Bible well enough to recognize the difference.

I like to think of it in terms of school. When you first come to Christ, you're in kindergarten — and that's perfectly fine. Everyone starts there. But the goal isn't to stay in kindergarten forever. The goal is to keep learning, keep growing, to reach something like graduate school in your knowledge of God's Word. Not a formal degree necessarily, but a genuine, working knowledge of what you believe and why you believe it.

That's why we have what we call Foundation Classes and Equip Classes here at COTR. They're accessible, they're practical, and they're designed for real people with real lives:

Foundation Classes (four weeks each, Sunday mornings at 9:00 AM):

• Connect Class — Who we are and how to get connected
• Spirit-Filled Life Class — The Holy Spirit and His gifts
• What's Next — Practical next steps for growing Christians
• Freedom Class — Breaking free from patterns that hold you back
• Leadership Class — Discovering and developing your gifts for ministry

Equip Classes are offered throughout the year on topics like the New Testament, the Old Testament, and the life of Jesus. Many of our Life Groups also do studies together.

You don't have to be a scholar to start. You just have to be willing to show up and search — just like those Bereans did. And I promise you, the more you understand the Word of God, the stronger and more confident your faith will become.