This blog is a record of the discussion group of Calvary Institute at Calvary Restoration Church in Aurora, Colorado.  The group started in January 2018 at Calvary Restoration (a part of CFC, the Calvary Family of Churches).  Calvary Institute is a part of the process of training joyful, passionate disciples to “Grow to know God deeply,” one of the core commitments of CFC.

And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”  He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?”  And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.”  And he said to him, “You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live.” – Luke 10:25-28 (ESV)

Jesus certainly agreed with the answer that the religious leader gave – the response was right from the Scriptures!  The emphasis from the Lord was “Do this.”  How do we do this?

• Loving God with our heart may be the most familiar, the positive emotional experience in a moving worship service.
• Loving God with our soul, we know what it is like to obey as an act of our will even when the choice is difficult.
• Loving God with our strength can happen as we care for others when we would rather rest.

But how do we love God with our mind?  How does our thinking, our intelligence, our mental ability fit into the idea of loving God?

The Furnace of Our Worship

John Piper suggests that the more we know about God the more deeply and the more specifically we can love God.

My reading and thinking and writing made my heart burn with zeal for God….  Putting more knowledge in my head about God and his ways was like throwing wood in the furnace of my worship.  For me, seeing has meant savoring.  And the clearer the seeing, the sweeter the savoring”[1]

Superficial knowledge about a person limits the relationship to a casual level.  Vague ideas about God mean vague worship.  Increasing clarity can deepen relationships with other people and with God.

Calvary Institute at Restoration

Calvary Institute will begin this January exploring how we can deepen our study and understanding of the Bible.  The goal of Calvary Institute can be summarized in Piper’s words, “throwing wood in the furnace of our worship.”  As we grow in understanding and clarity about God and His purposes, we will grow in loving Him with our mind.  That growth will also help us love Him more with our heart and soul and strength.  As hazy ideas about God come into sharper focus, we will see more of what David desired, “to gaze on the beauty of the Lord” (Psalm 27:4).

What, When, and Where

• What: Month-long units covering a variety of topics
• When: Sunday mornings before worship, 8:30 to 9:30am, starting January 7
• Where: The Peak Community Center (where Calvary Restoration meets)

We will be meeting on Sunday mornings before the worship service.  The short, month-long units will provide variety and breadth.

In January we will start in the book of 1 John.  This is a letter the apostle wrote to help churches sort through some of the early confusion about Jesus:  Was He really human?  Was He really divine?  Was He both?  We will use a simple, methodical approach that you will be able to use with any Scriptural passage you study.

In February we will look at the Apostles’ Creed.  The ancient church continued to struggle with some of the errors and misunderstandings John addressed in his letter.  The Creed is the summary of how the orthodox Christians began to understand the nature of God from His self-revelation in Jesus.

After that, we will take time on a variety of topics:  church history, theology, attributes of God, and other subjects to “see and savor” more of the beauty of God.  The month-long units will be led by various teachers in the congregation.  We will regularly return to the study of Scripture, the basis and source of what God has told us about Himself.

Come be a part of Calvary Institute and see how God might increase your ability to love Him with all of your mind!

[1] John Piper, Think – The Life of the Mind and the Love of God (Wheaton, Illinois:  Crossway, 2010), 26.