We’ve Come a Long Way. We Are Not What We Are Becoming.

Scripture Focus: Matthew 28:18–20; Ephesians 4:11–16; 1 Corinthians 3:6–7

When I began developing Interactive Bible Studies, my desire was to help people understand Scripture and apply its teachings to everyday life. I wanted to create resources that would encourage meaningful Bible study, answer questions, and make Christian education more accessible. That desire remains an important part of everything we do, and I am grateful for the opportunities we’ve had to develop and share these materials. But something happens when you begin thinking seriously about why you are doing something. You start looking beyond the immediate activity and asking what you ultimately hope to accomplish. A Bible study may help someone understand a passage of Scripture, but what happens when that understanding begins changing how they live? What happens when they share what they have learned with someone else, develop a meaningful friendship, or begin helping another believer grow?

Those questions have become increasingly important as I consider the future of Interactive Bible Studies. I am grateful for the articles, devotionals, books, and resources we’ve created, and I now see them as the foundation for a ministry that can grow far beyond publishing.

We’ve come a long way. We are not what we are becoming.

I want to share some of that vision with you, not because every detail has been worked out, but because I believe the people who participate in this ministry should understand where we hope to go and the principles that will guide us along the way.

The Mission Hasn’t Changed, but Our Opportunities Have

In Matthew 28:18–20, Jesus commissioned His followers to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them and teaching them to obey everything He commanded. He began by declaring His authority and ended with the promise of His continued presence. These words have guided the church for generations, and they remain central to its mission today.

Notice that Jesus did not simply instruct His followers to gather large crowds or distribute information about Him. He commanded them to make disciples. That involves bringing people to faith in Christ and helping them grow in their understanding, obedience, and relationship with Him. Christian teaching is essential to that process, but the goal reaches beyond acquiring knowledge. We are called to help people become followers of Jesus who are learning to live according to His Word.

For much of Christian history, churches have pursued that mission through worship services, personal relationships, teaching, missions, and other forms of community engagement. Those efforts remain important, but technology has expanded the ways we can reach and teach people. Someone can now encounter a biblical explanation thousands of miles from where it was written. Believers can study together across geographic boundaries, share resources almost instantly, and develop relationships with people they might otherwise never meet.

That expanded access brings responsibilities alongside opportunities. Online relationships can remain shallow, misinformation can spread quickly, and spiritual growth can become another form of content consumption. We must use these tools intentionally so that they foster genuine relationships and support discipleship rather than merely generate more content.

The message of Christ does not need to change because the world changes. But we should remain willing to change how we carry that message into the world.

People Before Products

Many organizations measure their success primarily through what they produce or sell. Their products attract customers, their customers generate revenue, and that revenue supports further growth. There is nothing inherently wrong with operating a successful business, and Interactive Bible Studies certainly needs resources to sustain and expand its work. But I do not want our products to become the center of our identity.

I envision IBS as an environment where believers develop Christ-centered relationships, learn together, encourage one another, and work toward a shared mission. Our Bible studies and other resources can bring people together, but their greatest value is found in what people begin doing with what they have learned.

Imagine several believers participating in a SOAP Bible study. They examine Scripture, share observations, discuss how the passage applies to their circumstances, and pray for one another about the needs they have shared. As they begin putting those lessons into practice, their relationships grow beyond the study sessions. Someone checks on a participant facing a difficult week, while another discovers a gift for teaching and begins helping others understand Scripture.

The resource helped create an opportunity for something much more significant than completing another lesson. People are growing, relationships are developing, and believers are beginning to take responsibility for one another. That is the kind of community I want Interactive Bible Studies to help foster.

I do not want us to become another ministry built around the personality of one individual. Too much of our digital culture encourages people to follow a prominent figure, consume that person’s content, and remain spectators in an audience. Christian ministry should direct our attention toward Christ while equipping believers to develop meaningful relationships and serve one another.

Leadership has an important responsibility in that process, but its purpose should be to unite, encourage, equip, and empower others. Ephesians 4:11–16 describes believers being equipped for works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up and grow toward maturity. The strength of the body is not found in everyone depending on one individual. It is found in its members growing together and carrying out their responsibilities in Christ.

The Local Church First, IBS Second

I want to be especially clear about how this vision relates to the local church.

Interactive Bible Studies is intended to be an extension of the local church, not a replacement for it.

Believers need the relationships, worship, pastoral care, accountability, and shared responsibilities that belong to life within a faithful congregation. Technology can support many aspects of Christian education and fellowship, but it cannot completely reproduce the life of a local church. Nor should we encourage people to abandon their congregations in favor of an online community. In fact, I want the opposite to happen.

Imagine someone participating in an IBS study who becomes more intentional about understanding Scripture and applying its teachings. Perhaps that person begins serving more faithfully in their congregation, mentoring a younger believer, or volunteering to help teach a class. Another participant may develop a stronger commitment to serving neighbors or sharing the gospel within their own community. That is the kind of growth I want to see, whether or not their participation in IBS increases.

I want believers to return to their congregations and communities better equipped than when they came to us. If their participation strengthens their relationships with Christ and others, encourages more intentional discipleship, and helps their churches fulfill their mission, then IBS has accomplished something worthwhile.

They may also share our resources, introduce others to the ministry, and help us develop new opportunities. I would welcome that growth, but it must remain secondary to the larger purpose.

The body of Christ should grow stronger in local churches and communities first. IBS should benefit second.

That conviction will help us avoid turning our mission into a competition for members, attention, or organizational recognition.

Relentless About the Mission, Flexible About the Methods

I have spent enough time in church ministry to know how easily we can become distracted from our primary responsibilities. Programs require planning, organizations require maintenance, and traditions can become deeply meaningful to the people who participate in them. These things are not necessarily wrong, but we must continually examine whether our efforts are helping us accomplish the mission Christ has given us.

I want Interactive Bible Studies to maintain a relentless commitment to making disciples. By relentless, I mean tirelessly pursuing opportunities to help people know Christ, understand Scripture, and develop a genuine relationship with God. I also believe we must be shrewd in our approach, recognizing opportunities and using every faithful means available to accomplish that mission.

Paul expressed a similar willingness to adapt his approach when he described becoming all things to all people so that, by all possible means, he might save some (1 Corinthians 9:22). His willingness to adapt did not require abandoning the gospel. Rather, he recognized that reaching different people often required understanding their circumstances and communicating in ways they could understand. I want that same sense of purpose to shape our ministry.

One conviction should remain especially important: Nothing we do should become an unnecessary barrier between someone and their hope of salvation through Jesus Christ.

We live in a world filled with disagreements about politics, social issues, and religious traditions. Many of those debates involve serious moral and theological questions that deserve careful biblical examination, but we must not become so consumed by our differences that we lose sight of people who need to hear the gospel.

I envision believers from different congregations, cultures, backgrounds, and traditions working together around a shared desire to see people come to know Christ and grow in their relationship with God. We will not agree about everything, and we should not pretend that biblical truth is negotiable. When disagreements threaten to consume our attention, we should return to the mission that brought us together.

Our responsibility is to teach faithfully, demonstrate Christian love, and encourage one another toward maturity. We must also trust the Holy Spirit to bring conviction and transformation in His own time and according to His wisdom.

The obstacles people face will change, and we cannot anticipate every need that will arise. Rather than limiting ourselves to a permanent list of problems or programs, we should remain attentive to the needs before us and willing to adjust our methods. Our focus must remain on helping people encounter the gospel and grow as disciples.

How Will We Know Whether We’re Succeeding?

If we are serious about this vision, we must also be willing to evaluate our work. It is possible for a ministry to attract considerable attention, develop successful products, and maintain an impressive schedule of activities without accomplishing everything it originally intended. Website visitors, subscribers, participation, and financial support are useful measurements, but they cannot tell the whole story.

I want to know whether people are remaining meaningfully connected over time. Are they developing friendships that encourage spiritual growth? Can they explain how studying Scripture has changed their attitudes, decisions, or relationships? Are they taking what they learn through our SOAP studies and putting those lessons into practice?

I also want to see people taking greater responsibility for serving others. Some may become teachers, mentors, or formal leaders, while others will lead through quiet encouragement, generosity, prayer, or consistent service. Ideally, participants will begin recognizing the spiritual growth of others as something worth celebrating. They will develop a sense of shared ownership in the mission rather than merely viewing themselves as consumers of our resources.

Not all spiritual growth can be measured immediately, and we must never confuse organizational loyalty with Christian maturity. First Corinthians 3:6–7 reminds us that while people may plant and water, God brings the growth. Nevertheless, we can remain attentive to the lives being changed, the relationships being strengthened, and the opportunities developing through our efforts. This kind of evaluation should help us learn what is working, recognize what needs improvement, and remain faithful to the people we are called to serve.

What We Are Becoming

As I look toward the future, I envision Interactive Bible Studies developing opportunities for believers to interact through small groups, online classes, digital applications, and eventually gatherings that bring people together in person. I see mentoring relationships, collaborative outreach, and believers supporting one another as they serve within their communities.

I can even imagine a future convention where members come together from different parts of the world. They would gather not simply to listen to prominent speakers or celebrate the accomplishments of an organization, but to share what God has been doing in their communities. They could discuss successes, learn from challenges, encourage one another, and return home with renewed determination to serve.

I cannot tell you when such a gathering might become possible, and I do not want to present these ambitions as programs that already exist. They are part of the direction I hope our ministry will grow toward as we develop the relationships, resources, and opportunities necessary to support them.

For now, we are continuing to build the foundation. As we move into 2027, I anticipate expanding our social media engagement and introducing more interactive online opportunities that will allow people to participate beyond simply reading and downloading resources. These are early steps toward the deeper connections and shared work I envision.

And I want you to know that you do not have to wait until every part of that vision becomes a reality to participate.

You can begin today by exploring our Bible studies, devotionals, and free resources. Subscribe to remain connected as the ministry develops, follow us on social media, and share materials with someone who may benefit from them. Use what you learn within your family, church, or community. A resource that helps one person understand Scripture may become the beginning of a conversation that encourages someone else.

I do not know exactly what Interactive Bible Studies will look like five or ten years from now. The technology will change, new opportunities will emerge, and we will undoubtedly encounter challenges we cannot currently foresee. But I believe our direction should remain clear.

We want to help people come to know Jesus Christ, grow in their relationship with Him, develop meaningful relationships with other believers, and work together to fulfill the Great Commission.

We’ve come a long way. We are not what we are becoming.

And as we continue growing, I hope we never lose sight of why we began.

We are not building a larger organization simply for the sake of growth. We are working to strengthen the body of Christ, one relationship, one disciple, and one opportunity to serve at a time.

Beyond the Building: Put Your Faith Into Action

The Great Commission belongs to every believer, but figuring out where to begin can sometimes be difficult. That’s why I’ve created Beyond the Building: A Great Commission Participation Guide, a free printable resource to help you reflect on Scripture, recognize opportunities to serve, and consider how God can use you to strengthen your local church and community.

Through six biblical reflection activities, you’ll explore your role in making disciples and identify one practical step you can take toward putting your faith into action.

Enter your name and email below to receive your free guide.