St. Luke's Episcopal Church - Fort Myers, Florida

Why study scripture? The Bible tells us that all Scripture is inspired of God and beneficial.

2 Peter 1:20-21 says, "Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about
by the prophet's own interpretation. For prophecy never had its origin in the will of man, but men
spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit."

2 Timothy 3:16-17 reads, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking,
correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for
every good work."
We are told that the Bible is not only the words of God, but it has great benefit to us.

Here is what some of the participants have said about how the study of scripture has helped
them:

Suzanne Jaeger
"I am a cradle Episcopalian. I was raised in a home where God was always part of my life, and I
knew very early that Jesus was my personal savior and He cared for me affectionately. But the
knowledge of scripture was missing. Being part of Serendipity has helped change that. Studying
God's word in a relaxed home setting with a community of fellow church members has had a
tremendous impact in strengthening my faith. Each and every person has their own intimacy with
God, depending on their willingness to seek Him. We are all on a spiritual journey and can never
have enough knowledge about God's word and the wise instructions within it. Serendipity has
helped make application to the word in everyday life. It has taught me the more we draw near to
Him and His word, the more we feel His presence and the more our intimate relationship with
Him grows. It makes our journey's direction clearer, and a little less bumpy."

Don and Fran Bottorff
"Serendipity has been a blessing for Fran and me because the weekly gathering with friends
who study God's Word prayerfully has strengthened our faith in many ways. Using the Scripture
that is planned for the forthcoming Sunday sermon, gives each of us an opportunity to study,
reflect on and understand more fully God's Word in the lessons and Gospel teachings. Everyone
is welcome to attend and to participate in this thought provoking exchange and to experience
"unexpected discoveries"."

Hunter Leake
"Studying Scripture by myself is revealing and enlightening, but I often get stumped by the
meaning of some passages. Janet and/or Bible commentaries are a help on occasion, but both of
us are often baffled by something we have just read. However, in a group Bible study what
Scripture says often is made clear by group's discussion. With increased understanding of
Scripture comes a deepening of faith which in turn leads to an enhancement of one's relationship
to Jesus Christ."

ser·en·dip·i·ty - an aptitude for making desirable discoveries by accident.

Serendipity is a home based study of Scripture in which many surprising
discoveries have been made about our Faith and Belief's in God. If you have
wondered why we believe what we believe, or had basic questions about the
validity and reliability of the Bible, the study of scripture will help you in your
understanding. We meet once a week on Monday nights and discuss one of
the scripture readings for the next Sunday. A facilitator assist by asking
questions that directs our discussion and leads us to a greater understanding
of that particular scripture reading. Serendipity provides a relaxed,
comfortable setting in which you can participate to the level you want. Some
become very involved, and others will listen and ask questions as they want.