The Excel Still More Bible Workshop is directed toward a deep study of a particular book or topic of the Bible. Our platform is a simple three-step pattern.
1. Learn the text.
2. Apply the text.
3. Build from the text.

With these three objectives in mind, which we call the “L.A.B. Technique,” we will be studying the book of James in an exegetical, applicable, and buildable fashion. It is our goal to always be honest with the text in every way by looking not only at what the writer had to say but also why he said it, who it was said to, and what it meant to them. By studying the text with an open and honest heart, we can be very open-minded in the way that we study the text.

Paul wrote, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth” (2 Tim. 2:15).

We surely want to be accurate in our understanding of what the Holy Spirit has divinely given to us so we can accurately handle that wonderful truth in our daily lives. This great truth that has come from God is what guides us as ministers, preachers, elders, deacons, fathers, husbands, mothers, wives, teachers, and followers of Jesus. To have salvation, we must know the truth; to grow in our faith, we must have the truth, and to lead the Church and our families, we must live the truth.

Jesus said, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free” (John 8:31-32).

The truth is what we are interested in, it is what we are searching for, and it is what we want to live our lives by. The truth of God given through the Holy Spirit and written by the pen of man is the revelation of God’s grace to mankind, revealing His plan of salvation given through His Son. God has revealed His Word and His way to us, blessing our lives beyond all measure by telling us of His creation, His power, His plan, His love, His truth, and His grace. Without the revelation of God given to all of humanity, we would not have any knowledge of God or His Son. How blessed we are that we have a God who loves us so much that not only did He send His Son, but He also gave us His Word to tell us about Him.

God has given us His Word. It tells us just how important the truth is, but it also emphasizes how vital it is that we grow in that truth. This is precisely where this workshop comes into play. We know the truth is important, and we know just how important it is for that truth to transform our lives in every way. However, it is up to us to make an effort to grow in His truth. It is an effort that should not be taken lightly. It is our hope that this workshop is yet another tool to add to your arsenal to fight against all that Satan throws at you as you build a stronger faith through the wonderful study!

Paul wrote, “Finally then, brethren, we request and exhort you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us instruction as to how you ought to walk and please God (just as you actually do walk), that you excel still more” (1Thess. 4:1).

To “excel still more” is to achieve that which is set in front of you. In our case, Heaven has been set in front of us, and it is up to us to walk in a manner worthy of Heaven. When I excel, I grow; when I excel still more, I grow and grow and grow! What does this mean? It means that I never stop growing! I never stop growing in the truth of God’s Word!

John wrote, “But whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected. By this we know that we are in Him: the one who says he abides in Him ought himself to walk in the same manner as He walked” (1 John 2:5-6).

I am to walk in truth as Jesus walked in truth, and the only way to begin to do that is to know the truth. Jesus Himself said that the truth would be that which would sanctify us (John 17:17). It is by that wonderful truth that we have become sanctified (Acts 26:18; Heb. 10:10). Those who are sanctified are those who have been set apart, and those who are set apart are those who have been “rescued from the domain of darkness and transferred to the Kingdom of His beloved Son” (Col. 1:13).

We who are set apart are to be set apart in every aspect of our lives—set apart in how we love, how we act, how we study, how we live, how we lead, how we follow, and by our knowledge of God’s wonderful Word. Due to this task of growing in our knowledge of His truth, we at the Excel Still More Bible Workshop have developed a method of study that we hope will be of great value to you as you study the Word of God. This method is very simple and is what you will find as the pattern of this book.

Each chapter will be separated into three sections.

Section #1: Learn - This section will cover the exegesis of the chapter. It is designed to go through the text in a verse-by-verse fashion, identifying keywords, phrases, and verses. Every word in each verse is important because it gives you the meaning of what is being said. It is a well-known fact that the context of a verse is everything. Looking at the context allows us to define words of importance. This requires examining the original language in which the Scriptures were written. Those languages consist of Hebrew, Aramaic, and Koine Greek. Denny Petrillo will be leading us in the exegesis of James.

Section #2: Apply - This section will take all that we have learned in the exegesis and apply it to our everyday lives. While the exegesis of the passage is of the utmost importance, the application is crucial as well. A person may know the Bible from front to back and have every word memorized, but if he isn’t able to apply what he has learned, he has fallen short of what really matters. Applying the text means growing from the text. It means that I realize the right way to live, love, and submit myself—now I want to do it. Paul wrote in Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.” The transformation of the heart is due to the realization that I must change. The Word is what tells me that I need to change and how I need to change. Therefore, the application portion is vitally important to the learning of each passage. Joe Wells will be directing our thoughts on exactly how we can apply each passage to our lives.

Section #3: Build - This section will introduce “faith builders.” By this point, we have studied the passage exegetically and made application of the text to our lives. Now we will be looking for different ways to build our faith from the text itself. We need a firm understanding of just how important it is to not only build faith but to build our own faith. I can’t get to Heaven on someone else’s faith, just like I can’t earn a master’s degree through someone else’s study and hard work. I must have my own faith to get there. When I have my own faith, which is rooted in the Word of God, I can then share it! I share it with my wife, my children, the brethren, and the world. A strong faith can do all things because the faithful trust in God. Garrett Bernethy will be directing our thoughts in the building sessions.

Learning the text, applying the text, and building from the text (L.A.B) is vital to our daily walk. Incorporating these three methods of learning can and will give you the strength to handle all situations in life. It will better prepare you as a preacher, elder, or deacon in the Church. It will better prepare you as a father or mother, husband, or wife, as you strive to take your family to Heaven. It will provide you with the right tools to parent your children in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. Why? Because you will have the Word of the Lord in your “mind,” you will live the Word in your “actions,” and you will be faithful to the Word in your “direction.” Mind, action, and direction all pointed one way—toward the Lord.