Hello Sunshine

Chapter Four: Bible Study

Troy, not quite knowing what to do, followed Haru back into the Fellowship Hall and saw that everyone was already claiming seats at the longest table in the middle of the room.

Haru sat in between Arron and Sophie, Mark on the other side of Arron and then all of the boys wrapping all the way around the table back to Mike, sitting on the end. Brooke was sitting on the other side of Sophie, where on her right was the only open seat.

Troy sighed. Of course he would get stuck with the crazy one. He sat down, expecting to get glared at, but when he glanced at the shorter girl, she was too busy getting her books and pens out of her messenger bag to even notice him.

"Take out your bibles and turn to James 1. If you don't have a bible, you can share, or listen very carefully." Said Mike. Some laughed as he said the last part. Troy watched curiously around the table as everyone did as told and got out their books from bags, purses, and pockets, opening them and turning to the correct page.

It was awkward, really. He was the only one in the room without one. Even the Phone Boys had their own hard copies. He could share one, however... He glanced at Brooke, surprised that she was taking notes, with her bible open as well. He expected her to be drawing, but she was actually writing words and thoughts, though he noticed that her spelling needed some work.

After finishing writing the date, she noticed his gaze and looked up with a raised brow. He changed his gaze to her bible and she seemed to understand what he was curious about, or rather, that he didn't have one of his own and moved her bible a little to where they could both read it. He nodded as thanks and started skimming the words. What did any of this mean?

It was like a different language.

Or maybe even like hearing a word or phrase he didn't know the definition of?

Mike's voice caught his attention away from the book and he turned to listen. "As this is the beginning of the summer, I thought we should start out with a new book, from beginning to end, going verse by verse until we reach the end of the book, which hopefully, will stretch until the end of this summer."

The students laughed and Mark gave him a look. "Knowing you Mike, we'll be lucky if you finish the first chapter."

Mike rolled his eyes and put his hands up in defense, still smiling. "Alright, alright, so maybe I like to talk a little."

Brooke's brother, Scott from what he remembered, laughed the loudest at that. "A little?"

Mike let them laugh it off to tell them to start on verse one. "So we're going to skip verse one, as it's just a greeting." His gaze went over some of the younger boys and Troy as he explained further. "We read James as a book of the bible, however, much like many of the books in the new testament, James, the brother of Jesus, was writing this as a letter. This letter as you can see in verse one, was written to the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The first verse is a greeting just as if I were to write to somebody 'Dear so-and-so this is Mike from Seaport Baptist Church' in a letter today."

Some nodded silently to the explanation, some were looking at their bibles reading ahead, and some were taking notes. Troy was glancing around the room, surprised that they all paid such good attention. Sure the boys would whisper and the girls would giggle every now and then, but mostly, they all kept silent when Mike spoke.

"Now verse two says 'Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds,'. Now let's break it down. Starting with 'my brothers', to who is he referring?"

Troy glanced around the table again, wondering what they would say. Surprisingly, the shorter twin ,Blake answered. "Brothers in Christ?"

Mike met his gaze, nodding. "Yes, and in this case, specifically the Twelve Tribes. But we, as brothers and sisters in Christ are also being addressed." He shifted his gaze to the other students as he went on. "James is writing to the future generations, including us. Of course, certain things are different now, with our culture developments and such, but overall, as Christians, everything in the book of James can still be applied to our lives now."