God’s Word is our Teacher

Hi, my name is Linda Doucette. I co-lead a Precept Bible study group with Edith McQueen at Emmanuel Bible Church in Simcoe, Ontario. I have never known a time in my life when I didn’t believe in God. I was raised in a Christian Reformed Church. As a child, I attended church every Sunday with my family and heard the Word preached. When I was newly married (at the ripe old age of 20), I was approached by one of the ladies in our church about leading one of the groups in the “Coffee Break” study that was starting up in our church. I have no idea why she ever thought my shy young self would make a good leader. But with much fear and trembling and plenty of prayer, I agreed and became a leader. The “Coffee Break” material would be equivalent to Precept’s NISS series. I led for about four years until I found the commitment needed to lead was more than I could handle with a toddler and another baby on the way. Over the next fifteen years, I did lead a group again, off and on, as I was able while homeschooling my four children.

In 2006, we moved to Simcoe and started attending Emmanuel Bible Church. Soon after, Edith began a bible study group called Women in the Word. I began attending because I was walking through a challenging time in my life. I realized I needed to get into God’s Word and have fellowship with other Christian women. I found both in this group. We began with the NISS series. Eventually, we “graduated” to the Precept Upon Precept studies. After a few years, Edith asked me if I would co-lead with her, so I studied Jude for a week that July with Jane Hart to qualify as a leader.   I have been blessed to be able to lead both Precept Upon Precept classes as well as 40-Minute Studies in the years since. In some seasons, some group members have used the In & Out study materials while others used the PUP. No matter where you are in your walk with God and Bible study, there’s a Precept series that will fit.

I love the fact that every PUP book we have studied together has been better than the last one. We have yet to study all sixty-six books, but we have done both Old and New Testament books, and I have been amazed at how each one is relevant to the world we live in now. Through studying the Word so deeply, I have found verses in what I considered well-known books that I never knew were there. Being a leader challenges me to study more than I would otherwise. The best part of every lesson is discussing it with our group. As a group, we pray together, sharing each other’s burdens, and then we learn from the Bible and each other as we share how God has taught us something new from His Word. So, even though I have known about God all my life, I have gotten to know Him and myself better and better through consistent Bible study.

Over the years, I have also been blessed by attending different training workshops and events at the Precept head office in Brantford. The various workshops have been invaluable in helping me to become a better leader. What I like the most about leading this type of study is that I don’t have to know “all the answers” because we look to the Bible for the answer for every question that comes up. We don’t look to a teacher or a commentary — just the true Word of God. I pray God will allow me to continue co-leading for many years.

Linda Doucette
Precept Upon Precept Leader — Simcoe, Ontario