3 Mile Walk Study Guide (Student/Study Guide)

In this five-session video Bible study (DVD/digital downloads sold separately), pastor and author Banning Liebscher draws on the story of Jonathan and his armor-bearer (told in 1 Samuel 14) to show how their three-mile journey carries a profound metaphor for believers today. Although the men were embroiled in a seemingly losing battle with the Philistines, they had the courage to take the fight to their enemy and believe God would back them up. To do so, they had to traverse a treacherous three-mile canyon between the two army camps before they could step into the battle and see God bring about the victory that had seemed impossible.

Like the army of Israel, many believers in the church today are “camped out” and not engaging the call of God on their lives. However, God is awakening dreamers like Jonathan and his armor-bearer-men and women who are discontented with the idea of staying passive about the problems they see or disconnected from the desires stirring in their hearts. The courage of these dreamers reminds us that God calls us to be like Jesus-to overcome evil with good, do the impossible, and see His kingdom come in the earth. The question before us is whether we will open our hearts to dream with God, become possessed with the same divine discontentment, and engage in pursuing our call with a true “yes”-a “yes” that says, “I take full ownership of this calling, and I refuse to settle for anything less than fulfilling it.”

Once we decide to engage our calling, we have a journey ahead of us. The three miles of Jonathan’s journey to the enemy’s camp represent the three key areas of character transformation that are required to fulfill our calling: holiness, courage, and faith. In this study, Banning brings both fresh and timeless insight and practical instruction for growing in each of these areas.

Designed for use with The Three-Mile Walk Video Study (sold separately).