Hello! My name is Thomas Griffin, and I'm the founder of T214.
I've got a surprising statistic to share with you. Are you ready?
Did you know that nearly half of professing, church-going Christians only read the Bible once per week or less? And an additional 25% only a couple of times per week?
Ouch. That stings!
The truth of the matter is that the majority of Jesus-proclaiming, church-going Christians are Biblically illiterate and relationally bankrupt with God. They either don’t read the Bible at all, or only read it on Sunday when the preacher tells them to, or sporadically when they believe it what they are“supposed to do”, or when all other options have let them down.
Can I let you in on a secret? I was that statistic.
I will be the first to admit that I’ve been that man. I had led worship at church full time, I led community groups, I served in kids on Sundays. I was actively talking with people about the power of God without serving in it. I was honoring God with my lips, but my heart was far from him. I only picked up the Bible occasionally, either on Sunday morning or during community group. Otherwise, the Bible was a book about who God was, but it didn’t have any impact on my day to day life.
Have you been there before?
And yet that’s not even the worst part. Far less did I even talk with God. I would read about Him, but then I wouldn’t talk with Him. And then I would deceive myself into thinking I had a relationship with Him when I didn’t. And when the time came where I talked with Him, I treated Him like a celebrity. I thought I knew Him, but when the time came to talk with Him, it was clear I only knew about Him. I didn’t actually know Him.
Not only was I Biblically illiterate. I was relationally bankrupt with God.
And based on the research that has been done, most of you reading this story have been or are the same.
The price God paid for our rebellion through the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus is too high for us to stay Biblically illiterate and relationally bankrupt with Him. He offered the most dear thing to His heart - His Only Son - that you might be saved from your rebellion and once again have a way to talk with Him. And for those who believe, He has deposited the Holy Spirit into your innermost being that you might speak with Him rightly - at any time!
What a precious gift that is habitually cast aside! God has given you His words in the Bible. The same words of power that He used to speak world into existence. The same words that uphold and sustain it. The same words that I pray He says of each of you one day, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”
And not only this, He has given you His Son Jesus and His Spirit that you might talk with him freely.
And yet we do not do it. This is clearly a problem, and apart from being saved by His grace through His Son Jesus, I believe it’s the most important problem anyone can ever address while on this earth.
That you would know His Word and know Him personally -- and that would radically change your life and give Him the highest glory.
Your greatest need is not another program or another retreat or another event or another song or another sermon. Your greatest need is of God himself, that you would both know Him and communicate with Him every single day. That is what will radically transform you, your family, your church, your community and your world.
In October 2020, I sat down to have breakfast at Waffle House with a few men from my church, Exodus Church.
We talked about what a re-imagined men's ministry might look like. We all agreed that we didn’t want the foundation to be events or retreats. But if that wasn’t going to be the foundation, what was?
We left that breakfast pondering what men’s ministry might look like with a foundation different than most churches. Thanks to my sweet wife Laura, I had already been reading the Bible and praying every day that year through a chronological reading plan. I had seen what an incredible change had taken place in myself, my family and my work.
So I messaged the guys and shared some ideas with them, and in December of 2020, we met again for breakfast at Waffle House to talk about a plan - a plan and a process that was clear, detailed and well documented. That plan was called the T214 Discipleship Intensive.
God has been exceedingly gracious and kind to bless what was started in January 2021. Myself and 4 other men completed T214 in 2021, and in 2022, T214 was introduced to the men at Exodus Church.
By God's grace, nearly 90 men have committed and are faithful to daily Bible reading and prayer with one another, and the transformation occuring in many of their lives is nothing short of inspiring. To God be all the glory, honor and praise!
And for the person reading this story - can you imagine what that must be like? Can you imagine what it's like to have that many people reading, studying and sharing the Word in prayer with you?
Hear my heart: I want this for you. The deep joy of a thriving relationship with the One True God of the Bible is too great to ignore. It's real, and it's there for you too.
So if you want to learn more about what this might look like in your life, head over to the contact page and let me know. I want to point you in the direction of Jesus -- because He alone is worthy of all of your life.
Sincerely,
Thomas Griffin
Founder of T214
