Jeff Adams


Thinking Spanish in English

May 21, 2008

If you read this blog with any regularity, you know that every so often I turn loose that Spanish-speaking part of my brain and do a post in Spanish. For this post I’d like to discuss my Spanish side in English. ¿Me comprendes?

Spanish is on my brain because I just got home from our Wednesday night Spanish Bible study. We do this in the auditorium so we can video it and post it on the web site. I have been gratified to see a solid core of consistent attendees and some modest growth. Currently, we are doing a study of 1 Peter. Here are some of the things I especially enjoy about this Wednesday night study:

  • It gives me a chance to keep current teaching in Spanish. The old adage “if you don’t use it, you lose it” is true. I’m not worried about losing the ability to speak Spanish. My devotional life is in Spanish. My daily Bible reading, prayer time and journaling is all in Spanish. But, it is something else to preach and teach. I need the practice. I usually get to do this Bible study 2 or 3 times each month. Someone else does the study if I am not able to come.
  • This time gives me an opportunity to get to know an important part of our church family. I would estimate that approximately 15 to 20% of our church family is Hispanic.
  • I enjoy seeing some Anglos who show up to practice their Spanish from time to time. Since they are already familiar with Bible vocabulary, it is easier to follow along.

No matter who you are, you are welcome to join us each Wednesday evening at 7:00pm in the main auditorium. If you would like to experiment and see if you can keep up, check out the streaming video from the precious week available here. You can also listen to the audio from several weeks back. If I was gone the previous week, the face you see may not be mine. But, whoever it is, you will find some good preaching and teaching in Spanish. If you have Spanish-speaking friends or coworkers, this might be a good way to reach out to them by emailing them this link or bringing them some Wednesday night.

  • http://TheRockAtlanta.com Fidel

    Jeff, es Fidel.
    We met in Honduras during the GCLA conference. If you want to practice some Cuban Spanish and taste our Cuban food let me know next time you are in Atlanta. I was encourage by your teachings in Honduras. Gracias.

    • http://www.kcbt.org Jeff Adams

      Fidel! What a blessing to hear from you! Yes, I very much want to get with you the next time I am in Atlanta. I was there just overnight last month and the schedule was very tight, but next time we’ll have to make time for sabor cubano!

  • http://www.kcbt.org Jeff Adams

    Gracias, Martin! Y gracias a Dios por tu corazón misionero. ¡Bendiciones!

  • http://igbdb.org Martin

    Estimado Pastor Adams: Yo he sido recipiente de su ministerio por casi dos decadas. Sus materiales de discipulado me han sido de ayuda en capacitar a nuestra gente en Hollywood, Florida, especialmente COMO ESTUDIAR LA BIBLIA.
    Hemos ayudado a plantar iglesias en la India, Bolivia, Peru, Costa Rica,Haiti, Cuba, Republica Dominicana( Soy de ahi!!!),Espana, y enviados miles de Biblias al Mundo Arabe…Me alegra mucho su corazon para Latin America. Mi meta es plantar, edificar y equipar iglesias en cada nacion de America que hable espanol….Dios le bendiga este articulo me lleno de gozo….hay pocos Anglos con esa vision….
    Dios le Bendiga
    Pastor Martin Vargas
    Iglesia Biblica de Broward

  • Tina Lewis Rowe

    Hola! I do not speak any Spanish (well, except for “Hola”, which I use for everything!). However, I love to watch your Spanish sermons! I also enjoy listening to Marco, although he doesn’t roll his “r’s”. I envy you your ability to speak Spanish so fluently, and to speak and understand enough other languages to travel more comfortably than most. Keep up the practice! Hola! Tina

  • http://www.kcbt.org Jeff Adams

    The later is the case. It just is so much more natural and free for me than in English. I suppose because so much of my formative adult period was in that context. Just works that way for me, but maybe not for everyone.

  • Jackie

    Hola Jeff
    You said that your devotional life is all in Spanish and I’m curious whether that is something you do as a way of keeping up with your Spanish language skills or is it because Spanish is really your “heart language” since you spent so much time earlier in your walk with the Lord in Latin America?

    gracias!