For the last 2000 years, Christians have been trying to figure out Jesus' commands to model their lives on His example. Many earnest believers have tried to ask "What would Jesus do?" in whatever situation they find themselves, and while this is well-intentioned, Jesus had authority to do a lot of things that we don't have. "What did Jesus do?" is probably a better question, allowing us to form an idea of the principles He followed, and apply similar guidelines to our own lives.
The seeming contradictions of Jesus' existence, however—fully God and fully man, completely spiritual and completely physical, perfect without being uptight—often make it hard to know what those guidelines are. Only through honest Bible study (guided by the Holy Spirit and other godly saints) can we begin to piece together the biblical narrative and know how we should live.
When we study the Word of God thoroughly, a theology emerges. Theology is the way we think about God and what our relationship with Him implies. It is determined by our faithfulness to the biblical narrative and the Church's historic orthodox creeds, and it determines how we understand our role as Christians and what living as Christians looks like. Without taking time to construct a coherent theological perspective, our attempts to live Christ-like lives will be disjointed at best.
As covenant-minded Christians, we at Exodus believe the Church is the people of God, the new spiritual Israel, and that as such we are at work establishing Christ's kingdom in the world. To fulfill this function well, we need to emphasize the community of believers instead of focusing on differences (though at the same time, differences often provide necessary accountability and challenge leading to growth). The Gospel of Christ's kingship is to be spread through missions, prayer, art, political involvement, and any other venue that presents itself; this wholesale dissemination can only take place if we view the Church as a single body, aiming for personal and collective holiness, and for the glorification of Christ.
This is the pattern of Scripture, all of which points toward Christ. The Law, particularly the Ten Commandments, presents the picture of someone who loves God and neighbor. Jesus said those two commands (to love God and neighbor) sum up the whole Law and Prophets. The Prophets, in turn, reveal the blessings in store for those who serve God and the punishments in store for those who don't, their warnings and promises less subtle precursors of Jesus' Beatitudes.
It is in the Gospels that Christ finally emerges as the hero and victor of history. Jesus is revealed as the perfect balance between personal holiness and cultural interaction, fulfilling the entire Law while engaging His contemporaries on a variety of theological and cultural levels. The Epistles explain the implications of Jesus' ministry, death and resurrection, and provide practical application and encouragement for those living the Christian life. The Revelation of John points toward the fulfillment of all things in the ultimate glorification of Christ as the sum of creation. This is the totality of the hope of all Christians, to see our Savior magnified and worshiped by every living thing.
At Exodus, academic education isn't our only concern: "[W]e know that all of us possess knowledge. This knowledge puffs up, but love builds up," (1 Corinthians 8:1). Even more important than academic learning is wisdom, both for its temporal and eternal consequences. Knowledge helps us become well-rounded humans, but holiness draws us closer to God, and as Christians that is exactly where we want to be. We sincerely hope that your education is directed toward God's glory and that the books we carry will help you in that endeavor.