Journey Into Descipleship Pt. 3

How To Get A Firm Grip On The Bible

We are going to look at 5 elements involved in having a firm grip on the Bible.

We Must HEAR The Word Of God

2 Timothy 1:13 “Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.”

2 Timothy 2:2 “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also.”

What does Paul tell Timothy?

Hold Fast what you hear that is of God.

Pass on the Word so others and teach even more people

Pastor told us disciple are followers of Christ that Learn from the Word of God and TO LIVE IT!

Matthew 11:15 “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”

The best way to retain what you hear is to take notes.

Studies show that those that only hear, by the time they get to the car they can only recall about 15% of the message

But

If we take notes on what we hear our retention is increased by 300%

We Must READ The Word Of God

1 Timothy 4:13 “Till I come, give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine.”

The Bible has been known as “Americas unread best seller”

TIPS

Set a Time

Read until something stands out.

Take notes in your Bible on verses that speak to you

Share with someone what you read that day

Don’t be discouraged about something you may not understand but live off of what you do.

We Must STUDY The Word Of God

2 Timothy 2:15 “Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.”

Martin Luther’s Quote on Studying

“First, I shake the whole tree, that the ripest might fall. Then I climb the tree and shake each limb, and then each branch, and then each twig.”

He took it by Chapter

Then by Passage

They by verse

Then by Word

YOU NEED A:

Bible

A Good Commentary

A Bible Dictionary

And A Concordance

We Must MEDITATE Upon The Word Of God

1 Timothy 4:15 “Meditate upon these things; give thyself wholly to them; that thy profiting may appear to all.”

Psalm 1:2–3 “But his delight is in the law of the Lord; And in his law doth he meditate day and night. And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, That bringeth forth his fruit in his season; His leaf also shall not wither; And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.”

Planted

Produce

Prosper

We Must LIVE The Word Of God

2 Timothy 3:14–17 “But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.”

What good is all of this if we don’t live it?

James 1:22 “But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.”

What Jesus says about hearing and not doing

Matthew 7:26–27 “And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.”

What Jesus says about hearing and doing

Matthew 7:24–25 “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.”

If you want to be able to make it through your trials, storms, hardships, losses we need to be well stablished!!

We can be once we LIVE the Word of God