Upward - Abiding through Study

Acts 13 - As they spent time upward the Spirit sent them outward.

We have spent the last two weeks looking at what it looks like for us to spend time in the presence alone. The way this series will play out is we will…

Last week we laid the foundation for why personal time with Jesus is so important - abiding in Jesus - and we began to unpack what that practically can look like. Anyone rememnber what specific way to abide we talked about? Meditation.

Today we will build on that concept by looking at what it means to abide through study.

70% of high school students that go off to college as Christians walk out of college without faith. Just flat out unacceptable.

The question is though, WHY?

I would argue because that most of them were probably just asked to show up to church as a young person and we’re never disciple as young people into men and women of God.

Never discipled how to get along with the word of God, how to abide in Christ, and how to study scripture for themselves.

They weren’t prepared for war. They weren’t intentionally taught to love the Word of God and defend their faith.

We must learn to love the word of God. And you don’t learn to love the word of God by just talking about it.

Learning to love the word is learning to love God himself.

Remember, we’re not just approaching a book, we’re approaching a person.

So when we talk about living UPWARD; ministering until the Lord alone, learning how to abide in Jesus, we must learn the art of not just reading the word of God, but how to study the word of God.

It’s the old saying, “give a man a fish and feed him for a day, or teach teach a man to fish and feed his for life.”

So I hear quite often from people in the church that come from different places I’ll hear something like this… “well I’m just not being fed there.”

You see, even if you’re going to a church that is biblically shallow, if you know how to study the Bible, you wouldn’t be so dependent on the Sunday morning experience to “feed you.” You see some of our problem in the room is that Sunday morning is the only time you deep dive in the scripture and study the Bible. That’s a problem!

You put all the weight on me and Nate or whoever you’re sitting under to “feed you”. When what should have been happening all week is you feeding yourself abiding in Jesus

Show up not desperately dependent upon a little bit of the word because you haven’t been in the scripture all week, instead you’re showing up to receive supplemental to what you’re already providing yourself.

Instead of us giving you a fish today, my aim is to give you a fishing pole.

BTW, in case you’re wondering, Nate and I don’t struggle with a need to be needed. We’re not afraid of our people growing in their biblical literacy. We’re not afraid of you. Learning the scripture in deep and powerful ways. We want you to learn how to utilize resources available to you so you can interpret correctly and rightly divide the word and apply it to your life. The body of Christ wins when the men and women of God grow up in every way. We do not wanna have an oppressive environment that hinges on us. I want a church full of qualified, elders and overseers. Men and women who are strong and mighty in the faith. That does not intimidate us, that is the goal! The kingdom wins when the children of God grew up in every way in the faith!

Our goal is to teach you to be independently dependent upon the Lord.

We must teach them to abide, and this morning we will specifically talk about how to abide through Study.

Abiding in Jesus through study

I. INTRO — Why This Matters

• 1. Most Christians WANT transformation

How many of you want to be transformed?

Bible sales are sky rocketing!  Up 42% from this time last year.

• 2. But devotion alone ≠ study.

• 3. Jesus said truth sets free — not feelings (John 8:32)

“And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Turn your Bibles to Hebrews chapter 4, and stand with me for the reading of the word of God.

Heb 4:12 —

12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

PRAY

Core statement:

Study - In this case, the Word of God - is one of God’s primary mechanisms for transforming the believer.

II. Definition of Study

Study = Diligent, persistent time in the Scriptures with academic zeal and a devotional spirit.

Study - Heb. daras - to seek, inquire.

Ps.111:2

2  Great are the works of the LORD, studied by all who delight in them.

When you study the scripture you are SEEKING the Lord.

Psalm 119:10-11

“With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.”

To study = to give attention to something.

III. Why Study the Bible?

A) Renewal of the mind

• Rom 12:2 —

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

Transformation happens through thinking.

Why?

Because what you think becomes what you believe — which becomes what you act out — which becomes the life you actually live.

We MUST renew our minds in the truth of the scripture.

B) To be taught by God

• 2 Tim. 3:16-17

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Scripture:

• Teaches us

reproof or conviction

training in righteousness

C) Transformation in the soul

• 2 Cor 3:18 —

18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

We become what we behold

• Study is beholding → not just reading

D) To understand God’s bigger story

• Rom 15:4 —

4 For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Scripture gives hope + placement

• The Bible is not random verses — it is a single storyline

Why is understanding the meta-narritive important?

How many of you like movies?

Not understanding the overarching story is like jumping into a movie at minute 47 and trying to make sense of a random conversation — you’ll misunderstand motives, conflicts, and meaning because you don’t know the plot.

From Genesis to Revelation — it’s not 66 disconnected books — it’s one unified storyline of God redeeming a lost world through Christ.

IV. The Big Point

Study is not information accumulation.

Study is inner formation.

Why we don’t study

I looked up the 10 most common reasons Christians struggle to study the Bible:

1) They assume they already know it

Familiarity kills curiosity.

Because they’ve heard sermons for years… they think they already understand it.

2) They’ve never been taught how to study

Most churches teach application — not method.

People want to read — they just don’t know where to start.

3) They expect emotion instead of revelation

Western church culture often equates “feeling something” with “God is speaking.”

If there’s no emotional high… they stop.

Summer camp experience - the high

4) They treat verses like fortune cookies

They read 1–3 isolated verses… instead of whole chapters or books.

You can’t see the story that way.

5) They depend on preachers for everything

They outsource Bible interpretation to:

• pastors

• YouTube

• devotionals

So they never develop confidence that the Spirit can lead THEM.

6) They get intimidated by what they don’t understand

Instead of staying curious, they back away.

The unknown feels like failure — not an invitation.

7) Their attention span is broken

Smartphones & social media have trained people for:

• short sentences

• fast dopamine

Slow wisdom feels “boring” at first.

8) They don’t see how Genesis connects to Revelation

Most Christians never see the architecture of Scripture.

Without structure — the Bible feels random.

9) They read devotionally but not analytically

They’re taught to ask:

“what does this mean for ME?”

before they ask:

“what did this mean for THEM?”

That kills interpretation — and depth.

10) They expect instant results

They want the Bible to change them immediately.

Real formation is slow — like agriculture, not microwave food.

V. HOW to actually study — Simple next steps

Step 1 — Schedule it - make it a priority

We say it ALL the time. We will make time for the things that are important to us.

Separate “study time” from “devotional time”

→ minimum 2 times per week

Step 2 - Partner with the Spirit before you begin reading

John 14:26

26 But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

Step 3 — Read in large units

Chapters / whole books

Not isolated verses - if you only study one verse (or just a few), you must seek to understand the context.

Context is key-king

Step 4 — Take notes & ask questions of the text before checking commentaries

Ask:

What is the author trying to communicate?

Sword method - inductive bible study method:

What does this passage say about God?

…about people?

Sin to avoid?

Promise to keep?

Example to follow?

Command to be obeyed?

Step 5 — Pray what you study

Turn observations into dialogue with the Spirit

List of resources that can be helpful:

Blue letter bible - deeper dive: greek, Hebrew, commentaries, etc.

Bible project - overview of every book of the Bible, topics, etc.

VI. NEXT STEP CHALLENGE / CALL TO ACTION

- Spend time everyday this week ministering to the Lord through study. Give Him your attention. Seek Him.

-Use the suggested scripture reading plan. It starts tomorrow and goes through Christmas. The plan will lead you to read all 4 gospels by Christmas. It ends up being about a chapter a day.

VII. Ministry Moment / Close

Invite people to ask the Holy Spirit for:

• hunger

• focus

• perseverance