The Book

Introduction

The Good Book

The Manual for LIfe

The Owner’s Manual

Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth

While not wrong, each comes short. The Bible is the story of God

Tell about man’s origins, fall, failings, redemption, and future

Mostly reveals God, his plan, his purposes, how He has worked in mankind, and what He is going to do

The foundation for any growth in Jesus is the Word of God. The Bible reveals everything we need to grow in Christ: how to apply the Word of God, how to pray, how to worship…you name it, it’s there.

Our problem is that we want someone else to do the work for us.

2 Timothy 3:16–17 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

5 Levels of Bible engagement

Reading

First step and most basic step

The key is to find a trustworthy, understandable translation: KJV, NKJV, NASB, NIV84

"You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me; John 5:39 (NASB)

Studying

Now these were more noble-minded than those in Thessalonica, for they received the word with great eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so. Acts 17:11 (NASB)

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; 2 Timothy 3:16 (NASB)

A step beyond reading, studying asks the questions:

Most Christians start with, “What does this mean to me?”; that’s a bad idea.

Studying asks better questions:

What genre am I reading?

What themes, persons, cities, etc are mentioned? Why are these significant?

What historical or cultural context is worth considering?

What did it mean to the original audience then?

What does it mean to us now?

Memorizing

Committing the Word of God to memory

While we Western Christians have easy access to God’s Word, memorizing takes it from our hands to our hearts and minds

My son, keep my words And treasure my commandments within you. Keep my commandments and live, And my teaching as the apple of your eye. Bind them on your fingers; Write them on the tablet of your heart. Proverbs 7:1-3 (NASB)

Your word I have treasured in my heart, That I may not sin against You. Psalm 119:11 (NASB)

Meditating

Meditating is a form of study, but it seems to be more personal, more reflective in our own lives. In meditating, we set our minds on the things of God, allowing them to penetrate our lives

This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it; for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success. Joshua 1:8 (NASB)

My eyes anticipate the night watches, That I may meditate on Your word. Ps. 119:148 (NASB)

Applying

The most important part of Biblical interaction. This is where we move our faith from education to action

Education becomes transformation

But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. James 1:25 (NASB)

Conclusion