Have you made a resolution to spend more time reading your Bible? Or would you just like to have a more structured plan in reading through the word of God?
Bible study is important. But sadly it's something that we often neglect as time goes on. Even with the work I do in preparing sermons and articles every week, I still always feel like I'm missing something. In all the study and preparation I do, the thing that becomes hard to keep up with is simply reading the Bible.
If you have a busy schedule too, you may well run into this problem as well - habitual reading and casual study of God's word.
I'm going to follow a different plan over the next few months than what I've tried in the past. Most Bible reading plans have you read through the Bible in a year. The plan I'll be following will focus just on the New Testament and will take 6 months to complete, reading about 2 chapters a day.
Interested in doing this too? Check out Edwin Crozier's website - Give Attention to Reading. He's the one who came up with the reading schedule. Plus, the site contains a blog where he will be posting short comments about each day's reading. You can subscribe and receive reminders and comments about the scheduled reading (to help keep you on track). You can even add your own comments if you'd like to do so.
Regardless of what plan or method you use to study the Bible, I encourage you to be diligent about it. We cannot please God without faith (Hebrews 11:6), and the only way we can get faith is through the word of God (Romans 10:17). Use whatever method of study will most help you "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord" (2 Peter 3:18).
If you want to read through the New Testament over the next 6 months, check out Give Attention to Reading. I have a link to it over in the right column as well.
Showing posts with label study. Show all posts
Showing posts with label study. Show all posts
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Friday, January 25, 2008
Some Thoughts from 2 Timothy
In February we're going to start studying 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus in the Sunday morning Bible class I teach. Tonight I've been working on the study guides. When I write a study guide, I divide them up a lesson per chapter. At the top of the page in each lesson I list a key verse in the chapter that states one of the main points.
After I finished 2 Timothy, I noticed a pattern in the verses I had chosen. 2 Timothy 1:13, 2:15, 3:16, and 4:2.
What are we to do?
"Retain the standard of sound words" (1:13). Hold fast the pattern and live by it, no matter what the cost.
How do we do this?
"Be diligent (study, KJV) to present yourself approved to God...accurately handling the word of truth" (2:15). Study the word. That is our standard. We cannot retain the standard if we are not familiar with it.
Why should we do this?
"All Scripture is inspired by God" (3:16). Why bother following the Bible and not some other standard? Because the Bible is the only book that is from God. Nothing can compare with it.
What should we do with it?
"Preach the word" (4:2). Do not hide the truth. Do not insert your opinions or those of others. Simply preach the pure, unadulterated word of God.
These instructions were written to the evangelist Timothy. But all Christians can learn from this. Hold to, practice, study, preach and teach the word because it is in fact from God. The more we work at these things, the more we will please Him.
After I finished 2 Timothy, I noticed a pattern in the verses I had chosen. 2 Timothy 1:13, 2:15, 3:16, and 4:2.
What are we to do?
"Retain the standard of sound words" (1:13). Hold fast the pattern and live by it, no matter what the cost.
How do we do this?
"Be diligent (study, KJV) to present yourself approved to God...accurately handling the word of truth" (2:15). Study the word. That is our standard. We cannot retain the standard if we are not familiar with it.
Why should we do this?
"All Scripture is inspired by God" (3:16). Why bother following the Bible and not some other standard? Because the Bible is the only book that is from God. Nothing can compare with it.
What should we do with it?
"Preach the word" (4:2). Do not hide the truth. Do not insert your opinions or those of others. Simply preach the pure, unadulterated word of God.
These instructions were written to the evangelist Timothy. But all Christians can learn from this. Hold to, practice, study, preach and teach the word because it is in fact from God. The more we work at these things, the more we will please Him.
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Why was Simon Called to Bear Jesus' Cross?
"As they were coming out, they found a man of Cyrene named Simon, whom they pressed into service to bear His cross" (Matthew 27:32).
Why was Simon made to perform this task? Because Jesus stumbled as He carried the cross, right? That's what so many people believe. But if you look at the gospel accounts, there is no mention whatsoever of Jesus stumbling while on the way to be crucified.
There could have been many reasons why Simon was pressed into service. Maybe Jesus was walking slower than the soldiers wanted, so they got someone else to carry the cross. Perhaps Simon looked at one of the soldiers the wrong way and they forced him to do this. It might be possible that Jesus stumbled. But in reality, we don't know. Any reason we might give would be purely speculation.
But many people choose to believe that Simon was called to bear the cross because Jesus stumbled. The thought of Jesus stumbling and falling underneath the weight of the cross can have a great emotional impact on someone. It could even bring them to tears. Preachers could use this emotionalism to their advantage in trying to provoke one to respond to his message. So this idea has been popular through the years.
Our goal, however, is not to make people cry. Our goal is to bring them to the point of faith. Faith is to be based upon the word of God (Romans 10:17), not our speculations and imaginations.
The point in all of this is to remember to "examine everything carefully" (1 Thessalonians 5:21) and test all teachings with the Scriptures (Acts 17:11). We must not believe something because we've always heard it, it sounds good, or it makes us feel good. We must believe what God has revealed in His word.
Why was Simon made to perform this task? Because Jesus stumbled as He carried the cross, right? That's what so many people believe. But if you look at the gospel accounts, there is no mention whatsoever of Jesus stumbling while on the way to be crucified.
There could have been many reasons why Simon was pressed into service. Maybe Jesus was walking slower than the soldiers wanted, so they got someone else to carry the cross. Perhaps Simon looked at one of the soldiers the wrong way and they forced him to do this. It might be possible that Jesus stumbled. But in reality, we don't know. Any reason we might give would be purely speculation.
But many people choose to believe that Simon was called to bear the cross because Jesus stumbled. The thought of Jesus stumbling and falling underneath the weight of the cross can have a great emotional impact on someone. It could even bring them to tears. Preachers could use this emotionalism to their advantage in trying to provoke one to respond to his message. So this idea has been popular through the years.
Our goal, however, is not to make people cry. Our goal is to bring them to the point of faith. Faith is to be based upon the word of God (Romans 10:17), not our speculations and imaginations.
The point in all of this is to remember to "examine everything carefully" (1 Thessalonians 5:21) and test all teachings with the Scriptures (Acts 17:11). We must not believe something because we've always heard it, it sounds good, or it makes us feel good. We must believe what God has revealed in His word.
Monday, February 5, 2007
Don't Believe Everything You Hear
"The naive believes everything, but the sensible man considers his steps." (Pr. 14:15)
When it comes to things that pertain to the Bible, many have a belief that is based upon what someone has told them, whether that is a parent, preacher, pastor, etc. But we are being naive if we believe everything someone might tell us, regardless of how much respect we have for that person.
Paul told the brethren in Thessalonica, "do no despise prophetic utterances." (1 Th. 5:20) That is, do not despise the things that have been revealed by God. Today we have these prophetic utterances contained in Scripture. He then told them, "But examine everything carefully, hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil." (1 Th. 5:21-22) If we do not examine carefully the things we are taught, we despise the word of God by blindly accepting what man has said instead of testing those things according to God's word.
The Bereans were commended for their attitude when Paul came and preached to them. They were described as "noble-minded", because they were "examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so." (Acts 17:11) They were not naive and did not just blindly accept what Paul was saying. They made sure what he taught was right, then they accepted it. But not because Paul said it, but because it was the truth.
Do not accept what anyone teaches in matters of religion simply because they said it, no matter who they are. "Examine everything carefully" (1 Th. 5:21) and do so according to the infallible standard of the word of God. Do not be naive. Do not despise the word of God. Rather, examine the Scriptures daily to determine what is the truth.
When it comes to things that pertain to the Bible, many have a belief that is based upon what someone has told them, whether that is a parent, preacher, pastor, etc. But we are being naive if we believe everything someone might tell us, regardless of how much respect we have for that person.
Paul told the brethren in Thessalonica, "do no despise prophetic utterances." (1 Th. 5:20) That is, do not despise the things that have been revealed by God. Today we have these prophetic utterances contained in Scripture. He then told them, "But examine everything carefully, hold fast to that which is good; abstain from every form of evil." (1 Th. 5:21-22) If we do not examine carefully the things we are taught, we despise the word of God by blindly accepting what man has said instead of testing those things according to God's word.
The Bereans were commended for their attitude when Paul came and preached to them. They were described as "noble-minded", because they were "examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so." (Acts 17:11) They were not naive and did not just blindly accept what Paul was saying. They made sure what he taught was right, then they accepted it. But not because Paul said it, but because it was the truth.
Do not accept what anyone teaches in matters of religion simply because they said it, no matter who they are. "Examine everything carefully" (1 Th. 5:21) and do so according to the infallible standard of the word of God. Do not be naive. Do not despise the word of God. Rather, examine the Scriptures daily to determine what is the truth.
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