Finding Life, Direction and Encouragement in the Bible
One of the best investments I made in my life was the time, energy and money it took to learn to study the Bible. Soon after I made my adult recommitment of faith, I spent several years developing a personal approach to studying Scripture that reflected its essential nature as the inspired, authoritative Word of God. In those years, I also resolved many of the issues that trouble people when it comes to understanding Scripture and receiving it as God’s living Word for us today. God speaks, brings life, heals and sets free through the power of His Word if we understand it properly, respect its authority and make a diligent application to our everyday routines.
s for us to consider would be the following. We come to understand the nature of God’s great love for us, and more importantly are led into a fresh experience of His love, as we abide in His Word and His Word abides in us. We discover our true identity and are enabled to live as sons and daughters of God as our minds are renewed in this essential truth. We grow in our ability to trust God in all the circumstances of life as we appreciate God for who He truly is, His essential goodness and perfect character. We grow in faith as we meditate upon the verses of Scripture that God highlights as being personal promises for us. And as God’s kingdom ambassadors, our understanding of the Word of God enables us to minister to others more effectively. This is true whether we are praying, prophesying or helping them form new beliefs that reflect God’s nature, His character, and His Word. And these are just a few of the many benefits that come with being confident we have heard God’s voice through a study of His Word.
In my years of pastoral ministry, I have found that many followers of Christ sincerely desire to be able to study the Bible on their own but feel inadequate to the task. They have tried, many times more than once, but never feel confident in their abilities to accurately interpret what they are reading. Frustration and discouragement kick in and the whole issue just gets set aside for another time. The problem is not with their abilities but with the fact they have never had anyone to teach them in a way they can actually master the basic steps that apply to every book of the Bible. By repetitively applying the practices that surround the basic 3 steps of; revelation (what did God say), interpretation (what does God mean by what He said) and application (how does this apply to my life) every believer in Jesus Christ can experience personally the transformational power of the Word of God. This is best done in a small group environment where they can ask questions and receive personalized feedback on their own attempts at interpretation from someone further along in the journey.
If this resonates with your heart, we have a new ministry offering for you to consider It is a group spiritual life coaching experience where the focus will be on actually developing a personalized approach to reading and studying the Bible for life transformation. It is not a class or seminar, or even a workshop that is limited to covering or mastering content and methods. Rather, in a group environment emphasizing doing over listening, the focus will be on mastering the principles and skills necessary to be confident in your approach to reading and studying Scripture for life transformation. It will also give each participant the freedom to apply the basic principles of interpretation in a way that reflects their uniqueness as a follower of Christ. Along the way, we will examine many of the questions that emerge about the nature and character of the Bible, which are often obstacles to experiencing the transformational power of the Word. Issues like the reliability of Scripture, the unique authority that resides in the Bible, and how to resolve apparent contradictions between the Old and New Testaments. The Bible is not just a historical record of God’s activity with the people of Israel and the church but God speaks to us, clearly and specifically, about His plans and purposes for our lives today.
While some of the logistical details are still being worked out, I intend to launch our first group very soon. And due to the nature of the experience, the number of participants for each group will be limited. If you are interested contact me at bruce@godslivingstones.org or call 402 290 3480. I would love to tell you more about it.
Would you be willing to ask God what He would have you do? Is it finally time to hear directly from Him through your personal study of the Bible and to experience life transformation through the power of the Word and the Holy Spirit? Based on personal experience I can promise you there will never be a more important investment you can make to grow as a follower of Jesus. Hope to talk to you soon!
Author
Pastor Bruce is the Executive Director of God's Living Stones. He lives in Omaha, NE, with his wife Barb. They have two adult children.
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