“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105)
God shaped the entire universe by his word, and he shapes our lives the same way. Reading the Bible is not meant to be done just for information, but for formation. God uses the Bible to shape us to become more like Jesus - the one to whom the Bible points.
When reading the Bible it is important to understand that you’re not reading just an ordinary book. It’s actually a Holy Spirit inspired library of 66 books written by dozens of authors in multiple languages over thousands of years. At the same time it is very readable and carries a consistent message from front to back. The message is about God’s love for humankind, and how he liberated us from our sins through Jesus, and plans to bring justice and peace to the whole world.
Sometimes the Bible is hard to understand, and some parts of the Bible may seem strange or even brutal. But the more you learn to love and trust Jesus - the central figure of the Bible - the more the rest of the it makes sense.
As you consider how to introduce, or strengthen, a practice of Bible reading try the following:
1. Set aside a specific time every day for Bible reading.
2. Consider using a pre-made Bible Reading plan. There are lots of options on the YouVersion Bible app, or the Bible in one year reading plan from the Bible Project.
3. Before you start reading ask God to help you understand and apply what you’re about to read.
4. Ask some questions about what you've read: What did this passage mean to those to whom it was originally addressed? What does it mean today? What should I do about what I've read?
5. Meet regularly with others to pray, read and discuss the Bible. The Bible was not meant to only be read alone. Consider joining a Bethel Life Group.
See more great videos about the Bible at www.bibleproject.com
The following sermons and sermon series' are all about the Bible and how to read it. Listen to them for further teaching and advice.
Series: Shaped by the Word (September/October 2020)
This series focussed on the way the Bible shapes our lives to become more like Jesus.
Sermon: The Holy Spirit and the Bible (June 2020)
This sermon was about how the Holy Spirit inspired the Bible, and continues to work through the Bible to shape us as we read it.
Sermon: Is the Bible Reliable? (February 2018)
This sermon explores whether or not this ancient document we call the Bible is still a reliable source of truth for today.
Series: The Book (June/July 2016)
This series answered the questions, What is the Bible about? Who wrote the Bible? and Can I trust the Bible?
This 5-part video series explores the basic themes in the gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.
View the videos HERE
Our friends at the Bible proejct make it their mission to help people experience the Bible as a unified story that leads to Jesus. They've created dozens of videos to help you learn how to better understand the Bible, and therefore, better know Jesus.
View all their resources HERE.
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