I read a story recently about a church who had just received a new young pastor. Intent on visiting every Sunday School class, the eager young man began his first Sunday on the job by visiting a boys' class.
While meeting with them, the young pastor asked the boys, "Would you tell me please, who knocked down the wall of Jericho?" The boys immediately fell silent and began to look at one another, saying, "I didn’t do it! I didn’t do it!"
Shocked and dismayed by their lack of biblical knowledge, the pastor called a parish council meeting the next week to discuss the incident.
After hearing what happened, an elder of the church stood up and said, "Minister, let's just get some money out of the repair and maintenance fund and fix the wall and get on with it!"
Unfortunately, this lack of biblical knowledge is more true than not! Knowledge about the Word of God has decelerated drastically among Christians, especially over the past 100 years.
We go through this life with such speed that it has isolated us from the Word of God like never before.
I will spare you a history lesson, but experts agree that our generation is in a period of time called "postmodernism." And while the term itself is relatively new, the root causes of postmodernism are as old as time itself.
Back in the Garden of Eden, Satan asked a very simple, yet damning question when he asked Adam and Eve, "Did God really say that?" With this one inquiry, Satan cast doubt on God and eventually neutralized what God had said to Adam and Eve in the Garden.
And so it goes today; Satan neutralizes the power of the Word of God by the mantras of postmodern thinking: "Truth is relative." "Morality is obsolete." "Authority as a concept is passé." "Honesty is for fools." "The pursuit of truth is meaningless."
Do any of these sound familiar? Beloved, we are dogged with postmodern thinking… with Satan’s deception… every day. It is endless, from the moment we wake up to the time we go to bed!
It's in the movies we see… the TV shows we watch… the internet we surf… the books we read… the words teachers teach… and (most sadly) even in some of the sermons we hear preached.
There is no way on God's earth that two hours of church one day a week are going to neutralize the impact our postmodern culture has upon you.
Think about it. The Bible makes it clear that Satan bombarded Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden with continuous doubt about the words of God. And eventually, Eve got weary, threw in the towel and gave in.
So many in the church react to Satan’s bombardment the same way. And I desperately want you to avoid this same reaction! That’s why I want to challenge you to ingest the truth of the Word of God on a daily basis.
God tells us in Proverbs 14:12, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death." Did you see that? Man's postmodern way of thinking leads only to death.
I want to make you a promise. It's not just a promise based upon my own experience over the course of 30 years, but upon the testimonies of thousands upon thousands of people:
If you make the decision to read, study and obey the Word of God on a daily basis, it will change you. And it will change you for good!
I pray you will make a daily commitment to spend time in God’s Word. Trust me, it will bless you in ways you never thought possible! Your life will be radically changed as you make the truth of God's Word your daily diet.
Leading The Way claims Dr. Youssef as the ministry's number one volunteer. He receives no compensation for his time, nor does he receive royalties from the sale of any of the resource materials he produces and authors. God called Dr. Youssef, even before birth, and is using Leading The Way to reach millions of lost souls, equip the saints, and build up His church worldwide.
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(Article first published February 29, 2008)
What Are Different Bible Study Methods and Why Should We Use Different Ones?
Studying the Bible can feel daunting when we’ve not had formal training, but it doesn’t have to be difficult. At the core, we study Scripture so we can learn the meaning behind the text and how we can apply our own behavior to what the Bible teaches (not take Scripture and make it work for what we think it should say).
Bible study methods are simply “how-to” guides to make digging into Scripture feel less overwhelming while simultaneously helping you learn and understand it better.
You may choose a Bible study method based on themes in the Bible. For example, if you’re struggling with contentment, you may search for passages and stories that teach on this topic.
Conversely, you may choose to do a topical study, which is similar to studying a theme but differs in that a topical study is more in-depth because it branches out from the topic into subtopics.
Or you may decide on a Bible study method based on a character that you admire.
While these three examples are not exhaustive, they are indicative of how many options we have to study Scripture. In fact, one could do start with a thematic study, then move to a character study, and then based on all the knowledge acquired, dig into a topical study next.
The importance, however, is not to focus so much on the type of study but the fact that every time we read the Bible, we’re filling our hearts and minds with things that Paul calls true, noble, pure, lovely, and admirable (see Philippians 4:8).
(Excerpted from "5 Effective Bible Study Methods to Get in the Word Every Day" by Bethany Jett)
How Do You Know if You're Reading Scripture the Right Way?
Can you read Scripture the wrong way? Yes, actually you can so it begs us to affirm how to read the Bible the right way. If you read Psalm 23 every night before bed because you heard it’s an important verse but it doesn’t change your heart for God—then you’re reading it wrong.
If you’re reading the Bible out of duty instead of devotion, you’re reading the Bible wrong.
If you’re reading the Bible merely for the facts instead of strengthening your faith, you’re reading the Bible wrong.
If you’re reading the Bible merely to be right, then you’re reading the Bible wrong.
If you’re reading the Bible to cherry-pick verses instead of letting the Bible change you, you’re reading the Bible wrong.
These aren’t the only signs you’re reading the Bible wrong but it’s a good start. Reading the Bible is an act of worship. Those tattered and torn pages are meant to transform your heart and help you see the world through the eyes of Christ. Before opening your Bible, ask God to reveal His heart to you, ask Him for a fresh Word. Then read with a hungry and humble heart ready to make bold prayer requests through Christ!
(Excerpted from "Why Are Different Methods of Bible Study Important?" by Heather Riggleman)
Further Reading:
The Literary Structure of the Bible
What Does it Mean That the Bible Is Composed of Different Books?
How to Read and Understand the Bible in 4 Simple Steps
Can Christians Learn Biblical Truths from Works of Literature?
Why Is Reading the Bible in Context Important?
3 Keys to Reading the Bible with a Fresh Perspective
If you're looking for a way to increase your Bible literacy with an organized Bible reading plan, you may appreciate the following:
Old and New Testament Reading Plan
