A description of the course that explains what you will learn and how it will help you grow closer to Jesus
4 lessons
4 lessons
4 lessons
A brief description of what this lesson covers and what you will learn
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Romans 8:28-30
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Be strengthened by the Bible.
What's at the heart of any relationship? There are a lot of right answers, but 'communication' has to be at the top of the list. In prayer, we communicate with God. And God speaks to us by the Holy Spirit.
But how do we discern the difference between a crazy idea I had and something God says? It's important not to confuse these! If we try to "live by the power of the Holy Spirit" but we never read the Bible, we might start to give divine authority to our desires.
So what's the answer? We need to listen to God speak to us through the Scriptures.
Unfortunately, we've often picked up other ideas about what the Bible is for. Sometimes we might read the Bible to get more ammo to justify what we've already decided to do. Or reading the Bible can feel like a chore—something we do to check off our spiritual to-do list. We may feel pressure to memorize Scripture, learn Greek, or read several chapters daily.
Still, we need the Scriptures. But how do we benefit from God's word?
By approaching the Bible as a source of nourishment for our souls.
In Eat This Book, Eugene Peterson writes: "What I mean to insist upon is that spiritual writing—Spirit-sourced writing—requires spiritual reading, a reading that honors words as holy, words as a basic means of forming an intricate web of relationships between God and the human, between all things visible and invisible."
To attend to the Scriptures is to commune with the Trinity. It is a holy occasion to be impressed with God and to be transformed by him.
So how do we experience God's word as nourishment, rather than as a slogging duty? Instead of treating the Bible like a spiritual performance, we need sacred reading.
This is a way of approaching Scripture that developed over centuries in the church. Sacred reading involves four stages:
Sacred reading can be done alone or in community. We don't have to be experts in theology to experience the Bible as nourishment for our souls.
I invite you to approach the Bible with a sense of wonder and awe rather than accomplishment and performance. When the Scriptures have filled you, changed you, and brought you close to God, you benefit from your time in God's word.
Our sixth step to God is to be strengthened by the Bible.
Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.
Have I ever seen someone talk about 'The Holy Spirit' inappropriately? If so, how has that affected my view of God?
When I read the Bible, why? What motivates me to read the Bible?
When I don't read the Bible, why? What keeps me from enjoying God's word?
Have I experienced the Bible as nourishment for my soul, in God's presence? What could help me regularly approach the Bible with that attitude?
What is a small portion of Scripture that I want to meditate on?
When and where can I meditate on God's word each day?
Who could regularly join me in enjoying God's word together?
Choose a short passage (Psalm 23, John 15:1-11, or another favorite). Spend 15 minutes with it using the four stages: Read it slowly several times. Reflect on a word or phrase that stands out. Respond to God in prayer. Rest in his presence.
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