WEBVTT 00:00:00.680 --> 00:00:06.620 Hi everyone. If you don't know me, I'm Pastor 00:00:06.620 --> 00:00:09.019 Jen. I've been here since the beginning of the 00:00:09.019 --> 00:00:19.160 church. Since the very start. Oh, right, yes. 00:00:19.359 --> 00:00:21.820 Since the very beginning of the church. Like, 00:00:21.820 --> 00:00:27.019 since the era of Peter and Jesus. I aged very 00:00:27.019 --> 00:00:33.740 well. We are in a series of how -to. Marissa 00:00:33.740 --> 00:00:40.549 led us through how to pray last week. You're 00:00:40.549 --> 00:00:42.329 going to hear me say the words nuts and bolts 00:00:42.329 --> 00:00:45.509 a lot this week, today, because that, I think, 00:00:45.509 --> 00:00:49.009 is a good descriptor of what it is that we're 00:00:49.009 --> 00:00:51.030 getting into. We're getting into the nuts and 00:00:51.030 --> 00:00:56.329 bolts of how we grow in our faith, how it's constructed, 00:00:56.490 --> 00:00:59.649 how it's formed, so that it is, as we talk about 00:00:59.649 --> 00:01:02.530 here at the house, it is forming a foundation 00:01:02.530 --> 00:01:05.030 for us and building a house for us to live in, 00:01:05.049 --> 00:01:09.540 and a structure in which... We live our lives 00:01:09.540 --> 00:01:12.980 with the embodiment of Christ and his message 00:01:12.980 --> 00:01:19.700 in us. So this week is another how -to. My first 00:01:19.700 --> 00:01:21.439 semester, I went to Indiana Wesleyan University, 00:01:21.500 --> 00:01:25.819 and my first semester at that school was really 00:01:25.819 --> 00:01:29.500 hard. I had actually transferred in from another 00:01:29.500 --> 00:01:32.519 school in upstate New York where I grew up, and 00:01:32.519 --> 00:01:35.239 I left behind a lot of friends and what felt 00:01:35.239 --> 00:01:38.790 like a very safe... version of myself. I did 00:01:38.790 --> 00:01:41.629 not gracefully swim into that first semester. 00:01:42.010 --> 00:01:48.250 We could say I floundered. But the end of my 00:01:48.250 --> 00:01:52.810 first semester, I got a reckoning because much 00:01:52.810 --> 00:01:58.730 of it was of my own doing. I received my letter 00:01:58.730 --> 00:02:01.790 on Christmas Eve that uninvited me to participate 00:02:01.790 --> 00:02:05.439 as a student in the school. I was kicked out. 00:02:05.579 --> 00:02:11.659 And that was a tough moment. I had failed two 00:02:11.659 --> 00:02:15.439 classes and done poorly in the rest. And so one 00:02:15.439 --> 00:02:18.139 of those classes was methods of Bible study, 00:02:18.400 --> 00:02:22.680 everyone. It was to teach inductive methods of 00:02:22.680 --> 00:02:25.740 studying scriptures. And through the petition 00:02:25.740 --> 00:02:29.020 of a really, really gracious professor, I was 00:02:29.020 --> 00:02:33.090 readmitted with... very distinct and serious 00:02:33.090 --> 00:02:37.050 academic restraints. But because methods of Bible 00:02:37.050 --> 00:02:40.069 study was a required class for those seeking 00:02:40.069 --> 00:02:43.250 to become pastors, I found myself back in my 00:02:43.250 --> 00:02:46.229 seat for the second semester learning the topic 00:02:46.229 --> 00:02:49.930 once again. I will say on the second round, I 00:02:49.930 --> 00:02:53.870 actually did turn in the final paper, which had 00:02:53.870 --> 00:02:57.610 previously been my downfall. So today I come 00:02:57.610 --> 00:03:00.530 to you, a two -time student of Methods of Bible 00:03:00.530 --> 00:03:03.830 Study with Steve Lennox. Is Dave Hodge here? 00:03:03.930 --> 00:03:07.169 He's not. Dave also had Steve Lennox as a professor. 00:03:08.250 --> 00:03:11.069 So with Steve Lennox with this week's how -to 00:03:11.069 --> 00:03:13.590 message, which is how to study the scriptures. 00:03:14.629 --> 00:03:17.469 So may your confidence be bolstered, everyone. 00:03:19.949 --> 00:03:23.909 I joke, but I even have messaged Steve now, you 00:03:23.909 --> 00:03:27.469 know, in my future self, in my current ministry 00:03:27.469 --> 00:03:30.849 life, I've even messaged Steve to say, thank 00:03:30.849 --> 00:03:34.240 you for failing me. I needed the wake -up call, 00:03:34.300 --> 00:03:37.259 for one, but also I was honestly so fortunate 00:03:37.259 --> 00:03:39.979 in the long run to have been taught by him and 00:03:39.979 --> 00:03:42.139 to have had a couple go -rounds in his class. 00:03:42.360 --> 00:03:45.120 It gave me such an incredible perspective on 00:03:45.120 --> 00:03:47.539 the variety of writing found in the Bible, the 00:03:47.539 --> 00:03:50.280 tone of authorship, the importance of language 00:03:50.280 --> 00:03:53.240 and grammar and syntax, the importance of when 00:03:53.240 --> 00:03:55.340 something was written and the history of its 00:03:55.340 --> 00:03:59.259 translation over time. But with Steve, it wasn't 00:03:59.259 --> 00:04:02.719 all academic. Steve loves the scriptures and 00:04:02.719 --> 00:04:05.599 is propelled by their teachings. And he also 00:04:05.599 --> 00:04:08.740 taught of the power they hold to transform us 00:04:08.740 --> 00:04:13.280 because of the message that they hold. The scriptures 00:04:13.280 --> 00:04:16.100 are rich and they are deep. They are mysterious 00:04:16.100 --> 00:04:18.660 and clear. They are ancient and contemporary. 00:04:18.939 --> 00:04:21.160 And they have been passed through generations 00:04:21.160 --> 00:04:26.980 to get to us today. And we... owe a debt of gratitude 00:04:26.980 --> 00:04:29.160 for those that preserved them throughout the 00:04:29.160 --> 00:04:33.079 ages. The scribes and historians that recorded 00:04:33.079 --> 00:04:35.439 them, those that rewrote them so that they could 00:04:35.439 --> 00:04:38.680 be passed on, those that kept them safe when 00:04:38.680 --> 00:04:40.899 invading entities would have stolen them away, 00:04:41.139 --> 00:04:43.779 those that wrote them small so that they could 00:04:43.779 --> 00:04:46.379 be tucked into secret places when it was illegal 00:04:46.379 --> 00:04:49.860 to have possession of them. I am obliged to express 00:04:49.860 --> 00:04:54.160 deep Deep respect to those who protected these 00:04:54.160 --> 00:04:58.519 words through history. Because the Bible as we 00:04:58.519 --> 00:05:02.120 now know it has not always been. The original 00:05:02.120 --> 00:05:07.060 pieces, and I mean pieces, are many. And they 00:05:07.060 --> 00:05:09.399 have been lost and they have been found. They 00:05:09.399 --> 00:05:11.920 have been fought for and over. They have been 00:05:11.920 --> 00:05:14.740 transcribed and translated. They have been carried 00:05:14.740 --> 00:05:17.180 away so as not to be lost. And they have been 00:05:17.180 --> 00:05:20.540 carried with in order to be preserved. When the 00:05:20.540 --> 00:05:23.519 scriptures were read by Ezra, after the return 00:05:23.519 --> 00:05:26.839 of those from exile, the people wept to hear 00:05:26.839 --> 00:05:30.019 them. The words were precious to the hearers, 00:05:30.019 --> 00:05:34.720 and they still are. I read a book a handful of 00:05:34.720 --> 00:05:38.500 years ago called Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony 00:05:38.500 --> 00:05:42.300 Doerr. Do you know it? Some of you have probably 00:05:42.300 --> 00:05:45.079 actually read All the Light We Cannot See. That's 00:05:45.079 --> 00:05:47.560 also his. That's a pretty popular book. But a 00:05:47.560 --> 00:05:49.519 handful of years ago, I read this book, and it 00:05:49.519 --> 00:05:52.759 takes place in multiple timelines. And in each 00:05:52.759 --> 00:05:55.779 timeline, these characters are trying to protect 00:05:55.779 --> 00:05:58.939 an ancient piece of writing that has made its 00:05:58.939 --> 00:06:01.740 way to them in one way or another. One character 00:06:01.740 --> 00:06:05.160 escapes the attack of the Ottomans of Constantinople 00:06:05.160 --> 00:06:09.100 in 1453, taking the writing with her as she fled 00:06:09.100 --> 00:06:12.220 the city. Another acquires a copy during a war. 00:06:12.360 --> 00:06:14.800 Another is tasked with its care sometime in the 00:06:14.800 --> 00:06:17.420 future. And I remember thinking of all the various 00:06:17.420 --> 00:06:21.980 ways in history that people have done this with 00:06:21.980 --> 00:06:24.560 the pieces, the scrolls, the scraps of scripture 00:06:24.560 --> 00:06:27.120 that they have had possession of throughout the 00:06:27.120 --> 00:06:31.810 last multiple millennia. I have visited the town 00:06:31.810 --> 00:06:34.250 of Ancient Corinth in Greece a couple times. 00:06:34.569 --> 00:06:36.610 Kelsey Campbell and I got to go together last 00:06:36.610 --> 00:06:39.529 summer. The first time I was there, I walked 00:06:39.529 --> 00:06:42.509 around thinking about Paul meeting Priscilla 00:06:42.509 --> 00:06:45.250 and sitting in the marketplace, having conversations 00:06:45.250 --> 00:06:48.829 with people, starting the young church that was 00:06:48.829 --> 00:06:50.829 going to be there and his time that he spent 00:06:50.829 --> 00:06:55.600 there. I then sat in my car with the city ruins 00:06:55.600 --> 00:06:58.079 directly in front of me, the Temple of Apollo 00:06:58.079 --> 00:07:01.120 making a shadow on my car, and I read the opening 00:07:01.120 --> 00:07:04.300 passages of 1 Corinthians, and I was so moved. 00:07:04.720 --> 00:07:07.939 Paul wrote letters to this community, to his 00:07:07.939 --> 00:07:10.800 friends, to those that were wanting to grow in 00:07:10.800 --> 00:07:13.379 their dedication to Jesus. Those letters got 00:07:13.379 --> 00:07:15.779 circulated around. They were rewritten so that 00:07:15.779 --> 00:07:17.839 they could travel with people and go to other 00:07:17.839 --> 00:07:21.029 communities. They got rewritten again when the 00:07:21.029 --> 00:07:23.889 materials wore out, and that happened over and 00:07:23.889 --> 00:07:27.430 over and over again. They held on to these words. 00:07:27.910 --> 00:07:33.089 And as I sat there 2 ,000 years later in my modern 00:07:33.089 --> 00:07:36.829 chariot, as it were, next to a town that is now 00:07:36.829 --> 00:07:40.670 no longer. It is simply in ruins. I still get 00:07:40.670 --> 00:07:46.129 to read Paul's words on my iPhone. How wild is 00:07:46.129 --> 00:07:49.839 that, right? But the words, because the words 00:07:49.839 --> 00:07:52.420 were so precious and people took them so seriously 00:07:52.420 --> 00:07:57.120 and kept them so cared for, they were life for 00:07:57.120 --> 00:08:01.180 those people and the people kept them safe. The 00:08:01.180 --> 00:08:05.139 early church did not have the Bible as we know 00:08:05.139 --> 00:08:08.079 it. That wouldn't appear for a long time later. 00:08:08.259 --> 00:08:12.939 They had pieces of what we call the Old Testament, 00:08:13.040 --> 00:08:15.839 the Hebrew writings, that they viewed as scripture 00:08:15.839 --> 00:08:19.500 during their own time. In their world, it was 00:08:19.500 --> 00:08:23.100 known as the Septuagint because that was a Greek 00:08:23.100 --> 00:08:26.779 translation of the Hebrew scriptures that was 00:08:26.779 --> 00:08:30.399 now available because the Hebrew scriptures were 00:08:30.399 --> 00:08:33.129 now ancient to them. in the New Testament, in 00:08:33.129 --> 00:08:35.450 the New Testament times, in the early church. 00:08:35.629 --> 00:08:39.830 And so it had to be updated for a Greek Hellenized 00:08:39.830 --> 00:08:42.909 world to be able to have access to them. So that's 00:08:42.909 --> 00:08:45.730 what the early church, when you hear in what 00:08:45.730 --> 00:08:48.809 we call New Testament writings, scripture, they 00:08:48.809 --> 00:08:52.649 are referring to the Septuagint. Or if they are 00:08:52.649 --> 00:08:55.250 Hebrew people, they would have read also some 00:08:55.250 --> 00:09:00.299 of it in Hebrew and in Aramaic. So this is what 00:09:00.299 --> 00:09:03.360 they had. These scriptures were old and from 00:09:03.360 --> 00:09:06.940 a long lost era to even the New Testament people. 00:09:07.379 --> 00:09:10.799 But the books of what we call the New Testament 00:09:10.799 --> 00:09:14.139 were generally letters and accounts just being 00:09:14.139 --> 00:09:19.200 passed around at that time. And the Bible that 00:09:19.200 --> 00:09:23.340 we know is not self -aware in that everything 00:09:23.340 --> 00:09:27.860 that became scripture did not know in its own 00:09:27.860 --> 00:09:32.179 time that it was going to eventually be considered 00:09:32.179 --> 00:09:36.559 sacred. Now, the early church did consider things 00:09:36.559 --> 00:09:40.700 like apostolic letters from like Paul and others 00:09:40.700 --> 00:09:43.039 that were considered apostolic in their connection 00:09:43.039 --> 00:09:48.039 to Jesus. They took those very seriously as items 00:09:48.039 --> 00:09:50.620 of great importance. They were to be held onto 00:09:50.620 --> 00:09:54.539 and shared and even read in gatherings in partnership 00:09:54.539 --> 00:09:59.049 with The ancient scriptures. Because they held 00:09:59.049 --> 00:10:03.190 great practical information about now how to 00:10:03.190 --> 00:10:07.889 live as Christ followers in this new world that 00:10:07.889 --> 00:10:11.210 they were in. When there was no template. There 00:10:11.210 --> 00:10:14.129 was no instructions other than what Jesus left 00:10:14.129 --> 00:10:16.509 them with. And so they had to just rewrite it 00:10:16.509 --> 00:10:19.110 and share it and share it and share it over and 00:10:19.110 --> 00:10:23.370 over. But Paul... when he was writing his letters, 00:10:23.450 --> 00:10:26.029 was not writing to all of Christendom for the 00:10:26.029 --> 00:10:28.629 next two millennia when he wrote to the church 00:10:28.629 --> 00:10:31.370 in Corinth to talk about lawsuits and his upcoming 00:10:31.370 --> 00:10:35.429 travel schedule. He didn't know that these writings 00:10:35.429 --> 00:10:38.070 were going to have the longevity that they had. 00:10:39.070 --> 00:10:41.730 It, in its time, did not know its sacred value. 00:10:42.690 --> 00:10:47.549 And so, to have all of this bound neatly in our 00:10:47.549 --> 00:10:51.129 lifetime in a book you can get with a pretty 00:10:51.129 --> 00:10:57.379 cover, And shiny stuff on the ends is extraordinary 00:10:57.379 --> 00:11:02.039 and is a miracle. It is a miracle we have it. 00:11:03.840 --> 00:11:08.320 So in order to study the scriptures, we have 00:11:08.320 --> 00:11:10.840 to understand their value and how extraordinary 00:11:10.840 --> 00:11:15.559 it is that we even have them at all. We're so 00:11:15.559 --> 00:11:18.960 fortunate. God has cared for us in such an extraordinary 00:11:18.960 --> 00:11:23.629 way. that the story has held, the story has continued, 00:11:23.710 --> 00:11:27.090 and it has come to us. And I get to be a believer 00:11:27.090 --> 00:11:30.169 in Jesus and know about his salvation in my life 00:11:30.169 --> 00:11:33.070 because of these faithful people who cared so 00:11:33.070 --> 00:11:35.490 much, not in only their time, their own time, 00:11:35.669 --> 00:11:39.230 but to keep and care for these scraps and scrolls 00:11:39.230 --> 00:11:45.490 and bits and pieces. It's amazing. So to get 00:11:45.490 --> 00:11:49.659 into the nuts and bolts of it. I want to start 00:11:49.659 --> 00:11:53.379 with the Pauline and pastoral book of Timothy. 00:11:54.159 --> 00:11:58.639 And this book, these two books, these two letters, 00:11:58.679 --> 00:12:05.559 were written as sort of a final word to Timothy, 00:12:05.700 --> 00:12:10.070 who had become a trusted ministry partner. It's 00:12:10.070 --> 00:12:12.929 these final thoughts on the nuts and bolts of 00:12:12.929 --> 00:12:15.549 ministry. And what sounds like, at this time, 00:12:15.570 --> 00:12:20.309 a church that has become more established. So 00:12:20.309 --> 00:12:23.929 there are things like, keep in mind these things. 00:12:23.990 --> 00:12:29.190 Don't forget. Watch out for. Be alert. And devote 00:12:29.190 --> 00:12:32.570 yourself to the scriptures which point you to 00:12:32.570 --> 00:12:37.049 Jesus, our salvation. So let's read from 2 Timothy. 00:12:38.120 --> 00:12:40.340 At the house, we give the scriptures our full 00:12:40.340 --> 00:12:43.100 attention, and so you may stand for their reading 00:12:43.100 --> 00:12:47.100 if you would like to. If you don't have a Bible, 00:12:47.139 --> 00:12:49.720 you can look the passage up on your phone. Again, 00:12:49.899 --> 00:12:53.480 how amazing. We just have it on our phones. You 00:12:53.480 --> 00:12:55.820 can download a Bible app, and there are some 00:12:55.820 --> 00:12:59.240 Bibles on the table, I think. Yeah, there's some 00:12:59.240 --> 00:13:01.320 Bibles on the table and out in the hall. If you 00:13:01.320 --> 00:13:04.879 need one, you may take one. But I'm going to 00:13:04.879 --> 00:13:09.820 read from 2 Timothy 3. 14 through 17, and I'm 00:13:09.820 --> 00:13:11.879 reading from the New Revised Standard Version, 00:13:12.139 --> 00:13:16.840 updated edition, lots of letters, NRSVUE. 2 Timothy 00:13:16.840 --> 00:13:23.100 3, 14 through 17. But as for you, continue in 00:13:23.100 --> 00:13:24.960 what you have learned and firmly believe, he 00:13:24.960 --> 00:13:27.700 says to Timothy. knowing from who you've learned 00:13:27.700 --> 00:13:31.259 it and how from childhood you have known the 00:13:31.259 --> 00:13:34.279 sacred writings that are able to instruct you 00:13:34.279 --> 00:13:36.720 for salvation through faith in Jesus Christ. 00:13:37.919 --> 00:13:41.299 All scripture is inspired by God and is useful 00:13:41.299 --> 00:13:44.139 for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for 00:13:44.139 --> 00:13:46.779 training in righteousness, so that the person 00:13:46.779 --> 00:13:50.340 of God may be proficient and equipped for every 00:13:50.340 --> 00:13:55.490 good work. Let's pray. God, we are so grateful 00:13:55.490 --> 00:13:59.669 that here we stand in the time that we are in 00:13:59.669 --> 00:14:04.649 and these ancient words are still alive to us 00:14:04.649 --> 00:14:07.990 today and that they have made their way to us. 00:14:08.250 --> 00:14:10.990 They have made their way to people throughout 00:14:10.990 --> 00:14:14.789 history and have transformed us and have inspired 00:14:14.789 --> 00:14:17.210 us. They have taught us. They have corrected 00:14:17.210 --> 00:14:20.889 us. They have led us to you. And may they endure. 00:14:22.379 --> 00:14:26.639 May we be people that bear the word and bear 00:14:26.639 --> 00:14:31.559 your truth so that these things do not die but 00:14:31.559 --> 00:14:35.580 continue, at least as much as we can help it 00:14:35.580 --> 00:14:39.940 along. May we be preservers of the good word 00:14:39.940 --> 00:14:43.360 in which you have revealed yourself. We pray 00:14:43.360 --> 00:14:48.220 this in your name. Amen. As I said, what we consider 00:14:48.220 --> 00:14:50.480 scripture today looks different than what... 00:14:51.000 --> 00:14:53.919 This letter was calling scripture. The early 00:14:53.919 --> 00:14:55.899 church was born out of Judaism, but with the 00:14:55.899 --> 00:14:59.000 twist that the long waited for Messiah had in 00:14:59.000 --> 00:15:01.799 fact come. And now the new church was doing its 00:15:01.799 --> 00:15:04.480 best to follow him and keep the message before 00:15:04.480 --> 00:15:07.440 them. So the church needed teaching. It needed 00:15:07.440 --> 00:15:10.980 redirection on the things that were old that 00:15:10.980 --> 00:15:14.960 are now coming true. The old is gone. The new 00:15:14.960 --> 00:15:18.559 has come. What does that mean for us? They still 00:15:18.559 --> 00:15:21.139 needed redirection and words that brought them 00:15:21.139 --> 00:15:26.059 back to center. And we need that too. It needed 00:15:26.059 --> 00:15:28.080 to understand, the early church needed to understand 00:15:28.080 --> 00:15:30.360 how the kingdom of God that Jesus talked about 00:15:30.360 --> 00:15:33.779 so much, how it worked so that everyone could 00:15:33.779 --> 00:15:36.360 be fully informed and fully informed and equipped, 00:15:36.480 --> 00:15:39.500 that no one would have secret information that 00:15:39.500 --> 00:15:42.080 only a few people were allowed to know. The message 00:15:42.080 --> 00:15:45.059 was for everyone. And so this was the concern 00:15:45.059 --> 00:15:47.580 of this and the previous letter to Timothy, how 00:15:47.580 --> 00:15:49.820 to care for yourself and others in this life 00:15:49.820 --> 00:15:53.480 of being a pastor, preach the word, like root 00:15:53.480 --> 00:15:55.759 yourself in the scriptures and make sure people 00:15:55.759 --> 00:15:59.120 know. And so here we are today. We still need 00:15:59.120 --> 00:16:01.980 this, don't we? We are still needing this. And 00:16:01.980 --> 00:16:05.620 even I would go so far to say, it's not a stretch. 00:16:07.419 --> 00:16:09.919 This passage also doesn't let us off the hook 00:16:09.919 --> 00:16:13.919 either. Because we as a congregation, as believers, 00:16:14.080 --> 00:16:16.960 are also in need of the guidance of how to be 00:16:16.960 --> 00:16:20.159 pastoral in our world. Being called a kingdom 00:16:20.159 --> 00:16:22.779 of priests, meaning we have been given the call 00:16:22.779 --> 00:16:25.360 to serve God, represent him in the world, and 00:16:25.360 --> 00:16:29.000 live in a way that draws others to him. And so 00:16:29.000 --> 00:16:31.519 let's talk a bit about how to approach scripture 00:16:31.519 --> 00:16:34.360 with these things in mind. I'm going to go through 00:16:34.360 --> 00:16:38.870 three concepts. Big and broad. And very, very 00:16:38.870 --> 00:16:41.350 sort of like, again, nuts and bolts, it's the 00:16:41.350 --> 00:16:44.750 best term to use. It's very easy. Secondarily, 00:16:44.889 --> 00:16:49.730 how do we listen to the scriptures? And thirdly, 00:16:49.730 --> 00:16:52.250 what does it mean once we've embodied it and 00:16:52.250 --> 00:16:59.129 move from there? So there's a caveat I'd like 00:16:59.129 --> 00:17:01.370 to make, too, because how many people, when the 00:17:01.370 --> 00:17:03.889 question was asked, what do you like to read, 00:17:04.009 --> 00:17:08.099 said, I don't like to read? Anybody? That's a 00:17:08.099 --> 00:17:10.420 real thing. So sometimes when we get into conversations 00:17:10.420 --> 00:17:13.559 about reading scripture or studying scripture, 00:17:13.859 --> 00:17:18.619 that's like, I don't like to read. What am I 00:17:18.619 --> 00:17:22.940 to do? And on a very real level, there are some 00:17:22.940 --> 00:17:26.039 very real restrictions that prevent people from 00:17:26.039 --> 00:17:29.619 reading and enjoying the written word. And so 00:17:29.619 --> 00:17:33.599 I do want to say, listening to scripture. audiobooks 00:17:33.599 --> 00:17:35.160 you can get them through the library you can 00:17:35.160 --> 00:17:38.799 get them as apps please know that that is also 00:17:38.799 --> 00:17:43.079 valid because even in the early in the early 00:17:43.079 --> 00:17:46.680 in the early testamental years mostly people 00:17:46.680 --> 00:17:49.220 were listening to the scriptures they weren't 00:17:49.220 --> 00:17:52.230 they weren't pulling out their home scrolls and 00:17:52.230 --> 00:17:55.369 going through and reading them. So be encouraged 00:17:55.369 --> 00:17:58.970 that listening to the word, listening to it is 00:17:58.970 --> 00:18:01.049 another way of getting it in you. If you don't 00:18:01.049 --> 00:18:04.869 like to read, and that is okay. Be clear on that 00:18:04.869 --> 00:18:08.829 point. So, and if you need help finding some 00:18:08.829 --> 00:18:11.069 good resources along those lines, talk to Greg 00:18:11.069 --> 00:18:13.230 and myself. Andy's a big reader. There's plenty 00:18:13.230 --> 00:18:15.269 of other people. Scott has also expressed some 00:18:15.269 --> 00:18:18.029 of the ways he's listened to scripture. So ask 00:18:18.029 --> 00:18:21.779 questions. But yes, this big book can feel overwhelming 00:18:21.779 --> 00:18:23.619 to some degree, even for those that have known 00:18:23.619 --> 00:18:26.140 Jesus a long time, can have a sense of where 00:18:26.140 --> 00:18:28.700 do I begin? How can it be made new again? How 00:18:28.700 --> 00:18:30.660 do I approach it? And if you're not somebody 00:18:30.660 --> 00:18:33.519 who enjoys reading, what do you do? So let's 00:18:33.519 --> 00:18:36.799 talk through a couple of ways that I think actually 00:18:36.799 --> 00:18:39.299 work for multiple different learning styles and 00:18:39.299 --> 00:18:42.240 different intelligence styles. So I want to talk 00:18:42.240 --> 00:18:45.839 about the Bible as an anthology. It is not one 00:18:45.839 --> 00:18:49.299 book. It is a compilation of books, which I think 00:18:49.299 --> 00:18:52.859 is fascinating. And maybe that helps. I'm not 00:18:52.859 --> 00:18:54.579 just referring to the Bible in two parts, the 00:18:54.579 --> 00:18:56.759 Old Testament and New Testament. The breakdown 00:18:56.759 --> 00:19:00.339 is that there are, in the Protestant Bible, 66 00:19:00.339 --> 00:19:05.019 different books. And they're very unique, depending 00:19:05.019 --> 00:19:08.160 on the variety of your tradition. Catholicism, 00:19:08.279 --> 00:19:12.180 Orthodoxy, Protestantism has even more books 00:19:12.180 --> 00:19:17.140 in it. And so we have... All these different 00:19:17.140 --> 00:19:22.660 kinds of books in here covering a large span 00:19:22.660 --> 00:19:26.460 of time. And so when the Bible feels a little 00:19:26.460 --> 00:19:31.099 like singular to you. Take a moment to realize 00:19:31.099 --> 00:19:33.680 the diversity that is set up in it, not just 00:19:33.680 --> 00:19:36.160 the diversity of books, but people it represents 00:19:36.160 --> 00:19:38.960 and the moments in history it represents. It 00:19:38.960 --> 00:19:43.240 is an incredible anthology, a collection of books 00:19:43.240 --> 00:19:46.000 over time and history in which we get so many 00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:50.720 different voices that come through to us. And 00:19:50.720 --> 00:19:52.680 I love to talk about how the Bible was formed, 00:19:52.819 --> 00:19:55.480 like how we actually got it to this form. So 00:19:55.480 --> 00:19:57.980 if anybody's interested in that, I will go deep. 00:19:58.799 --> 00:20:03.059 So we have a book of books. That is valuable 00:20:03.059 --> 00:20:06.619 to know when you are approaching the Bible and 00:20:06.619 --> 00:20:11.579 digging into it. Also, the books are not one 00:20:11.579 --> 00:20:15.579 kind of book. They are multiple different genres. 00:20:16.000 --> 00:20:19.609 So who reads fiction? I heard Africa earlier 00:20:19.609 --> 00:20:22.190 say fiction. Who loves fantasy in particular? 00:20:22.849 --> 00:20:28.910 Who loves history? Andy. Who loves, like, really 00:20:28.910 --> 00:20:31.569 just, like, you love reading the news. Like, 00:20:31.569 --> 00:20:33.990 that's such a delight for you to get, like, the 00:20:33.990 --> 00:20:36.710 Sunday paper and read the news. Listen, you laugh, 00:20:36.710 --> 00:20:41.869 but I'm like, give me the news. I want it. Adventure. 00:20:43.170 --> 00:20:46.109 Choose your own adventure. Do you remember those 00:20:46.109 --> 00:20:51.680 books? Genres matter. We're not going to read 00:20:51.680 --> 00:20:53.319 a history book the same way we're going to read 00:20:53.319 --> 00:20:55.500 fantasy. Reading about the history of the Constitution 00:20:55.500 --> 00:20:58.440 is much different than reading about dragons. 00:20:59.799 --> 00:21:02.240 Genres matter, and the collected scriptures we 00:21:02.240 --> 00:21:05.180 have is an incredible anthology of diverse books 00:21:05.180 --> 00:21:07.599 that represent a long stretch of people's relationship 00:21:07.599 --> 00:21:09.680 with God and God's relationship with us over 00:21:09.680 --> 00:21:12.680 time. Some of the styles or the genres that the 00:21:12.680 --> 00:21:16.000 Bible includes are wisdom, law, history, letters, 00:21:16.160 --> 00:21:19.619 allegory, prophecy, apocalyptic literature, which 00:21:19.619 --> 00:21:21.660 I would like to say the book of John is not the 00:21:21.660 --> 00:21:28.140 only one of. Lament. Songs, parable, poetry, 00:21:28.380 --> 00:21:33.180 narrative, sermon, genealogy. Knowing what genre 00:21:33.180 --> 00:21:36.000 a biblical book is and how to read that genre 00:21:36.000 --> 00:21:39.480 is valuable. I just finished reading Jurassic 00:21:39.480 --> 00:21:44.539 Park last week. I loved it. But I cannot expect 00:21:44.539 --> 00:21:48.039 to find elves where there are dinosaurs. Reading 00:21:48.039 --> 00:21:51.599 the Constitution with Gandalf the Grey's voice. 00:21:52.349 --> 00:21:55.809 yelling at the Balrog is not going to, I mean, 00:21:55.849 --> 00:21:58.970 that's going to be a weird constitution. And 00:21:58.970 --> 00:22:01.269 though I won't stop you from trying, it will 00:22:01.269 --> 00:22:04.490 be weird. If you read Greek mythology with the 00:22:04.490 --> 00:22:06.109 same approach as one might read a newspaper, 00:22:06.309 --> 00:22:08.569 you might find yourself trying to unearth fact 00:22:08.569 --> 00:22:12.259 where there is meant to be fiction. That's important. 00:22:12.940 --> 00:22:15.299 So knowing the intended style of a book will 00:22:15.299 --> 00:22:17.619 help you with your expectations of what the book 00:22:17.619 --> 00:22:20.339 is meant to be. You will not find Frankenstein's 00:22:20.339 --> 00:22:23.740 monster piloting the Millennium Falcon. Or maybe 00:22:23.740 --> 00:22:25.859 you would. I think I would probably watch that. 00:22:27.119 --> 00:22:30.180 But we can't read Jesus' parables with the same 00:22:30.180 --> 00:22:32.660 understanding or application as we read Paul's 00:22:32.660 --> 00:22:36.940 letters to the Corinthians. Genres matter. Style 00:22:36.940 --> 00:22:41.160 matters. So knowing what kind of book you are 00:22:41.160 --> 00:22:46.099 reading informs what the book is saying. Context. 00:22:46.140 --> 00:22:50.259 You know how much I love context. The Bible's 00:22:50.259 --> 00:22:52.240 collection of books spans this incredible range 00:22:52.240 --> 00:22:55.019 of time in the world that we know now as the 00:22:55.019 --> 00:22:57.920 Mediterranean West Asia. Culturally, here as 00:22:57.920 --> 00:23:02.059 Americans, we will. This is going to happen. 00:23:02.099 --> 00:23:07.640 We will read our Americanism. and 21st century 00:23:07.640 --> 00:23:10.960 norms onto the scriptures. It is inevitable. 00:23:12.240 --> 00:23:15.579 We will, if not alert, read with the eyes of 00:23:15.579 --> 00:23:18.880 the world we know, but we need to recognize that 00:23:18.880 --> 00:23:22.220 this is unhelpful. Taking time to understand 00:23:22.220 --> 00:23:24.579 some context, some surrounding information is 00:23:24.579 --> 00:23:27.809 worth it. And listen, we live in an amazing time 00:23:27.809 --> 00:23:31.710 of information. You can do a simple search on 00:23:31.710 --> 00:23:35.329 Book of 2 Timothy, Book of Revelation. Simple 00:23:35.329 --> 00:23:38.529 searches will help bring up the authorship, the 00:23:38.529 --> 00:23:40.769 time frame it was written in, who the book was 00:23:40.769 --> 00:23:42.910 written to, major themes, locations, what was 00:23:42.910 --> 00:23:45.670 going on at the time. That is accessible to all 00:23:45.670 --> 00:23:51.390 of us. So I encourage you, do a little bit of 00:23:51.390 --> 00:23:56.079 research. And finally, translations matter. Knowing 00:23:56.079 --> 00:23:58.500 a little bit about your translation can be helpful 00:23:58.500 --> 00:24:02.740 because translation does have bias in it. Some 00:24:02.740 --> 00:24:05.339 translations are fairly literal. The attempt 00:24:05.339 --> 00:24:08.579 is to try to get as word for word as possible. 00:24:09.859 --> 00:24:12.980 One -to -one translation. But some translate 00:24:12.980 --> 00:24:17.460 in the spirit of the phrase or the word. And 00:24:17.460 --> 00:24:22.660 even in one translation. NIV, New Living Translation, 00:24:22.819 --> 00:24:26.059 NRSV, King James Version. Even in one translation, 00:24:26.440 --> 00:24:29.859 you're going to find a mix of that stuff that 00:24:29.859 --> 00:24:32.640 maybe the book of Revelation was really well 00:24:32.640 --> 00:24:35.359 translated for the language, but the book of 00:24:35.359 --> 00:24:37.940 John, probably another translation is going to 00:24:37.940 --> 00:24:40.039 give you better insight. So I'd like to offer 00:24:40.039 --> 00:24:44.390 that even with a translation, use a few. Read 00:24:44.390 --> 00:24:46.970 a few. It's going to give you, if anything, a 00:24:46.970 --> 00:24:50.450 broader approach and understanding of a passage. 00:24:52.630 --> 00:24:55.230 And the books of the Bible were not written in 00:24:55.230 --> 00:24:56.789 vacuums, and neither were their translations. 00:24:56.829 --> 00:24:59.470 The King James Bible was translated and made 00:24:59.470 --> 00:25:03.670 available in its time because of its time. So 00:25:03.670 --> 00:25:07.869 useful things to know. So taking time to understand 00:25:07.869 --> 00:25:10.470 these things will enrich your form of reading. 00:25:10.670 --> 00:25:13.980 So, okay, those are very practical. What did 00:25:13.980 --> 00:25:16.799 I say they were? Nuts and bolts. Thank you, Chris. 00:25:17.079 --> 00:25:19.980 So those are some very practical shop talk pieces 00:25:19.980 --> 00:25:22.599 that I want to just put on the table. It feels 00:25:22.599 --> 00:25:25.160 very academic. I understand that. And it kind 00:25:25.160 --> 00:25:29.359 of is. But they're tools that give you both broad 00:25:29.359 --> 00:25:32.220 approaches and scalpels. And both of that is 00:25:32.220 --> 00:25:35.779 valuable. However, and I would also dare to say, 00:25:35.900 --> 00:25:39.119 in an era of information like we have, it's almost 00:25:39.119 --> 00:25:42.220 non -negotiable. for you to add some of that 00:25:42.220 --> 00:25:44.740 to your study of scripture. Just do a little 00:25:44.740 --> 00:25:49.180 bit more. So these things I just mentioned are 00:25:49.180 --> 00:25:51.420 only a part of it. And like I said, they are 00:25:51.420 --> 00:25:55.380 seemingly academic and even almost detached way 00:25:55.380 --> 00:25:58.200 of considering the scriptures. Objective and 00:25:58.200 --> 00:26:01.559 informative. They are meant to get us though 00:26:01.559 --> 00:26:05.039 to another layer. They are not the end goal. 00:26:05.160 --> 00:26:07.740 Knowledge is not the end goal and it is not useful 00:26:07.740 --> 00:26:12.500 if it doesn't lead us to wisdom. So we need to 00:26:12.500 --> 00:26:15.980 go further. What I just went through are technicalities 00:26:15.980 --> 00:26:19.559 of our approach, practical tools. They are enriching 00:26:19.559 --> 00:26:22.059 and useful, but do they get us to the layers 00:26:22.059 --> 00:26:28.839 of what God is saying to us? Because if we do 00:26:28.839 --> 00:26:31.380 not read scripture to understand God and hear 00:26:31.380 --> 00:26:35.259 from God, we have missed the point. So like I 00:26:35.259 --> 00:26:36.960 said, the nuts and bolts. That is what we have 00:26:36.960 --> 00:26:40.619 done. Paul has affirmed, Romans 15, 4, whatever 00:26:40.619 --> 00:26:43.900 was written in former days was written for our 00:26:43.900 --> 00:26:50.559 instruction. But, John 5, 39, Jesus has taught 00:26:50.559 --> 00:26:54.200 us that the scriptures bear witness about me. 00:26:55.460 --> 00:26:59.059 And the apostles preach Christ as the fulfillment 00:26:59.059 --> 00:27:03.319 of the law and the prophets. So the authority 00:27:03.319 --> 00:27:06.099 of the Bible was not abstract, but was Christ 00:27:06.099 --> 00:27:08.859 -centered. It was all going in one direction. 00:27:09.299 --> 00:27:12.740 This conviction shaped the church's early mission. 00:27:12.779 --> 00:27:16.559 The Old Testament was read in light of Christ, 00:27:16.700 --> 00:27:20.660 and the apostolic writings proclaimed his death 00:27:20.660 --> 00:27:24.329 and his resurrection. So as Paul summarized, 00:27:24.369 --> 00:27:27.789 1 Corinthians 15, 3 and 4, Christ died for our 00:27:27.789 --> 00:27:30.809 sins in accordance with the scriptures. He was 00:27:30.809 --> 00:27:33.730 raised on the third day in accordance with the 00:27:33.730 --> 00:27:35.670 scriptures. They looked back at the scriptures 00:27:35.670 --> 00:27:39.869 and then built the story from there in the new 00:27:39.869 --> 00:27:45.509 apostolic era. And as a collective, we get that 00:27:45.509 --> 00:27:47.769 full picture that even they didn't have in their 00:27:47.769 --> 00:27:51.130 own time. The authority of scripture was tied 00:27:51.130 --> 00:27:53.369 to its power to reveal Christ and to call sinners 00:27:53.369 --> 00:27:56.529 to faith. And so scripture is not only practical, 00:27:56.549 --> 00:27:59.049 it is spiritual. Greg even said literally that 00:27:59.049 --> 00:28:02.809 a couple weeks ago. I have a different approach 00:28:02.809 --> 00:28:05.670 to it, but that's exactly right. It is practical, 00:28:05.869 --> 00:28:08.450 but it is also spiritual. And they're hand in 00:28:08.450 --> 00:28:11.329 hand. They're not exclusive of each other. The 00:28:11.329 --> 00:28:12.910 early Christians understood that the Bible's 00:28:12.910 --> 00:28:14.950 authority was not merely to instruct, but to 00:28:14.950 --> 00:28:18.400 redeem. And so the practical things help get 00:28:18.400 --> 00:28:22.180 us to the core. When I was in my methods of Bible 00:28:22.180 --> 00:28:25.940 study class, both times, I was introduced to 00:28:25.940 --> 00:28:28.579 the idea of asking, what was the scripture saying 00:28:28.579 --> 00:28:32.359 to its original audience? And what is it saying 00:28:32.359 --> 00:28:35.819 to now? Unsurprisingly, if you've been around 00:28:35.819 --> 00:28:38.319 for a minute, you know I can get caught in the 00:28:38.319 --> 00:28:40.680 weeds on word studies and context and, of course, 00:28:40.680 --> 00:28:43.759 history. I love history. While writing this message, 00:28:43.799 --> 00:28:46.319 even, I went down a whole rabbit hole on the 00:28:46.319 --> 00:28:50.259 word graph and went through about 20 scriptures 00:28:50.259 --> 00:28:52.759 and where it was featured because I wanted to 00:28:52.759 --> 00:28:58.059 know more about that word. None of that made 00:28:58.059 --> 00:29:02.940 it into this message. But I love... I love the 00:29:02.940 --> 00:29:07.000 knowledge that comes with it. But I can easily 00:29:07.000 --> 00:29:10.240 focus on gaining knowledge, and then I can also 00:29:10.240 --> 00:29:14.140 easily overlook the wisdom and the voice of the 00:29:14.140 --> 00:29:16.180 Spirit if I'm not staying in tune and paying 00:29:16.180 --> 00:29:19.180 attention. So I need to invite the Spirit into 00:29:19.180 --> 00:29:23.309 it. We all do. That's the thing we all do. But 00:29:23.309 --> 00:29:26.009 I'm being mindful here. I need to remember, invite 00:29:26.009 --> 00:29:29.049 the spirit into the reading and to the experience 00:29:29.049 --> 00:29:31.470 here. When I read scripture, there is knowledge 00:29:31.470 --> 00:29:33.890 to be had and knowledge to be applied. That is 00:29:33.890 --> 00:29:36.950 good, but it is not the end. If I am not inviting 00:29:36.950 --> 00:29:39.690 the spirit to speak to me, to guide me in wisdom, 00:29:39.910 --> 00:29:42.710 I am missing out on the whole thing. I am missing 00:29:42.710 --> 00:29:44.950 out on the hope. I am missing out on the transformation. 00:29:45.069 --> 00:29:47.130 I am missing out on the story of redemption. 00:29:48.279 --> 00:29:50.380 So I need to further ask, what is the Spirit 00:29:50.380 --> 00:29:52.839 saying? What does this passage tell me about 00:29:52.839 --> 00:29:57.440 God? Because the Bible is the authoritative source 00:29:57.440 --> 00:30:01.400 on the Christian God. There are no other sources 00:30:01.400 --> 00:30:03.940 that have the range or the depth of the story 00:30:03.940 --> 00:30:08.599 of Yahweh in the world. And ultimately, I need 00:30:08.599 --> 00:30:13.140 to ask, what from this do I need to carry with 00:30:13.140 --> 00:30:16.769 me and respond to? And I need to let the scripture 00:30:16.769 --> 00:30:19.589 through the enlightenment of the spirit speak. 00:30:22.390 --> 00:30:26.789 Eugene Peterson, you would know him from his 00:30:26.789 --> 00:30:30.849 paraphrased translation of The Message. He loved, 00:30:30.910 --> 00:30:36.289 loved scripture. In his book called Eat This 00:30:36.289 --> 00:30:38.710 Book, I always bring books with me, Eat This 00:30:38.710 --> 00:30:41.750 Book, he talks about whether we read the Bible 00:30:41.750 --> 00:30:44.750 for information. about God and salvation for 00:30:44.750 --> 00:30:46.430 principles and truths that we can use to live 00:30:46.430 --> 00:30:50.609 better? Or do we read it in order to listen to 00:30:50.609 --> 00:30:55.309 God and respond in prayer and obedience? So lastly, 00:30:55.390 --> 00:31:00.069 as we move from knowledge into wisdom, ultimately, 00:31:00.069 --> 00:31:04.269 we need to read and study scripture so that we 00:31:04.269 --> 00:31:08.809 ultimately embody its message. It doesn't stay 00:31:08.809 --> 00:31:11.029 on our skin. It comes into our hearts. It comes 00:31:11.029 --> 00:31:17.039 into our minds. So Deuteronomy 6, 1 through 9. 00:31:19.000 --> 00:31:22.400 These are the commands, decrees, and laws the 00:31:22.400 --> 00:31:25.579 Lord your God directed me to teach you to observe 00:31:25.579 --> 00:31:27.759 in the land that you are crossing the Jordan 00:31:27.759 --> 00:31:31.859 to possess so that you, your children, and their 00:31:31.859 --> 00:31:34.200 children after them may fear the Lord your God 00:31:34.200 --> 00:31:37.579 as long as you live by keeping all his decrees 00:31:37.579 --> 00:31:41.269 and commands that I give you. so that you may 00:31:41.269 --> 00:31:44.690 enjoy long life. Hear, Israel, and be careful 00:31:44.690 --> 00:31:48.150 to obey, so that it may go well with you, and 00:31:48.150 --> 00:31:50.009 that you may increase greatly in the land flowing 00:31:50.009 --> 00:31:51.970 with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God 00:31:51.970 --> 00:31:55.990 of your ancestors, promised you. Hear, O Israel, 00:31:56.190 --> 00:32:00.210 the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord 00:32:00.210 --> 00:32:01.869 your God with all your heart, and with all your 00:32:01.869 --> 00:32:04.890 soul, and with all your strength. These commandments, 00:32:05.269 --> 00:32:09.039 these were their scriptures. the law and the 00:32:09.039 --> 00:32:12.900 prophets. These commandments that I give you 00:32:12.900 --> 00:32:18.480 today are to be on your hearts. Impress them 00:32:18.480 --> 00:32:21.980 on your children. Talk about them when you sit 00:32:21.980 --> 00:32:28.059 at home, when you walk along the road, when you 00:32:28.059 --> 00:32:32.140 lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols 00:32:32.140 --> 00:32:35.059 on your hands and bind them to your forehead. 00:32:35.420 --> 00:32:38.359 Write them on the door frames of your houses 00:32:38.359 --> 00:32:44.559 and on your gates. Get them into your life. Get 00:32:44.559 --> 00:32:49.519 them into your whole being. May these words, 00:32:49.559 --> 00:32:52.380 may the message permeate your life in every way. 00:32:52.500 --> 00:32:56.019 May they inform you. May they lead you. May they 00:32:56.019 --> 00:32:59.200 be in you so that when the Lord needs to call 00:32:59.200 --> 00:33:03.240 them to mind, they are in place. They are in 00:33:03.240 --> 00:33:08.519 you. When you need to speak encouragement, the 00:33:08.519 --> 00:33:11.220 words are close to the surface. When you need 00:33:11.220 --> 00:33:13.240 to teach or correct, may it be done with the 00:33:13.240 --> 00:33:15.859 message of life that comes from these pages because 00:33:15.859 --> 00:33:18.640 they are living in you. May they live in you 00:33:18.640 --> 00:33:21.019 like the breath you breathe so that when you 00:33:21.019 --> 00:33:24.160 speak, you speak the message that is encapsulated 00:33:24.160 --> 00:33:29.779 in it. May not just the words, but the heart 00:33:29.779 --> 00:33:33.359 of the spirit -inspired witness to God's saving 00:33:33.359 --> 00:33:37.140 plan from Genesis to Revelation be embedded in 00:33:37.140 --> 00:33:40.140 you in such a way that the message of God comes 00:33:40.140 --> 00:33:43.799 through you, not as a weapon to hurt others, 00:33:45.359 --> 00:33:49.420 not as a way for proving a point or a tool for 00:33:49.420 --> 00:33:55.180 an argument, but as a message of life and of 00:33:55.180 --> 00:34:03.500 creation and of salvation and of hope. Now, I 00:34:03.500 --> 00:34:07.039 did go to school to learn a number of these things. 00:34:07.119 --> 00:34:10.239 I went to pastor school to learn these things. 00:34:12.710 --> 00:34:16.829 You don't have to go to pastor school to study 00:34:16.829 --> 00:34:21.269 scripture well. You don't have to go to school 00:34:21.269 --> 00:34:28.530 to love this book and to love the words of life 00:34:28.530 --> 00:34:35.090 in it. You have tools at your hands. You have 00:34:35.090 --> 00:34:37.010 tools at the ready that are available to you, 00:34:37.050 --> 00:34:41.710 and I encourage you to dive in. Dive into words 00:34:41.710 --> 00:34:44.889 of life, dive into words of hope, dive into words 00:34:44.889 --> 00:34:47.190 of salvation, not just for your own sake, but 00:34:47.190 --> 00:34:50.150 again, once they are in you, then they move with 00:34:50.150 --> 00:34:54.869 you through the world. They go with you. And 00:34:54.869 --> 00:34:58.469 when we are talking about dark places that we 00:34:58.469 --> 00:35:03.010 are seeing and we know about, the light lives 00:35:03.010 --> 00:35:09.179 in you and you can take it with you. We don't 00:35:09.179 --> 00:35:13.139 read these words because we have to discipline 00:35:13.139 --> 00:35:17.300 ourselves to spend time reading three chapters 00:35:17.300 --> 00:35:20.940 for my Bible study plan. I mean, that's useful 00:35:20.940 --> 00:35:25.619 as a method if that is helpful to you. But we 00:35:25.619 --> 00:35:29.019 don't do it to check off boxes. We do it because 00:35:29.019 --> 00:35:32.179 these are words of life that we need and others 00:35:32.179 --> 00:35:44.269 around us need. incredibly runs throughout the 00:35:44.269 --> 00:35:47.510 whole thing. And then we need to get it in us 00:35:47.510 --> 00:35:50.110 so that we embody this message too and are transformed 00:35:50.110 --> 00:35:58.630 by it. So if you hope to see transformation in 00:35:58.630 --> 00:36:02.530 the world, I think this is where it begins. It's 00:36:02.530 --> 00:36:04.170 not the sole place because Marissa talked about 00:36:04.170 --> 00:36:05.590 prayer last week and I'm like, that's good too. 00:36:07.150 --> 00:36:10.469 You should also do that. It is a full picture. 00:36:10.690 --> 00:36:12.989 It is a full picture of these things that we 00:36:12.989 --> 00:36:16.989 do to place ourselves in the way, following the 00:36:16.989 --> 00:36:21.449 rabbi, being in the way of Christ. But I said 00:36:21.449 --> 00:36:26.030 a lot of things, as I normally do, but I'm trusting 00:36:26.030 --> 00:36:29.599 God to bring to the surface what you need. If 00:36:29.599 --> 00:36:31.539 it's some of the practical nuts and bolts stuff 00:36:31.539 --> 00:36:34.320 of, oh, I've never thought about the translations. 00:36:34.539 --> 00:36:36.719 I've never thought about just doing a quick Google 00:36:36.719 --> 00:36:40.900 search on what was the context and the setting 00:36:40.900 --> 00:36:43.900 of this particular book. If that's new to you, 00:36:43.980 --> 00:36:48.199 awesome. That's so great. If you want to rededicate 00:36:48.199 --> 00:36:51.079 yourself to the questions you ask of the scripture, 00:36:51.460 --> 00:36:55.719 Christ, speak to me. God, what can I learn about 00:36:55.719 --> 00:37:00.420 you through this passage? Amazing. Moving from 00:37:00.420 --> 00:37:03.219 words to full embodiment of the message is a 00:37:03.219 --> 00:37:07.280 new idea to you as well. Amazing. Let that go, 00:37:07.420 --> 00:37:10.599 let that be with you as a hopeful thing, that 00:37:10.599 --> 00:37:13.159 the Spirit will help you with that and will make 00:37:13.159 --> 00:37:17.139 that possible for you. But as we move into communion, 00:37:17.440 --> 00:37:21.219 we often have a moment just for reflection, and 00:37:21.219 --> 00:37:24.159 I encourage you to use that reflection time to 00:37:24.159 --> 00:37:30.400 just simply ask God, what from? These bits will 00:37:30.400 --> 00:37:33.380 be your next step or the thing that you want 00:37:33.380 --> 00:37:34.400 to think about this week.