Bible Study Series

The Barna group did a survey on Bible study and its results are heartbreaking. Only 18% of born again Christians claim to read the Bible every day. That is less than 1 out of 5. 23%, almost 1 in every 4 Christians admits to never reading the word of God. This is a serious problem. Effectively what these statistics tell us is that only 18% of born again Christian are even close to a healthy relationship with Christ and are getting their daily bread. We know Christianity is not about a religion or rules but a relationship. This is not say that these people who aren’t reading their Bibles cannot be saved or that they don’t have a relationship with God but the Bible is God’s primary way of communicating with us. What this shows us is that one of primary ways we can get to know God so that we can be filled with Him is being pretty commonly neglected.

Nothing can replace the importance of God’s word. The Bible is the food for our souls. It is vital to our lives. For in its pages are contained the words of God. In its pages we find life. They tell us of the law of God that we have broken. They tell us of the love of God sending His Son to redeem us from our sin. They tell us how to live our new redeemed life. What we need for life is found in the pages of word of God. It tells us how to live, how to find meaning, and most importantly how to know God. One of the greatest dangers facing the church right now is biblical illiteracy. So many are lead astray by false teaching because they don’t know the truth well enough to recognize a lie. Many of us don’t know the word of God like we should. If we don’t know it, how can we share with others? If we don’t know it how can we allow it to change our lives?

The study of God’s word is one of the most important spiritual disciplines. We must know the truth. If we don’t we can’t live it. We need to study the word of God but sometimes we misunderstand what that really means. We must develop a good habit of Biblical intake in our lives. We won’t see the word of God coming out of our lives unless we are faithful to put it in.

In Colossians 2:2 Paul shows us the importance of the word of God in our lives.

Col 2:2 My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, Col 2:3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Do you see Paul’s desire? He is wants the church to experience the full riches of complete understanding. It is important in our study of the word of God to do more than just read. Bible Study is not just about learning the words but about understanding what they mean because Bible knowledge by itself can be dangerous. Look at the problem that Jesus had with the religious leaders of His day. They knew their Bible front, back, sideways, and inside out. The problem was they knew the Scripture but they did not understand what they meant and it didn’t effect how the lived. Bible study is not just about reading it is about understand what is really being said. To understand Scripture you must read it in context