The Bible - Gods Word For Discipleship Series

The Bible – God’s Word For Discipleship

There is no Spiritual Discipline more important to the Christian, than the intake of God’s Word. There simply is no healthy Christian life apart from daily intake of a diet of God’s Word. The Christian should feast on God’s Word daily. Why? Let me give you some reasons:

1. In the Bible – God tells us about Himself. God reveals Himself to us. He tells us of His creation and His incarnation.

2. In the Bible – God reveals His law – and how mankind has broken it. He shows how all have fallen short of His expectations for our lives – how all of us have sinned.

3. In the Bible – God shows how He sent His son Jesus to live a sinless life and to die for sinners.

4. In the Bible – God teaches how we can be forgiven and have a home in heaven.

5. In the Bible – God instructs us on how to behave while we remain here on earth. We find how to live – and how to truly love. We find detailed instructions on how to relate to God and how to relate people.

None of this eternally essential information can be found anyplace else except for the Bible. Therefore if we want to know God and become godly – we must know the Word of God. Yet for many Christians neglect of the God’s Word is common.

If you will recall our focal verse for this series is found in First Timothy chapter four and verse seven. Let’s look at it together:

“Discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness.” 1st Timothy 4:7 (NASV)

We have been talking about how we need to discipline ourselves to be better disciples of Christ. Today I am going to give you six ways that you can get a grasp on God’s Word – because as I have already said – intake of God’s Word is vital for healthy Christian growth. Let’s look at how you can get a better grasp on God Word.

The first thing we need to do to get a better grasp on God’s Word is:

I. HEAR GOD’S WORD

The Bible tells us:

“Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” Romans 10:17 (NASV)

How many of you would like to have more faith? Then listen to the Word of God. This is the easiest way to get into God’s Word. It’s the most common way. But it’s also the way we can loose the most content. You can purchase the Bible not just in written form – but you can also get it in audio form now as well. You can get the Bible now on CD or MP3. You can stick a CD in your car stereo and listen to it as you are driving down the road – or place it in your MP3 player as you’re out and about. You can get great sermons by great preachers on-line now too. Bible teaches like Chuck Swindoll, Chuck Smith, Andy Stanley or John MacArthur. There are lots of great Bible teachers from the past and present available for download. Listen to what they have to say.

But the problem is we tend to forget 95% of what we hear within 72 hours. (Some of us take a lot less time than that) If you want a statistic that will depress pastors, that’s it! Much of what we hear we forget. Unless you write things down, you’re going to forget 95% of what was said this morning by Wednesday. That’s why people can go week after week, year after year to church and not really grow. They don’t really remember it. How can you apply God’s Word to your life – if you don’t even remember it?

Jesus said, "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" (Matthew 11:15)

Let me give you one basic way to improve your hearing. Here it is:

Take notes on what you hear.

Hebrews chapter two tells us:

“We must give our full attention to what we were told, so that we won’t drift away.” Hebrews 2:1 (CEV)

The best way that I have found to remember something is to write it down. I have heard it said, “A short pencil is longer than the best memory.” When I listen to other preachers – I take notes. I open up my Bible and underline – keep an outline of the sermon. I want to challenge you to keep a spiritual notebook. A spiritual notebook is a tool designed to help you organize and retain the blessings of God. James tells us:

“The one who looks steadily at God’s perfect law…and makes that law his HABIT – not listening and them forgetting, but actively putting it into practice will be happy in all that he does.” James 1:25 (Ph)