The Purpose Of Bible Study Series

Gentlemen, welcome to Resolute.

Resolute exists to disciple and develop men to lead. And it is our goal to put great tools and content in your hands to help you and the men that gather with you to have solid discussions with other men around great biblical topics.

While we have a number of different series for men, this series is designed to help us understand how to study the Bible because I believe there is no greater gift you can give a man than the gift of knowing how to read and understand the Bible. Because if a man can learn to discover the truth of the Bible, on his own, he will discover the riches of God and the man God designed him to be.

When I began my journey with Jesus Christ I wanted nothing more than to be able to navigate the mysteries of the Bible. Often, when we approach the Bible for the first time it can be a little overwhelming since it is like no other book we have ever read. While most books simply read from beginning to end usually with a single theme or story, the Bible does not read this way. It is over 40 authors, writing over thousands of years, within numerous cultural contexts, and often showered with religious jargon and hard to understand cultural concepts that are foreign to us. But I believe we can overcome this challenge. Within this short five lesson series, you are going to discover principles that will overcome the five great challenges we encounter when reading and trying to understand the Bible. The challenges are:

The purpose of reading the Bible.

The plot of the Bible.

The method for studying the Bible.

Building a Bible reading habit.

And the tools and types of Bibles.

Each of these lessons will arm you with a better understanding of how to study the Bible.

I don’t know about you, but there is nothing like a moment you don’t know where you are going. While I am an adventurous guy, there is something about that moment you realize you may not know where you are or where you are going. There is something that happens in the pit of my stomach that is a little unnerving.

But, for me, there is this survival instinct that takes hold. And because I love to figure things out, this sets my mind on a path of processing at high speed. I begin to look at the situation from every angle and considering my options. My decision-making process is moving at hyper speed, often without ever speaking a word. Often, I am trying to locate markers in my mind that will help me find my way through the situation.

Today as we look to God’s Word in your handbook, you will notice a text from 2 Timothy 3:16-17. Here is how it reads.

16 “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17 (Slide)

While this text is short, it is perhaps one the most insightful in the Bible on the reason we study the Bible. Paul, who wrote this to a young protégé Timothy, was giving him instruction on the importance of God’s Word. And he points out four ways we profit from God’s Word as we travel the road of life. First, we profit from Teaching (Slide). God is the instructor his word in the Bible instructs us. It is God’s introduction manual for showing us the road. Second, we profit from Reproof (Slide). Everyone needs feedback once in a while, and while it may not always feel like profit in the moment, God’s Word provides the best life feedback. Reproof simply makes us better men, and this is God’s way of showing us when we get off the road that leads to life. Third, we profit from Correction (Slide). Correction show us how to get back on the road, and since we know that we are all sinful, we all need correction! And fourth, and finally, we profit from Training (Slide). This is where the Bible is proactive in showing us how to stay on the road.

I believe Paul is pointing out something very valuable. He is pointing out the rich value and profit he had found in his own life after decades of investment in God’s Word, and he wants Timothy as well as us to see the profound riches.

Dwight Moody in reference to the power of God’s Word once said.

The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible. Dwight L. Moody (Slide)

Great quote, right?

But now turn let’s turn to the next page of your handbook as we join a Resolute men’s group and explore one more point. A point that is the most critical in this text and the ultimate reason for studying the Bible.