Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Bible Reading Bookmark

Here is a project I'm working on for church...

Feed on the Word of God

Listening to Jesus in His revealed Scripture.


First, begin with prayer

  • Ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand what He has for you in His truth.
  • Read the passage you are going to study, slowly.
  • What key phrase or word jumps out at you?


Second, meditate or study God's Word

  • Seek after the meaning of the text that God inspired the human author to write.
  • Ask questions of the text to help you comprehend the passage:
    • What does the text say? What are the key words?
    • What is the main point? What is the meaning of the text?
    • What truths are here? What ideas are supporting the main point?


Third, pray the text

  • Respond by expressing your thoughts back to God.
  • Adore Him, thank Him let His thoughts be your thoughts as you talk to Him in prayer.


Fourth, contemplate and apply the passage

  • Memorize a verse or two of the passage that specifically spoke to you.
  • How does this passage apply to your life? Is there something new to know, be or do from this passage? Is the Spirit leading to change a behavior in your life?
  • Now that you have worked on the text, let the text work on you: rest in God's truth. Do not be in such a hurry to get on with your day. Hang out with Jesus!

Friday, October 01, 2010

No Exhortation with out Encouragment

Titus 2.12-14 provides such great encouragement from Jesus' ministry to us: the appearing of His grace, the imparting His holiness on us, how He is the only source of hope and it's all because of His sacrifice to die on the cross for our sins. In 2.15 Paul comands Titus to exhort God's people to obey (because the aurhority is Jesus'). Without encouragment the pastor cannot exhort. How sad, the pastor or Christian who wants the heavy hand of God as the center of the message without the encoragment of Jesus.