Ep. 3: How Should You Read the Bible? How Should You NOT Read the Bible?
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Welcome back! On today's episode, Chuck and I discuss how to read the Bible. What kind of reading plans do we advocate? How do we personally study the Scripture? Also, how should we NOT read the Bible? Stick around to the end and I'll tell you how God speaks to me. :)
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- 00:00
- Be in the word until the word gets into you you you need to be like I said I don't think that there's an excuse that you can provide why you shouldn't be in your word daily
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- That's that's Bible jogging. That's not Bible reading, right? What what happens to a lot of us who jog
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- Chuck? Where is your mind when you're jogging the big takeaway? I think is something that you said right at the outset Chuck and if you just keep that as your overarching goal
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- Then you're gonna do just fine reading the Bible. I'm gonna get myself into some trouble here So I need you to ask me the question and I'll go ahead and answer it.
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- Yes Nate This is for you. How does God speak to you?
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- mmm Warning theological error
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- Welcome to another episode of okay I'm Christian now what if you are a brand new
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- Christian just got saved or if you've been a Christian for a while But something's missing and you recognize a need to go back to the basics.
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- This is the show for you today We're talking about how to read the Bible with me is my brother from another mother
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- It's pastor Chuck Williams of Life Baptist Church in Las Vegas Chuck. Welcome to the show What's up, man?
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- It's like it's been a long time. It's it's been longer than normal. We usually put these out every two weeks
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- I think it's been three this time Yeah, yeah, yeah, so glad to be able to do this with you this is just awesome like just Consistently hearing the feedback from just people benefiting from this podcast has just been a blessing to me so much man so much agreed
- 01:44
- Yeah agreed. It's been it's been truly amazing It's been this is a passion of Or a passion project.
- 01:52
- I was gonna say a labor of love but but I feel like Even though this may not be as popular as some of the other things that we do at wise disciple
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- I feel like over time this will bless a lot of people. So I'm grateful Oh, they're gonna look back on it like we did and like man what they said was, right?
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- Into me intentionally Wow, they they had it on the head. I wish I would have been paying attention to listen That's right.
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- So Chuck. I just flew back into Las Vegas from Orlando, Florida and boy are my arms tired.
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- Yeah Thank you, that's a good night everyone the show just got canceled that That was so dad of me.
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- I'm sorry. I'm sorry My girls are getting really good at their dad jokes, okay
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- Well, because I've been telling them a lot and and she's just like hey dad, I got another dad joke for you
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- There a lot of more corny but it's it's whatever and then my littlest one she's getting into it too
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- So it's like I'm replicating myself And that's the kind of discipleship that Jesus was talking about right
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- Chuck I Make sure you teach them really good dad jokes.
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- That's right. That's right. That's good. That's good Weirdly enough for me that my sons have not caught on to the dad joke
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- Thing but they've caught on to the ripping your shirt off and walking around shirtless thing That's definitely something that the solid boys do in the in the house.
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- So that's something I That's for episode 10 when when
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- Chuck Williams and his youngest daughter met Peter for the first time Anyway, that's that's good
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- Well, let's get right into this episode because I suspect that Christians need a lot of help in understanding this issue
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- As a matter of fact, we've seen this issue come up over and over again How do I read the Bible, you know when we were together and we were leading the young adults community at life
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- This was a question that kept popping up all the time, right Chuck Absolutely, it was it was one that a lot of people were just interested in reading the
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- Bible They were told to read the Bible, but it's okay. Well, where do I start? How do I do this? Like do I just open up the
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- Bible point to a verse and just start reading like how how do I actually read the Bible? Yeah, that's right good this topic for me is interesting because that's a model that I've seen a lot of people do they'll say
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- Oh, I'll just open up the Bible and then pick a verse We'll get to that and why that's not a good practice, but before we do
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- I've always Just been curious about different people and you know, the the
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- Bible verses that they go to often So Nate, what is your favorite Bible verse? do you have a passage a verse a chapter that was like this is something that you have either committed to memory that you always
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- Go back to God is always bringing it up in your life because it speaks to you differently No, that's that's a really great question
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- And it's funny because I have had favorite verses in the past And and actually
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- I think at the end So to tease the episode, I hope you stay all the way through I'm gonna talk about how
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- God Speaks Through the Bible if that makes any sense
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- So if you are intrigued, I'll talk more about this, but there are just these verses where I'm I just sensed
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- I'm supposed to spend time with them and And that's what I think I understand you're asking and so for me for the last almost two years now
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- There's been a few of them but the Immediate one that comes to mind and I've been trying to talk about this as much as possible to people is
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- John 5 19 And so in in John 5 19 Jesus with his disciples and he's you know
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- He's training them up and and telling him a ton of stuff. But one of the things that he says is Truly truly
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- I say to you the son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the father doing for whatever the father does that the son does likewise and You know you you
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- I've been staring at that passage because you immediately recognize. Well, this is Jesus talking This is the God -man talking right?
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- So there's already this aspect of it that we'll just never know or truly Do ourselves?
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- But then on the other hand Jesus does model for us what it looks like to to live as a full human being
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- Here on earth and so there is an aspect of this that I think that we are supposed to emulate
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- To a lesser degree and so that's what I've been trying to figure out. How do I sense? How do
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- I recognize where God is and go there and be there and get involved in the activity of God And so that's the thing that I that's just the memory verse that has been
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- I've been marinating in this for two years What about you Chuck? That's really good Like you there have been several like I have several
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- Verses that come to mind have several that just speak to me differently and and God just constantly brings up But one for me that I think speaks volumes more so than anyone is
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- Galatians 2 20 because of the simple fact like I I resonate with that so much like I grew up in the church
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- I grew up in a Christian home and it was it was it was never a fact of me doubting
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- God I've always believed that he came to save but it was when he became my Lord and when
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- I Surrendered my life to him that it became my own and I was just like, okay now I fully understand it and I think
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- Galatians 2 20 Explains exactly that like the life that I live So Galatians 2 20 says
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- I have been crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me and the
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- Life, which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave himself up for me
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- And that is just a constant reminder for me, man It's a constant reminder, especially knowing that I need to deny myself
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- There's things that I want to do. It's like, you know what this is no longer my life It is his life lived out in and through me.
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- So Galatians 2 20 is probably my favorite Bible verse right now it's it's interesting because I think we already start to see this but the the rest of your life is going to be devoted to studying the scripture if you are a
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- Christian if you if you want to Get after following Jesus and and you want to do this the right way The rest of your life is going to be devoted to understanding what the scripture means
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- And so there is an element to Galatians 2 20 that is just not
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- Graspable, you know There's an element of John 5 19 That is not graspable and I pray and I'm sure you're praying the same way
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- That as we continue to let this sit on our brains that we do end up on a deeper level understanding what this means
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- But I mean we could you and I could sit in a jail cell when Christianity becomes illegal in this country, which hello
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- I don't know if that was prophecy or not, but We could sit and just think through that one verse
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- Galatians 2 20 in our jail cells for the rest of our lives and still be Ministered to by the
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- Spirit of God and and develop a deeper understanding of it day by day Yeah, man, the the depths of the riches of God are inexhaustible
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- Yeah, that's so good that's so good well kind of so here's the transition question that gets us to The questions that we had put aside for this episode, right?
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- And again, you and I served alongside each other. We saw this quite a bit. We've taught people how to read the
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- Bible we've seen people go from not reading the Bible to being avid readers of God's Word and I was wondering if you could just speak for a moment
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- Chuck about what Happens to a person when they finally Start reading the
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- Bible Well, you know is it is it that there's some kind of a light bulb that turns on for them
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- You know it or is the shift more subtle than that or is it both like what are your thoughts about that?
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- I? Think that will vary from person to person. I know for me when I started reading the
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- Bible I Felt convicted and I shut the Bible and I didn't want to go back to it
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- Because of the conviction that I had first Corinthians 6 9
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- You know do not be deceived These will not inherit the kingdom of God and the first one the first thing that was mentioned
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- I was extremely convicted and I'm just like, oh So I shut the Bible and I just didn't want to continue reading
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- But I wish somebody would have said just keep reading just just keep reading because he says after he lists all those
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- Things that we will not inherit the kingdom of heaven with he says but such were some of you
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- But you were washed and I'm just like oh man that freed me up so much So I think for a lot of people it can be gradual for a lot of people it hits immediately
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- But I think it's it's very It's very It's not normal for a person to read the
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- Bible and like huh, I guess that's what I believe There's some type of struggle that we have when we're reading the Bible So I would say maybe for the vast majority of people
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- It's a slow gradual thing that just continues to build upon and build upon which is why when we?
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- Constantly go back to the Bible when we constantly read the Bible. There's more things that we're pulling out There's more things that are applying to us and we just get a better understanding.
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- I related to Just my relationship with my wife the more time that I spend with her the more
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- I get to know her and that's the same Way with the Bible the more time we spend in our word the more we get to know
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- God and the deeper we get to know God so There's a lot of things that we know immediately. Oh, God doesn't want me to murder
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- And there's other things there's just like okay I'm knowing more and more about the character of God and his attributes as I'm reading
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- You know these accounts in the Old Testament or as I'm reading the passion narrative or anything else like that So I think for a lot of people it's probably more gradual
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- It's very rare that a person reads something and immediately they got it. And it's alright.
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- Let's move on to something else. Yeah Yeah, I I agree I I see the activity of reading
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- God's Word Especially in an intentional way and we're gonna talk about in this episode how we teach others how to read the
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- Bible very intentionally, but there there is something that happens when
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- Somebody goes through the Bible on a slow basis Slowing down trying to focus more on what it's saying and how it applies to Their life where all of a sudden there are these light bulb moments that come on, you know, sure
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- And it's it's amazing to see that excitement to see people Finally, it dawns on them that oh my gosh
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- Like this actually does apply to what I'm personally going through right at this very moment.
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- The excitement comes on I love to see that. How about you? Yeah, it's the best thing
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- I think that is what keeps me going when I'm discipling when I'm helping others grow in their faith
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- It's like they get it and it's like yes Do that more like just I just get so we should create a shirt.
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- Yes do that more Well, so I think we're already starting to answer this first question, but here's the first question for us on this episode why
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- Should Christians read the Bible? we need to Be a people who reads
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- God's Word I think that's something that the Bible itself sort of teaches presupposes of the people of God But how would you let's say somebody walked up to you cold and you're like, man
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- Why do I have to read this book? What would you say to them? I Would say number one if that person came off to me code
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- I will let them know that because you were made for a relationship with God and this is the way that you get to know
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- And grow in your relationship with him Once again, I'll go back to the relationship that I have with my wife if I don't spend time with her where the focus is
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- On her I'm not gonna get to know her more So we in time with God in the Word of God where the focus is on him
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- So that we we can know him more we want to grow in our relationships now There are other benefits in reading
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- God's Word But if we were created for a relationship and he has revealed himself through his word
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- That would be the primary way for us to grow in that relationship. So help me here
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- Because I don't think you and I have ever really talked about this out loud together. But As people of God, especially brand -new believers
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- We need to recognize that the Bible answers some fundamental questions, you know The deep worldview question.
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- Who are we? Why are we here? What's wrong with the world? And how can what's wrong be made, right? And it's interesting because whether you're a
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- Christian or not You are seeking to answer those questions, you know to some degree those questions
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- Yeah, they plague every single person on the planet whether they realize it or not And so we need to understand the real answers to these questions, particularly as Christians so kind of the the first layer of Of reading the
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- Bible is to answer those questions and find out how the Bible answers those questions It gives us an explanation through biblical narrative of our meaning purpose and direction for our lives
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- Okay, but then my second response is what you already said Which is we need to read the
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- Bible to know the one who wrote it. And so what do you think about this Chuck? It's almost like if you're a brand -new
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- Christian reading the Bible in the first year Your goal is to read to get a grasp of the entire story
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- But as you have made that first lap so to speak and you've completed maybe the first time through the
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- Bible now slow down What do you think about that? Yeah, no, I think that's a great um
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- I've had several people come up to me like, you know what? I just need to read the whole Bible cover to cover just so I can you know have a full grasp and then
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- I can get into the the books that you're talking about and I And this is what I take them saying I need to have context for what
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- I'm getting into if I don't have context for what I'm getting into if I don't know or You know understand why
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- Jesus even had to die in the first place Why did he have to be a sacrifice?
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- I'm not going to it's gonna hit differently So having a context of that I am
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- I can appreciate I think that is a good way to do it because like you said We're all searching for those five world questions whether we are intentionally doing it or our lives portrayed that we're all looking for that So answering those questions and seeing how the
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- Bible has answers for those questions is a great way to start because it gives you The context that we're all searching for and then you can get into those deeper aspects of it
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- But once again, I think all that starts with the gospel because we don't outgrow the gospel. We just grow deeper into it
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- Well say that one more time I think that's what we all need to understand because we're saved through the proclamation of the gospel
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- So we don't outgrow gospel. We don't say okay. I've heard the gospel now. Let's move on to deeper theology
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- No, we'd never outgrow the gospel We only grow deeper into the gospel if the angels are longing to look upon the message that we have received
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- How much more do we need to be intentional about learning that message? That is so good.
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- That is so good And again, it comes back to this notion of that We were talking about right at the outset Which is there is a much greater depth to the to the words of God including the gospel where we find
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- The gospel is in the word There is a much greater depth to the layers of meaning and how it applies to our lives
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- And like I said, I mean we can spend the rest of our lives Wrestling with these things and still learn new things appreciate this on a on a deeper level.
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- It's amazing Yeah, you know, so the Bible Is essentially a letter written by our
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- Creator to his creation He is revealing himself his attributes his purposes for not only creating but engaging with the creation that he made and so we should read
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- The Bible to know God more listener so that if you are a Christian you just got saved and now you're thinking about reading the
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- Bible and you're wondering to yourself like Why should we? it's because we need to know God Jesus said in John 17 3 that eternal life is
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- Knowing God and Jesus Christ to me has sent. That's the dynamic that we find in the
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- Garden of Eden It's this kind of intimate relationship Chuck what you know what the Bible sometimes refers to as knowing
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- Between God and Adam and Eve and this level of intimacy was so deep that Adam and Eve were naked and they didn't even care
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- That's how intimate and close and deep. Yeah, the relationship was it's good, man No, I I think we need to have that same model like we need to be
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- Unashamed in our study of God's Word and our proclamation of God's Word and in our workplace like we need to be unashamed to the point to where they can see that It is
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- Christ who is dwelling in and through us. Yeah, and so if you are reading And for the very first time or maybe you've never done this before you're a
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- Christian Like we said at the outset maybe been around the block a few times, but you never really did this properly
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- What you're looking for is the story of God's interaction with his creation throughout scripture
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- So that he could redeem mankind that begins in Genesis We see the effects of it
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- Genesis 3 and a promise that God's redemption is going to run all the way through the history of humanity and That's what we're seeing the narrative arc the thread that runs through the entire
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- Bible Old and New Testaments is the story of God's Redemption and so that's why We should read the
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- Bible Chuck here's another question for you 2nd Timothy 3 16 says this all scripture is
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- God breathed and profitable for teaching for a proof for correction for Training and righteousness so that the man of God may be equipped having been thoroughly equipped for every good work
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- Amen how does that fit into this idea of reading and and and Understanding the
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- Bible on a regular basis for the Christian Yeah Great question, man
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- And I think this is answered in the previous verses because when we see this
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- Paul is telling this to Timothy and he's instructing Timothy You know, this is what evil man and apostles will proceed to do they will go from bad to worse deceiving and being deceived
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- But you he says he says but you continue into things you have learned being convinced of and Knowing from when you're from where you learned it that from your childhood
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- You have the sacred writings which are able to make you wise unto salvation Through faith in Jesus Christ, and then he tells them that all scripture is
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- God breathed So when when Paul is telling this to Timothy, he is he is Instructing him listen, you have the scriptures they are profitable for reproof
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- Correction for training and righteousness to teach you all of these things. Hold on to that.
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- Don't go away Don't be deceived like everyone else is because they're gonna go from bad to worse, but you have these writings
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- Stick to what you know from the beginning from your childhood and continue to grow in that Don't be deceived like everyone else is yeah
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- The phrase that Paul used and I wonder if he knew what he was doing You know, he probably was because he's even
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- Paul is incredibly intelligent and God gifted him But that phrase is so useful to us right the
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- Greek word for God breathed so I don't know it depends on your translation right a second
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- Timothy Right three all scripture mine says breathed out by God that Greek word
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- They all new sauce is literally a combination of two words God and breathe And so you have this picture that of it's
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- God Blowing out of his mouth and directing his breath onto the creation of the pages of scripture
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- Much in the same way that he did all the way back in Genesis to create mankind We get this picture of God doing the very same thing for his word
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- And so that's how Paul wants Timothy and the rest of the Christians to understand the scriptures They are the very words of God that flow out of his own mouth.
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- And so in a way When we read the Bible God is speaking to us in the sense that there are human authors that wrote down the
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- Bible They were carried along by the Holy Spirit. And so this idea second Timothy 3 16 is that God these are
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- God's very words that are communicating to us This is what we have in our hands when we read our Bibles What do you think about that Chuck?
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- No, absolutely, man And and I love how even Paul expounds upon that not only is this
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- God's breathed out words But he also gives the reason for what it is used for He says it's for is it's profitable for teaching for reproof correction and training in righteousness
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- So even when you're looking at those aspects everything that we need to learn The Word of God is sufficient for everything that we need to be corrected with the
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- Word of God is sufficient for everything that we need our minds and our actions to be in a line with the
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- Word of God is Profitable for and Everything that we need to be trained to go out into the mission field to be the ambassadors for Christ That we have been called to be he has given us like it is sufficient
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- His Word has has done all of that for us When we go back and we study and we learn and we continue to grow in our relationship with him
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- I love that last phrase at the end of verse 17 Equipped for every good work.
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- What's interesting to me is you and I taught college age students for years And one of the common questions that 20 -somethings are asking is what is
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- God's will for my life? Well, and I suppose some 44 year olds are still asking that question
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- I almost I almost did the wrong sound effect but the point is If the
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- Apostle Paul says that all scripture equips you the Christian for every good work
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- Then the first step to understanding God's will must come from reading scripture. Amen Amen Absolutely, man, because it's and I love how
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- Scripture speaks of itself as the bread like it is our daily bread
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- It is the Word of God that is being imparted to us And then even when you think about that aspect of bread with the
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- Israelites They were given manna every single day and then twice or before the Sabbath so that they will they would sustain themselves
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- So if we're looking at the Word of God as food for us, how many times do you eat a day? Okay.
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- Now compare that to how many times you're in your word. I bet it's significantly less, but if you were to treat
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- But if we were to treat the Word of God as actual food for our souls how much will we be growing how much substance would we have just by consuming the word three times a day or I Advocate every single day.
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- I don't think that there's a reason why we should not be in our word daily. Mm -hmm. I love that It's funny.
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- It brings to mind John 4, right? So Jesus interacts with the woman at the well And it's funny.
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- I just heard a pastor talk about this in this kind of way I never thought about it, but the disciples went out to grab some food.
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- Jesus interacts with this woman very intentionally The disciples are walking up with food in their hands and they look up and they see this woman with Jesus And then she just runs away when the disciples show up and they're like what what is going on, right?
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- They come up and They go. Hey Jesus you hungry. Jesus says my food is to do the will of him who sent me
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- It's exactly what you're talking about It's funny because they probably were the disciples probably were at the same town that the
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- Samaritan woman was from But the whole city wasn't following the disciples out to hear
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- Jesus were they They ended up they ended up following the woman who came out and told them all that Jesus said told her so yeah, the the the food
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- I love that it is to read the word to know God and Everything else follows from that.
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- I love that Well, I think we've been building towards this. So here's the next question What are some good ways right and what
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- I mean by that are some reading plans? To to read the Bible as a Christian study the
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- Bible Should it be like a like a three day a week thing should it be five days should be seven days
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- How do you teach Christians Chuck to read the Bible? So once again,
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- I'm a huge advocate of being in your word daily So I don't think that there is an excuse that you can provide for me why you can't be in your word daily
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- There are three Bible methods that I teach people to just be in their word and it doesn't take a lot of time but it is
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- Sufficient enough to where you can you can get the context you can get you know observation
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- Interpretation application right off the bat You can spend intimate time with the Lord and just sit with him with a couple verses and you can just learn
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- Okay, now that I'm on this journey of following Christ, how is it that I am to walk?
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- How is it that I'm to talk? How is it that I'm to act and think and you know, what my motive is supposed to be like?
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- so there there are three that I Teach one me and you both benefited just from our time sitting under Pastor Paul and that is this is the gospel calm
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- Phenomenal resource. I highly encourage you guys to check it out. Once again, the website is this is the gospel calm
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- When you go there, there are three books Called the relationship the pursuit and then the journey and once you are following the pathway for those books
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- They they really help you understand your relationship with God now that you have repented of your sin and placed faith in Jesus Christ Your pursuit of him as he's already been pursuing you and then this journey that you guys are now on and growing in your relationship
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- So those are three that I I start new believers off with because the other two methods are good
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- But if you don't have a solid foundation of what your relationship is with God understanding that pursuit and understanding this journey that you're now on then
- 28:41
- I think it would only It would just make it a little bit more harder for you because you're you're you're starting off in the middle of the race then
- 28:49
- Starting off in the front line, but I also have another plan to where You know,
- 28:55
- I read the Bible daily with a plan that me and you went I don't know if you guys know but me and Nate were in a discipleship group together
- 29:02
- Actually my first discipleship group we were in together and there's this method that You put together that I've tweaked a little bit to where you are answering just five questions while spending
- 29:13
- Time in one chapter of the book every single week. So for seven days or five days
- 29:19
- I'm reading one chapter answering different questions, and it is just opened up just worlds of Information for me because now when
- 29:31
- I'm reading this one chapter a week, I'm only focusing on one question So now I have time to pull in research I have time to dig and go deeper into this and then at the end of the week
- 29:40
- I put all that stuff together and I have just a plethora of Information just based off this one chapter and then the last method that I use is a method to just focus on God I I take two to three
- 29:53
- Verses of Scripture and I just sit with them asking basic questions you know like How is
- 30:01
- God's heart revealed in this who is Jesus? You know, what does it mean to be a disciple? Who am
- 30:06
- I in Christ? And what is God calling me to be just asking these specific questions so that way I can go deeper
- 30:12
- Understanding that my answers already found in the text I just need to observe that and bring that out and see how
- 30:19
- God is answering my questions through his word Yeah, I love that. I love that you you bring to memory
- 30:25
- You know the the things that I think we were we were piloting we were we were test piloting a lot of things
- 30:33
- You know together figuring ourselves out and There's a lot of a lot of great memories there with reading the
- 30:39
- Bible How about this? Let me let me throw this at you What about the
- 30:45
- Christian who? newly saved they they They had an experience of God and and and they know
- 30:54
- God is is real they know they need to read their Bible and So what they say is well, you know what I'm gonna do
- 31:00
- It's a little embarrassing my lack of knowledge when it comes to Scripture I'm gonna go away by myself and study the
- 31:06
- Bible on my own for a period of time Then I'll probably come and and join up with a group.
- 31:13
- What would you say to somebody like that? I Know that did that effectively and that was the
- 31:21
- Apostle Paul All three methods that I teach
- 31:29
- I highly encourage that they do it with someone like listen isolation is frowned upon Solitude is something completely different But solitude is for a specific purpose and maybe we could do an episode on on those two
- 31:43
- But when you are Studying God's Word when you're in God's Word Just even listen to the language like you're going to the
- 31:50
- Lord's Prayer For example when Jesus taught his disciples how to pray he said our father You know forgive us our sins
- 31:57
- So it is this communal aspect that we we can't forget when we're studying
- 32:02
- God's Word So I highly encourage that if you're studying God's Word if you're in God's Word if you're reading God's Word do that with someone because we have a tendency to fall into our old sin nature and You know be deceived so we need to be around other people to hold us accountable to make sure that we're not going off into False doctrine or anything else like that like having someone challenge us as well.
- 32:25
- Like hey, this is how I see it in scripture How do you see it? Let's talk about this and make sure that we're coming to a biblical conclusion and not just our own opinion
- 32:33
- So I highly advocate that that people do this together, which is why like when we start D groups The soul there's there's two big purposes number one to accelerate your spiritual growth and then number two to replicate
- 32:45
- So when we get done with our D group, you're supposed to have another D group. Yeah. Yeah D group stands for a discipleship group
- 32:53
- Right, that's so good You know the the the American in me the westerner in me
- 32:59
- Wants to coil away from what you're saying, you know, like how dare you tell me that I need to do things corporately
- 33:07
- You know, I am my own individual. I need to you know, but it's no you're absolutely correct
- 33:14
- There's an element of this and maybe this is for another episode where we really just need to appreciate the
- 33:20
- Middle Eastern way that God decided to Flavor his communication with his people and if we can catch that if we can understand the the
- 33:31
- Middle Eastern seasoning I make a so I'm part Syrian and I make some Arabic dishes.
- 33:37
- I'm experimenting There's this seasoning called zaatar and it's I just put it all over my chicken
- 33:42
- Oh chef's kiss Chuck But uh, but if we can understand that God and his infinite wisdom
- 33:52
- Decided to choose a people that expressed themselves culturally very differently than us
- 33:57
- And if we could not to become Judaizers not to you know Elevate or glorify
- 34:03
- Festivals or all those things but just to appreciate how God is communicating then we would recognize certain things like yeah
- 34:10
- We need to stay in a group We're not on our own. There's no such thing as a lone ranger Christian Chuck.
- 34:16
- So yeah, that's so good If people that say that I would ask Okay, show me biblical justification about that because even when
- 34:21
- Paul and Barnabas got into it Paul went and picked up Silas So he was never walking on his own
- 34:27
- So I would say what is your biblical justification for saying that okay, I need to do this by myself
- 34:33
- That's so good. That's so good. So yeah, I mean just just sort of thinking through What kind of a
- 34:40
- Christian is reading the Bible if you are a brand new Christian my answer is Try to read the whole entire
- 34:47
- Bible if you can't now that's a daunting task, right to read the whole Bible And so there's plans there that might be able to help out
- 34:55
- There's the when I was growing up. It was the 365 day a year Bible reading plan right and that requires commitment and some time to Stick to and to read and complete the whole
- 35:06
- Bible, but the end result of that is like what you were saying Chuck It's a greater appreciation of That thread the redemptive arc that begins in Genesis and runs all the way through to the end
- 35:16
- You need to be aware of that as Christians. We need to recognize that what Jesus was doing and saying
- 35:23
- Most often Connected somehow back to the Old Testament. And so, you know when we see
- 35:29
- Jesus in the wilderness for 40 days, right? We need to remember that this connects somehow to with the wilderness period of the
- 35:37
- Israelites for 40 years We need to recognize that when Jesus is calming the seas, you know, we need to remember the story of Jonah Right when he's asleep in the boat
- 35:48
- We need to recognize all these things and more and and so that's when it comes in you read the whole
- 35:53
- Bible in a year But once you've done that, I think you need to start reading for depth and slow down and that's where the five -day
- 36:00
- Bible reading plan where you're reading one either. It's a chapter or a passage Over and over again for five days.
- 36:08
- It sounds bad when you first hear it but when you start to do it and get into the practice of it and you follow the questions that that Chuck advocates for that You that you answer.
- 36:17
- They're so Meaningful and you end up at the end of the week Understanding how it applies to your life the passage you just read and that's key so I guess that brings us to another question here
- 36:28
- Chuck, which is How do you? Personally read and study the Bible Maybe you've already started to answer that question because we've been talking about how we show others how to read the
- 36:39
- Bible Maybe one of the plans is yours And if yeah, you you did mention that that that you actually have your own personal study time where you follow a plan
- 36:49
- What does that look like for you? Yeah, so of the three plans that I advocate and I you know teach a lot of young adults and other people
- 36:59
- The one that I probably like the most is the one that we started in D group, but I use those for certain
- 37:06
- Certain times that I'm going through the Bible Currently I'm going through the Bible chronologically Because I got my new legacy standard
- 37:13
- Bible and me and my wife has committed this year to go through the
- 37:18
- Bible Chronologically in the legacy standard for two purposes. No one because me and my wife need to do a study together
- 37:25
- We've been talking about it and you know, my job as husband is to watch my wife in the word.
- 37:31
- So what we do is Sometimes we'll read separately or sometimes we'll read together But we'll always try and talk about what we've learned, you know, what we've been taking out from the passage.
- 37:41
- So We've been doing that this year and number two to get a whole context of the
- 37:47
- Bible chronologically So that way there's there's things that I mean the last time me and my wife did this was
- 37:52
- I think in 2016 So now it gives us another perspective. Oh, man Yeah I forgot about that like for example one of the things that really stood out to me as I'm reading the
- 38:02
- Bible Chronologically this year was the simple fact that integrity was a huge theme in the book of Job Like I always thought of like oh by suffering and everything
- 38:12
- But several times Job says I will maintain my integrity his wife tells him just curse
- 38:18
- God and die Why are you holding on to your integrity God tells you know Satan, you know Job maintains his integrity
- 38:25
- So it's this constant theme of Job's integrity being intact as we've been going through this
- 38:31
- Currently the going to the Bible chronologically has been something that is just really blessed me and my wife as we've been going through it
- 38:38
- But once again, it's to gain the context I think when we're looking at a plan to go through there needs to be a purpose.
- 38:44
- Okay? Well, why are you doing this plan versus this plan? Why are you reading the Bible chronologically compared to the
- 38:50
- Bible in a year? So I think for us it started with the purpose of us reading the Bible.
- 38:56
- That's so good, man And vital I like how you say that you got to wash your wife in the word and Yeah, that's key.
- 39:04
- Your role as a husband is the priest to be the priest of the home. And so that's good What about you
- 39:10
- Nate? Yeah, I was gonna say my wife and I do Something probably exactly the same which so we're not going chronologically through the
- 39:19
- Bible but we are we are following a plan the plan that you and I had crafted together in our time in discipleship group and It's a five -day plan.
- 39:28
- So we read through we're reading through Joshua right now Which by the way is so hilarious because let's tell you how spiritual
- 39:35
- I am we we were Thinking of a book to do together and I was thinking to myself
- 39:43
- What is a book of the Bible where it will be the most difficult to understand?
- 39:49
- Applicability like how it applies to our lives. I was thinking Joshua, you know I'm like, let's stay far away from Joshua and then we decided nope.
- 39:56
- Let's read Joshua and my goodness Chuck and it's not the the Plan that's so genius it's the
- 40:04
- Word of God that is living and active and cuts down to the joints in marrow and investigates the heart so praise
- 40:12
- God there have been a lot of Applicable moments there but our object and goal is to know
- 40:18
- God more intimately and deeply than we did yesterday This is what we pray for together. And so we start the week off With the five -day reading plan.
- 40:28
- We read through a particular passage and then we ask the questions and I'm not sure if this is
- 40:33
- How much we can do this on a podcast, but maybe we can you can post your reading plan and the questions that you advocate for Christians if People are curious about that or maybe
- 40:44
- I can share my reading plan if you are by the way You let me know in the comments or if you email us at hello at wise disciple org, we will absolutely share it
- 40:55
- It's a $39 .99 for the first installment. I'm just kidding No, but anyway We'll send you a prayer cloth that you can pray over to and that's when the show
- 41:06
- Joe just went downhill. No, we're kidding. It's totally for free and we hope that it blesses you.
- 41:11
- So avail yourself of that material, but but that's what we Definitely I would definitely drop the plans that I advocate for when you when you read the
- 41:21
- Bible you start to realize Certain truths. So for examples in in Romans 8 29
- 41:30
- We realize that we have been created to become conformed to the image of God's Son and so that's where you
- 41:40
- You benefit from having that foundation of understanding the entire scripture so that you can recognize that So that you can actually go backwards now and and understand that principle when certain stories of the
- 41:51
- Bible play out, right? Mm -hmm. And as you do that, I think as a reader of the
- 41:57
- Bible you need to recognize this Christian. So pay attention God is just as interested in how you are as Well as what you do
- 42:07
- You know, you got to think about that. God is just as much interested in how you do something as Well as that's something that you end up doing and and I say all that to say it's possible to do the right things for the wrong reasons and God makes it very clear that he wants those right reasons in your heart
- 42:27
- He wants that right motive in your spirit or else he doesn't accept the right things that you do is why you find
- 42:33
- Paul saying in Romans 14 that Whatever is not from faith is sin You know
- 42:39
- God says over and over again in the Old Testament Chuck These people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.
- 42:45
- God doesn't like fake people right, I Don't think
- 42:50
- I don't think any facts. I don't think anybody likes fake people, but God really despises
- 42:56
- Fakeness disingenuousness, right Jesus chastised the Pharisees for what being whitewashed tombs
- 43:04
- Beautiful on the outside and dead and disgusting on the inside. So What am
- 43:09
- I trying to get at I you know How does this apply to reading the Bible in one sense? we're reading the Bible to conform to the image of Christ and and when we do that when our when our hearts and motives align with Christ's and become more and more
- 43:22
- Christlike then we will be Equipped to do whatever God puts right in front of us. No matter what we're reading
- 43:27
- Joshua in the Old Testament or You know Matthew the Gospels revelation wherever you are in the new
- 43:34
- Right 100 % I agree man, because when we're when we're reading the Bible, it's not just like it's another novel
- 43:40
- It's not like right. I I refer back to 2nd
- 43:46
- Timothy 3 like it is Profitable for all things for teaching reproved correction training and righteousness
- 43:54
- So there is no other book in the world that can make that claim The Bible does and it proves to be true is proven to be true over 2 ,000 years of us having the the the canon like God has
- 44:08
- Preserved his word and he has kept his word I think that's another thing that a lot of people forgot like not only did he preserve his word so that where it's it's profitable for teaching and reproved correction training and righteousness, but He has he has allowed us to be to benefit from that because of it
- 44:26
- So I think it's it's it's it's not just another novel. We can't read the Bible like another novel
- 44:31
- Yeah, it's so good. Well, I think you're now touching on the next question I had So as we round the last lap here
- 44:38
- Here's the last couple questions here And the first one is what are some bad ways to read and study the
- 44:45
- Bible now? You and I so we played this game before. Yep. There it is I Go ahead and explain for the for the yeah
- 44:55
- So this is a bad way to read the Bible you pick up your Bible you open it up All right. This is where I'm gonna start reading and then you just start reading it is a bad way to read the
- 45:06
- Bible I just don't advocate for that because number one you have no clear purpose.
- 45:12
- You're like, okay, this is God's Word He's gonna speak to me. However, he decides so I'm just gonna start here and Man, it's just such such poor way of trying to really know
- 45:24
- God really sit with him So we need to be intentional about this. It's not like any other book.
- 45:30
- So Yeah, man, just don't do that. What do what do we call that? We call that Bible dipping. Is that we call that?
- 45:40
- Yeah Yeah, I would don't Bible dip don't Bible another shirt don't Bible dip don't
- 45:46
- Bible dip Yeah, that'll be up on the Wise Disciples store soon Here's another one reading things out of context, right?
- 45:53
- Did you know Chuck that I just read that the Bible says that God wants me to prosper?
- 46:00
- Now, I know the plans I have for you says the Lord plans to prosper That's the NIV translation and to give you a future
- 46:08
- You know, well, I guess I'll never fail then right Chuck. God has a plan to prosper me. And so now
- 46:13
- I have license to do Ridiculous things I can be very risky I can be unwise maybe even act sinfully because God has a plan for me and it's always to prosper
- 46:23
- Right, what a what a horrific misunderstanding of God's words to the Israelite. Did you know
- 46:28
- Chuck that the Bible says? There is no God Psalm 14 1 says there is no
- 46:36
- God, but wait a second. Hold on I thought the Bible was all about the God who made us right? Well, that's what
- 46:42
- I mean Don't read the Bible out of context when you zoom out of Psalm 14 there and you see the whole verse in context
- 46:49
- You look around you realize the wicked fool says in his heart There is no God and and that's what can happen when you do not consider context
- 46:58
- Do you think that that's a big one there to check? Absolutely, man we often forget that these were also letters that were sent and letters that were wrote and you know
- 47:07
- Just laws that were written for people that were in a relationship with God So this is the equivalent of me writing my wife a 10 page letter
- 47:18
- Sending it to her you finding it three years later going to the third page looking at the third paragraph and saying this is what?
- 47:24
- I think Chuck means about this number one You need a context of who I'm writing to you need my original intent
- 47:30
- You need to know why I would have written it to her in the first place The nature of our relationship and you need to read the entire thing to get the context right now in our young adults group
- 47:42
- We're walking through the book of Romans and one thing that I say every single night is okay We're taking verses at a time every single week verse by verse
- 47:51
- But we need to remember that these verses are just a small portion of the entire book we need to have the context of what we've already read and what we're going to read and Answering these questions.
- 48:03
- Don't just look at this one verse that's brought up and say oh, this is what I think it means No, Paul is repeating himself go back to see where he's also talking about this
- 48:12
- He's also referring to the Old Testament What would have been the knowledge that they would have had with the Old Testament in light of what he's saying now?
- 48:19
- So it is taking that whole thing in context. So I think that is huge. It's a huge one You need to have the context.
- 48:25
- Yeah, and I think that so I'm gonna pose this question to you But I'll share my thoughts real quick about it.
- 48:31
- I think that the way to guard against reading things out of context
- 48:37
- There there are a few things that come to mind. The first one is If you feel up for this, you should really try to outline what you're reading, you know
- 48:47
- And what I mean by that is You talked about Romans, right? What is the major?
- 48:53
- overarching theme of Romans You should be able to answer that question so that wherever you are lost in the weeds of chapter 6
- 49:00
- Which is a profound chapter or you're over in chapter 11 or 12 or wherever you are
- 49:05
- You still understand that the overarching theme and the overarching purpose of what Paul is doing
- 49:11
- You know what that is so that you you know where you are You didn't stray from the purpose or the meaning of the text
- 49:18
- Another one is to if you happen to have you know, you start a particular passage, right?
- 49:23
- You're starting chapter 10 Remember what chapter 9 was about and so I do this with my boys
- 49:29
- So we're we I'm reading the Bible with my boys Separately and then I read the Bible with my wife and then we all talk about it on a
- 49:36
- Saturday at dinner. But um One of the things that my boys if they were here They would tell you is the first thing
- 49:42
- I say when we open the scripture is okay. Where were we? Where were we what just happened and they need to be able to summarize and remember
- 49:51
- Okay, this just happened so that they recognize that this carries over into what we're about to read
- 49:57
- So those are two couple of things to guard against not reading out of context
- 50:02
- But I mean, do you have any suggestions for people as well? No, I would I would Wholly agree with both of those also doing it with others like you need to be in community you need to be having others
- 50:15
- Help you with this context because you might not understand the context but another person Probably already has that context.
- 50:22
- So this is another aspect of this is communal we need to be doing this together and that would help you guard with the context because when you're reading a passage and You're forgetting the context another person by oh, but wait a minute
- 50:36
- Paul said this back in chapter 3 that applies right here Oh, yes, you're right. Let's go back and look at that So it's another person keeping you on on in check in making sure that you're not forgetting the context
- 50:49
- For our young adults what we do after we finish a chapter before we start the next chapter.
- 50:54
- I summarize Everything that we've caught everything that we went through So I go back to one and we go all the way through so that way if anyone missed anything
- 51:04
- We are now caught back up to where we are It's like it's like landing a plane and figuring out your surroundings before you're making your journey
- 51:11
- You have to do that every time to gain that context. That's good. That's good I used to teach literature and so at some level
- 51:20
- The answer to this question is you just got to know how to read a book properly, right? So You know, that's really great.
- 51:27
- Yeah, there's a book that you recommended to me a while ago Um, I think it's called how to read a book.
- 51:33
- Yeah how to read a book That's right. It's a great book Yeah No, it's good
- 51:40
- Here's another one. Okay, and I'll say this advisedly because we just talked about this a moment ago reading for distance
- 51:47
- Can be the wrong way to read the Bible, right? And what I mean by that is after you have, you know, sort of the overview of the entire
- 51:57
- Bible There's this moment that happens for a lot of Christians where they go Okay, let me just keep doing what I'm doing, right?
- 52:03
- And so they just read and what I mean by distance is they're check marking the box They need to go through three chapters today three more chapters tomorrow.
- 52:11
- So they want to check that box off that they did it That's that's Bible jogging. That's not
- 52:16
- Bible reading, right? What happens to a lot of us who jog Chuck we jog a mile or two or 50 if you're
- 52:23
- David Goggins, right? But you know, where is your mind when you're jogging? It's it's often like all over the place
- 52:29
- You're thinking about what you need to do the rest of the day You're thinking about all the things you're stressed out about you But what you're not doing is thinking about jogging, right?
- 52:37
- And that's sometimes what happens when we read the Bible for distance And that's why I strongly encourage us to not do it
- 52:44
- We are seeking an intimate encounter with God when we read his word when you just check that box and that's your purpose for reading
- 52:51
- You're not doing that yeah, man, I so I was I was always reading the
- 52:57
- Bible app, you know the you version app and Then they came out with something called streaks every time you opened up the
- 53:04
- Bible app You even have to read it just open up the Bible app It would put a tick saying that you hit a streak you open up the
- 53:10
- Bible app you got in your word today and It was I wasn't really paying attention to it until I was like, you know
- 53:17
- I think was like 350 days in and then I missed one day and that just threw me because it was just a
- 53:23
- Psychological fact of I just need to open it up I just need to do and it can be a huge hindrance because I'm treating it as a check in a box rather than going deep in a
- 53:33
- Relationship and knowing the God who created me So I I don't really like check -in -a -box things because psychologically it does something for me
- 53:43
- So I would truly advocate Listen, just just take a few verses sit with those verses and go deeper rather than going for distance
- 53:52
- Yeah So if you are a brand new Christian if you are a Christian that is coming back to the basics for a reason
- 54:00
- We've said a lot already and we're about to end we got one more question that we're gonna end The big takeaway
- 54:05
- I think is something that you said right at the outset Chuck we need to enter into our time reading the word as if we were spending time with a spouse as if we were spending time with somebody that we deeply love and just want to spend time with and if you just keep that as your overarching
- 54:24
- Goal, then you're gonna do just fine reading the Bible You know the moment that you and marriages happen like this, right?
- 54:32
- Husbands and wives do this the moment that you start treating your spouse like a roommate You're in trouble because now you're checking that box and we do the same thing to God We we end up treating
- 54:43
- God like he's our roommate instead of our our father That we need to know in love.
- 54:50
- Yeah No, absolutely. So I do a lot of marriage counseling and the number one problem in almost all relationships that come with issues is
- 55:00
- Ineffective communication now if prayer is our communication towards God and His communication towards us is reading the word.
- 55:10
- How effective is it? How effective is it? We need to sit down and see because he has given us his word.
- 55:16
- He has preserved his word. It's sufficient It's profitable it for teaching reproof correction training and righteousness.
- 55:22
- Are we effectively? Communicating with the father and allowing him to communicate to us through the reading of his word.
- 55:29
- Amen Amen, that's so good. We have one final question Chuck and I I'm gonna get myself into some trouble here.
- 55:37
- So I need you to ask me the question and I'll go ahead and answer it. Yes Nate This is for you.
- 55:44
- How does God speak to you? Mmm Warning theological error
- 55:55
- So So this is a concept that I think a lot of Christians either do not know about or When they hear what
- 56:05
- I'm about to say do not understand it. And so they dismiss it and they say that's strange. That's weird
- 56:11
- Here's my thing Chuck I'll start here. If Jesus was not simply speaking to his 12 disciples in John chapter 14 and Also John chapter 16 right when he's talking about the
- 56:24
- Holy Spirit and he says in John 16 13 that the Holy Spirit is going to Guide you into all truth for he will not speak from himself but he will speak whatever he hears right when it says in John 14 that the
- 56:39
- Holy Spirit is going to teach you all things and Again, the the goal of that is to conform to the image of the
- 56:46
- Son if Jesus was not just speaking to his 12 But this is him speaking to all disciples everywhere
- 56:53
- Which is what I believe Then we should go into our reading of God's Word with an expectation that the
- 56:59
- Holy Spirit will guide us into understanding the truth of God's Word as it applies to our own lives and that he will
- 57:07
- Speak to us with that goal through our study of God's Word okay, and I use the word speak in a very specific way and I'm gonna
- 57:15
- I'm gonna unpack that in just a moment and Also if we recognize the scripture right 2nd
- 57:21
- Timothy 316 is God breathed and it's adequate to equip us for every good work and Also, wait a sec
- 57:28
- Chuck Hebrews 412 God's Word is living and active and sharper than any two -edged sword
- 57:33
- Piercing down to the soul and spirit bones and marrow Able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart right if we put all this together
- 57:42
- Then I think that we should be looking at our time reading the Bible as an intimate encounter With God where the
- 57:48
- Spirit will stir our hearts. This is what I mean by speaking He will stir our hearts based on what we're reading in areas where it directly
- 57:58
- Applies to our current situation. So let me give you an example. I'm gonna tell you a story of this I think you actually know this
- 58:03
- I'll tell you a story. So I got to life Where you and I you and I led and taught together But I had a certain kind of background coming to life
- 58:12
- At that time when I came on staff and I started leading the young adults community alongside you
- 58:19
- And I started doing discipleship stuff The issue that I was personally struggling with was this interesting transition from being a teacher and a public speaker
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- To now becoming a pastor or stepping into that role, which is totally different It's totally different and the difference rests
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- It's not just one thing but the difference rests a lot in the heart and it rests in love
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- You know to be a public speaker and to travel around and to get to say a bunch of things that I want to say and Teach the things that I want to teach
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- Is great, but for me, the best part was when I get to leave I just now go chew on that and now
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- I'm I'll see you later. Bye When you're a pastor you can't do that, you know, you you have to stay with your sheep you have to love them
- 59:05
- Well, you need to see how they're walking through what they just heard from you and from the teaching of God's Word You need to start smelling like the sheep that you care for in other words, right?
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- So I'm doing my regular Bible study and I'm just going through the epistles It was my goal just to get through the epistles letter by letter and over the course of a couple of months
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- I finally get to first Timothy and I start reading chapter one No, no, no purpose.
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- No, I just want to read and I want to know God and I'm praying God Would you let me know you more? And so I get to verse 5 of Chapter 1 and for some reason
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- I just can't go any further. I have to stop. I don't know why I can't stop staring at verse 5
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- And the only way that I describe this is basically to say something like it seemed like the verse just lifted off the page
- 59:53
- It's it's as if I was just supposed to pay attention to it. I couldn't take my eyes off it Here's the verse. It says the aim of our charge is love that issues from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith
- 01:00:06
- Now, this is Paul talking to Timothy about the goal and the purpose behind being I mean first and foremost an apostle
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- Which is what he is, but also being a pastor Timothy was a pastor But I also take it being a church leader.
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- This is the purpose behind it and the goal Paul says it's love Chuck I stared at that verse for like four weeks
- 01:00:23
- And then I came in and I asked our mentor about this at an all -staff meeting
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- I don't know if you remember this but I said hey because Paul would always do it our Paul that our mentor Paul God He would always do this towards the end of all staff meetings.
- 01:00:36
- He would go. Okay, what are some of the things that God is? Doing your life. What is he placed on your heart? And so I said, hey
- 01:00:43
- I'm in first Timothy 1 5 and I don't know what to do with it But I can't stop reading it, right and I I try to reread it and go past it and I just keep coming back
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- I can't I can't and Paul man when I said that he just smiled at me.
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- I Think he said something like praise God praise God Nate, which didn't help me at all, right?
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- Like I'm looking for some advice, you know, like what do I do about this and he's praise God Well, so then finally it dawns on me one night.
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- I'm in front of the young adults. You're there. I'm in front of the young adults And I'm teaching them something
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- And it finally dawned on me I don't love these kids Hmm. I teach these kids
- 01:01:26
- I equip these kids to live their lives for the Lord to go out into a hostile culture and be ready for whatever may come
- 01:01:31
- Right. This is our job you and me together, but I don't love him. I Am speaking to them but I'm not there.
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- I'm not their pastor and The That's when I realized this is what the
- 01:01:45
- Spirit has been guiding me to see and I had to confess in that moment I had to confess and repent on the spot for that and it was that moment
- 01:01:53
- Chuck that marked a turn in my Relationship with those kids because now instead of just spending like saying a bunch of things to them
- 01:02:00
- Now I started to love them in front of them in front of this Space where we were talking and also behind the scenes
- 01:02:06
- Going back around circling back around making sure that their lives are okay that they're that they're in the word that they're you know
- 01:02:12
- They need anything counseling all of those things. That's when it shifted for me Chuck I'm convinced that a large number of Christians who go to church regularly.
- 01:02:20
- They read the Bible. They pray all of that They do not have this kind of I don't know what to call it like sensitivity
- 01:02:27
- To the leading of the Holy Spirit through the Word of God in the way that I've just described But that's what
- 01:02:34
- I mean there needs to be compassion if you are a pastor And I think that's what a lot of people get confused and pastoring and preaching.
- 01:02:43
- They are different Yeah Really are a lot of people when they think oh, I want to be a pastor
- 01:02:48
- They're probably saying I just want to preach I want to stand on stage and proclaim the Word of God.
- 01:02:54
- Listen, that's great We're all called to proclaim the message of the gospel, but a pastor is a shepherd we get dirty
- 01:03:00
- We the sheep bite like we are tending wounds. We are corralling them together
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- We we are spending night and day. There's it's a it's a 24 -hour job It really is so to be that intentional with the people that is under your charge is a huge honor
- 01:03:19
- Privilege and responsibility, but it is something that we should not take lightly
- 01:03:25
- So I agree man like there needs to be a sense of compassion that is coming from the heart of a pastor for The flock that God has entrusted to him
- 01:03:35
- Yeah, that's right. Amen You know and you know, this is where I think some
- 01:03:41
- Christians will take issue with what I'm saying, you know Oh Nate's a Pentecostal. No, I'm not Oh Nate saying that we need to hear secret whispers from God.
- 01:03:49
- No, I'm not I'm saying that the Spirit Guides us when we diligently seek to read the
- 01:03:55
- Bible to know God more He uses the Word of God to pierce our bones and the very joints and marrow and intentions of our heart
- 01:04:03
- So that we will conform more and more into the image of Christ this kind of stuff happens quite a bit and it has been it has all been with the underlying purpose of challenging me to die to self more and more and conform to the image of Christ to live the way that Christ lived and I absolutely believe that if you pray and ask
- 01:04:21
- God to give you that sensitivity to a spirit if you read in the manner that Chuck and I have been advocating for all
- 01:04:27
- Episode as you seek to know God more God will do the same thing for you There's good there's
- 01:04:33
- Thank you. Yeah, there's a lot more to say about that, you know But I'm sensitive to those those of you
- 01:04:42
- Who are again new to the faith or old to the faith, right? Who? maybe feel like God is
- 01:04:51
- Some somewhere out there in the ether, you know that he's somewhere He's doing things that are good and righteous for a lot of people, but you're not you're not your way over here
- 01:05:01
- You're you're left behind. There's there's not a hole. Oops That's a wrong phrase But the bottom line is
- 01:05:08
- God is the Holy Spirit is in you and and you are in Christ and And there are ways to to understand that God is actually carrying you in many in many instances
- 01:05:22
- He's walking alongside you. It's funny We my wife and I are thinking about moving and we keep talking about this and we're like man
- 01:05:30
- How do we know, you know what we're doing or how we're thinking about this through and I just decided man
- 01:05:36
- I'm gonna in the same way that first Timothy 1 5 That I sensed that I was supposed to wrestle with that I'm gonna write down everything that that has happened those kinds of passages that have jumped off the page in the last two years
- 01:05:50
- I found ten verses Chuck like this In my life That I know that God has forced me because of that passage and how it applies to my life uniquely has forced me to wrestle with Changes and dying to self and so we're not alone we're not alone and God does speak through his word and We need to we need to recognize what that means and we need to conform to the image of the
- 01:06:17
- Sun And so I pray that for you, and I hope that this episode finds you well that you're blessed
- 01:06:23
- Any parting words Chuck? Yes, my parting words is to be in the word until the word gets into you you you need to be like I said
- 01:06:33
- I don't think that there's an excuse that you can provide why you shouldn't be in your word daily It is our daily bread if you want a high view of the
- 01:06:40
- Word of God read Psalm 119 Just read Psalm 119 and you see how high of a view the psalmist had for the
- 01:06:48
- Word of God Therefore we need to have that same high view of God's Word and it needs to be the substance which we depend upon it is profitable for Teaching reproof correction training and righteousness so that we will be equipped
- 01:07:03
- After having been thoroughly equipped for all that God would have for us to do here
- 01:07:10
- Yeah, that's right. Amen Well, that's all the time that we have for this particular episode upcoming we are going to Talk about some wonderful things that you need to know as a
- 01:07:22
- Christian But here's my question to you and let us know in the comments or email us again at hello at wise disciple org
- 01:07:27
- What do you want us to talk about if you are a brand new Christian or you're you're sort of going back to basics?
- 01:07:34
- What do you want us to discuss? What do you want to know about? Let us know in the comments below or the email and we will absolutely tackle those topics and more coming up very soon
- 01:07:44
- Hopefully we'll have some guests Very shortly Chuck, that'll be exciting. Yep But in the meantime, we are praying for you.
- 01:07:51
- We are praying for your journey as a follower of Jesus Christ And we will say for now Ta -ta.