730JesusWord_581215554

This past Sunday we talked about how the royal official took Jesus at His word (reveiw message here). A few of the challenges we talked about was reading through the book of John to know Jesus' words, going from just a hearer of His words to taking them to heart, or exploring more of Jesus in the Bible.

Reading the the Bible can help us know more about God and His ways and how that can bring purpose & meaning to our lives. He has given us His Words in the Bible so that we can know Him better and take steps in our relationship with Him. It's not like reading a textbook for school or a novel for fun. It's about connecting with God. 

When you go to read the Bible, take some time to pray first and ask God to reveal Himself to you. Open your mind. Open your heart. Don't just skim it like you would a webpage, explore God. As you read, think about what the passage is saying about God and His ways. Try to gain an understanding of the Bible as a whole. The Old Testament sets the stage for the New Testament. The Old Testament show our need for a Savior. The New Testament begins with the story of the Savior, Jesus and show how we can experience real life through Him. If your Bible has notes before the chapters or in the margins, read them to gain more insight.

We know this can be overwhelming. You might not feel like anything or it can become routine. It understandable to feel like you don't know where to start or what to do. The resources provided on this website & at The Journey can help. They're designed to help people start or continue to connect with God through His word. We want you to take steps to not be dependant on a resource but to be connected with God. So when you read the Bible, read it for the relationship. As you read, ask yourself questions like this: What does it say about God? What does this mean for me? Don't just walk away with some knowledge. Put Him and His ways to the test and see how life starts to make sense.

Here's a few resources:

STARTING LINE PACK: This packet has some helpful information, a booklet about big questions, and a short book that has daily readings & thoughts to get you going in your relationship with God. It's available for free at the Next Step Center at church.

BIBLE APP: every Sunday we provide some readings and thoughts that go along with the series focus. This is a great resource for you, but also a great thing to discuss as a family or with a Running Partner Mini-Group. You can find it with the Bible App or current series pages.