Tag: Discipleship

Getting Started With Personal Bible Study

Preparing to Study

  • Make time to study.  Study time will not “just happen.”  There are too many things that can help us waste time.  We must set aside time every day to focus on God’s word.
  • Have a place to study.  An ideal place will have adequate lighting, minimal interruptions, and study resources available.
  • Have a plan for study.  The plan should be realistic and flexible.  It may be the study of an issue or a section of scripture. This will help us focus your study.

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  • Get help when needed.  Don’t be afraid to ask someone for help in understanding a passage.  Check the answer with other scriptures to make sure that it is true.
  • Pray to God for wisdom, James 1:2-8.  We are told to pray to God for wisdom for He gives liberally and without reproach.  Knowledge comes from study, wisdom is the ability to use what is studied.  We cannot hope for wisdom if we do not study.  When we study we should not neglect to ask our benevolent God for wisdom.
  • Study with an open mind.  We must be willing to do what God commands.  We must have a “speak Lord, Thy servant hears” attitude.  James likens it to a man looking in a mirror, examining what is pleasing and what must be changed.
  • Use common sense.  The Bible is written in logical language and was written to the common man.  We can understand it.

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Approaching the Text

  • Rightly divide the word.  Realize the difference between the Old and New Testaments, the physical and the spiritual, etc.  The context will help determine the difference.
  • Read, re-read, ponder, and read again.  Take time to just read the scriptures and absorb the ideas.  Think about what is being said.  Some passages will become clearer later in the day, in a sermon or class where the text is discussed, or much later through increased knowledge.
  • Be patient.  Some passages are difficult to understand the first couple of times they are read.  Be patient with yourself.  As you know more you will understand more.
  • Look at the context of the passage.  Examine the previous paragraphs and sentences to get the gist of the message.  Ask the probing questions: Who, to whom, what, where, why, how.  Some things are not applicable to us today (i.e., build an ark) but teach important principles.
  • Notice the “little” words and connecting words.  Little words like “if (then),” “so,” “for,” “and,” “but,” etc. are significant for understanding a passage.  Some words like “except,” “therefore,” and “because” link thoughts and arguments.  The omission of these words can drastically affect the meaning.  This part of study cannot be overemphasized.  It is critical to understanding the word of God.

Choosing God Over The World

Paul stressed to the Romans, in Romans 13:11-14, the importance of casting off the works of darkness and walking in the light.  We have spent enough of our life sinning and now we are closer to our salvation than when we first believed.  Since there is much to do and little time in which to do it, we must be diligent to put away the works of darkness and put on the armor of light and get to work for the Lord.

Some Christians are ineffective in the service of God because they are not totally dedicated themselves to God.  They are keeping some things of the world with them: lust, evil speaking, covetousness, worldliness, etc. These things are weighing them down and they cannot grow properly in the Lord and are useless in his service.  The Hebrew writer urges us to “lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily ensnares us” so we can run with endurance, unencumbered by the world, Hebrews 12:1.

We must either grasp God completely or the world completely.  We will fail if we try to serve both, Matthew 6:24; 1 Kings 18:21.  We can deceive ourselves into thinking that we are serving God while our hearts are devoted to the world.  We must examine our thoughts and our actions to see if we are bearing fruit to the world or to the Lord.

Joshua urged the people to decide whom they would serve, Joshua 24:14-25.  They needed to make a decision that day and stick with it.  When they answered that they would serve the Lord, Joshua rebuked them telling them that they could not serve the Lord because they were too fickle. A brief study of history would confirm Joshua’s assessment.  They frequently declared their dedication to God only to murmur against Him and His chosen leaders soon afterward.  Like that audience, we must choose today whom we will serve and then follow wholeheartedly.

Loving As Christ Loved

The love of Christ that Christians should have is well described in Colossians 3:12-17. “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved” Therefore connects the previous verses: you have put on the new man and put off the old man, you were raised with Christ, and you are setting your mind on things above.  You are the chosen of God (elect) according to your response to His calling through the word of the gospel, 2 Thessalonians 2:13-14.  You are holy (sanctified) as God is holy, 1 Peter 1:15-16, and loved by the Father.

“And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.”  The peace of God is to “umpire” our hearts and direct our lives.  When we have peace with God, it is easier to have peace with our brethren, especially those who require more longsuffering.  We are unified in one body when we all are ruled by the peace of God and seek the things which make for peace, Romans 14:19.

An example of seeking peace is in 1 Corinthians 6:1-11.  I should not take my brother who has wronged me to court, but rather accept the wrong rather than disgrace the name of the Savior and the church before the world.  Sometimes we have to “accept the wrong” to make for peace.  It is not wrong to confront a brother for an expense resulting from his negligence, but if he will not hear you, or the church, it is better to accept the wrong and let the great Judge, our God, administer justice.

Do I Have To Love Other Christians?

God commands us to love our brethren.  Loving my brother is not an option, nor is it a command that I can follow selectively.  Although we realize that some brethren’s personalities clash with ours, or they have habits or idiosyncrasies that bother us, we must work harder to overcome these minor things to be brethren.

Some have the attitude, “I have to love him but that doesn’t mean that I have to like him.”  Perhaps they wish to reconcile the command to love our brethren and the reality that some brethren can be obnoxious, overbearing, insensitive, and annoying.  How can we truly have love for our brethren if we do not make significant attempts to overcome the natural reaction to avoid these people?  Will we show true hospitality, help, love, and concern for someone we love but whom we make conscious efforts to avoid?  A better approach is to look past character traits to the soul within.  Perhaps the gentle rebuke made in sincere love could chisel away some undesirable characteristics to make the brother lovable to others.  Certainly, there are people who grate on our nerves but we probably grate on the nerves of others as well.

Paul addresses the need to make a special effort to love the unlovable in Colossians 3:13: “bear with one another.”  The word “bear” here is used elsewhere of God suffering or bearing with us (Matthew 17:17, Mark 9:19).  In 2 Corinthians 11:1,19, the same word is used in a sense that we might translate as put up with.  There is a great need for us to suffer with, forbear, put up with, and bear with one another.  We come from different backgrounds, geographical areas, financial situations, educational levels, etc.  We are a dissimilar people unified into one body under one head.  It is essential that we bear with one another and not willfully withhold our full love for some brethren because we do not “like” them.  “What do you do more than others?  Even the tax collectors love those who love them,” Matthew 5:46 (paraphrased)

It’s Not About The Money

Would you prefer a job that was high paying but not fulfilling or one with average pay but enjoyable?

Some believe they want a high-paying job even though they might not be fulfilled by their career. This is a mistake that can cause a lot of stress in your life and you may find that no matter the pay you can’t stand the job. There are many stories of people who leave careers in medicine, law, and other high paying occupations because their work is not fulfilling. Considering that people spend most of the average week at work, it is worth spending time to find a career that will allow you to meet your financial obligations, give generously to the Lord’s work, and do work that provides satisfaction. Even the best fitting jobs have tough days and unpleasant tasks but the pleasure of the job overall will compensate for that.

No amount of money should influence you to choose a career that would include work that is immoral or immerses you in an immoral environment. Many Christians have changed careers later in life because they felt their work environment was leading them away from Christ. Some have become so frustrated with the extreme worldliness in some work environments that they simply found other work. Sadly, some Christians have left the Lord due to the influence of ungodly work environments.

A final consideration is choosing a career that allows you to worship God regularly (Hebrews 10:25). Choosing a career that regularly keeps you away from worship or even a location that is far removed from a church to worship with can be hazardous to your spiritual health. You might be able to start a local work in a remote location–which would be a good thing–but be aware that it is a tough road. The wisdom of God is evident in the establishment of the church as a place where Christians can be edified and encouraged and we cut ourselves off from a great source of power and strength when we are regularly absent from worship services.

As you contemplate your career choices, don’t forget to keep your relationship with God a the center of your decision. No amount of money will make you happy if you don’t.