Slideshow image

Studying God's Word: Clinging to and changed by the Gospel

What: What is the Bible?

The Bible is God's word to us, primarily about Jesus; 1. Why we needed Him, 2. How He saved us,  3. How He changes the people He's saved, 4. What those in Christ are to Him.

Why: What Does God's Word Intend to Do?

Faith
The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to create faith in Jesus as well as strengthen the faith of believers.  By it He shows us how strong God is, how weak we are, and assures us of how it pleases Him to use his strength to care for those who trust in Christ.

Godliness
The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God to produce the new life that is fitting with the Gospel.  This is the life that glorifies God, and instead of delighting in self-centredness and sin, delights in God.

How: How Should we be Diving into God's Word?

1. In the Congregation 
Believers assemble together weekly to together submit themselves to God's Word, to have it wash over them, encourage them, change them, and turn the eyes of the Church to Christ.  This is meant to be done weekly.  Click here for more about how TAC does this each week.  

2. In Family Settings
This is done both in actual families as well as with a group of believers you've committed to walk through life together with.  Study the Word of God with eachother.  

For resources and help with studying God's Word with your family, click here.
For more information on joining a LifeGroup, one of TAC's home church's, click here.

3. Personal Study 
Study God's Word submissive to it's purposes: to create faith in Christ, and to transform us to be like Him.  Do not simply study for information, study for transformation.  This is meant to be done at least daily.  

Each time you study God's Word, study until you're able to respond to the passage you've studied:

  • By using it to worship God
  • By using to shape a prayer right after your study
  • By knowing how to submit to the commands found in it
  • By using it to help you understand more of why we need Jesus
  • By understanding it enough to be able to teach a friend or the children in your life

The best way to do this is to pick a book of the Bible and take some time to read through it - a chunk at a time.  We would recommend varrying the kind of book (for instance, after reading one of the Gospels, try reading a book from the Old Testament).  
Click here for some recommended Bible reading plans.