2 Timothy 2:15 (Amp) – Study and be eager (to do what) and do your utmost (not least most) to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.

Too many Christians live their life on snippets, *half-truths, and hearsay.*Half- truth is a whole lie.

So, few actually read and study God’s truth to find out the truth.

That’s why so many Christians live a defeated, weak life.

If God is a reality and the soul is a reality and you are an immortal being, what are you doing with your bible shut?

Example:

Acts 17:10-12 (NIV) – 10As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. 11Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians*, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true. 12Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number of prominent Greek women and many Greek men.

Their standard:1 Thessalonians 1:3-4 (Amp) – 3 Recalling unceasingly before our God and Father your work energized by faith and service motivated by love and unwavering hope in [the return of] our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah). 4[O] brethren beloved by God, we recognize and know that He has selected (chosen) you.

Psalm 119:11 (NIV) – I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

What does this say we need to do with God’s word and the effect it will have.

James 4:17(Amp) – So any person who knows what is right to do but does not do it, to him it is sin.

In fact, the bible doesn’t say that Satan tempted Eve with an apple. It only mentions a serpent and fruit.

Like Jonah was swallowed by a ‘great fish’, not a whale.

Money is the root of all evil.

However, 1 Timothy 6:12 actually says “the love of money is the root of all evil”.

It is very clear therefore that we need to read our bibles.

God works in mysterious ways is not a scripture in the bible.

Or Pride goes before a fall.

God wants to speak to us through His word.

Hosea 4:6 (NIV) – My people are destroyed from lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also reject you as my priests; because you have ignored the law of your God, I also will ignore your children.

An unread bible is like food uneaten, a love letter never read, a buried sword, a road map unstudied, gold never mined. - Jerry Vines

Satan’s greatest weapon is man’s ignorance of God’s word.

Paul says:

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NIV) – 16All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, *rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, 17so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

*Sharp disapproval [Teregwysing]

We can’t just read the bible; we must study it.

Question:

So how do we study the bible?

Once you’ve adequately prepared yourself for study of His word – by prayer and confession of sin.

Ask God to open His word to you and believe He will.

Now that you have established a priority and are now ready to read your bible...

(I believe this will help anyone who truly wants to read and study their bible)

... there are 2 simple, but life changing methods.

The ‘4P’ method:

Passage: Select a passage of scripture.

Part: Look for one part that speaks to your heart, one part the Holy Spirit speaks to you.

Point: What’s the point? What does the scripture teach?

Practice: Ask the Holy Spirit to show you how He wants you to put it into practice.

Example:

Passage: you may be reading the book of Titus in chapter 3

Part: you come across thisTitus 3:8 (NIV) – This is a *trustworthy saying. And I want you to *stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote* themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

*trustworthy = it’s trustworthy – you can stake your life on it

*Stress these things = not only in speech but in action too

*devote = Give up (oneself), one’s efforts, possession exclusively to a person, a purpose or pursuit.

Point: Ask yourself what’s the point what’s it saying to me?

It’s trustworthy – I can trust this.Because I have trusted God with my life, I have a responsibility.

I must *devote myself to do what God called me for.

Practice: What do I need to do, to put this into practice?

The second method is S.P.E.C.S.: (if you apply these SPECS to your life, you’ll see so much better…)

S – Sin to confess

P – Promise to claim

E – Example to follow

C – Command to obey

S – Service to render

Example using Titus again:

Titus 3:8 (NIV) – This is a trustworthy saying. And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable for everyone.

Sin to confess:

What are you busy with in your life that is causing you to not devote yourself to doing what is good?

Promise to claim:

If I do what it says, it will be profitable in my walk with God, and I’ll live an excellent God-pleasing life.

Example to follow:

It’s Jesus. He is trustworthy to enable you to accomplish it.

1 Peter 2:21(Amp) – For even to this were you called [it is inseparable from your vocation]. For Christ also suffered for you, leaving you [His personal] example, so that you should follow in His footsteps.

1 Thessalonians 5:24 (Amp) “Faithful is He Who is calling you [to Himself] and utterly trustworthy, and He will also do it [fulfill His call by hallowing and keeping you].

Command to obey:

Do good!! 2 Timothy 3:17 (NIV) – So that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Service to render:

It calls for a faithful, excellent example of a disciple of Jesus.

And finally – the very word:

Hebrews 4:12(Amp) – For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.

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