There is nothing that replaces the hearing or reading of the Word of God. There are a number of important spiritual disciplines, all of which need to be part of our lives, but nothing has a greater impact than a daily encounter with the Bible. The temptations of our flesh are strong, and our own mind keeps trying to lead us astray, so without constant correction, without being confronted again and again by the way God thinks, we unconsciously drift back into unbelief, entertain temptation, and return to loving the world. Someone once said, “When we pray, we talk to God, but when we read the Word, He talks to us.” Though I admit the Bible isn’t the only way God talks to us, it is undoubtedly the most trustworthy way. When I try to hear God directly, my own thoughts can at times deceive me, but the plain truths and commands in the Bible never change, and are never wrong. Whenever I test the Bible by actually doing what it says, it always works.

And the Bible contains within itself a strange authority, one that’s hard to explain. If a person will pick it up and read it honestly, sooner or later they sense it’s speaking to them. How many committed atheists have tried to read it to prove to themselves it is filled with superstitious lies, only to find themselves convicted of their rebellion to a God who loves them and fearing a God who will someday bring them to judgment. It simply isn’t a silly, religious book. That’s why every vile form of human government outlaws the Bible. How often has it been labeled a dangerous book? Because it is! It’s a force to be dealt with.

I believe the primary reason our society is failing, families are failing, individuals are failing, and many Christians are failing is because people are not interacting daily with the Word of God. They are “leaning on their own understanding” (Pr 3:5) and therefore God is not guiding them. Today, we’re going to let Apollos be an example to us once again. Last week we saw his passionate love for God, but this week we’ll see his passionate commitment to study and teach the Word of God.