God and His Word The Doctrine of God Doctrine: carefully formulated statements of teachings on a certain theme. God is unique in nature. No person, object or idea can be compared to God. Anything said about God must be based on what God says to us to us in His word and Himself. God is the only God. He is the only true God. Other gods are simply useless objects made by human hands and minds. God is holy. The holiness of God includes right living, purity, majesty, power, authority and love, to mention a few. Holiness belongs to God alone. God is eternal. He has no beginning and no ending. God is spirit. God is said to be everywhere all the time for everyone at the same time. There is no place we can go from the presence of God. God is known as God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. God is intimate. God is personal. He is living and working in the world among His people. He has a plan and a purpose for our lives and works in our lives alongside us to accomplish the plans he has for us.

You and the Word There are three basic dynamics of the Bible. It is one volume. It encompasses sixty-six books. It is divided into two sections called Old Testament and New Testament. (a written account of details) “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” (1 Peter 2:2-3)  God’s word will help you grow. READ IT DAILY  God’s word will guide you. HEAR IT TAUGHT AND PREACHED  God’s word will keep you from sin. MEMORIZE AND OBEY IT  God’s word will teach you how to live. STUDY IT  God’s word will inspire you. MEDITATE ON IT  God’s word will work. PRACTICE IT Preparing for Studying the Word 1.Make spiritual preparation on – pray as you prepare for study 2.Make physical preparation – set aside a place and time, get your resources together 3.Make mental preparation – clear yourself for your cares, get quiet, refuse to be interrupted by thoughts

Ways to Study the Bible A.Study a passage – a passage is a single line of words or grouping of words usually identified by a: Book – John Chapter – 3 Verse – 16 Verses – B.Study a word There is a good reason to want to study a particular word in a passage of scripture. Definition: Scripture – Words such as prayer, joy, suffering and the like help give deeper insight on why a word is important to the life of a Christian and how the word impacted society then. C.Study a character/personality A personality is the study of an individual in the Bible such as Jesus, John, the Woman at the Well and the like. The study of a personality gives greater insight on how a personality and all their traits as a person, the struggles they had and the victories they gained. D.Memorizing Scripture Select version alphabetically. This will help with mental organization. A – A cord of three strains is not easily broken B – Be kind to one another C – Count it all joy when you go through various trials and temptations Once you have selected a scripture to memorize, write it on index cards or post-it notes and recall it in your head throughout the day. Continue to rehearse it by applying it to your life and asking for guidance about how it applies to your life. You will have a tendency to memorize scripture that applies and relates best to your own life.