Spiritual Life & Disciplines Part 6 – Spiritual Discipline #1 – Bible Intake - cont

The intake of the Word of God is the foundational spiritual discipline But He answered and said, "It is written, "MAN SHALL NOT LIVE ON BREAD ALONE, BUT ON EVERY WORD THAT PROCEEDS OUT OF THE MOUTH OF GOD." – Matthew 4:4

Reading God’s Word – How to have a quiet time

Surely we only have to be realistic and honest with ourselves to know how regularly we need to turn to the Bible. How often do we face problems, temptation and pressure? Every day! Then how often do we need instruction, guidance and greater encouragement? Every day! To catch all these felt needs up into an even greater issue, how often do we need to see God’s face, hear his voice, feel his touch, know his power? The answer to all these questions is the same: every day! As the American evangelist D.L. Moody put it, “A man can no more take in a supply of grace for the future than he can eat enough for the next six months, or take sufficient air into his lungs at one time to sustain life for a week. We must draw upon God’s boundless store of grace from day to day as we need it.” - John Blanchard, How to Enjoy Your Bible

A designated time and place When is your best time of day? A time when you will not be interrupted (15-30 minutes is a good starting point) A place where you will not be interrupted A logistical A plan, B plan, and C plan

A flexible Bible plan A Bible-reading plan A specific book to study A devotional book to help your study The MacArthur Daily Bible A Study Bible D.A. Carson, For the Love of God A topic that you are interested in studying

Know your Bible – read smart! Reading different genres in Scripture mean different approaches to Bible reading Narrative (story) – usually you have to read much larger sections of Scripture to understand the biblical truths being communicated Prophecy – the heavy use of metaphor and symbolism makes more study necessary before application can come Psalms – knowing the historical background makes interpretation and application much easier

Know your Bible – read smart! Reading different genres in Scripture mean different approaches to Bible reading Proverbs – often one verse (or even one half of a verse) is sufficient for meditation and application The Epistles (letters) – one verse may be enough for meditation and application. However, often there is a larger flow or argument which must be seen and understood as well

A notebook to journal Log what you read Interact with the text Questions that you have Things you’d like to study further Points and principles that you learn Draw out the flow, outline what you’re reading

A notebook to journal Specific application – how do I need to change in light of what I learned? Encourage me? Correct me? Convict me? Inform me? How does what I have learned today intersect with my life right now? Write down one specific application for the day Write down any verses you would like to memorize – write them on an index card and keep it with you

A notebook to journal Specific application – how do I need to change in light of what I learned? Share what you’re learning

Don’t forget about audio Bibles

A suggested procedure for getting started

If you are currently not reading God’s Word at all Pick a time/place Select a basic Bible reading plan Purchase a notebook and start writing down what you learn each day Commit to reading God’s Word at least 3 times this week – add one more day each week until you are reading every day Have your spouse or a good friend hold you accountable Share what you are learning

If you are reading God’s Word inconsistently Diagnose your inconsistency: Do I have a regular time/place? Do I have a plan, a back-up plan, and a back-up-back- up plan? Am I using a Bible reading plan? What inhibits my consistency? Identify and make needed changes Firm up your plan – make needed changes Commit to reading each day Have someone hold you accountable

If you are reading God’s Word regularly but aren’t being changed much Diagnose your lack of change Am I reading without meditating? Am I reading but distracted? Am I reading with the wrong motives and goals? Am I in a Bible reading rut? Am I reading in the wrong places? Identify and make needed changes

Refuse to let your quiet time become what most quiet times become