2. “I am Learning to Love God and love others.”
“I am Learning the teachings of Jesus.”

4. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
“The word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

5. Reading Scripture is a task different than simply reading any other given book or magazine.

6. Reading for information leads to puffed up hearts and boated heads, but a roadblock to many entering the Kingdom of God.

7. Reading for entertainment can lead to a haphazard and disjointed misrepresentation of what the Bible is actually saying and can cause us to engage in unprofitable pursuits.

8. Rather than for information or entertainment, we ought to read Scripture for three things:
revelation,
transformation and
application.

9. Reading for revelation incorporates the idea that Scripture doesn’t just present information about God, but that through engaging it, God actually reveals Himself to us personally and relationally.
HELPFUL QUESTIONS
What is this passage/story revealing to me about Jesus/Holy Spirit/God, His attitudes, behaviours or character?
How have I come to know Him differently or more clearly through this passage?

10. Reading for transformation encourages us to consider how God’s self-revelation in Scripture impacts us spiritually.
HELPFUL QUESTIONS
According to this passage, how am I unlike/like Jesus?
What within me is God confronting or encouraging?

11. Reading for application entails that we approach Scripture seeking a practical application of that which we are reading.
HELPFUL QUESTION
What, then, is this passage encouraging me to do or stop doing?

12. “Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through
“Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way. When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly. All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:1-10)

13. “Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through
“Jesus entered Jericho and was passing through. A man was there by the name of Zacchaeus; he was a chief tax collector and was wealthy. He wanted to see who Jesus was, but because he was short he could not see over the crowd. So he ran ahead and climbed a sycamore-fig tree to see him, since Jesus was coming that way.” (vs. 1-4)
QUESTION
What is this teaching me about Jesus, His attitudes, behaviour or character?

14. “When Jesus reached the spot, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, come down immediately. I must stay at your house today.” So he came down at once and welcomed him gladly.” (vs. 5-6)
QUESTIONS
What is this teaching me about Jesus, His attitudes, behaviour or character?
How am I unlike/like Jesus in this aspect?
What, then, is this encouraging me to do/stop doing?

15. “All the people saw this and began to mutter, “He has gone to be the guest of a sinner.” (vs. 7)
QUESTIONS
What is this teaching me about Jesus, His attitudes, behaviour or character?
How am I unlike/like Jesus in this aspect?
What, then, is this encouraging me to do/stop doing?

16. How am I unlike/like Jesus in this aspect?
“But Zacchaeus stood up and said to the Lord, “Look, Lord! Here and now I give half of my possessions to the poor, and if I have cheated anybody out of anything, I will pay back four times the amount.” Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because this man, too, is a son of Abraham. For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (vs. 8-10)
QUESTIONS
What is this teaching me about Jesus, His attitudes, behaviour or character?
How am I unlike/like Jesus in this aspect?
What, then, is this encouraging me to do/stop doing?

17. A PRAYER
I pray that we might read God’s Word in such a way that Christ is revealed to us in an ever-increasing manner, that we would experience incredible transformation and renewing of our minds, and that we might realize tangible and concrete applications for that which we encounter in our reading of Scripture. Might we learn the teachings of Jesus and might doing so transform us and the community around us.