1. The Bible – Truth to fire us, guide us and grow us.
Esp. verses 14 to 17
2 Timothy
The Bible – Truth to fire us, guide us and grow us.

2. Deist or Theist? Theists believe in Deists believe in God who created
God who came
God who relates
God who speaks
Deists believe in
A god out there
He made the world
He leaves it alone
Are you a deist or a theist?
Deists believe in a god out there, who made the world, but leaves it alone
Theists believe in God who created, who came, who relates, and who speaks - Creation, Jesus, Holy Spirit!

3. GOD’S BOOK! The Bible Record Alarm Clock Story Diary Memory aid
Encyclopaedia
The Bible makes a difference because it is God’s book.
A record of his words and deeds in history
Can act as reminder, wake us up, inform us
God’s Google, Amazon and Facebook!
He speaks: more we look, more we learn.

4. Why read the Bible? Reasons (2 Timothy 3.14-15)
The family of believers
His own life
Nigel: God speaks: as a whole and specifically
Why? Reasons (bike to get to work) and purposes (to get fit)
Reasons: 2 Tim
from childhood, seeing other Christians
Make him wise for salvation

5. Why read the Bible? Reasons (Us) Jesus! We can trust it It’s practical
Bible speaks of Jesus – OT and NT
We can trust its authority
It works! Speaks to our daily lives…

6. Be careful……. Not for our own convenience
Not twisted to suit our opinion
The Bible is a library
Some warnings…
Not to suit ourselves (like Twelve Years: godly slave-owner reading Luke 12.47: servant beaten….)
Not twisted to suit our opinion (eye for eye out of context; pork, Apartheid, riches like Solomon, Middle east politics)
Library of different kinds of literature: trees clap hands (Ps 98, Is 55) stories like Good Sam have a main point – beware too much detail!

7. Be careful……. Not for our own convenience
Not twisted to suit our opinion
The Bible is a library
Jesus at the centre
With common sense
Looking to learn what God does
Our authority in God’s revelation in Jesus
Bible not a magic book, but points to him
We need common sense (Amalekites, gouging eyes)
Step by step revelation of God in action – look and learn!

8. THE BIBLE: purposes of reading 2 Tim 3.16-17
Truth to fire us
Truth to guide us
Truth to grow us
God-breathed and useful!
Positive purposes…
Fire us up, guide us, grow us: it’s meant to change us!
God-breathed and useful (NIV and Message)

9. THE BIBLE: Truth to fire us Truth to guide us Truth to grow us
Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.
We let it speak: give it opportunity, open our minds, to let it FIRE us
We let it apply: to thought, speech, action, surroundings, to let it GUIDE us
We let it challenge us: question our prejudices and comfort zones – accept change; to let it GROW us.
NIV teaching, rebuking, correcting, training… Dry??
Every part of Scripture (Message)

10. TRUTH TO FIRE US Get inside the word Or let it get inside you!
Make the link!
Be flexible!
Petersen: truck-driver’s wife puzzled:
(parables) Mary, you got to live them, then you’ll understand them; you can’t figure them out from the outside – you got to get inside them, or let them get inside you!
You have to make the link , and it can change you.
The world changes, so be flexible and let it apply….

11. TRUTH TO GUIDE US Read it every day, and apply it
Check what you hear – look yourself
Pray about what you read
Ask for understanding
Look for answers!
How will you let it guide you?
Read it every day, and apply it
Check what you hear – look yourself
Pray about what you read
Ask for understanding
Look for answers to questions you face

12. TRUTH TO GROW US Proactive, bold, inquisitive? Ready to change?
Help to cope with life?
How do you let it grow you?
Will you let it take you to new places? Or stay comfortable? Will you ask questions?
Are you ready and willing to change when he tells you something new?
God will always speak and help you if you are listening!

13. THE BIBLE: purposes of reading 2 Tim 3.16-17
Truth to fire us
Truth to guide us
Truth to grow us
God-breathed and useful!
The Bible is there to fire us, guide us, grow us and lead us to Jesus if we are open to it doing so. It is still God-breathed and useful for us today, because God and his word do not change.
February small groups will give us an opportunity too, but why wait?