God's Word

Why study the Bible? Because it is God’s word! If you had a resource that records God’s most important interactions with humanity, wouldn’t you be interested in it? Wouldn’t you love to know what God has told people when they were facing difficult circumstances? Wouldn’t you like to know God’s design for the world? What if you had a resource that showed you how you could live the happiest, most fulfilled life possible? What if you had a resource that showed you the kinds of things to avoid, the things that would make you least fulfilled and the most unhappy in the long run?

We have that resource! It is the Bible. And it is even more than a book with answers and instructions. It is a tool that God uses to transform us. It is a “means of grace,” a God-ordained path for God to make us more like him. It is a tool to make us more Christ-like.

We study the Bible because we love the Lord. It not only shows our love for him, but it’s a means for him to show his love for us. When we read it together, it builds community. It builds up the body of Christ.

The church in Acts met regularly for many purposes. “They devoted themselves to the apostle’s teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer.” You can be sure that the apostle’s teaching included a hefty dose of searching the Scriptures. The books of the New Testament draw on many sources – direct experience of the Holy Spirit, traditions handed down, experiences of life, even rational arguments. 

But center stage to all the understanding of the early church was Scripture, the word of God.