How to read the bible part 4: a living word

what is the holy spirit’s role in my reading?

“The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2:14).

Paul explains the Holy Spirit’s role in our reception of Scripture perfectly in his letter to the Corinthians here. If you have received the Holy Spirit, you know the difference that occurred when you received Him. You know that He gave you a new mind, and that you’re receiving Truth and Life where you otherwise may have been confused, scared, or even offended by it.

The Spirit does not create new meaning of what the Truth of the Scripture already is, but He does enable us to accept the Bible as God’s Word and grasp its meaning. The Spirit will not change the Bible to suit our purposes or match our circumstances, but He will make it come alive and interpret it for us. He helps us grow up spiritually so we can hear His voice in the Scriptures more clearly.

If you haven’t received the Holy Spirit and given your life to Jesus, maybe you’ve tried reading the Bible and have simply felt confused, overwhelmed, offended, scared, etc. We need the Holy Spirit in us to truly understand and receive Scripture. Romans 10:9 says that “if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” He also says that those who do this will receive the Holy Spirit as their advocate; that He will live in them and make them a new creation! This is the best decision you will ever make.

how important is it to get in a connect group or bible study?

It is made clear throughout the Bible that community is very important.

Romans 12:5 says that “in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”

When we gather with other brothers and sisters in Christ, we receive accountability, encouragement, and wisdom from others who are pursuing Jesus. If there is a Scripture we’ve been studying, we can ask other members of Christ’s body how they’ve received or read that Scripture, if God has spoken to them through it, etc. And this is exactly the kind of conversations we have in Connect Groups at C3KW.

No one is meant to do life alone. We all have lots to offer, and we all have lots to learn from each other. Joining a Connect Group is a choice to join a family in Christ. Meeting once a week, you’ll have dinner together, study the Word together, pray together, laugh and catch up, and do life together. You’ll hold each other accountable in practicing the way of Jesus every day, and seek to see full freedom in each other’s lives. It is truly amazing, and makes studying the Word more fun, accessible, and rich. Join a Connect Group now!

wHAT DOES “PRAYING THROUGH THE WORD” LOOK LIKE?

Reading the Bible is very different from reading fiction novels, biographies, textbooks, or really anything else. When you sit down to read the Word, you are reading God’s Word; the Word of your Father and Creator, who is with you all the time.

Imagine reading an intense history book, and the whole time you were reading, the author of that book was sitting with you. He’s kind, always wanting to hear from you, answer your questions, teach you more, and walk with you, meeting you where you’re at. This is what it’s like to read God’s Word! We have 24/7 access to the author of the Word and of our very lives… and He wants so much to hear from us. So, when we read, talking to God, asking Him questions, praying for His insight, praying that He would lead and speak what He wants to speak and move how He wants to… this is how we pray through the Word.