October 13, 2019 - (Week 3 of 3) - Welcoming the Living Word

Had a rough morning. I don't know what the heck happened read it for like a year, and I forgot what I'm supposed to do. And I do pay attention. I'm in the seat or downstairs this morning Father or just let them have a wonderful morning Lord. We just thank you now is Pastor Trevor preachers Lord. The word just comes 4th Lord we here and we listen Lord, and I just thank you so much for his willingness to preach this morning. And again, we're so thankful for Thanksgiving Lord. We just praise and thank you. Nobody said it man. Amen, well, I thought. I'm working. Here we go. Gourd the way you did that with having people come back and give the offering that's what a great way to settle it settled people down because during the summer when we started doing this kind of thing is be up here trying to tell them.

Those are fun, but people have to rush discussions in your brand. Well, anyway, so good to be here today. I am thankful. I've got a new Bible and for those of you. Like I wanted a new Bible. What a note basically I want one for preaching. I want with a little bit bigger text. And if you see this you can't really see this one. I got pictures right away, but it's a little bit bigger text and it's in the translation that should line up with the program we use for 4. Anyway, so I'll read the same thing that's on the screen, but I got to show you the first picture here is a picture of someone up there. Okay, so here's the first Bible I got. recalled that large print and and I thought it was like women's clothing, you know, when they tell you that's a size to make you feel bad about yourself. And so they're doing this and then they want you to go to optometrist to get your eyes checked cuz that is no way large prints. So this the next one is is this is that's that's my big one here. This is what I got now, so it's a little bit bigger and I can read it from there. So that's good. But the other day I was going through we have a fire box that keeps documents safe if there's a fire and I've got two Bibles in there and one is my what is my grandpa's and when was my dad's and I got to show you this because might my grandpa's Bible he wrote things in the margin and he wrote things going on in and like I didn't know my grandpa that well he died when I was three years old when I get to see what was important to him. I get to see his reactions to God I get to see his interactions with God and the next slide is is that's one of the one things that you just did. I mean, I could have picked a better better when I just opened it up and that was it but that's his handwriting and like he was born. 1898 or something 99 like glass last century. 97 are you sure anyway anyway, he's he's part of that generation that's you know horse and buggy to man on the moon kind of thing. And then my dad was one that he gave my mom and dad. I got to tell you the story. It was just it was phenomenal. So at the back of that Bible there's an inscription he wrote his name and to Ann and Howard. That's an excited. You can show any put Psalms 144 verse 12, so I had to look that up. Right so I go and I go to Psalm 44, but I went to verse 11 instead and look at look at Woodbridge 11 since it's just me and Deliver Me from the hand of strange children whose mouth speaketh vanity in the right hand and right hand of falsehood. And and I don't know my grandpa too. Well, but I didn't know him that he would probably not put that as an inscription in the Bible do his daughter and his her side his son-in-law. So I went back and checked and I saw the next verse that he was actually first 12 who wrote and he said that our son's they plant is grown up in their youth and our daughter. Maybe as cornerstones Polished in the civil suit of the palace bibles are amazing. For a lot of reasons, but I love the fact that they are not just for you there for future Generations. And what you do with your walk with God passes on to further Generations? It's more direct than that your prayers matter for your children's children's children. What you do with your walk with God matters for your children's Children's children's children it matters.

Make marks in your Bible mark it up here for most of my life. I did the NIV and this is the NIV they change the NIV so I can't read from that one anymore. But this is my me marking up. This is how I get the best sermons. I read a question down and I go figure out what it means I go to the church, but I kind of know the pastor but I don't know anybody else. I'll bring that Bible just in case he asked me to preach on the spur of the moment cuz I got them all of right there. It's just like what are you doing? I can just pull it open and it's awesome. lately, I've been reading more devotional e n e Holman Christian Standard Version, and I've been really focusing on asking questions and figuring out the answers to that.

We can read the Bible. And still be stuck in mean mean in stock. You can make no difference in her life while it does make a difference with such a little difference in our life when we just read it to check off a box or to say that we read it to her, especially. See you look good in front of others. Paul tells us everything we do without faith is sin. So that includes reading the Bible you can read the Bible and it be said that's not good news.

We live in an era where? If you have a smartphone you have more Bibles available to you in that smartphone don't go to that side yet. You go to the more more more Bibles available every moment of the day than anyone else in history has ever had. Not my problem with reading on a cell phone like it. I have it. I will redo my cell phone the best final you have is a Bible you have in the moment, right? Like if you if you got your waiting for someone you're going to pick someone up the Bible's right? There booze apps will actually read the Bible to you. So you don't even have to read it. Like you can place it on there and have it play as you're traveling. You have no excuse not to get the word in you there is no excuse whatsoever. My excuse why I don't want to use the Bible app is I do stuff like this. You control the next slide it it's simply this is my Instagram feed the other next lie to you can actually see my Instagram feed. It's it's all like I just wait like I want to share with everybody and it just like, oh, that's a good one and I'd share it out and I don't really get a whole lot out of it except some really cool meme sometimes I got this one app. I was playing with last night. You just take a picture and it it's kind of like a Christian fortune cookie will pick a verse that matches the picture. It's like sometimes they're hilarious. And and if you look at my last night for Thanksgiving and I took a picture of our kids and it said What's the verse about? Children are a Heritage from God and it's like oh look at that. It's great. But man, there's something about a brand new Bible. There's something about a well-worn Bible. There's something about holding it in your hand and knowing that the marks I'm making here. Can you read four generations yet on fought off?

If you have questions about how the Bible came to be if you have questions about do we can we trust these translations. If you have those kind of questions, I will sit down with car over with you over coffee and I will explain it to you as best I can and I got to tell you I am so passionate about that. If I was to do it up here I would for all of you guys because no one is as passionate as I am about that and all I need to tell you is every translation we have today is the best translation the world has ever seen. bar none I can I can any kind of criticism you see about scripture on those new stands about, you know, different different version of the Bible or secret Booker. I got them all I have them all. You're not a secret. I can just I can tell you all about them. Right? It's not that but I don't want to talk about that today. I want to talk about the fact first of all, I want to talk about why the Bible is good for you. And then I want to talk about.

how to read it

every time every time you read it, it it becomes life for you. Every time you read it.

I want to start by reading from the message. The message is a transliteration. Meaning it's a thought for Thought translation, but I loved it for the start of Psalm 119.

Says you're blessed. When you stay on course walking steadily on the road revealed by God, you're blessed when you follow his instructor directions doing your best to find him. That's right. You don't go off on your own you walk Street along the road set. You got prescribed the right way to live. Now. You expect us to live it. Well that my steps would be steady keeping to the course. You said then I never have any regrets and comparing my life to your counsel. I thank you for speaking straight from your heart. I learned the pattern of Your Righteous ways. I'm going to do what you tell me don't ever walk off and leave me. Psalm 119 is a saw. It's an acrostic song in the Hebrew it all starts with a different letter of the alphabet. And it's a beautiful poetry but it's all about the blessing the word is.

We live in an era where we have more versions of the Bible better translated versions of the Bible.

And we don't make use of it.

I know we don't make use of it because the greatest need in the church today is discernment. And where do you get the sermon you get it through this word? Discernment is being able to see what the situation is in the world lining it up with what the Bible says. And there's so few of us who can do that and we need the help of Holy Spirit to do it properly. But but we need to study to show ourselves approved.

And I have too many conversations with too many people where it where we parrot the philosophies of this world instead of understand that we God has given us a different philosophy of life. You want a simple example? YOLO you only live once right? That's not what the fox says. Book says You Live Twice it should be off. It should be yatsa means it means and that means the things I do in this world make a difference in the next world. Makes a difference. It's not that I do something just because I only live once in a live experience it again is only do it once because it's going to make a difference in the world to come. I do it now because it makes a difference man.

You don't get that if you don't read this book.

we're the third part of the first step of

I'm sorry. I'm doing two of these at the same time. My mind is going back and forth the kingdom way. And the kingdom way is our course that were following and and I just had a revelation this week. We didn't plan it this way. It just sort of happened because as I began to study this message, I change the title. Because it wasn't about devouring the word. It was a boat welcoming The Living Word. And understanding that the that this is life a very life is I need this to live.

And Jesus is called The Living Word Paul or John tells us that the word became flesh and made his dwelling Among Us. and so because

this is Jesus that we read the Old Testament points to him the New Testament explains him and shows and then reveals him.

Two weeks ago we talked about Holy Spirit.

Last week we talked about praying to a God who loves us a father who loves us. And today we're talking about the Living Word Jesus. Suddenly occurred to me were talking about loving God.

We love God Father Son and Holy Spirit.

We're all experienced in reading. The Bible is still being mean and stock. We want that to end today.

In the first place. We need to start as bi I need you to remember something that Jesus said. Matthew 4:4, you said the scripture say people don't live by bread alone. But by every word that comes from the mouth of God and in John 633 the spirit gives eternal life and human effort accomplishes. Nothing and the Very words. I have spoken to you are spirit and life.

Do you understand what Jesus is saying?

You saying I live because he speaks I live because he talks. Can we understand that is it at the opening concept? We need to grab I live because he is he speaks he talks.

That makes reading the Bible a whole lot more fun.

If you're taking notes, I'm going to quickly go through these so you can write them down and then we're going to unpack them more thoroughly. Like I came up with seven things that the Living Word is good for. And it's only good if you use it, but it's it's good Living Word is good for first as nourishment if you're taking notes at the end nourishment. Living good as work good for wisdom. That's the w wisdom

Living Word is good for correction. That's the see if you're taking notes.

And if I'm going to fast come see me afterwards and I'll give you my notes. It's fine. For The Living Word is good for equipping thoroughly. That's the that's a long one on weight equipping thoroughly.

Living Word is good for cleaning.

cleaning The Living Word is good for discernment.

And finally the one we'll talk about briefly. Here is the Living Word is good for keeping us from sin.

So first The Living Word is good for nourishment 1st Peter. If you explain the one who is nourished by the message of faith, and the good teaching you follow. This word is bread for us. It is life. I live because he talks.

It's an interesting thing in the Kingdom. in the physical world when we eat we become full.

in the Kingdom we eat. And we become more hungry.

See when you get into this word when you get walking along this path for a while, you know, there are seasons in your life that you just can't put this book down and you get into it and the more you get into it the more you need to get into it. And the more it dries you in and guess what that's the way it's designed to be the more your nurse the more you need the nourishment you want the nourishment and and you become it'll UE let the word dwell in you richly.

Fortunately, the reverse is also true.

We have to dust off our Bible before we read it. Hey, I got lots of Bible. Sometimes you got to dust them off and I really feel guilty, but you got to do it before your bead.

When we don't read it, it becomes less and less and less of a drive us.

And we start making excuses. We see while I go to church every week or every second week.

I get the word. I listen to people talk about the word all day. I get the word you don't get the word. That's not the word. The word is not my interpretation of the word for you. The word is not meeting it out and spitting it out and bite-size pieces for you to get. You want real nourishment? You got to get in here and get the questions. They're asking God the questions. And have him respond and answer and sometimes it's in the text itself and other times it's it's divine revelation. And sometimes you got to go to somebody who's been a long the wait longer and say I don't understand this. Can you explain it to me?

It's about wrestling with this B's words yourself. It's about getting them deep and meditating on it and memorizing them and getting them in you.

You don't get that when you listen to me on Sunday or somebody else during the week. I don't care how good a speaker they are. If they're not telling you to get in the book yourself, you don't want to listen to them too long.

Two things. I want you to remember about nourishment one. Well the first I already told you. The more you eat the more you want to eat the less you eat the less you can stand food.

the other thing is

Like in the fit, I don't remember what I had for lunch last Thanksgiving. I don't know. I mean, I'm sure it was good. I know I enjoyed it. I know it was. I don't remember. And if I can be honest with you. I have way too many come to me next Sunday and say the sermon you spoke last week was just awesome, and I don't have a clue what I spoke. Honestly. I don't have a clue.

I don't have a problem. If you don't remember what I say, okay, cuz I don't remember what I say and I go back to it later as I can and that was good, but What's my point? Anyway, it's okay. It's okay. If you don't don't remember it, there's going to be things that you're going to remember. It's going to be that gravy from last year. That was just amazing that stopping was out-of-this-world. Okay, that was those those things that you think you chew on for a while.

But the main stuff it doesn't matter like it's okay have Grace for yourself. Is you're reading this book have Grace? It's it's okay. If you're reading your fall asleep all the time. Guess what? I never got angry when my kids fell asleep in my arms.

Have grease for yourself. Is your reading this book?

But understand brief is to change S.

Paul says by the grace of God, I am who I am, but his grace to me was not without effect.

Overtime it makes a difference. Overtime it changes our worldview. Overtime we see ourselves thinking differently than the world. It it really starts with new stories and politics. It's like seriously that's important.

Donald changes over time if we if we're in this book and letting it change us.

I live because he speaks. Secondly, the Living Word is good for wisdom 2nd Timothy. 3:15 says you have been taught by Holy Scripture from childhood and they've given you wisdom to receive salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus.

The word is one of the ways we get wisdom.

Wisdom is applied knowledge.

And the Bible tells us the kind of wisdom to look for. James 3:17 says the wisdom that is from above is first of all, pure and peace-loving gentle at all times willing to yield to others. It's full of mercy and the fruit of Good Deeds that shows no favoritism in his always sincere.

That's the wisdom you find in this word. And that's the wisdom. We we learn to apply in our lives. The wisdom we look for in others. That's the Wiz that's the wisdom. We know it's from God is it wisdom locate is it showing favoritism is looking up for others is it?

anyway I live because he talks.

The Living Word 3 The Living Word is good for correction 2nd Timothy 3:16. All scripture is inspired by God and it's useful to teach us. What is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives it corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what's right.

God's goal is to make us look more and more like Jesus means we're all going to be correction.

Fact the Bible as a word for us who don't like correction. This is in the book. I am sorry if it offends teachers here, but this is in the book Proverbs 12:1 to learn. You must love discipline. It's stupid to hate correction. It's just not this translation. It's all over the place in the in the Hebrew. I looked it up. It means stupid. It's stupid to hate correction. I don't want to read this book. It's going to make me feel guilty walk. Maybe I need to feel guilty.

Knock it's called a sword for a reason.

We all got stuff that needs to be cut off and cut away.

And when we stand back from God and stand back from his word, it's not being done.

Embrace correction and remember I live because he speaks.

Number for The Living Word is good for equipping thoroughly 2nd Timothy. 3:17 for God uses it he's talking about scripture to prepare and equip his people to do every good work. God has given us everything we need for life and godliness.

2nd Peter 3:1 the word brings Faith. The word brings is a lamp. The word is all good things acceptable. The word has the power to save our souls the worms understanding the word keeps working in us the word brings eternal life in Jesus is declared and John 15:7. If you remain in me and my words remain in you ask whatever you wish enough given it'll be given.

The word equips us thoroughly for everything.

If you want those, those are in the notes all those references. I just quickly ran through here in the notes.

We need the word. We need to hear him speak. He needs his words dwelling in US, richly. And I live because he talks.

The Living Word is good for cleaning John 15:3. Jesus said that you are already pruned and purified by the message. I've given you.

The truth of the matter is you can be disciplined or you can be disciplined.

Yeah, I said that right you can be discipline to read the book or you can be disciplined by God. Those are your choices he's going to make you more and more than the image of God. So it does he do that in private with you in the word or does he do it in public so that you actually learn? The choice is yours. Listen, I learned a long time ago. I'd much rather learn this way then learn by experience.

some stuff get rough edges need experience, but You can you can. Help round off those rough edges by being in the word.

The word cleanses us Ephesians 5 25 and 27 for husbands. This means you to love your wife just as Christ loved the church he gave up his life for her to make her holy and clean and wash your butt a cleansing God's word. You did this to present himself a glorious Church Without spot or wrinkle or any other blood mesh instead. She will be holy and without fault. That is through the word god. That's how we as a church. That's how I us as it as a a broader church family the universal church family. That's how we learn to love each other. That's how we learn to care for each other. That's how we learn to be that like that the world needs to be the salt of the world needs through the word of God.

Living Word number 6 is good for discernment Hebrews. 4:12 says the word of God is alive and Powerful it's sharper than the sharpest 200 sword cutting between Soul and Spirit and joint and Marrow. It exposes the innermost thoughts and desires.

I've already said the sermon is one of the greatest needs in the church today. And we can pray for that gift to be developed or we can help develop discernment by letting this word dwell in US richly.

And it's not just a good idea for a few people.

It's not you can be that way if you want.

It's not even I can't read well enough because you got an app that will read for you.

It's not that even a guy. I don't learn audibly will guess what search YouTube it's all on YouTube to you can watch it visually. We have actors and its really corny sometimes when you have to have helped you. Get the word in you.

I live because he talks.

Finally is not in conclusion. I haven't even started the sermon yet. The Living Word is good for keeping us from sin. Psalm 119 9 to 11. How can a young person keep stay pure by obeying your word. I've I've tried hard to find you. Don't let me Wander from your command. I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Living Word not only corrects and cleans and thoroughly equips. It actually will keep us from sin.

It helps is not to have an appetite for temptation. And when Temptation comes how did Jesus answer Satan in the in the desert it was with scripture. What did he do in St. And came back with scripture he use discernment and use better scripture to come to do that.

If you have been struggling with habitual sin. This is Steve. They call it the gospel could be the gas till you know.

It helps us. Helpless not even with emotional healing and helps with physical healing the word can bring physical health. And I don't have that reference down here.

I live because he talks.

Leonard Ravenhill in the book why revival tarries has his quote. One of these days some simple soul will pick up the book of God read it believe it and then the rest of us will be embarrassed.

We've adopted the convenient theory that the Bible is a book to be explained where as first and foremost is a book to be believed and after that to be obeyed.

Some of the funniest people I've ever met in my life our brand new baby Christian to start reading the gospels in the start living up the Gospels. They're just fun to be around. Cuz no one told them they couldn't pray for the sick and see the field cuz they see Jesus do it and they do it.

No one told them that they can raise the dead. So that's what they're trying and it's awesome.

You and I have to get to the place where we can't let we stop. Reading this book and remaining mean and unchanged.

Mean and stock we we can have that.

Our goal when we read the Bible needs to be communion that empowers transformation.

This is the Living Word. This is Christ as we know him now.

This is how this is our life. This is our bread.

This changes us it changes our thinking. It gives us thoughts that are good and pure and right and holy.

If we go to this book, just Define knowledge. We're going to get a smattering of interesting facts.

But when we go to this book with the idea that this is our time to commune with God.

And we're not going to leave here until we're changed.

It revolutionize is everything.

It changes how we approach this book it is it becomes well, it's something I have to do to his full boy. I can't wait to see what he shows me today.

I've got an acronym for you to remember. And we're going to quickly go through it. But there's one key in it that just as revolutionizes whole experience for me. So if I forget to point it out mention it because otherwise you're going to leave and I have a clue what to do. So The acronym is commune. We're at a commune with God when we read this book. So the sea is commit to a Time. The old is to observe. I'll get to explain what that means. The m is to memorize. I think you might know what that means the Amistad meditates and I know you all know how to do that. Even if you don't know how to meditate you do. use understand

the end is not just read but do sometimes you got to be creative with acronyms and the E is to engage.

Okay, so now I get to read my new book anyway. the first to see committed time Psalm 27 verse 8 My heart has heard you say come and talk with me and my heart responds Lord. I am coming. I like that for diversion that translation.

Already talked about it. It's not in the natural the more you eat the more you make the less you become hungry in the spiritual the more you eat the more you become hungry. You need to find a rhythm in your life that you can have time in this word. It's going to be different different seasons of your life is going to be different different times of four for each of us, but you have to have a rhythm where daily you are doing something in this word. Sometimes I like to read quickly there then it takes about 45 hours to read through this book. I've done it in 3 weeks. It doesn't take that long.

Sometimes I do that I had a season Once one year where I think I read through it's seven or eight times just cuz that was a season I was in. Then I have seasons where I open it up when I get to a verse and that that verse is the verse I gotta memorize at the first I got to meditate as the first I got to think about. It's a verse that bothers me for weeks cuz I got understand it. Both are awesome. Like if they're just different meals.

If I'm going to share this now.

I have these Bible reading plans that I did up like in 2008. These are the last remaining 62 of them outside. They are for you today to take and take home. And if you're not going to use it give it to someone's going to use it. Okay, cuz they aren't the last time I stock and I want to revamp them to get them out. Okay, but what this does it helps you to read through the Bible the New Testament twice and the Hebrew scripture once in a given calendar year. So if you want to start today and Thanksgiving by next Thanksgiving you a little bread Through the Bible. In one time and it doesn't I think it takes about 15 minutes a day. So it's not difficult. It's not hard but I'm saying I'm giving you this is a tool if it's resorts for you you can have it.

But listen to God to see if that's what he's asking you to do. If you've never read through the Bible, this is an easy way for you to do it. If you want to read through the Bible, maybe that's a desire to go to placed on your heart. Or maybe God wants to get you in another Rhythm. Totally fine. A tool is only good if it's 40 if you're supposed to use it if God is telling you to use it there. Excellent if your if you think okay now I can come and check off the boxes cuz it's fun to check off the boxes, but I got to tell you you were missing a whole lot if all you're doing is checking all the boxes. So next Thanksgiving you could say.

Yeah.. Anyway.

Oh, that's where I put that did I tell you that?

If a man always follows I miss you so abundant.

I did mention that that I I was setting you up for it cuz all the Bible do we have on our phone and stuff? We have no excuse not to have the Bible. But if we misuse what we have a famine is coming. And it might be just in your life. Or it could be for all of us. It's a lot of parts of this world where it's rare to feel Bible. And when they get it they are in tears and it's awesome. You can see those on YouTube to it's awesome. When they finally get a Bible. But committed time. Don't leave here without at least having an idea of when you can read. If you have to get up 15 minutes earlier get up 15 minutes earlier. If you have to stop watching TV for 15 minutes, stop watching TV for 15 minutes. If you can do it during your lunch hour do it during your lunch hour figure out when you're going to read through this Bible figured out how you're going to read through it be if you all you have is your app to read that when you're at work fine. It's great. It's wonderful. If you have a Bible that you can write in the margins. I want to tell you that in a bit why you need to write in the margins be on your kids kids kids kids will be able to read it. But but it's it's actually it's really cool. I'll show you what I mean.

Commit to a time do that before you leave here today? Now they always observe 2nd Timothy 2:15 says work hard. So you present yourself to God and receive his approval be a good worker one who does not need to be ashamed who correctly explains the word of Truth. How long do I have to preach where the new time schedule here? And I have no idea when I hand I don't care Thanksgiving dinner or either. Never stopped you before you know what it means when the pastor looks at his watch. Absolutely, nothing. I don't even have a watch anymore vsphere free.

Okay, where was that work different? Okay. So what observe means is we need to understand some simple things about the Bible. We don't read poetry like we read newspapers. We don't read textbooks. Like we do novels there are different genres in this book and I understand it more fully you need to understand what the father was saying to the first speaker's the easiest way for you to do. This is to get a study Bible a study Bible whatever translations it. It's in they cover that that stuff who we think the author was who the author is writing to what are the main themes. It's really a simple way that you can get that if you need help. With anything when you're reading and you come to something that that's you just don't understand. It's probably because you don't understand who the first people are listening to it what they what's going through their mind. Bible really helps with that it but it if you don't have a study Bible or the study Bible isn't helping with your question, I'm available for coffee most my life. Okay, so I'll go for coffee. We'll talk about it. It's it's it's the funnest part of my life. Okay?

it doesn't it doesn't happen overnight that you know that Paul wrote Philippians in prison. Okay, it takes a while to learn that. But it's it's worth it to learn and it give yourself Grace and learning it and time to understand all the different things, but you can get a grasp of it and you need to get a grasp of it.

Simplest example is is the Book of Joel the first 38 or 39? chapters are are really you probably agree with the wisdom in it every single part. Okay, it's it's it seems like good wisdom. But you get the chapter 440 and God shows that he doesn't like that wisdom. Which really makes a question. Why is there something in this book that God doesn't like but it's deeper than that because he's in there because you and I have those same questions you and I have both seen that same way of thinking and if you get to the end and you understand more of who God is and why those questions really don't matter to him.

Anyway, I love this book. I will talk to anyone about anything in it. And sometimes I forget his stuff. I know. Like I just forget and when I talk to people who have questions, I remember it until I get more happy cuz I remember that I knew that.

so you got you got to observe. You got to you got to know what you're reading.

But you do that because you want to understand God you want to commune with him you want communion that leads to transformation.

Firstam has memorized Psalm 119 11.

I always want you your word have I hid in my heart. Where I've hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.

As you set aside that time.

Ask, holy spirit tattoo out what he wants you to remember. What do you want? What do you want you to memorize? And get a verse get a portion.

now

some of you will say it's tough to root to talk to memorize or you have a poor memory number one. Stop agreeing with the Enemy. That's not true. You have a wonderful memory.

when I was In kindergarten so 5 years old. I had memorized like John 3 revelation. Three or four and a few other chapters that I can't even read it and I memorized it. I was in the school and that's what we did it. Kindergarten, they don't teach kids to memorize scripture.

You can do it. Even now I want to memorize.

I want to memorize Colossians. I want to memorize it cuz I want it in me and I've been saying that for years and I haven't started out but I got sections of it memorize but not the whole thing. And and anyway, I'm on drugs and it's hard to memorize stuff, but I got to stop using that as an excuse medication. Drugstore.

You don't have an excuse you can memorize something. You got to figure out how you can memorize and sometimes it is running it out a number of times. Sometimes it is having it play over and over again. If you have an app, you can play it over and over again there different ways. You can do it but get this word in you memorize it the word. You've hidden hidden your word in my heart that I won't sit against you. It is absolutely critical. It's not optional. It's not for the kids in Sunday school is for us now. I don't care who you are or how long you been on this journey, we gotta memorize and there's more to memorize until you can quote me chapter and verse of every book. You don't have to do that. The cat's butt.

The next m is meditate Joshua 1:8. Study this book of instruction continually meditate on it day and night. So you'll be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do? I said you guys all know how to meditate. Meditation is the same as worried. So when you worried about something, what are you do you think about it? You think about this you think about how you would say that you think about what it means hear you think about how it's going to affect this person you do the same thing scripture don't worry about scripture, but it's really easy if you're if you're memorizing it to start meditating on it.

But I'll get two minutes. I will tell you what how I would meditate on the scripture and it includes my what I'm going to say in 2 minutes. Okay, this one leads to transformation when you meditate on something you get it deep inside you and it changes the way you think it change the way you view the world that changes the way you see situations and problems it changes.

Okay. The you is understand acts 17:11. And the people of Berea were more open-minded than those in thessalonica for they listen to eagerly to Paul's message in the search the scriptures all day after day to see if Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. I wish you would all be like a people of Berea where if we hear something Sunday morning. There's a group that actually that's what they do their home group. They they they they meet on Saturday and they discuss what we talked about on Sunday. And I was like, I honestly I don't remember what I talk about by Saturday because that's just me but but they're talking about it. They're they're helping themselves to meditate on it there because they're they're discussing it. And what does it mean and how are they applying it? And it's it's I think it's awesome. Absolutely. Awesome. It's in French. But if you speak French, you can join them. Okay.

Understand. Okay, so Oh, yeah, so that's that's understand. There's three questions. You can ask yourself ask ask yourself ask God about any portion of scripture that you read questions or what does it say? What does it mean and how can I apply this? So what does it say? How can I summarize this this portion in just a couple of sentences? What I like to do is I like to write that in the margins. Sometimes there's not room. So I write it in my journal if you keep a journal or start keeping a journal of what you're reading summarize what what it means to you when you read it.

And then what does it mean? What does the what does the passage teach me? What could it like if you've got to study Bible and you know that this is written to this kind of like the

it's written to the Jewish Christians in Asia Minor get what kind of world were they living in the study Bible will tell you that too. So you can say OK Google why is it important that they're talking about or food that they are able to eat meat now like why is that important context is so important.

What does it so what does it mean what spiritual truths or principles are in these verses and then 3, how do I apply this? What is the Lord specifically leaving me to do in response to this passage? absolutely critical Would you want this to be up if your goal is communion? That transforms deletes the transformation. It's all about what you do. How what how does this affect the way I'm going to live or how does this affect my next conversation? How is this going to affect him in a situation? in the book Yeah, scalise Spirit to help you with these questions and it's communion that transforms. We talked a couple days ago about keeping a journal writing it out asking got a question having an answer do that with the book. It's amazing what happens? The end is not just read through James 12 a 1 2223.

Don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you're only fooling yourself or if you listen to the word and don't obey it's like glancing at your face in the mirror. You see yourself and walk away and forget what you look like. But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free. And if you do what it says and don't forget what you've heard then God will bless you for doing it. there's a blessing that we miss when we just read the Bible and we just don't want to transform us. Every time we read this book it's to commune with God that leads to transformation in US. So what do I need to do in response to what I just read?