As a Christian my go to book is always the Bible.
If someone has a question, we look at what does the Bible say on that particular topic.
If someone is troubled by something, we look at what the Bible has to say on that particular topic.
If someone is trying to make a decision, we look at what the Bible has to say on that particular topic.
I have the privilege of spending the majority of my time throughout the week reading the Bible. I read the Bible for my own personal devotional life, for Bible study prep, for sermon prep and for meeting one on one with others. Why do this?
I do this because I believe that the Bible is the Word of God, it is God’s revelation of Himself given to humanity so that we may know Him. Therefore, when I meet with somebody my priority is to read the Bible with them, to let God do the talking.
I’ll also talk about life with the person and get to know their struggles and their lives. But the primary concern for every Christian should be to open the Bible.
Why? Because in the Bible we hear God speaking, in the Bible we have the Word of God that is “breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).
If Christians don’t use the Bible to do these things (teach, reprove, correct and train) then we end up trying to use our own words and advice.
Do we really know better than God does?
The Bible is the main authority over a Christian’s life and we should be using it in every circumstance we can.
This should stops us from giving bad advice, from jumping on our hobby horse topics and from keeping the focus on ourselves. Instead, the Bible lifts our eyes up to see the glory of God and the magnificence of the gospel through Jesus.
The Bible makes us to ask difficult questions and that can sometimes be uncomfortable, but it is also encouraging.
One of the phrases I love to hear when reading the Bible with someone is “that’s a hard question!”
This can be referring to a question about the meaning of a passage, an aspect of theology that is in a passage, or the application of a passage.
I always start a one to one by reading Mark’s Gospel and time and time again I find myself learning new things, new insights and being challenged all over again.
Dear Christian,
Remember that you will always be a student of the Bible! Always read and reread and never assume that you know a passage.
As Christians we should be using the Bible as our primary resource when we disciple people and all the time praying that the Holy Spirit would convict people of their sin, build them up in their knowledge and love for the Lord and help them mature in their faith.
This is not something that we can conjure up by using our own words and nice ideas, but this transformation can only come by God who through the Holy Spirit makes the Bible understandable and applicable to people’s lives.
Use the Bible in one to ones, and as you visit friends, and as you pray with people because the Bible is what teaches, reproves, corrects and trains in righteousness.
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