Time in the Word

The Bible is God's Spoken Word to Us

"All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It straightens us out and teaches us to do what is right. It is God's way of preparing us in every way, fully equipped for every good thing God wants us to do." -- 2 Tim. 3:16.17 NLT

Time in the Word is time well spent!The Bible is God's spoken Word to us. It was actually written by men, but God told them what to write. God inspired them to write down exactly what He wanted them to write down. God has given us His Word to communicate with us. In the Bible are all the instructions to live a godly life. It is God's desire for us to read, study, and meditate on (think about), His Word. This should be an everyday occurrence. Faith is built up in us through the Word of God (Romans 10:17). We need it to help, strengthen, guide, and encourage us.

The rest of this page is a listing of a few ideas for Bible study. This is just a few. The possibilities are endless!

• Study the life of a person in the Bible, like Jesus, Esther, Daniel, Moses, Ruth, Paul, David, Elijah, or Abraham.
• The book of Proverbs has 31 chapters. Pick a month with 31 days and read a chapter a day. 
• Read all the verses about a certain subject. Some Bibles have a concordance in the back. The words are listed in alphabetical order with all the verses that word is mentioned in. (Forgiveness, joy, prayer, love, friendship, peace, authority, faith, worship, etc.) 
• Pick a book of the Bible to read. Read a chapter a day or read the book several times, writing down key verses and applications for your life. 
• Get a study book at a Christian book store. There are many of these you can buy on a variety of subjects.

The possibilities are endless! Just do something that works for you. Most importantly, pray before you read the Bible each time and ask God to teach you something new!

The New Testament is the Word of God (The Bible), but it is only part of the Bible, the second half. The New Testament is a fulfillment of the promises that are written in the Old Testament, which is the first half of the Bible. Together, the Old Testament and the New Testament make up the entire Bible.

In the Bible, God explains to us His plan for saving us from sin. But the Bible is a large book, and if you are unfamiliar with it, its message can be confusing. That is why we suggest you obtain and read a Bible that has some very helpful study guides and notes to help you. Pick a  translation that uses "today's language", so you more readily understand it and really enjoy reading and studying it. Remember, the key to spending time in the Word is to just simply spend time in the Word.

Here are some Biblical truths that you can look up:

• To understand God's love, you must understand what you have done. 1 John 1:10 
• God's love for us will not prevent Him from punishing our sin. Romans 2:11-15
• God's love does provide us an escape from our sin. John 3:16 
• We can all be saved, no matter who we are or what we have done, by coming to Christ. Romans 3:21-22 
• Coming to Christ means changing your life. Acts 2:38 
• God's love will change your life. 1 Corinthians 13
• God's love offers you eternal life. John 11:25
• You have to decide for yourself who you think Jesus is. Matthew 16:15

If you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that He died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sin and to offer you eternal life, you need to sincerely ask Him to come into your heart.

Jesus, I do not know you very well, but I realize that You know me. I know You see the sin in my heart, but You love me no matter what. Thank you for taking my place on the cross. Please forgive me, cleanse me, and come into my life as my Lord and Master from now on. Help me change, and show me how to serve You for the rest of my life. Amen.