This seems odd, right? Isn’t a mid-week Bible study something that’s gone into oblivion, like potlucks and flannel graph? Yet, research shows that biblical literacy is at a discouraging low. We are more prone to reach for our phones in the morning than our Bibles. The art of deep meditation upon Scripture has been hamstrung by increasingly short attention spans. And thoughtful engagement with the biblical text has often been sidelined by the immediacy of quick anecdotes and to-dos. In an age of distraction, how can we learn to meditate on God’s Word and come to be changed by it? A Bible study is one great way!
Here are 3 reasons we’re starting a mid-week Bible study:
- Learning to Study the Bible Yourself is Different than Hearing a Sermon
We are a church that values preaching. That’s because God values preaching (2 Tim. 4:2). But a church that only does preaching runs the danger of being passive consumers who depend upon the “expertise” of one man. Bible study trains us to be students of the Word. It helps the church learn how to think through Scripture, ask good questions, wrestle with hard concepts, and really listen to what the author is trying to say. In this way, we become those who are able to pass on what we’ve learned not just by telling people what our pastor taught us, but what we see clearly in God’s Word.
2. Studying the Bible in Community is Different than Studying it By Yourself
Having a daily quiet time with God and His Word is vital to Christian discipleship. It’s one of the most important disciplines of the Christian life. But there is a limit to such a practice – you! When we study the Bible in community, we get to hear the insights and observations of several people from different ages, backgrounds, and temperaments (learn more about inductive method here). This enriches our study of the Bible by helping us see the depth and beauty of the biblical text and how it applies to our lives in a myriad of different ways.
3. Bible study is one of the ways we keep ourselves rooted when everything around us seeks to uproot us.
Life is hard. We are hard-pressed on every side. Verses ripped out of context and sweet biblical slogans will not keep us rooted in a way that leads to flourishing. At the least, we might survive. But the good news is that God has much greater plans for us than mere survival! According to God, the happy man is the one whose “delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams that bears its fruit in its season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers” (Psalm 1:2-3). Do you want to be fruitful and flourishing in your walk with God? Root yourself in His unshakable Word – His promises, His character, His comforts and commands, His Gospel Story.
We need God’s Word as much as we need water. Let’s drink deeply from it together!
***Wednesday Nights (starting January 30th) at 7pm at the Bristol Art Museum (10 Wardwell St.)***
