Text Message Part 3 "Help! How Do I Understand?"

Reading the Bible can be a challenge at times! However, the Bible is important to our relationship with God! It's it's truth or his reality. It shows us the way He designed life to operate. It deals with tough issues and guides us to His heart.

SO HOW DO WE UNDERSTAND?

A unique way to read the Bible is the "One Word Bible Study." Taking time and thinking through every word and writing other words that have similar meaning in the column." For example...

John 3:16-For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, so that whoever believes in Him will not die but have eternal life.

ONE WORD BIBLE STUDY...

John 3:16--For God so loved (valued) the world (all people), that He gave His one and only Son, so that whoever (everyone) believes (trusts) in Him will not die but have eternal life (on-going life).

I challenge you to continue to read God's text message every day. The one word Bible study forces us to slow down, meditate and think. It helps us digest the truth of what God is saying and makes it easier to apply to our lives.

HAVE FUN!

Text Message: Divine Love Letter

This past Sunday was part 2 in our series "Text Message." We talked about the Divine Love Letter. The Bible (God's text message to us) is not a book of rules or strictly a code of conduct.
It's a divine love story about God getting back (redeeming) what is rightfully His.

The Bible is a story of how our sin (missing the mark) broke our relationship with God and how God was willing to send His only Son to live, die and rise again so that relationship could be restored. We talked about how reading God's text message through the lens of relationship changes everything. As you read it through the filter of relationship you see that everything God does and asks of us is because He has our best interest in mind!

Let's practice reading God's text message through the lens of relationship. Insert your name whenever there is a blank in the Bible verse.

2 Corinthians 5:21--God made Him (Jesus) who had no sin to be sin for _______, so that in Him _______ might become the righteousness of God.

Isaiah 53:5-6--But He (Jesus) was pierced for _________ transgressions. He was crushed for ________ iniquities; the punishment that brought _________ peace was upon Him, and by His wounds ________ is healed.

When we understand that's is Love not law and that it's a Divine Love Letter to us of how God has provided a way for relationship with Him to be restored...it changes everything.

MAY YOU NEVER READ THE BIBLE THE SAME AGAIN!!!

Text Message: Truth Brings Freedom

This Past Sunday we kicked off our NEW SERIES "Text Message: God's Simple Message in a Complicated World." We are going to spend the entire month talking about the importance the Bible (God's Text Message) and how to understand it!

For part #1 we talked about how "Truth Brings Freedom." Jesus said in the book of John chapter 8...you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. Jesus also said, I am the way, the truth and the life.

It also says in Galatians that it was for freedom Christ has set us free. God wants us to experience true freedom. He also shows us in His text message that true freedom is found in Jesus Christ!

Questions to wrestle with this week...

#1--Is there an area of my life where I need freedom? (Addictions, shame, past etc.)

#2--If so, what Bible verses from God's text message address those areas? (remember truth brings freedom)

#3--Who can I share the answer to #1 with? Our relationship with God and our spiritual growth was never intended to happen in isolation. The more you bring the truth out (even to others you trust) the more freedom you will find.

PS. We launched the "29 Day challenge" as well. Committing to reading once chapter in the Bible every day for 29 days starting in John 1. Join us!!