“A lot of people view the Bible like . . . an essential, God-inspired instruction manual. Indeed, God’s Word is chock-full of timeless wisdom, spiritual principles, and clear directions for healthy living. But if we think of the Scriptures as a collection of guidelines, we’ll not cherish the Word of God. . . . Instruction […]
“Behind Jesus’s parable [of the Good Samaritan] is one of the bedrock truths of the Bible, namely, that every human being is created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27). . . . It is clear that this makes every human being of value and worth.”- Timothy Keller ” ‘Which of these three […]
“Whenever we read the Bible . . . to feel righteous and wise in our own eyes, we are using the Bible to make ourselves into fools or worse. . . . We are reading and using the Bible rightly only when it humbles us, critiques us, and encourages us with God’s love and grace […]
“The grace of God is so pervasive that even the begats of the Bible are dripping with God’s mercy.”- Timothy Keller “And Jesse begat David the king, and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Uriah.”- Matthew 1:6 (KJV) As Timothy Keller moves on in Chapter 2 of Hidden […]
“One difficulty is praying these psalms of orientation is how easy it is to pray the truth simply because it is in the Bible without ever considering if we really believe it is true. . . . Too many of us simply exclaim Scripture is true without ever realizing that our hearts are elsewhere.”- Kyle […]
“There is a very subtle form of idolatry called bibliolatry. It involves treating the Bible as an end in itself instead of a means to an end.”- Mark Batterson In Chapter 5 (“The Key of Keys”) of Whisper, Mark Batterson discusses the first love language – Scripture. He notes the challenge the Bible, the inspired […]
“Often the biggest barrier to our becoming learners is what we think we already know.”- John Ortberg Today, John Ortberg continues Chapter 9 of The Me I Want to Be as he describes five ways to read the Bible. 1. Read the Bible with curiosity. Pastor Ortberg cites philosopher-educator John Dewey, who wrote: “Genuine ignorance […]
“The reason to read the Bible is not to fulfill a spiritual duty or to gain more knowledge. It is to jump into the river.”- John Ortberg “Blessed is the one . . . whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night.”- Psalm 1:1-2 In […]
“The Creator himself has given us a handbook for a healthy soul: the Bible.”- Judah Smith “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God.”- 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NIV) In Chapter 2 (“Original Home”) of How’s Your Soul?, Pastor Judah Smith opines that […]
“We need to view our waiting in the difficulties of our daily living as opportunities to demonstrate faith in a future promised by our sovereign God.”- Dr. Wayne Stiles Wayne Stiles concludes Chapter 11 of Waiting on God by acknowledging that we need affirmation of our hope. During Joseph’s life, God gave him encouragement all […]
“With too many [biblical] details, we’d get lost in the weeds. We would see so much truth that we’d understand little of it. That’s why the Spirit of God selected only certain events to record in the Bible.”- Dr. Wayne Stiles “There are also many other things . . . which if they were written […]