April 22, 2022
How to do a Bible Study
Session 1 – Why Study the Bible
Session 2 – How to Study the Bible
Session 3 – Family Bible Time
April 22, 2022
SOAP Journaling and Family Bible Time
S.O.A.P. Bible reading and journaling
SOAP is a method of Bible reading and journaling: Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer. It can be used with any daily Bible reading plan.
You’ll need a Bible, a journal and a pen.
S
for Scripture
Open your Bible to today’s reading (according to whatever plan you are following). Take time reading and allow God to speak to you. When you are done, look for a verse that particularly spoke to you that day, and write it in your journal.
O
for Observation
What struck you and caught your attention in what you read? What do you think God is saying to you in this scripture? Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you and reveal Jesus to you. Paraphrase and write this scripture down in your own words.
A
for Application
Personalize what you have read, by asking yourself how it applies to your life right now. Perhaps it is instruction, encouragement, revelation of a new promise, or corrections for a particular area of your life. Write how this scripture can apply to you today.
P
for Prayer
This can be as simple as asking God to help you use this scripture, or it may be a greater insight on what He may be revealing to you. Remember, prayer is a two way conversation, so be sure to listen to what God has to say! Now, write it out.
How To Establish A Family Bible Time
January 12, 2022 by abbey@smalltownsoul.net
Morning or Night?
It doesn’t matter! Not one bit. I have friends that are dedicated to morning Bible times with their kids, while we personally do ours between supper and bedtime. No matter when you read, your kids are hearing, experiencing, and learning the Word of God. Want to implement it during lunch time? Go for it! Snack time? Great! Middle of the morning? Whatever works for you!
Children’s Bible or Adult Bible?
There are benefits to each, but before we discuss this, let me make this disclaimer: there’s no right or wrong here. If all you have is an adult Bible, start there. Your kids (even little ones) can learn from it. If you only own a children’s Bible, start there. You might learn something from it along with your kids. In any format, God’s Word never returns void.
Children’s Bible
Pros: Written on a child’s level. Short stories for short attention spans. Includes pictures to look at.
Cons: May water down stories or leave parts out. Does not include all Bible stories. Does not challenge kids to learn new vocabulary.
Our favorite children’s Bible for young kids are Jesus Storybook Bible and Beginner’s Gospel Story Bible. For elementary-age kids, look into the products from Kaleidoscope to transition your children into reading full books of the Bible on their level.
Adult Bible
Pros: Many stories to choose from. Includes direct commands, teachings from Jesus, and prophecies. Gives opportunity to teach children new words and concepts they may not otherwise be exposed to.
Cons: May not keep a child’s attention. Very few, if any, visuals. Can be hard to decide where to start reading.
“My Kids Won’t Sit Still”
Anytime I speak on topics like this, I hear from moms saying things like, “Well my kid would never sit still that long” and “That just won’t work for us because of our schedule.” Those are valid concerns! That’s why you have to find what works for you. Maybe your kids need to color while they listen, or use a sensory bin. My kids don’t – they sit on a blanket or next to us on the couch – but that doesn’t mean you have to do it the same way. Source: https://raisingjesuskids.com/family-bible-time/
What’s Inspiration, Infallibility, and Inerrancy!? And Why Should I Care?
It’s been said that a table must have at least three legs to stand. Take away any of the three legs, and it will surely topple. In much the same way, the Christian faith stands on three legs. These three legs are the inspiration, infallibility, and inerrancy of Scripture. Take away one, and like the table, the divine authority of the Christian faith will surely topple. These three “in’s” complement each other, yet each expresses a slightly different distinction in our understanding of Scripture.
1. Inspiration. The first “in” is inspiration, and this deals with the origin of the Bible. Evangelicals believe that “God breathed out” the words of the Bible using human writers as the vehicle. Paul writes,
“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God (literally “is God-breathed”), and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” (2 Tim. 3:16-17)
2. Infallibility. The next “in,” infallibility, speaks to the authority and enduring nature of the Bible. To be infallible means that something is incapable of failing and therefore is permanently binding and cannot be broken. Peter said, “the word of the Lord endures forever” (1 Pet. 1:23-25) and therefore its authority cannot be broken. When addressing a difficult passage, Jesus said, “the Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:34-35). In fact, He said, “one jot or one tittle will by no means pass away from the law till all is fulfilled” (Mat. 5:18). These speak to the Bible’s infallibility.
3. Inerrancy. The last “in,” inerrancy, simply means that the Bible is without error. It’s a belief in the “total truthfulness and reliability of God’s words” (Grudem, Systematic Theology, Inter-Varsity, 2004, 90). Jesus said, “Your word is truth” (John 17:17). This inerrancy isn’t just in passages that speak about salvation, but also applies to all historical and scientific statements as well. It is not only accurate in matters related to faith and practice, but it is accurate and without error regarding any statement, period (John 3:12).
But Is It Really Important?
Yes, inerrancy is extremely important because: (1) it is attached to the character of God; (2) it is taught in the Scriptures; (3) it is the historic position of the Christian Church, and (4) it is foundational to other essential doctrines.
1. It’s Based on the Character of God
Inerrancy is based on the character of God, who cannot lie (Heb. 6:18; Titus 1:2). God cannot lie intentionally because He is an absolute moral law-giver. He cannot err unintentionally because He is omniscient. And if the Bible is the written Word of God (and it is), then it is without error.
2. It was Taught by Christ and the Apostles
Inerrancy was taught by Christ and the apostles in the New Testament. This should be our primary basis for believing it. B.B. Warfield said,
“We believe this doctrine of the plenary inspiration of the Scriptures primarily because it is the doctrine which Christ and his apostles believed, and which they have taught us.” (Limited Inspiration, 1962 cited by Mohler, 42)
To quote Jesus himself, “the Scripture cannot be broken” (John 10:35) and “until heaven and earth pass away not an iota, not a dot, will pass away from the Law until all is accomplished” (Matt 5:18).
3. It’s the Historic Position of the Church
Inerrancy is the historic position of the Christian Church. The International Council on Biblical Inerrancy (ICBI) produced a whole book demonstrating this point (see John Hannah, Inerrancy and the Church, Moody). As Al Mohler pointed out (Mohler, 48-49), that inerrancy has been the standard view of the Christian Church down through the centuries. He cites the Hanson brothers, Anthony and Richard, Anglican scholars, who said,
“The Christian Fathers and the medieval tradition continued this belief [in inerrancy], and the Reformation did nothing to weaken it. On the contrary, since for many reformed theologians the authority of the Bible took the place which the Pope had held in the medieval scheme of things, the inerrancy of the Bible became more firmly maintained and explicitly defined among some reformed theologians than it had even been before.”
They added, “The beliefs here denied [viz., inerrancy] have been held by all Christians from the very beginning until about a hundred and fifty years ago.” (cited by Mohler, 41)
4. It’s Fundamental to All Other Doctrines
Inerrancy is foundational to all other essential Christian doctrines. It is granted that some other doctrines (like the atoning death and bodily resurrection of Christ) are more essential to salvation. However, all soteriological (salvation-related) doctrines derive their divine authority from the divinely authoritative Word of God. So, epistemologically (in a knowledge-related sense), the doctrine of the divine authority and inerrancy of Scripture is the fundamental of all the fundamentals. And if the fundamental of fundamentals is not fundamental, then what is fundamental? Fundamentally nothing! Thus, while one can be saved without believing in inerrancy, the doctrine of salvation has no divine authority apart from the infallibility and inerrancy of Scripture.
It’s an Essential
Inerrancy deserves high regard among evangelicals and has rightly earned the status of being essential (in an epistemological sense) to the Christian Faith. Thus, to reduce inerrancy to the level of non-essential or even “incidental’ to the Christian Faith, reveals ignorance of its theological and historical roots and is an offense to its “watershed” importance to a consistent and healthy Christianity. Inerrancy simply cannot be rejected without grave consequences, both to the individual and to the Church.
Source: https://defendinginerrancy.com/why-is-inerrancy-important/
What is Jesus worth to you?
It’s easy for American Christians to forget how Jesus said his followers would actually live, what their new lifestyle would actually look like. They would, he said, leave behind security, money, convenience, even family for him. They would abandon everything for the gospel. They would take up their crosses daily…
But who do you know who lives like that? Do you?
In Radical, David Platt challenges you to consider with an open heart how we have manipulated the gospel to fit our cultural preferences. He shows what Jesus actually said about being his disciple–then invites you to believe and obey what you have heard. And he tells the dramatic story of what is happening as a “successful” suburban church decides to get serious about the gospel according to Jesus.
Finally, he urges you to join in The Radical Experiment — a one-year journey in authentic discipleship that will transform how you live in a world that desperately needs the Good News Jesus came to bring.
While I personally don’t agree with the new direction David Platt is heading with CRT, I do fine much value in this book. David Platt challenges the status quo and the way the Church does business. Arguing that American church culture runs counter to the gospel, he compels readers to forsake the American Dream “in radical abandonment to the person and purpose of Jesus Christ.”
This book contends that taking back our faith involves actively and seriously committing ourselves to spread the gospel to all nations, owning responsibility for helping others grow in Christ, and literally caring for the poor. You’ll be encouraged to reclaim your faith by obeying the words of Jesus, trusting God and focusing on Heaven.
How to get this resource:
See if the book is available from your local library – It’s free (Minnesota Viking Library System)
Radical (ChristianBook) at: https://www.christianbook.com/radical-taking-faith-from-american-dream/david-platt/9781601422217/pd/422211
Radical (Amazon) at: https://www.amazon.com/Radical-Taking-Faith-American-Dream/dp/1601422210/
Radical (Walmart) at: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Radical-Taking-Back-Your-Faith-from-the-American-Dream-Paperback-9781601422217/12571140
Radical (Radical website): https://radical.net/book/radical-2/
