Reading the Bible

 Just as we need food and water to nurture our physical body, so too do we need God’s Word to nurture our spiritual life.  In the Bible, God reveals himself to us and how he wants us to live.  Developing a habit of reading the Bible…

• keeps us grounded in God and not in ourselves, 
• keeps us rooted in his love, reminding on God’s affirmation of our value and worth, and
• helps us to listen intentionally for God’s voice and to seek and to follow his direction, correction and command for our lives.

 Consider developing one of these Bible reading habits:

• Read the Along the Way Sunday Passage
• Read the Along the Way Daily Reading
• Memorize Scripture
• Read Through the New Testament in a Year
• Read Through the Bible in Three Years – Search the Scripture  

Read the Along the Way Sunday Passage

Each week read the assigned passage of Scripture for the upcoming Sunday several times.  Think about its meaning.  Notice the words or phrases or ideas that stand out to you.  Pay attention to how the passage relates to different situations that arise during the week.  Not only will you gain more from the discussion of the passage in Sunday School, but you are also preparing yourself to hear God’s voice as the word is preached during worship.  Think of it as plowing ground in advance of planting seeds.

Read the Along the Way Daily Reading

Each day a passage of Scripture is assigned as a part of the Along the Way devotion.  By reading this passage each day, you will read through the entire book of the Bible covered by that series.  In addition to guiding your reading through books of the Bible, each day, along with the passage, is a devotion written by a member of the congregation in response to that day’s Scripture.  Their thoughts may help you as you reflect on the passage each day.

Memorize Scripture

Memorizing passages of Scripture helps us to incorporate God’s Word into our minds, hearts and lives.  When you choose a passage of Scripture to memorize, write it down and carry it around with you each day.  As you commit the words to memory, ask God to help you to understand how those words speak to your life, how they should shape your thinking and your actions.  As you pay attention to this Scripture during the week, situations will arise that call the words to mind and invite or challenge you to put them into practice.  Take those opportunities as an affirmation that God is at work in your life and cares enough to form you by his love and presence.  For a suggested passage to memorize each week, check out Along the Way.

Reading the Bible

 Just as we need food and water to nurture our physical body, so too do we need God’s Word to nurture our spiritual life.  In the Bible, God reveals himself to us and how he wants us to live.  Developing a habit of reading the Bible…

• keeps us grounded in God and not in ourselves, 
• keeps us rooted in his love, reminding on God’s affirmation of our value and worth, and
• helps us to listen intentionally for God’s voice and to seek and to follow his direction, correction and command for our lives.

 Consider developing one of these Bible reading habits:

• Read the Along the Way Sunday Passage
• Read the Along the Way Daily Reading
• Memorize Scripture
• Read Through the New Testament in a Year
• Read Through the Bible in Three Years – Search the Scripture  

Read the Along the Way Sunday Passage

Each week read the assigned passage of Scripture for the upcoming Sunday several times.  Think about its meaning.  Notice the words or phrases or ideas that stand out to you.  Pay attention to how the passage relates to different situations that arise during the week.  Not only will you gain more from the discussion of the passage in Sunday School, but you are also preparing yourself to hear God’s voice as the word is preached during worship.  Think of it as plowing ground in advance of planting seeds.

Read the Along the Way Daily Reading

Each day a passage of Scripture is assigned as a part of the Along the Way devotion.  By reading this passage each day, you will read through the entire book of the Bible covered by that series.  In addition to guiding your reading through books of the Bible, each day, along with the passage, is a devotion written by a member of the congregation in response to that day’s Scripture.  Their thoughts may help you as you reflect on the passage each day.

Memorize Scripture

Memorizing passages of Scripture helps us to incorporate God’s Word into our minds, hearts and lives.  When you choose a passage of Scripture to memorize, write it down and carry it around with you each day.  As you commit the words to memory, ask God to help you to understand how those words speak to your life, how they should shape your thinking and your actions.  As you pay attention to this Scripture during the week, situations will arise that call the words to mind and invite or challenge you to put them into practice.  Take those opportunities as an affirmation that God is at work in your life and cares enough to form you by his love and presence.  For a suggested passage to memorize each week, check out Along the Way.