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I. CONVICTION OF BIBLE STUDY

In Pastor R. Kent Hughes “Preaching the Word” commentary on Hebrews, he laments that the pollsters inform us that modern church members “cannot name the books of the Bible or locate the Ten Commandments or the Beatitudes, much less tell us what they are. This also brings us to the indisputable axiom; we cannot be profoundly influenced (or encouraged) by that which we do not know. The comfort and strength of God's Word will avail us not at all if we do not know it. Many today do not know enough of God's Word to survive a skinned knee! Knowing God's Word is essential for spiritual survival, as the preacher earlier insisted in his letter: "We must pay more careful attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away" (Hebrews 2:1).”

When I first heard these words when this sermon was preached in 1992, the Holy Spirit convicted me to become a life-long student of God’s Word. In addition to the spiritual disciplines of prayer, Bible reading, and memorization, Bible Study has become an essential part of my daily life. This conviction led me to the Moody Bible Institute to learn an effective method of Bible Study.

II. COMMITMENT TO BIBLE STUDY:

As a new believer, the first course I enrolled at the Moody Bible Institute was “Methods of Bible Study.” This course gave me a methodology of Bible Study that has served me will over the past twenty-four years. The challenge and motivation of Bible Study is to get it straight and give it straight is found in 2 Timothy 2:15, “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.”

III. COMMAND TO TEACH BIBLE STUDY:

Ralph Winters estimates that 95% of all pastors who are leading churches in the third world have little or no formal theological training. As career missionaries with HCJB World Radio, this need has led my wife and I to commit the rest of our lives to teaching Bible Study methodology to these dear brothers and sisters who have little opportunity to study God’s Word. This command to teach others is found in 2 Timothy 2:2, “The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also."

IV. COMPANION TO BIBLE STUDY

I currently have Word Search, E-Sword, Bible Explorer, Bible Navigator, iLumina, and Logos loaded on my computer and accessible through my Bible Study folder. With over 1600 resources, Logos is by far my favorite program and I am thankful for this excellent tool for my daily Bible Study!

Submitted by Mark Papierski