I love the story found in 2 Kings 22 and 23. King Josiah has given instructions for the long-neglected house of the Lord to be repaired and cleaned. In the process of following the king’s orders, Hilkiah the high priest discovers the “book of the law.” The amazing thing is not that the Word of God was found but that the Word of God was actually lost in the house of God. Did you get that? The Word of God was lost and it was found hidden and neglected in the very place where it should have been taught and exalted. I could spend all day drawing parallels to the church today.
However, I encourage you to go to 2 Kings yourself. Read it and mark every reference to the “book of the law” using the above suggested marking symbol or your own symbol. Then make a list of everything you learn about the book of the law. See what God has to say to you through His Word.
For more suggested key word marking symbols, visit our Key Word Symbols page or click on the Key Word Symbols category on the right sidebar of this page.
Have you been looking for a good Bible study in your area but can’t find one? I have great news for you! You can join Precept Camden’s online Bible study. Go here for details.
Another option is to start your own Bible study class in your church, your home, or your community. Precept Ministries has a wide variety of Bible study materials available. Read this post for an overview of the different studies they have – each one designed to meet you right where you are.
Precept Ministries also has a free download available to help you get your own Bible study class started. Click here to print this helpful resource. It’s as easy as 1, 2, 3!
I have been to a lot of conferences in my day – youth, women’s, couples’, mixed. You name it. I’ve been to it. However, I can say without a doubt that the conferences done by the ministry of In Worship have been the most God-led, Spirit-filled, Christ-exalting events I have ever attended. And I’m not talking about mountaintop experiences that fade with time. I’m talking about life-changing, faith-building teaching from the Word of God that stays with you forever.
And the music. . . What can I say about the music? If you have never experienced praise and worship led by Alicia Williamson Garcia, then you truly do not know what you have missed. Through music and the Word of God, Alicia ushers you directly into the throne room of God. He has given her an amazing gift, and she uses it for His glory.
I want to encourage you to go to this conference. Get your ticket here. I promise you won’t regret it. I’ll be there and I hope you will, too!
Precept Camden is starting a new study soon, and you are invited to join us. If you live in the area (Camden County, GA), then you can join us in person. If you live anywhere else in the world, you can still do this Bible study with us by using the Listen Here feature on this website.
We will be doing the Precept Upon Precept study on Spiritual Gifts. You can order your book here. This study can help you find your place of service in the church by helping you discover and understand your spiritual gift. Another great reason to study spiritual gifts is that it will help you understand why other people in the church act the way that they do. God has gifted us in different ways. Even though we may say we agree with that statement, we often show we don’t really believe it by expecting everyone else to think and act just like us!
Here’s the skinny: Spiritual Gifts Bible Study, Tuesday, 9:00 AM, January 12 through April 13, 2010. Cost of workbook: $30.
Here’s another post on spiritual gifts.
Click here to donate.
Did you know that chapters and verses were not a part of the Bible in its original form? Scholars differ in their opinions on who developed the modern divisions and when those occurred. However, most agree that they were added for ease of reading as well as a way to notate verses. But do the chapter and verse divisions always enhance the reading of Scripture? Many would say no.
Click here to use an interactive graphic and read an article by Christopher R. Smith and Bible Study Magazine to see how, as they say, “the chapters in Colossians disrupt our interpretation of Paul’s letter.”
That’s why I believe inductive Bible study is such a great way to study the Bible. You read Scripture as it was written – a whole book at a time. It helps you see past chapter divisions to understand the message of a particular book as a whole. If you are unfamiliar with the inductive study method, click here to download and print a free guide from Precept Ministries International. It’s sort of a crash course on learning to use the inductive study method.
Chapters and verses in the Bible – were they in the original and, therefore, inspired by God? No they weren’t. So do we really need them? I believe the answer is yes – as long as we learn how to keep these man-made divisions from disrupting our understanding of what God is saying to us through His Holy Word.
Here is a suggested key word symbol for the word “fasting.” It looks sort of like a dinner plate with a line through it. Get it?
Marking key words is a tool of inductive Bible study. If you’ve never studied the Bible inductively, go here and print out an inductive Bible study sample or go here and print out a quick Lightning Study. Precept Ministries International is known as the “Inductive Bible Study People” and they have a wealth of information at their website.
There is nothing like the inductive study method to get you into the Word of God and learning Truth for yourself. Whenever you dig it out yourself, you remember it so much better. So give it a try.
