GOD'S
WORD IS SPIRITUAL FOOD I. TEXTUAL THOUGHTS 1. Matthew 4:4 - Food
sustains the physical body; God's word sustains the spirit of man. 2. John 4:31-34 - Genuine
food originates from the will of God; it truly satisfies. 3. 1 Peter 2:1-3 - Our
desires should be toward spiritual food, instead of just filling our bellies. 4. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 -
God's word can make us complete, fulfilling every aspect of life. 5. Psalm 19:7-11 -
Respect the word of God as having a sweetness far greater than anything. II. MAIN THEME - This lesson is both about
our heart and the value of the Bible.
If our heart is right, then we
will be seeking to know. When we
seek, we will find. What we find will
be the fulfillment
to every part of our life - spiritual, emotional, and physical. Matthew 7:7 1. Hunger and Thirst
after righteousness - Matthew 5:6 a. Virtue (goodness)
is the desire for what is right - 2 Peter 1:5 b. When we
desire righteousness, then we seek and find the right way- Matthew 7:13-14 c. We can only
be filled on righteousness. Nothing
else satisfies. Matthew 5:6 2. The Value of Studying
the Bible - 2 Timothy 3:16-17 a. The
scriptures train us in the way of righteousness. b. The
scriptures prepare us to do every good work. c. The
scriptures are encouraging and they are able to provide us with hope - Acts
20:32 3. Contextual Study -
Learning to study the Bible in a natural way - Galatians 3:15-17 a. Know which
testament you are studying - this involves time, covenant, and application b. Know who was
speaking - the author, Jesus, God, another person, etc. c. Know who is
being spoken to - the Jews, disciples, an individual person, etc. d. Know the
purpose of the overall book - with this, you avoid wrong conclusions. 4. Purposeful Study -
Accepting the message, without trying to force our own will - 1 Samuel 3 a. Why do you study
the Bible? To learn what God says or
to try to prove a point. b. It is
necessary to have an open heart and mind.
Only then will you learn God's will. APPLICATION 1. To the pure all things are pure!
Titus 1:10-16 If you are
seeking truth, then whatever you find in the
scriptures will be viewed with that mindset.
If not.... 2 Thessalonians 2:10 2. Do you really want to
do God's will? John 4:34 Jesus showed us that a desire to do the will of God is
far greater than a desire to gain for oneself. It will be the greatest gain! 3. Do you want to battle
about details of law? Titus
3:9-11 This lifestyle has no
direction. Instead, follow
after wholesome qualities for your sake and others - 1 Timothy 4:11-16 4. Practically, how do we
let God's word feed us? Read and
pray, meditate and pray, study and pray,
re-examine and pray, memorize and pray, trust and pray........ repeat. 5. Physically, you don't
eat just a little food. Spiritually,
you should not eat only a little either. IV. MEMORY VERSE
- Matthew 5:6 |