Read your Bible: An encouragement of God’s gentle leading

Lisa Edwards • January 18, 2023

Even after nearly three decades of following Christ, there are still entire books of the Bible I’ve never read.


Every year when New Year’s rolls around again, I make yet another plan on how I’m going to finally start reading the Bible. My guilt-fueled efforts may start out strong, but by the second week of January, they’re already fizzling out. Because once you’ve missed one day of reading, it feels that much more difficult to catch up, and eventually the whole thing feels like a lost cause. My Christmas decorations tend to see more of January than my daily Bible reading plan does.


A source of shame


This constant struggle has been a source of shame for me throughout my life. I know that as a Christian I should be spending daily time in the Word, but why does it always seem so hard to actually do? Shouldn’t I desire to spend time with God and hear what He has to say to me? On the days when I feel guilty about not reading the Bible more, I find that I pray less, too. Withdrawing from God feels easier than facing His (supposed) disappointment in me. It’s as if I can see Him standing with crossed arms, waiting to chastise me for my repeated failure. But the fact that I ever picture Him that way shows that I do not understand the God of the Bible very well.


My kids have helped me understand the character of God better than almost anyone. The love I have for my children helps me realize how God must feel about me, since He’s called me His child too. There are things I’ve taught my kids to do since they were young, daily things like brushing their teeth and picking up after themselves, that I still have to remind them constantly to do. 


Even though they know that they should do these things, that their lives will be better for having done them, they still struggle to do them every day. But when I find toys strewn all over the house or a toothbrush gathering dust on a bathroom counter, often my response is to lovingly remind them what they should do, and to say, “That’s ok, let’s try again.”


Removing barriers


As a parent, I would never prefer that my kids withdraw from me rather than open up and be honest. This is true even when they’re opening up about less than pleasant feelings or are confessing some wrong that they’ve done. And if I, a sinful and selfish earthly parent, feel that way with my kids, how much more patient and loving must God be with me (Matthew 7:11)? 


God proved 2000 years ago how far He was willing to go to enjoy a relationship with me that is unencumbered by my guilt and shame. Why would I then impose a barrier onto my relationship with Jesus when He Himself died to remove that very thing?


It seems that my struggle to read the Bible daily is rooted in a lack of understanding of who God is and how He feels about me. The Spirit has convicted me at this point in my life that if I want to understand the true character of God, then maybe the best way to get to know Him is by reading His Word, where He’s already revealed Himself to me.


That motivation, of a desire to know my God better, is one that is so much sweeter to Him than my previous motivation of guilt, trying to do what I think I’m supposed to in order to be a “good Christian.” God said to the Israelites in Isaiah 1:13 that they should “bring no more vain offerings” before Him. The whole passage illustrates how much God hates when we do things, even things He’s commanded us to do, with the wrong heart motivation. The right heart motivation is one that cares about fulfilling man’s primary purpose: to glorify God and enjoy Him forever. This should be my motivation in reading my Bible each day, and it should be my encouragement to come back and try again when I don’t.


He won't fail us


Again, my children have proven to be a significant help that God has gifted me to aid in this area of my growth. A few months ago, my son told me he wanted to try to read one chapter of the Bible every day and asked if he could read it to me. There’s no way I could say no to that!


Since then, we have finished one book of the Bible and started two more. There have been a few days that we’ve missed, but nearly every day I have gotten to experience diving into the Word with my son and getting to know my Heavenly Father better through his eyes.


God is so faithful to constantly pursue us, and spending time reading His Word is one of the best ways we can pursue Him back. So if you are already feeling discouraged about your resolution to read the Bible more this year, I hope you will remember that God isn’t giving up on you. He’s lovingly saying, “That’s ok, let’s try again."

Arm Yourselves

June 11, 2025
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, June 8, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 4:1-6 Prepare to suffer Is. 50:6-8a I gave my back to those who strike, and my cheeks to those who pull out the beard; I hid not my face from disgrace and spitting. 7 But the Lord God helps me; therefore I have not been disgraced; therefore I have set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be put to shame. 8 He who vindicates me is near. The martial language indicates that discipline and grit are needed to live the Christian life, particularly in view of the suffering believers encounter. -Thomas R. Schreiner Some people won’t like you if you follow Jesus When a culture abandons biblical standards, when extramarital sex, cohabitation, and birth outside of marriage become normal, people attack the church for its moral snobbery and judgmentalism. Peter warns us that if we do take a stand, we need to expect slander, not applause. -Daniel M. Dorian This is one of the hardest things a new Christian has to face. Your friends liked you because you shared in “the same flood of debauchery.” It seemed great fun at times, but then you came to embrace Christ… But your friends have not… They will be surprised when you say “No.” -Juan Sanchez. Keep an eternal perspective Our outcome is glorious Suffering is good for us Let’s remember that suffering accomplishes God’s purposes. It exposes what or whom we are trusting (1 Peter 1:6–7). - Juan Sanchez Ecc. 7:2 It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. Discipleship Questions: Verse 1 tell us to arm ourselves by thinking as Christ did about suffering. How did Christ arm himself for and against sufferings? What does it look like for us to do that? Have you ever lost friendships (or had them change) because you were following Jesus? Do you fear that we (or our kids) will experience greater persecution in the future? If yes, how should we handle that fear?

I Believe That We Will Win

June 3, 2025
Notes from Lance Shumake's sermon on Sunday, June 1, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 3:18-22 Jesus suffered and died in order to bring us to God Jesus conquered death by his resurrection “A wonderful text is this, and a more obscure passage perhaps than any other in the New Testament, so that I do not know for a certainty just what Peter means.” —Martin Luther Problem #1 - he went and proclaimed to the spirits in prison —Jesus preached through Noah to those who lived at that time (1 Peter 1:10–12) —Jesus proclaimed His victory to evil angels (see Genesis 6:1-4) Problem #2 - baptism now saves you —Scripture is clear - we are saved by grace not works —baptism pictures our salvation from God’s judgment through the resurrection of Christ “The waters of baptism, like the waters of the flood, demonstrate that destruction is at hand, but believers are rescued from these waters in that they are baptized with Christ, who has also emerged from the waters of death through his resurrection. Just as Noah was delivered through the stormy waters of the flood, believers have been saved through the stormy waters of baptism by virtue of Christ’s triumph over death.” —Thomas R. Schreiner, 1, 2 Peter, Jude —in baptism we are appealing to God for a good conscience "This appeal is an act of the heart looking away from itself and from all human instruments and calling on God, appealing to God, for grace to save.” —John Piper —in baptism we are pledging to God to live in a manner worthy of the gospel Jesus ascended to heaven and now reigns over everything “We can face suffering as Christians with confidence rather than panic, and hope rather than despair, because the road marked with Christian suffering is, no matter what its twists and turns are, the road to vindication and glory. The God who vindicated Jesus will vindicate you, and he will sustain your faith until that day.” –Juan R. Sanchez, 1 Peter For You Discipleship Questions: How does Jesus’ death and resurrection encourage us when we suffer? Why did we need Jesus to suffer and die to bring us to God? How does Jesus’ victory over death give us eternal hope? What are your thoughts regarding some of the problems in this passage? How does what Peter says about baptism elevate the importance of baptism? When were you baptized and how does this passage inform your understanding of baptism? How does knowing our victory is secured help us with all the things this life throws at us?

Who Can Be Against Us?

May 27, 2025
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, May 25, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 3:13-17 Nobody can (truly) hurt Christians Psalm 118:6 The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? Rom. 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? The train of thought is as follows: “No one will be able to harm believers on the future day if they are zealous for good” (v. 13). Indeed, even present suffering is not a sign of punishment but of blessing both now and especially in the future, on the day when God rewards his people with eternal life. -Thomas R. Schreiner Honoring Christ Erases Fear Share your faith with strength and gentleness Embrace balance Be prepared to share The truth of the gospel is a public truth that can be defended in the public arena. This does not mean, of course, that every Christian is to be a highly skilled apologist for the faith. It does mean that every believer should grasp the essentials of the faith and should have the ability to explain to others why they think the Christian faith is true. -Thomas R. Schreiner Be prepared to suffer “I’ve spent a number of years in India and Africa where I found much righteous endeavor undertaken by Christians of all denominations; but I never, as it happens, came across a hospital or orphanage run by the Fabian Society [a British socialist organization], or a humanist leper colony.” -Malcolm Muggeridge Be bold! We will likely suffer as Christians in this world, but that suffering is slight and temporary compared to the eternal inheritance that awaits us. The worst thing that can happen to us is that we die and receive our promised inheritance. Can you imagine how emboldened Christians would be if we only believed what Peter is saying? -Juan R. Sanchez Discipleship Questions: Does the fact that nobody can (truly) harm us comfort you? What would change if we lived like we really believe that? Are you a more confident person as someone who knows Christ? Does your security in Christ embolden you to take some risks in life, knowing that the worst that could happen is death? How equipped / prepared are you to give a reason for the hope that you have? What would grow your confidence and competence in that? Have you considered joining Michael Clark one day for evangelism at the harbor? Well….you should….
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