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."

Freed to Serve

April 28, 2025
Notes from Scott Sutton's sermon on Sunday, April 27, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 2:11-17 This is the beginning of a section addressing how God's people now function in this world. It begins with aliens and exiles and continues with servants, wives, husbands, and finally, all of you. 1.) Our identity defines our actions. We are sojourners and exiles (temporary, passing through, not at home) We have a heavenly citizenship Actions We abstain from the passions of the flesh Keep conduct among the Gentiles honorable (our conduct is for the benefit of other people) Honorable conduct wins souls… sojourners, exiles, and soul winners “Peter’s point is that believers’ behavior creates a context in which people will listen to God’s word. He is not teaching that ‘good deeds’ in themselves convert unbelievers, but they establish an environment for the Gospel-word to do so.” -Barnett 2.) Our identity defines our expectations (Unbelievers will respond to honorable conduct in 1 of 2 ways) Some will speak evil against us as though we are evildoers Some will see our good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation 3.) Our identity defines our view of authority (Does anyone here ever just want to do whatever you want to do, whenever you want to do it? That’s why laws exist) Be subject to every human institution (for the Lord's sake) This includes governors and emperors (no distinction between good/bad) The will of God... by doing good, we silence the ignorance of foolish people 4.) Our identity defines our view of freedom Don't use freedom as a cover-up for evil We are freed to serve God Honor, Love, and Fear Discipleship Questions: 1.)Why is it so important to understand our identity before talking about our behavior? 2.) How might this reality impact your parenting? For real, what are 3 ways that you can apply that this week? 3.) How is good conduct a form of evangelism? 4.) What do these verses say that we can expect from others? 5.) How can we honor a government that isn't always honorable? Seriously, what are 5 things we should immediately stop doing and 5 things we should immediately start doing? 6.) What are some tangible ways to honor others? Love the brotherhood? Fear God? Honor the Emperor? 7.) Should we fear the Emperor?

Cornerstone

April 22, 2025
Notes from Ky Martin's sermon on Sunday, April 20, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 2:4-10 Everyone must accept or reject Jesus. He is the cornerstone. We choose to accept Him as the foundation of our lives or toss the truth aside. When we come to Jesus… We become part of His People 1 Pe 2:4-5 As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, 5 you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. The cornerstone is The New Temple. From this we learn that following Christ entails joining his community, the church…The freelance Christian, who follows Jesus but is too good, too busy, or too self-sufficient for the church, is a walking contradiction. -Daniel M. Doriani We join a royal, holy, priesthood 1 Pet. 2:9 But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. Because of who Jesus makes us. We receive God’s mercy Fallen man is not simply an imperfect creature who needs improvement: he is a rebel who must lay down his arms….Now repentance is no fun at all. It is something much harder than merely eating humble pie. It means unlearning all the self-conceit and self-will that we have been training ourselves into for thousands of years. It means undergoing a kind of death. Acts 17:30-31 The times of ignorance God overlooked, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent, 31 because he has fixed a day on which he will judge the world in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed; and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead.” Discipleship Questions: Why is it impossible to be neutral about Jesus? Why do you believe that Jesus truly is the Son of God? Do you ever have doubts about this? If yes, what are they? According to 1 Peter 2:9, who are we after we come to Christ? Why does Paul say (in 1 Corinthians) that if Christ is not risen, our faith is in vain?

Born Again

April 16, 2025
Notes from Scott Sutton's sermon on Sunday, April 13, 2025. Sermon text: 1 Peter 2:2-3 Why do our souls ache for certainty? We are so eager for certainty that we will look for it in all the wrong places. - Certainty in our Finances [show slide from news] - Certainty in our Jobs [Acts 17:24-27] - Certainty in our Health [Covid] - Certainty in our Abilities [Ecclesiastes 3:11 “God has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end.”] “Things that have never happened before are happening every day.” -Morgan Housel In these verses, God gives us what our souls ache for! 1.) You must be born again of imperishable seed - We have all been born of perishable seed o Impure souls o Disobedient to truth o Unloving insincerity toward others o Lack of loving effort o Impure hearts - We are withering grass and falling flowers - The imperishable seed is the living and abiding Word of God o Does not wither o Does not fall o Does not let us down o It remains forever o It MUST BE PREACHED! But still, how can we be certain that we have been born again? 2.) If you are born again, hope will be seen in your relationships When your relationship with God changes, God changes your relationships! - Sincere brotherly love - Love earnestly - Put away… o Malice o Deceit o Hypocrisy o Envy o All Slander 3.) If you are born again, hope will be seen in your appetite for God’s Word - Like newborn infants - Long for the pure spiritual milk Discipleship Questions: 1.) Where are some unhealthy places where you look for certainty? 2.) Why do you do that? 3.) What were some evidences of your perishable seed before you came to Christ? Any of that still lingering that needs to be repented from? 4.) Why does Peter call the Word of God the imperishable seed? 5.) In light of the text, how would you describe being "born again" to a 5-year-old? 6.) How has imperishable hope proven itself in your relationships? OR How might it if you lean into loving others earnestly? 7.) Why does Peter tell us that hope will be seen in our appetite for God's Word?
Show More