The 2020 vision of making it a Year of the Bible is not about your reading the Bible through in one year. You may wish to do that, but it is not an attempt to challenge a greater number of our members to read God’s word from Genesis to Revelation in one year. This vision is not necessarily about memorizing portions of the Bible or knowing more completely what the Bible says about certain doctrines of the faith. This effort is a challenge to make the Bible a more important part of our lives every day. It is about becoming a “Doer” of the Word of God and not just a “Hearer.” If successful, we will become more aware of what the Bible says because we have become more active in applying it to everything we do.
There was a young pastor who was called to his first pastorate. The people of his congregation came in great numbers to hear him preach his inaugural sermon and were thrilled by his clarity and articulate message. On his second Sunday, the folks were surprised to hear him preach the same sermon using the same text he preached the Sunday before. They thought that was a bit unusual but did not question his repetition of a subject so obviously important. On the third Sunday when the same sermon and same text were heard again, the leaders of the church met to ask their pastor about his preaching plan. Surely, he would provide some variety in preaching and a broader exposition of the scriptures going forward. When asked, the pastor said, “Have you done what this sermon says you should do? When you do this one, I will preach a different one.”
Make no mistake. The Bible is to be something we do, not just something we talk about doing. The Bible is the most important book ever written, “For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also perform its work in you who believe.” (1 Thessalonians 2:13)
The Bible is a living book, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword, piecing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:13)
The Bible is a powerful anchor, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And when the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24-25)
Practicing God’s word is the point of our vision of 2020 as the Year of the Bible at Grace
There was a young pastor who was called to his first pastorate. The people of his congregation came in great numbers to hear him preach his inaugural sermon and were thrilled by his clarity and articulate message. On his second Sunday, the folks were surprised to hear him preach the same sermon using the same text he preached the Sunday before. They thought that was a bit unusual but did not question his repetition of a subject so obviously important. On the third Sunday when the same sermon and same text were heard again, the leaders of the church met to ask their pastor about his preaching plan. Surely, he would provide some variety in preaching and a broader exposition of the scriptures going forward. When asked, the pastor said, “Have you done what this sermon says you should do? When you do this one, I will preach a different one.”
Make no mistake. The Bible is to be something we do, not just something we talk about doing. The Bible is the most important book ever written, “For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also perform its work in you who believe.” (1 Thessalonians 2:13)
The Bible is a living book, “For the word of God is living and active and sharper than any two edged sword, piecing as far as the division of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:13)
The Bible is a powerful anchor, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And when the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24-25)
- The Bible is the most important message, most relevant truth, most powerful foundation the world has today.
- The Bible is the only hope we have of overcoming the doubts and confusion of our time.
- The Bible is the only help we have in getting past the differences that divide us and foster discontent.
- The Bible is our best answer to the problems of our day.
Practicing God’s word is the point of our vision of 2020 as the Year of the Bible at Grace
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