Sensing God in Scripture
“A passage like “The heavens declare the glory of the Lord” (Ps. 19:1) becomes a passport to praise as we give God the credit for every marvelous star in the night sky. “Taste and see that the Lord is good” (Ps. 34:8) takes on new gusto as we enjoy the good gifts he lavishes on us. Even the quietude of “Be still and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10) becomes to us a solid shelter when storms are raging. A well-developed biblical imagination cannot even see a seed planted in the ground without reflecting on the nature of the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 13:31–32). Spiritual parallels are everywhere, particularly for a mind steeped in Scripture.” - Sensing God in Scripture by Scott James
Straight Outta Context
“As we read larger portions of Scripture more of the Bible’s context becomes available to us. However, we must be careful that we do not spend so much time investigating unnecessary or extra-biblical context that we miss the main point of a passage. We can fall victim to chasing cross references and studying Bible maps and charts and learning about leprous diseases until we lose the main point of a passage. Or even worse, we can lose real communion with the Lord by allowing all the fact-finding to derail our study. We must remember that studying the Bible is primarily a spiritual exercise that uses the intellect. It is not primarily an intellectual exercise cloaked in spirituality.” - Straight Outta Context by Kristie Anyabwile
Teaching Our Children to Read God's Word
“The story of the Bible has a familiar “scent” to it. But to smell the centrality of God in all of Scripture takes time and attentiveness. It’s a learned perspective, one that we can pass on from generation to generation as we teach our children to study God’s Word. The more our children saturate in the Bible, the more the story of redemption will seep into their pores.” - Teaching Our Children to Read God's Word by Chris Ammen
Why and How Do We Study God’s Word?
“God wants you to know him. He has made this possible by revealing himself in Scripture. When you are diligent to prioritize his Word, he is faithful to meet you there. So know that however you choose to read God’s Word this year, if you approach it humbly, seeking to know and love God more, then by his grace and by the power of his Spirit, his Word is able to shape, grow, and change you.” - Why and How Do We Study God’s Word?, by Lauren Bowerman
Knowing God Through His Word
“There was an un-transformative belief that saturated the halls of my college; a lostness that hummed at the bottom of empty bottles. I lived in that hollow reality for 23 years, and it was only by God’s grace that I finally saw the light. When I think about the year God called me to himself, my heart is burdened for the women who believe a gospel contrary to the life-changing one I know. My heart is burdened because in realizing just how desperately fallen I was, I saw the beauty of God’s grace.” - Knowing God Through His Word by Amy Hornbuckle
The Blessings and Benefits of Scripture Memorization
“Though I have long praised the spiritual disciplines of Bible reading and prayer, I put memorization in an extra-credit category for the super-spiritual. It’s hard enough committing to daily study, but memorizing Scripture? That’s for pastors, missionaries, and perhaps children who can’t read yet, right? I had access to a Bible any time I needed it. What was the point of memorizing it? I could flip through the pages of my Bible or swipe through verses on my ESV app. Does the extra step of memorizing Scripture really matter?” - The Blessings and Benefits of Scripture Memorization by Glenna Marshall