Maybe you are already tired of hearing about New Year’s resolutions. I get it. You’ve been bombarded. The morning news. The Today show. Your favorite magazine. The student minister’s blog. Everyone is talking about resolutions.
Indulge me for just a moment. Let me just offer 4 suggestions of small changes you could make to your family this year that will pay large dividends in the years to come. Over the next four Mondays, give me five minutes to encourage you to make four simple, but significant changes in your family this year.
1) Become students of God’s Word.
Not just readers of God’s Word, or even just doers of God’s Word, but students of God’s Word. Now, more than ever, it’s just not enough to read the Bible. Newsweek kicked off it’s year with an article about the Bible plastered on it’s cover. Want to be shocked, if not sickened, read the article then try to stomach the comments at the end. The article not only misrepresents the Bible and the God who gave it to us, but might also be closer to what America believes than we dare imagine. Lead your family to become students of the Bible, the consequences are too steep not to. Ask tough questions with your family and seek answers until they are found. The skills of critical thinking and research developed as you study will have their own rewards while you and your family alleviate the risk of falling into the feel-good faith of theistic humanism.
Want to be a Student of God’s Word:
1) Begin with the right Paradigm. God’s Word is inerrant and infallible on all maters to which it speaks. It is intended to be universally true. In order to be correctly handled it must be studied dispensationally. For a better understanding of what that means check out Dr. White’s teachings.
2) Question your Assumptions. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about the Biblical text, or how that text effects what another text means. At first, these questions might be simple. For instance, what does the word “day” mean in Genesis chapter 1. Can it mean something other than a twenty-four hour period? Does it? True Biblical study begins with questions.
3) Let the Bible interpret the Bible. When researching a question, such as can “day” in Genesis meaning something other than a 24-hour period, let the Bible answer the question by finding out what it says about the word “day”. There are scores of online resources that can be used to help you or simply resort to a bound concordance. This type of interpretation doesn’t require a seminary degree or training in biblical languages. It simply requires a little effort and logic.
Here are some great online resources:
The Bible Hub // Bible Study Tools Online // Bible Gateway // Sonic Light Bible Study Resources
My Suggestion: Start in Genesis, tackle what you and your family can tackle, involve everyone, don’t be afraid to ask for help, BUT be discerning in who you ask for help and make it fun.