Through it, he speaks to us through it, the Holy Spirit shows us who God actually is. When we open the Bible, it does not say to us, вЂListen: God is there!вЂ™ Instead, the voice of the Spirit whispers through each line, вЂLook: I am here!вЂ™вЂќ The Bible is the inspired Word of God ( 2 Timothy 3:16). The Scriptures are a вЂњplace where the boundary between heaven and earth has been worn through. Chris explains that the Bible is a вЂњthinвЂќ place where we meet God.

What in humans gives God most pleasure? Knowledge of himself.вЂќ The Bible is the means by which we encounter God, get to know and enjoy him, and fulfill our purpose in life.Д®ugene Peterson, in Eat This Book, states that Scripture engagement (or вЂњspiritual readingвЂќ) is a relational process: вЂњWhat I mean to insist upon is that spiritual writing-Spirit-sourced writing - requires spiritual reading, a reading that honors words as holy, words as a basic means of forming an intricate web of relationships between God and the human, between all things visible and invisible.вЂќ The process of hearing or reading the Bible must be done thoughtfully because you are coming into the presence of the holy God.Д¬hris Webb, in The Fire of the Word, also writes that engaging the Bible is a relational process. What is the best thing in life? To know God.

What is the eternal life that Jesus gives? To know God. What aim should we have in life? To know God. Packer, in his book Knowing God, writes that having a relationship with God is our primary purpose. When it comes down to it, isnвЂ™t having a deep, meaningful, and engaging relationship with God what you want in life? ItвЂ™s what we were created for. Engaging the Bible is a relational process, the primary means by which God can engage the believer. Every time we come to the Bible, we can meet and know God. All this and more is true, but perhaps the most important reason is based on the simple description that the Bible is вЂњGodвЂ™s Word.вЂќ As Timothy Ward says, вЂњTo encounter the words of Scripture is to encounter God in actionвЂќ (Timothy Ward, Words of Life, 2009). Why are the Scriptures so vital to spiritual growth? They are living and active ( Hebrews 4:12-13), give freedom ( James 1:25), make truth known ( Psalm 19:7-11), and equip for service ( 2 Timothy 3:16-17). The BibleвЂ™s power to advance spiritual growth is unrivalled by anything else weвЂ™ve discovered. The Bible is the most powerful catalyst for spiritual growth. They would inspire, encourage, and equip their people to read the Bible-specifically, to reflect on Scripture for meaning in their lives. If churches could do only one thing to help people at all levels of spiritual maturity grow in their relationship with Christ, their choice is clear. Nothing has a greater impact on spiritual growth than reflection on Scripture. The study looked at 50 different factors that impact spiritual growth (defined as loving God and loving others). In the book Move: What 1,000 Churches Reveal About Spiritual Growth, authors Hawkins and Parkinson describe research conducted on 250,000 people at 1,000 churches. Prayer and Scripture reading are foundational to the spiritual growth of all believers.

A maturing Christian continually grows in faith, hope, and love for God and others ( 1 Corinthians 13:13 Matthew 22:36-40). Ask many Christians of different ages and spiritual maturity levels what they believe is the best way to grow as a Christian, and the most common answer youвЂ™ll get is вЂњpray and read the Bible.вЂќ And thatвЂ™s a good answer.

Scriptures about change