40 Days in the Word

It’s a book. It’s words either mean everything or they mean nothing at all. It’s the bestselling book of our time. It’s the best selling book of all time. Never has a book been more criticized. Never has a book been more quoted. Never has a book been more turned to in a time of need. It’s part biography and history. Letters and prophecy that are simultaneously compelling and challenging. There is nothing quite like the poetry found in this book and the prose is just as brilliant. And then there is the Gospel or what the Greeks called εὐαγγέλιον. It simply means good news.

The book is, of course, the Bible. Søren Keirkegaard wrote: “When you read God's Word, you must constantly be saying to yourself, ‘It is talking to me, and about me.’” And he is correct. 

The woman sits next to her two children on a chair on the cemetery lawn. Five feet in front of them is a casket with two dozen roses on top. The pastor opens the Bible and turns to Psalm 23 and begins to read: “…and even through I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, You are with me.” The words mean everything or they mean nothing.

The man has hit rock bottom. His collection of poor choices have overwhelmed him. He has nowhere to turn. He remembers a story from his childhood. After thumbing through the index in a dusty Bible, he turns to Luke 15 and reads about a fellow prodigal who returns home and experiences the love of his father not because of what he has done, but because of who he is. Grace is the only thing he got from the story which is just as well because it was the only thing he really needed at the time. The words mean everything or they mean nothing.

During the next six weeks we will explore the Bible. 

How to learn it 

How to love it 

How to live it 

In my own faith journey, I know this about the Bible: God is always there for me. I open the Bible, read it, and something happens. Peace, comfort, challenge, hope, grace. Something happens. I also know I don’t regret a single moment I have spent reading God’s Word. And I know, from experience, my life makes the most sense and has the most joy when I live my life according to God’s Word. No exceptions. 

I invite you to join me as we spend the next 40 days learning how to read the Bible, investigating God’s Word, and experiencing what it means to apply biblical principles to our lives: as individuals, as families, and as a church. 

The best is yet to come… 

Craig