Ep. 115 - How Firm A Foundation
Download MP3Well, welcome to Tell Me More. Today in our podcast, Kurt Grice and I are actually in the podcast booth together, and we're gonna have a great conversation today about the word of God. Hope you enjoy. Well, welcome to Tell Me More. Today, I'm Dennis Wiles, and I'm actually hosting today.
Speaker 2:It's kinda wheels off. Yeah.
Speaker 1:It's it's incredible how much talent I have.
Speaker 2:It's amazing. We'll find out. QED.
Speaker 1:I don't know about them because
Speaker 2:you're the
Speaker 1:one that actually pressed pressed the record button. But I'm joined by Kurt Grice today. It is Monday morning. Luke and Katie aren't with us today, so it's me and Kurt. So Kurt Grice, welcome.
Speaker 2:Thank you. Let's prove we can do this.
Speaker 1:Okay. Well, just tell me more. I mean
Speaker 2:Well about I mean Well, I'm fixing to, but isn't there supposed to be more lead in? Oh, okay. Let's let's identify the subject matter and then
Speaker 1:Oh, we knew each other well enough where you can just kinda go with it.
Speaker 2:But, no. I can. Yeah. Let's let's talk about the timeless word of God. How's that?
Speaker 1:How is that? That sounds so good. Well and that is exactly the topic. You know, today, it is Columbus Day. So,
Speaker 2:Indigenous Peoples. Yeah.
Speaker 1:So the kids, we don't have our child development center today. So our 2 younger colleagues are with their children today, which is fine.
Speaker 2:Oh, it's great. We want them we want them to be together. So teachers are off, you know, Luke's Yeah. Wife is a teacher and got 2 kids that normally be in school, and they can be together too.
Speaker 1:That's exactly right. That's a
Speaker 2:good thing.
Speaker 1:And look at us. It's me and you, brother. Yeah. But, so and I'm The inmates are
Speaker 2:in charge of the asylum. That could possibly go wrong.
Speaker 1:You got Kurt, Greif, and me. We've been together for, long as you've been here. Yes. I've been here 23 and a half years now. Kurt was here when I got here and, and was our youth minister back in the day, which is
Speaker 2:It was a lifetime ago. Yeah. It was
Speaker 1:a lifetime ago. And, but needless to say, we know each other really well. We literally have been all over the world together. True word. We have led mission teams.
Speaker 1:We have done, this annual tour of Rome, every year. In fact, we're going back in February to Rome again, and this year is the jubilee year in Rome. And so the the general indulgences are available for Roman Catholics who go to Rome and make their way through the the holy door and, of the of the 4 main churches in Rome. And so, they are getting ready. Kurt and I have been paying attention, just watching everything that's getting ready for that, for that time.
Speaker 2:It's a big deal. The whole country, obviously, will be affected to some degree, but mainly Rome
Speaker 1:Mhmm.
Speaker 2:Which is sort of the center of, Catholicism, and all of the major sites are being refurbished.
Speaker 1:Yeah. It's crazy.
Speaker 2:We hope they'll all be revealed by the time we get there, and I think most of them will, but they're expecting 3 to 4 times the average number of tourists. But we say pilgrims. This year of jubilee is, the year of pilgrims of hope. Mhmm. And we believe that's what we are every time we take a group.
Speaker 2:We're pilgrims of hope Mhmm. As we travel to Rome and so it's gonna be exciting. I saw this week, among other things, the new catacombs that I want us to go to, they're celebrating the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea and the establishment of the Nicene Creed. So among many other things, we hope we get to, jump in on the 1700th, anniversary of the council Is that more
Speaker 1:than our 150th anniversary? Is that
Speaker 2:what you're saying? It's, yeah. Okay. Exponentially. Exponentially.
Speaker 2:And,
Speaker 1:but well, it is it's always an awesome trip, and it and it really is a spiritual pilgrimage because we actually start speaking of the scripture, we start with the, the connection of the scripture to Rome, and, of course, you've got Paul and Peter who will eventually find their way to Rome, and, they they both fare well in Rome today. They didn't fare well in real life. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2:Back back in the day, it wasn't right.
Speaker 1:There. Right. So, even though there's a whole lot there now dedicated to them, that's not exactly what it was then. We we actually visit their tombs. Mhmm.
Speaker 1:There are churches that are placed over where they were buried. So it's pretty it's pretty awesome, really. It's,
Speaker 2:it's Yeah. Each of Saint Paul's outside the wall, and, obviously, Saint Peter's Basilica, are 2 of the finest churches in the world.
Speaker 1:That's right.
Speaker 2:Couldn't do them much good, but thankfully, in hindsight, they're being appreciated. That's
Speaker 1:Right. And and they're both incredibly spectacular places to visit. So I'm looking forward to that. And and it really is a tour that is connected to the scripture. I mean, you know, speaking of the Bible Mhmm.
Speaker 1:Just the, the travels and the the life of Paul while he's there in Rome and writing scripture, it it it that's where we begin the journey and we go all the way to the reformation. So which also centered around the scripture. The reformation with Martin Luther hinges on his understanding of the scripture. So I think it'd be hard, Kurt, probably first thing I'd say is I think it would be really difficult to exaggerate the impact of the Bible, you know, in pick something, culture, history, western civilization, obviously, the life of the church, but even things like legal systems, the Magna Carta. I mean, there's so many things that are somehow connected to the truth that's revealed in in the scripture.
Speaker 1:It's pretty amazing, really.
Speaker 2:Con concepts that people take for granted and assume are somehow just, humanitarian or secular or whatever have their origin in the word of God. Yeah. And let me even go back to your comment previously that, we have traveled the word the world together. Part of what we've tried to do in those instances, whether it's the jungles of Central America or the deserts of West Africa, has been to help people there have access to the word of God in their heart language in a way that they can understand it because we are convinced it is truly, life changing, culture changing, community changing, world changing.
Speaker 1:And, you know, I would also say that, you know, in terms of my view of you watching you through the years, you you are truly a student of the bible here. You're one of the most, biblically astute people that I've ever known, and I love that about you. And, and so, you know, Sunday morning, the the sermon that I preached was just about making sure that as you're rebuilding your life, that as a Christian, I mean, I I guess I guess you can rebuild your life if you're not a Christian, but I'm I'm not I'm not, someone that's speaking into that. I mean, I think you could take these general principles, but from a Christian perspective, you've got to factor the word of God in to rebuild your life. You know, these truths are foundational for any kind of health or flourishing or just just the blessing of God on a person's life.
Speaker 1:And and I think that's been the testimony of your life, you know, trying to be faithful to the scripture and understand the value of it and the authority authoritative nature of it and really the beauty Mhmm. Of the scripture.
Speaker 2:You know? Well, if you, again, I appreciate so much the concept of rebuilding, and, obviously, that's the testimony of of Ezra and Nehemiah's lives. But I would also say Jesus told us that if if you build well, you may not have to rebuild as often. And so building on the word of God, anyone who hears these words of mine and actually applies it, lives it, is like the person who builds, his or her life on on rock, on a firm foundation. Mhmm.
Speaker 2:So when the storms of life come, you're you're secure. You're you're solid. You've built on a solid foundation, and so less rebuilding is required if you've built well in the
Speaker 1:first place. That's right. Or at least maybe it maybe it makes it easier, you know, if if things happen around you and all of a sudden you find yourself And and I don't mean to
Speaker 2:over I've always been I frequently, as you all know, been accused of oversimplifying things. I've maintained all along that if people just read the Bible and do what it says, everything would be okay.
Speaker 1:That's right.
Speaker 2:And I still maintain that, although I acknowledge that's overly simplistic. Exactly.
Speaker 1:Yeah. Well, that's interesting to me. And next week, we're going to talk about joy because that that's what follows up this story in Nehemiah. But the fact that Nehemiah and Ezra together just felt led to bring all these people inside of Jerusalem if they were gonna rebuild the city and repopulate it. It seems to me that one of their, insights was, well, we're gonna make sure that we really are the people of God and have them just stand there and just listen to the reading
Speaker 2:of the law.
Speaker 1:That's such a such a powerful image to me and how the people respond by praising God and they're evidently, they're convicted by what they've heard because they're gonna bow down in front of the Lord, and then we're gonna hear next week, they're they're gonna start weeping. In other words, they're they're going to be convicted. Yeah. So I love that these leaders realize the value of god's word under the old covenant still, obviously, but the fact that god had revealed himself, you know, we've been studying this on studying this on Wednesdays in our study of Exodus Exodus. That, God's revealing himself to these people and these are his expectations of them, and there's no way to know them if you separate yourself from the source of truth.
Speaker 1:And who knows Some of those exiles, who knows what their life had been like, you know? I mean, I don't think that they had forgotten necessarily the law, but they weren't as connected to it, you know, living in Babylon or Persia. Yeah. And now that they've come home and some of them have started their lives over again, I think Ezra and Nehemiah both realized, okay, if we're gonna do this, we've got to set a foundation. The only way to do that is to make sure these people interact with truth and the truth is found in the word of God.
Speaker 2:For our purposes, it's it's been true all along. The gospel has to be proclaimed anew in every generation.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And, even as we're studying Exodus at noon on Wednesdays, If you look at Deuteronomy 3rd, we we have the benefit looking back. We see kinda how it all played out.
Speaker 1:Exactly.
Speaker 2:They're living in real time just as we are and someday folks will look back on our time here and shake their heads. But I
Speaker 1:think they'll give a standovation.
Speaker 2:Yeah. That's what I mean. If you just look at Deuteronomy 30, when all of this is predicted and, you know, I set before you today life and death. I encourage you to choose life, but I know you're gonna choose death. If you'd be faithful to me and be careful to do everything I'm saying, you're gonna prosper and be blessed.
Speaker 2:Mhmm. But if you turn away to other gods and forsake me, then you're you're gonna suffer the consequences of your actions and you're gonna be taken away, to other places. But if you turn back to me, I'll gather you back again and and you'll be prosperous again. And all this is foretold in a very lovely and succinct way, a very profound and convicting way in in Deuteronomy chapter 30, where it's just all laid out there, and yet we we still struggle to get it right.
Speaker 1:Just saying. And they had a hard time with it, didn't they? They did. As we do, you know.
Speaker 2:But as we're reading and and studying in Ezra and Nehemiah, that's exactly Mhmm. What's happening. Mhmm. And and, of course, the law, again, the word of god, is foundational to rediscovering who they are as a people, their identity, and their relationship with Yahweh. And sure enough, God is faithful to his promises, and he he provides for them yet again.
Speaker 1:Well, you know, when you think about the scripture, well, let me back up. Speaking of Wednesdays, we have a bible study on Wednesday. And so, you know, our church is sponsored I mean, our, podcast is sponsored by First Baptist Hopington. And so just for a moment here from our sponsors.
Speaker 2:Is this a plug? Yeah.
Speaker 1:It is. It's it's our it's our little commercial break. Wednesdays are busy around here. You know? We have a Bible study every Wednesday at noon.
Speaker 1:Actually, it starts about 12:30. We have lunch and I teach Bible study. And, but then on Wednesday evenings, we come together and we have we have, a
Speaker 2:I do have a prop. Look at you. There's the outline. I don't know if you can zoom in on this. I don't know.
Speaker 2:Look at that sucker.
Speaker 1:There's the outline.
Speaker 2:Yeah. There's the outline. No extras right there.
Speaker 1:But then on Wednesday evenings, we have we call midweek, and there are activities, for the children, masterpiece selectives. We have activities for the older kids called the bridge, 5th and 6th graders. Our youth gather for worship. We have a meal that everybody can enjoy. You can just come hang out in the coffee shop.
Speaker 1:That's what you wanna do as an adult, or you can go to we have classes on parenting, on missional living. We even have a crocheting class or
Speaker 2:a big hit too.
Speaker 1:A crocheting.
Speaker 2:Brocheting. For the guys, it's brocheting.
Speaker 1:Yes, sir. Ladies, it's brocheting. And they enjoy that time together. So it's
Speaker 2:a big hit. Just to say Metroplex Women's Center hanging up. Yes.
Speaker 1:The Metroplex Women's Center has a bible study here on Wednesday nights, and, and I think this Saturday is touch a truck for our preschoolers.
Speaker 2:I believe you're right.
Speaker 1:I think that's right. I think that's the 19th, and, and it's more than truck. I mean, there's all kinds of cool vehicles. Yes. Everything you can imagine.
Speaker 2:It's just different cool vehicles.
Speaker 1:Mister Al, who always brings his a model Ford, he told me that if I will after I've touched all the other trucks, he told me this Sunday morning, if I wash my hands, he'll let me touch his a model. So, we'll have a little cleaning station there in front of
Speaker 2:his vehicle. You don't have to put
Speaker 1:white gloves on? No. No. No. You can touch it.
Speaker 1:That's what he said. So well, so back to the scripture, you know, for our people, which many many of our folk many folks who are in our, Tell Me More audience are our people. When we talk about reading the Bible and challenging them to read the Bible, there are so many ways to do that. So let's talk about that, Curt. When you think about that, if you're trying to help somebody understand, okay, you know, you need to read your Bible, and if they look at you and go, okay, what what so what do I do?
Speaker 1:Do I start on page 1? Or, I mean, if you wanna go all the way back, be foundational, what would be your take on helping somebody learn just to
Speaker 2:read the scripture? Well, you you certainly can do that, and I would argue that Genesis chapter 1 may be the text on January 1st of the year. You probably right about that. Or at least January 2nd. That's right.
Speaker 2:Maybe they're not starting on New Year's Day. Resolution. You got it. Yeah. And then as you've often observed, it peters out after about a month or
Speaker 1:so Yeah.
Speaker 2:Because it it is challenging. And and so, not hypothetically, but very practically, and I've done this just recently. Yeah. For somebody that is is just starting out, certainly, I recommend the gospels. Start with the New Testament.
Speaker 2:Matthew is a great place to start. Mhmm. But, if you want shorter and and quicker, Mark is good.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:Or if you want a different take, John is awesome. Mhmm. But you gotta read it
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:And and read it slowly. And if you try to put it in the context of how people spend their time, how how long would you watch a show on TV or do any if you could devote 30 minutes to just reading and reflecting on the text, I'm convinced it would do more for you than anything else you could do during that time, including physical exercise, anything for you personally to do. Mhmm. Because we believe it's living, active, it cuts to the heart of the matter, cuts to the quick, if you will. Hebrews 4 says that it divides not just soul and spirit, joint and marrow, but it reveals the thoughts and attitudes of the person.
Speaker 2:So the amazing thing about scripture, it is living and active. Mhmm. And it doesn't just reveal god to us, it reveals us to us.
Speaker 1:Mhmm.
Speaker 2:And that can be a challenging thing. But when we when we see ourselves in light of God's truth, light of God's word, it does bring about conviction. It ought to lead to repentance, and that's when God can begin to do something with us. So we don't just read for information, we read for transformation. We're to be shaped by the word of God.
Speaker 2:Well, the only way we can be shaped by it is to let it get into us. And and that's I can go off, but that's how we develop a biblical worldview, and that's the key, to to all of life. Mhmm. We we do what we believe. Our lifestyle is a result of our our worldview, our our perspective.
Speaker 2:Mhmm. And to have a biblical perspective is only possible if we read the Bible and let God speak in to our thoughts and motives and actions.
Speaker 1:Mhmm. Well, and I and and I would say just as a as a colleague and a brother in Christ, you've always had a very well worn Bible since I've known you. You've you've had to rebind yours since I've known you, and, your your Bible is like a it accompanies you on your life, and this one here is it's been retaped, and I'm just looking at you. You've had no parent.
Speaker 2:For no reason, in particular, I got this one I bought this one in 2,008. I remember when you got it. For 16 years. It's April 5, 2008. But what I wrote, I bought this copy of the word of God on April 5, 2008 to replace the Bible that I carried for over 25 years.
Speaker 2:That old friend was full of notes and memories from my mid twenties until I turned 50.
Speaker 1:How about that?
Speaker 2:But then I just go on in this note to myself that, the word of God is living inactive and I'd a lot of other stuff, but I maybe the truth. I don't wanna wait in unbelief while my understanding catches up with my faith.
Speaker 1:Well, I
Speaker 2:don't wanna wait and languish in unbelief while my understanding catches up with my faith. The righteous live by faith. Mhmm. And I think understanding comes by walking in the light that God has has revealed to us. But why would God show us one more new thing if we hadn't done anything with what he's already showed us?
Speaker 1:Amen. And, well, you know, when when when you're reading the Bible, I guess, there there are numerous ways to do it. And I know even in my own life, I find myself in different seasons. And so, like, right now, of course, you know, when you're in our line of work, you you you you're reading and studying the Bible for others. That's just a part of the of the calling that we have on us, and there's nothing wrong with that.
Speaker 1:That's a good thing. We're we're professionals at it. We've been trained to read and interpret the scripture. We've had to study biblical languages, come to grips with theology and and see the world through the perspective of the scripture and how God has revealed himself, revealed truth. And, also, we've had the benefit of years of learning from these great theologians who've gone before us, these biblical interpreters that that have influenced every one of us and and have affected how we actually view the scripture.
Speaker 1:But I would tell you that there are there are just different ways to do it. So and it I think it depends on where you happen to be, but the bottom line is you gotta figure out how to do it. And I agree with you. It's it's funny to me how sometimes people say to me, well, I I just haven't found time lately to read the scripture, but like you just said, they might binge watch, though, Netflix all weekend.
Speaker 2:Watch one less of that series and pick up the Bible.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:But it it takes effort. And and sometimes people are afraid to to look at it and make excuses. I talk to people who, well, in the full errors, and that's kind of, a perspective that that the Muslim background, has accused and Yeah. Is too confused, whatever. But you also said Sunday morning, man, you you can be blind.
Speaker 2:Yeah. I mean, literally, you can be blind and speak any language and the Bible is available. It is.
Speaker 1:It's amazing how how the Lord has just made that possible through all this technology. You know, when I was, I was I had several people come up to me after church Sunday because I made this joke about, you can have it red you in any accent, but I had found the Alabama accent, but I'm thinking about starting to read it to people. So I had a couple folks coming to me who's who's saying one lady came to me and said, hey. I'm from Mississippi. Would you mind just reading the Bible to me out loud?
Speaker 1:I said, I'd be happy to do it for you. But, but in my mind, when when we were younger, the first voice that I think Kurt and I ever heard was Alexander Scorby, this this rich, deep, voice, who was just reading the King James out loud. It's the first time we'd ever had anything like that available. And I can remember how just how awesome that was. The first time I was hearing it read, I thought, man, I wish I had that voice.
Speaker 1:You know?
Speaker 2:Be honest. He could read the phone book, and it was so profound and scholarly.
Speaker 1:He had that voice. That's right. And, but now it's amazing.
Speaker 2:James Earl Jones. He could he could, you know, read a menu at a restaurant, and he'd think, oh my goodness.
Speaker 1:Exactly. How profound is that? But, but, you know, you just gotta read it. So, like, for example, right now for me, as I've been praying through and just thinking about my calling as a pastor and just looking at the future, well, I'm in from my own personal life right now, I'm in first Timothy. And because this is Paul wrote these two letters to this pastor in Ephesus, it's a, it was a cosmopolitan community that was dominated by, this pagan worship and, you know, where where even, what's kind of interesting is the sharing the gospel caused a riot.
Speaker 1:Mhmm. You know, and I as I've you read that in the book of Acts and I'm trying to remember when's the last time we shared the gospel in a secular society and it caused a riot. You know what I mean? What what to what to God. Right?
Speaker 1:What to God. It's such
Speaker 2:a great story. I encourage everybody to read the story, how it plays out. Yeah. And and and it ends up there because this is the Roman Empire. This is Roman law.
Speaker 2:Hey, you guys. If we're not careful, we can get charged with rioting here. And I was like, oh, yeah. Well so they are. That's right.
Speaker 2:Oh, we can't. Artemis. Artemis. God of Ephesus. My lord.
Speaker 2:That's a good question. Oh, okay. Well
Speaker 1:So, you know, think about that. Just how how incredible that was. Well, now you got a young man pastoring the church there, and it's this series of house churches. And Paul was trying to help him lead in a very challenging, very secular society, in a place where the gospel has caused a literal riot, you know, and so so I found myself drawn to that. You know?
Speaker 2:You may have had theological underpinnings that absolutely had economic underpinnings.
Speaker 1:That's true.
Speaker 2:At the at the bottom of it was a differing philosophy. It was my purse strings.
Speaker 1:Messing up their stuff, wasn't it? But, but so I've just been I'm reading through first Timothy as a pastor and looking for what's the as if Paul is speaking to me, and by Paul, I mean, God through Paul
Speaker 2:Mhmm.
Speaker 1:And just taking notes. I was doing that this morning. You know, what what am I learning as I'm reading this as a pastor for for my own people? And so and that really has nothing to do for me with what I'm going to be offering my people. I'm teaching Exodus.
Speaker 1:I'm teaching Ezra and Nehemiah, and I'm also looking at Matthew because I know where I'm headed next, next January. I also been reading through Isaiah because I know I'm moving in Isaiah for Advent. I've been looking over the book of Acts because I know I'm gonna do that through missions month. So I've got this professional set of of reading and studying that I'm doing. It's very important.
Speaker 1:But in my own personal life, I have to feed my own soul, and so as I'm reading through first Timothy, just listen to the voice of God and letting him minister me, but also challenge me, you know, about being a pastor. I mean, Paul talks about having a pure heart, having a sincere faith, he says, and, and that the work of God is done by faith. And and sometimes, you know, we, in our world, have to be reminded of that, because we we can get very transactional in our world. Man, if you do this, do this, do this, well, then this is going to happen, when I really felt admonished by the Lord my own personal journey of just where I am, that this whole thing is a is a venture of faith. It really is.
Speaker 1:And so, you know, you can read the Bible devotionally, and that that's where I would encourage you to start if you haven't done anything, do that. You know?
Speaker 2:Most of these folks aren't preparing to preach every week.
Speaker 1:True.
Speaker 2:And, in fact, most of these folks probably aren't preparing to teach every week. But every one of you is preparing for life every day.
Speaker 1:That's right.
Speaker 2:And so you you're reading, studying the bible at least 3 different ways every week, you know, for for 3 very connected but distinct purposes. But for most of the folks that are maybe listening here, you need this for your soul. Soul. Mhmm. We we reminded this last week with the death of a of a relatively young man.
Speaker 2:Mhmm. His wife said, you know, I've been meditating on the word of god with no idea that she was about become a widow.
Speaker 1:That's right.
Speaker 2:And yet, she had been preparing for the test of life without even knowing when that test was gonna come. That's right. And again, it goes back to Jesus' words. You're building your house on the solid rock, the firm foundation of the truth of God so that when the inevitable crisis comes and, you know, you you can prepare for a hurricane as folks in Florida and throughout these coasts have done, a few days in advance, but often the crisis and challenge alike happens just like that. Yeah.
Speaker 2:And you're either ready or you're not.
Speaker 1:Right. Yeah. You're it's almost like you're always preparing.
Speaker 2:It's exactly what it is.
Speaker 1:And so the scripture is important there to me, and so you've gotta make room for god to speak to you, and that's that's a part of the discipline of of the scripture. But, you know, I would say, you read the bible devotionally, and, typically, the way I would encourage you to do that is figure out some plan, and there are so many plans. There's read the Bible through in a year. There's there's the material that we give to our church members, the, together in word readings. You know, you can get the Bible reading plans off your phone, the Bible app.
Speaker 1:The Bible app has been one of the most successful apps, actually, that's available today. It's amazing how many people are on that app, and it will give you a daily, passage to read. There's just so many ways to do it. And so that to me is a very devotional approach, and I would encourage you to do it. Just always pray first.
Speaker 1:This is the word of God, so you wanna ask the Lord to speak to you because you have no idea how God may use a passage of scripture in that very moment. But the cool thing is, it's it's almost like to me the scripture, it's it's it's a part of your diet, and so it may not feel all that shaping that day or that week, but it but it's but it's like, you know, as you choose to eat the right food, over time, it just has an impact and influence in your life and to me the scripture's that way. But you also may decide that you wanna study the bible a little more definitively, a little more deeply. Well, there are so many ways to do that. So for example, you know, you you can start with, with a book in the scripture.
Speaker 1:That's one of the things I would recommend. Pick let the lord lead you and choose a book, and then you can take the time. There's so many materials available that are written at multiple levels. You don't have to be a Greek or Hebrew scholar to study the bible book by book, and, you can, and and we are happy to help. That's one of the reasons we're here is to help equip you.
Speaker 1:I can promise you Kurt Grice would be happy to help guide you in finding a way to study the book of the Bible. There's just no doubt about that, and, because that's one of his love languages. So, you know, you you can choose a book of the scripture, and then you can begin just with a series of questions. Why was this book written? To whom was it written?
Speaker 1:Who wrote it? When was it written? And just start gathering some context to where you can you can read it a little more definitively than maybe when you're just reading devotionally, and then you can start studying paragraph by paragraph. The good news is almost you know, there's no, the original text didn't have chapters and verses. I mean, that was done just because it's so cumbersome, you know, trying to find anything in the
Speaker 2:bible. We got, chapters in the 1200 maybe, and we got verses in the 1400.
Speaker 1:A long time. You've got this huge document or actually collection of documents, really, and, that was just done to help make it more accessible. But the good news is the modern translations arrange the scripture paragraph by paragraph, so you can study it that way and and just take time to delve into the, these, these paragraphs. And then if you want to, if you're slow enough, like Kurt was just saying a while ago, you can either you can then even do word studies within those paragraphs. You want to be careful to not pull those words out,
Speaker 2:you
Speaker 1:know, and just let them stand on their own because they all fit into a context. But if you're looking at their overall, book itself and then you break it down into paragraphs, then you can break it down to these word studies and things come alive. So, like, for example, when you're reading, the opening of Timothy, just because it's on my mind since I'm studying Timothy right now, I mean, Paul starts out with these huge words like grace and peace and hope and faith. Well, those are high dollar theological words. Yeah.
Speaker 1:I mean, they're they're not just random
Speaker 2:concepts. Many letters, but richness and meaning. Yeah.
Speaker 1:So you you can start off just by making a note of some of these incredible words and try to figure out what did they actually mean, and you can do a theological study on each one of these words and put them back into the context of that paragraph and why the author chose to put them there. You start doing that, well then you start amassing, enough, just good solid material that will inform your devotional reading. You could they're connected, you know. You can do the devotional reading without taking any notes. If that's what you choose to do, that's fine.
Speaker 1:If you wanna study, then I would encourage you to just get a really good translation of the Bible. I'm an NIV person simply because I think it's it's, it's it's the it's the most, first of all, it's the most read version in the English language, and I think it's, it puts things into our common vernacular. Well, it yeah.
Speaker 2:It's a dynamic equivalent written for American audiences. Right. So So if if you happen to be an English speaking American, that's probably as good as you're gonna do.
Speaker 1:That's what I think. So I I would suggest just get a good translation, then you can study it that way. And again, there are so many tools now. You wanna be careful with the Internet, the w w w, because it turns out I don't know if anybody knows this. Everybody knows it.
Speaker 1:Anybody can put stuff on the Internet. It's crazy. And do.
Speaker 2:You just can do.
Speaker 1:And so, and but, you know, I would say the Internet and the resources there can be great servants. They make terrible masters, and so we need to be thoughtful about whose voice you listen to. And so once again, consult people that you trust as you start to explore these things. And and I and that that happens to me a lot. People will write me and say, pastor, I was reading this article written by so and so.
Speaker 1:Do you know anything about this person? Because this is a really interesting take. Awesome. We welcome that because we wanna help you find your way in the scripture. And so you can study it that way.
Speaker 1:You know, you can you can study large chunks of the scripture. You know, for example, if you go back to the old testament and you get something like Isaiah or Jeremiah. Well, these are huge, huge books, and and you've got to weed through a whole lot of imagery that was so familiar to them, that's so unfamiliar to you. And it's gonna require something out of you. So I'm I might not recommend if if you're just getting started, I may not recommend starting there.
Speaker 1:You know? No.
Speaker 2:But I would say this. I would encourage people to read the whole book before they start studying the book True. Because there's a certain contextualization that that helps you even know what they're trying to say. Any study Bible, any good study Bible, n n n n n n n n study Bible, at the beginning of each book, it's gonna talk about the the date, the author, you know, the recipients, kinda what the the gist of the the situation was that that helps do that. But then if you can, read the whole thing first and then go back and and move slowly through it.
Speaker 2:And I think your understanding will be I
Speaker 1:agree with that.
Speaker 2:Bit easier.
Speaker 1:You know, what's funny is, Kurt, I'm a little odd. Maybe I'm not. I'm not sure.
Speaker 2:No. You're you're a bit odd.
Speaker 1:Yeah. I could be odd, but I actually what I like to do, I like to read it out loud. So it's kind of interesting when I'm in my study at home.
Speaker 2:That's how it was intended
Speaker 1:to be. Faith comes by hearing. Right?
Speaker 2:It does.
Speaker 1:And so I actually like to read it out loud. I don't know there's just something about that, plus it slows me down. You know, maybe being from the deep south is the reason for that because I'm maybe I have to speak a little slower, but that even helps me. And to be honest with you, I've never really studied why that helps me so much. I'm sure there's auditory connections there and all that.
Speaker 1:You're increasing the mechanisms that you're learning. Engaging more senses. Yeah. But I I just enjoy that, and so I find myself doing that often.
Speaker 2:Mhmm.
Speaker 1:So I would encourage you to find the way that's good for you.
Speaker 2:That's right.
Speaker 1:Now with that said, I want I want to put this in front of you, Kurt, and let you talk about it a little bit. Every you've been looking at this a long time. The way people grow spiritually, the way people are transformed spiritually, how God shapes our lives, there has been enough evidence to show us that the scripture, engaging the scripture, is at the heart of spiritual transformation. So I know you've talked about that some, we've talked about it plenty. So why don't you just elaborate on that a little bit today about how we know we know there's enough research to show us we know it works Right.
Speaker 1:In people's lives. So
Speaker 2:Yeah. That's that's not just wishful thinking. It's it's empirically supported. Mhmm. And when you look at action, things that are measurable, church attendance, charitable giving, service in the community, just lifestyle choices.
Speaker 2:Those that consistently read scripture just have healthier lives, healthier lifestyles, more positive behaviors, and you could argue causation but to me, it's it's the way god intended it to be. And so, you you can look at, Psalm 119. I will hide your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. Well, that's just not doing wrong. It is doing right.
Speaker 2:It's not just avoiding bad choices. It's making good choices. And so I would say that's the foundation of the whole thing is I hide god's word in my heart. I gain god's perspective of biblical worldview, a more informed basis of decision making. The spirit of god imparts the word of god to my spirit and helps my conscience, my choices.
Speaker 2:Now I've always always said we learn to make good decisions by making bad decisions. Right. But also think, not just learning by making bad choices, but learning by knowing what god's will that we know and do what god wants. And what god wants ultimately is our our our health, our flourishing. We're gonna talk more about that coming.
Speaker 1:Absolutely. We are.
Speaker 2:But god's intent and design for every one of us is to flourish, and he created us. He knows better than anybody what each of us individually needs in order to be healthy and flourishing like a Psalm 1 tree. But consistently reading the word of god, you referenced earlier, one good meal isn't gonna make you healthy. One trip to the gym isn't gonna make you healthy. Any kind of health is the result, the natural consequence of a series of good decisions.
Speaker 2:Daily choosing the right thing. Mhmm. You wanna guess yesterday was the best day to start. Today's the 2nd best day to start. And then, choose today to do the right thing.
Speaker 2:Just do the right thing once.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:And then tomorrow, do it again. Yeah. And then the next day. And and that consistency, it's like anything we do becomes easier over time. The the hardest part of exercise is putting your shoes on.
Speaker 2:The hardest part of reading the Bible is sitting down and opening it up. Mhmm. And, you know, I'm I'm an old guy. I'm old school. There's something about the tactile
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:Nature of of ink on paper. Me too. And and you talked about studying and and all of that. I would say journaling is the first step. So I I wouldn't just have the word of God and open it.
Speaker 2:I I would have pen and paper handy. You're allowed to mark in your bible, by the way. I I probably you can use different colored ink and highlighters and everything, and I encourage you to do that because you actively engage it. It is the holy word of God, but it's meant to be eaten, consumed, and that's how we eat it and consume it. But then I would just jot down impressions, questions.
Speaker 2:You don't have to have profound answers, but what what is god saying to you? What do you wanna know? Or what's your prayer for that day? Or what's your concern? And we begin to develop these healthy habits for being oriented towards god.
Speaker 2:Again, at the risk of being overly simplistic, I think there's 2 kinds of people in the world. People who take god seriously and people who don't take god seriously. If you take god seriously, you have to take the word of god seriously. Right. How do you take it seriously?
Speaker 2:By reading it and not just reading it for information again, reading it for transformation. We're to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. I believe primarily god does that for us today here through his word, through reading and reflecting on his word. I don't know if that's what you're looking for.
Speaker 1:I would say and that, ladies and gentlemen, is exactly
Speaker 2:what we're looking for. What your original question is. What
Speaker 1:is the
Speaker 2:world according to Kurt Grice?
Speaker 1:And, well, that is awesome. And, well, thank you, Kurtz.
Speaker 2:Mhmm.
Speaker 1:And again, it's our desire for you to flourish, to grow, to experience God in your life. And I think Kurt and I would both agree the the the surest path to make sure that you're gonna facilitate that for yourself in your relationship with him is to be connected to his purpose. So let's, let's give the Lord a chance. Right?
Speaker 3:Thanks for listening to the Tell Me More podcast today. You can subscribe to this podcast on your app of choice, or you can visit us at fbca.org to find out more information about the podcast and our church. Thanks for listening. Have a good day.
