Spiritual Food

Good Wednesday to you!

While baby formula may be in short supply these days, spiritual milk is abundantly available. The problem is that too many Christians do not progress beyond spiritual milk. When those who were fed by Jesus sough Him out, He challenged them, "Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you."

While devotional reading of Scripture may be enjoyable, it represents the "spiritual milk" of a believer. We need to go deeper. We need to study God's Word, meditate on it, memorize it, and allow the Holy Spirit to incorporate it into our heads, our hearts, and out through our hands. We need to add other spiritual practices to our Scripture habits, along with prayer, so the transformation process that builds Christian maturity can grow. At the end of this email, you will find a simple "Three Question Bible Study" method that will help you go beyond mere devotional reading of your Bible.

This coming Sunday we will continue in the 6th chapter of John's gospel looking at the first of seven "I Am" statements made by Jesus. (Have you read chapter 6 yet?) There is a connection between the "I am" statement Jesus makes and the Communion we will celebrate this coming Sunday. Read the chapter and you will know what it is.

On completely different note, I hope you were excited about the "Island Nights" event coming up in July. Each night, starting on July 11th, there will be opportunity to gather on campus. Dinner will be served from 5:00-6:00pm, with the program starting in the sanctuary at 6:00pm. The main reason for Island Nights is to spend time with your family, your church family, and become more aware of God's work "beyond the bridge!"

Our mission support in Africa will be front and center throughout the week, giving you an opportunity to get to know Aychi and his family. You will learn some Amharic, sing some songs, do some crafts, and taste some Ethiopian food (optionally, of course). Additionally, there will be a mission project that will make a difference in God's kingdom. Sign up by clicking here! This will be a memorable experience and you won't want to miss it!

I hope you are having a great day. I look forward to seeing you soon.

Grace and peace,
Pastor David

P.S. As promised…

Three Question Bible Study
Begin by reading the passage to be studied… If you have time, read it again.

Question one: What is the passage about?
Write down the facts or content of the passage. For example: Who are the people if any? What are they doing? Where does it take place? When? Write a brief sentence summarizing the content of the passage.

Question two: What do I learn from this passage?
Ask yourself questions like: Is there a warning, a command, or a promise in this passage? Is there an example to follow or not to follow? What is the main truth of this passage? Is there a lesson or a principle that is a universal truth? Why do you think this passage is in Scripture? Why might God have put it in?

What does the passage reveal about the character of God (His attributes, ways of relating to people, emotions, His views about something, reasons to love Him more)? How does this passage point to the person and work of Jesus Christ? Are there specific things for which to pray? Is there a new thought to me? Is there an encouragement?

(Note: Not all of the above things will be in every passage studied. You may have other questions that come to mind as you read. These are only ideas to get you started.)

Question Three: How can I apply what I learn to my life?
Can you think of a current situation in your personal life, home life, church or work life that is similar to what you learned? In that situation, ask yourself a personal question that demands actions; i.e.: Not, will I spend more time in God’s Word, but rather how or when will I spend more time in God’s Word?

Write the answer to your questions by being specific, creating measurable and achievable goals (i.e. "I will read for ten minutes each day", or whatever practical application you can discern from the passage).

This simple Three Question Bible Study will help you get into the Word in a meaningful way!

If you missed this Sunday’s sermon, click here to listen now!