“Life-Changing Bible Study”

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Our friend and brother Edwin Crozier preached a sermon recently on life-changing bible study, and I believe the ideas will be helpful to all of us in our efforts in our 2018 emphasis on the spiritual disciplines and especially in our daily Bible reading through the psalms this year.

He pointed his hearers to 2 Timothy 3:16-17, which says, "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." From the profitable aspects of Scripture mentioned, here are four simple guidelines for studying the Bible in a way that will change our lives for the better.

• Scripture is profitable for teaching. So when you read the Bible, ask and answer the question, "What do I learn from what I've read?"
• Scripture is profitable for reproof. So when you read the Bible, ask and answer the question, "Where does what I've read show me that I fall short?"
• Scripture is profitable for correction. So when you read the Bible, ask and answer the question, "What do I need to change because of what I've read?"
• Scripture is profitable for training in righteousness. So when you read the Bible, ask and answer the question, "What habits will I develop because of what I've read?"

They're not complicated at all, and they were hidden in plain sight in 2 Timothy 3. And perhaps those are the two greatest things about this little method: 1) That it is beautifully simple. 2) That it is already a demonstration of the very thing it aims to teach: life-changing Bible study.

- Dan Lankford, minister (with gratitude to my friend, Edwin Crozier)

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