God wrote a book. That reality blows me away every time I stop and think about it. Pages of pages of God. His thoughts, His words, His heart. just right there, just a few inches away. When we open our Bibles, what do we see? We see God Himself in this book. We meet Him there or we don't meet Him. Not with any hope of friendship at least. And let that sink in for a moment this morning. Before we draw on and go along with and go forward. Let us think about that for a moment. That God has written a book. That God has spoken to us through this book. And let's not become unamazed with this truth. Our God spent about 1,500 years, used over 40 different authors to inspire and bring together 66 individual books into one book, which is the Word of God. And He's done it for us. He's done it for His children. He's done it so that we can know Him in the Bible. It's so easy sometimes to just pick up our Bibles and not think about the amazing reality that God Himself has spoken. And we're holding it. John Piper says, it's one of the saddest effects of the fall that over time the greatest wonders in the world become routine. The first day on the Alps, we are speechless with wonder. And yet by the end of the week, we're playing video games. This is really a great human tragedy. And so it is with our encounters with the Bible. We can be so amazed at times. And other times we just pick it up and that's the Bible. It's the Bible. I've got five copies in my home. I've got one on my iPhone. I've got one on my iPad. I've got several different versions. I've got the Bible. But it really is an amazing reality. God has spoken. God has not been silent. God could have left it up to us. He could have just said, figure it out yourselves. But He didn't. He spent all this time, all that time, inspiring different people from different perspectives, different types, to bring us one amazing book. And He's done it with the purpose to not only offer us salvation, not only to tell us salvation in it. His ultimate purpose is to bring us home. It's for relationship. It's so that we can know Him through the Bible. It doesn't just stop with salvation. He's redeeming us, bringing us home. It's relationship is God's ultimate goal and why He did the Bible. It's so that we can see Him and glorify Him and magnify Him and He tells us about Himself, about us in His Word. Packer says this, He made us with the intention that He and we might walk together forever in love relationship. But such a relationship can exist only when the parties involved know something of each other. God, our Maker, knows all about us before we say anything, but we can know nothing about Him unless He tells us. Here, therefore, is further reason why God speaks to us, not only to move us to do what He wants, but to enable us to know Him so that we may love Him. Therefore, God sends his word to us in the character of both information and invitation. It comes to woo us as well as to instruct us, not merely puts us in the picture of what God has done and is doing, but also calls us into personal communion with the loving Lord himself. Our God is a speaking God. In Genesis 1 verse 3, you don't have to turn, but only in the third verse of the Bible we see God speaking. It's almost immediate. We see that God is a speaking God. We read, and then God said. said He spoke. Psalm 33 9 says, For He spoke and it was done. He commanded and it stood fast. Hebrews 11 verse 3 says, By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the Word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made by things which are visible. And throughout the whole Bible, God is speaking and things are happening. God even assures us that what He declares will happen. In Isaiah 55, God says to Isaiah, for as the rain comes down and the snow from heaven and does not return there, but waters the earth and makes it bring forth and bud, and it does that so that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes forth from my mouth. It shall not return to me void, but shall accomplish what I please and prosper in the thing for which I sent it. And J.I. Packer says, of him and no one else it is true that what God says goes. You know, all of us in some shape, form, or fashion have some kind of authority. We can say something. We can make declarations. We can say, you know, if we have people under us, we can say, I want you to go do this. And we have that kind of authority and power. But a lot of it hinges on whether that person's willing to do that. I mean, we can stare at someone all day long and say, I want you to do this. But if they don't want to as a person, then it's over. We can't force somebody to do something. In a way, we have a little bit of power. But in another sense, we're very powerless, because we're so dependent upon other people, especially when we're dealing with other people. But God, that's not the case. What He really says goes no ifs, ands, or buts. When God said, let there be light, there was light. When God has made decrees, I will do this, He's done it. No one can say, I don't want to do that. I'm not going to do that. And He says, so well. We see that in Isaiah, how God tells the kings who are very, I have all this power. And God says, you are just a stick in my hand. You're nothing. You're dropping the bucket. And so what God says goes forth and we can be excited and happy and joyful over that because we are his children. Our father, our daddy, what he says happens. And we'll get into a little more of that later on with promises. And so God has written a book and therefore has spoken to us through that book. And that is an amazing reality. In chapter 11, J.I. Packer, Of Knowing God, J.I. Packer proposes three different ways that God speaks to us in the Bible. And these three ways are commandments, promises, and Packer calls the third, testimonies. I'm going to say instruction because I think that it's a little more at home. He says testimonies and later on he goes on to instruction. But if you read the book, he calls it testimonies. I'm kind of rewording it to instruction. But he says, some of it is law in the narrow sense of commands, prohibitions, sanctions attached. Some of its promise, favorable or unfavorable, conditional or unconditional, and some of its testimony, information given by God about himself and people, their respective acts, purposes, and natures and prospects. And we see these different forms of communication in Genesis chapters 1 through 3. And you don't have to turn there, because we're not going to really spend a lot of time. But think about the dialogue that God has with Adam and Eve. He creates Adam and Eve. And in chapter 1, verse 28, He gives the first command, or two commands. Be fruitful and multiply. And then He says, have dominion over the creatures. So God says, first, be fruitful, multiply. Here's a mandate, procreate. Another mandate, see all these animals, see all the trees, the garden, everything. Your manager's over this now. Tend to it. Care over it. You have dominion. And in a very real sense, those two mandates are still the same for us today. God calls most people still to be fruitful and multiply. Some he's called out of into singleness, which is his decision. But most people are called to marry and once married to be fruitful and multiply. It's one of the purposes of marriage. Another is to still have that dominion, to care for this world, to be part of this world and to care for it in a loving, in a way that would respect and honor and glorify God. We're still called to be that. And so that's a command that God gave in Genesis 1. And then in Genesis 1, verse 29 and 30, God says, He instructs them by saying, look, I've given you this vegetation that you can eat. So when you're hungry, here's vegetation that you can eat. I've also taken this vegetation. This is what the animals will eat as well. And so He's instructing Adam and Eve, here's where you get food, and here's also what the animals' food is. So God instructs them. It's a testimony, what Packer would call it. And then in Genesis 2.17, we have another command, but this time it's a, instead of do this, it's a don't do this. And that is when God says, you can eat of all the trees in the garden, but there's this one tree that you're not to eat of it. And so there's another command that God gives. And then we know what happens. They eat of the fruit. They fall. In Genesis 3.15, we have the first promise of Jesus in the Bible. We have the very first promise and we have the very first promise of Jesus. And just stop and think about that for a moment. God did not wait. to give the promise of redemption. Now he didn't unpack it fully. He didn't say this is exactly what I'm going to do. But he gives hope to Adam and Eve. He gives hope to the early ones who would be, to the early human race. He doesn't wait. He looks right at Satan and says, in essence, you think you've won, but through her seed, I'm going to bring one that's going to bruise your head and you're going to bruise his heel. Now really, how do you kill a snake? How do you defeat a snake? You go for the head. You don't chop off the tail. You don't chop it off in the middle. You either chop off the head or you crush the head. That's how you kill a snake. In essence, that is exactly what God is telling Satan. He's going to crush your head. He's going to defeat you. You're going to wound him on his heel. That's not going to defeat him. You're going to draw blood. But He is going to defeat you. You're done, Satan. You're finished. Your end has come. And so from the beginning, God tells us promise of redemption. And there's also two other promises he tells. And they're unfavorable promises, but promises are things that God says will happen, and they happen. These are going to happen. This is what I'm going to do. And two of those are, one, he tells Eve that during childbirth, it's going to hurt now. Through pain, you will bring forth children. It's the same today. A lot of you women are probably like, unfortunately. And then also for men, Adam, when you work now, when you're tending, I'm now going to have weeds and thorns, and it's going to be hardship, and you're going to toil now. It's not going to be easy. And while Alan, who's here, can really probably testify to the struggle, and so can John and Hannah and Gabe and others who work on farms, can really handle with this fact of thorns and weeds and always having to deal with this. But God was also speaking to this as any work that we do. I mean, I don't work out in the field, but where I work at, there can be hardship. There can be toil. There can be those times that are very frustrating. And that's part of the fall. That's what God was telling Adam. Whenever you go out to work or whoever goes out to work, it's going to be hard. And that's a promise that's still being fulfilled today until Christ comes back. And so in Genesis 1 through 3, we see these three types of communications that God has and does with even us. There's commands, there's promises, and there's information. And from Genesis to Revelation in our Bibles, we see these three forms all over the place. And so, to pause for a moment, can you think of commandments that God has for us in the Bible? Now, I'm going to take the easy one, the Ten Commandments. Really, what are some of those commands that you read in the Bible and they hit home to you? Those that you read and go, I really need to strive to do this. Not that any commandments we can ignore, but there's ones that really hit home. So what are some of them that you have personally that really struck a nerve? Joe? That's a big one. to go along with that, to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. A lot of the commands, it's hard not to separate the promise, but there is that command. Trust in the Lord. Trust me, God says. one that I have, Isaiah 45, 22, turn to me and be saved all the ends of the earth. Now that's a promise to be saved, but the command is turn to me. And so that's an encouraging command that God has. Turn to me. He commands it though. Turn. What other ones? Yeah. So obey God. Do my commandments. Another one I have is 1 Timothy chapter 5. And you'll have to turn once again. But this one hits home to me because of my personality. All of us have pride. But one way that my pride manifests itself is that I'm very quick to judge. and in my youth and even young adulthood, and thankfully God is working that out, but I was very disrespectful to ones older than me. Oftentimes it wasn't outward, it was very inward. It was, oh, why can't this person just see this? Why do they have to be so stubborn in their old age? Why do they have to hold so tightly to their stupid traditions? you know I was very like that as a kid in my heart and even young adulthood I would see these things in the Bible and go this isn't lining up and then I become very judgmental because you know some people would be so clinging to a tradition what I saw it and I'd be like come on people and then I would read Paul's words to Timothy and God's words to me when he says do not rebuke an older man but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters with all purity." There's a command, and oh, it hit hard. And so those are some commands in the Bible. We could probably go on and on, but now let's move to promises. What are some of those promises that you cherish, that you cling to and hold dear? It's so encouraging, isn't it? To read that and say, okay, God, You're going to finish this. You're not going to leave me. You're going to complete. That's one of Yours, Will. Greater is He that is in you than in the world. It kind of goes along with, I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me, because Christ is greater. One I had was, again, in Timothy. I've fought the good fight. I've finished the race. I've kept the faith. But then here's the promise. There is reserved for me in the future, the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that day. And not only to me, but to all who have loved his appearing. There's a future crown. Isaiah 46, another one. I will be the same until your old age. I will bear you up when you turn gray. I'm starting I have made you, and I will carry you, I will bear and save you. There's another promise. Jonathan, what's one of yours that you love? I feel like just calling people on the spot today, so be prepared. what He's begun, He will complete. In a lot of these, yeah, there's a lot of overlap. But the point is that God has given promises as well in His Word. And just a side note on promises. God is faithful to fulfill His promises. We can have that hope and assurance. We live in this world that we're so used to people who break promises. I mean, it's all across the board. You can't trust anybody. And where I work at, we'll deal with vendors and, oh, we can have this for you in three weeks. Two months later, we're still waiting. Well, why couldn't we? Well, we ran into some issues and we didn't want to tell you. I mean, we're so used to these claims being made and we're going, I don't think I can believe this one. Which another side note, that's why it's so important for us to be men and women of integrity. By God's grace, may our yeses be yes and our nos be nos, where people can say, when this person says that they're going to do something, they mean it. May God help us to be men and women of integrity, to put that forward and say, God, help me to be a man of integrity, a woman of integrity in this world, because integrity is dying. Integrity is dying. But back to the faithfulness of our God, He doesn't make promises and not keep them. He even reminds us of this in just a few verses in Deuteronomy 7-9, "...know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love Him and keep His commandments to a thousand generations." Lamentations 3.22-23 says, through the Lord's mercies we are not concerned because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness. Hebrews 10.23, let us hold fast confession of hope without wavering for He who promised is faithful. And so our God even reminds our weak faith and says, these promises I have, I will back them up. I will do them because I'm faithful. And so what a loving God that we have that knows our own hearts, and He knows our weak faith, and He has put so many affirmations of His own goodness, His faithfulness, His love, that over and over we can read them and say, OK, yes, it is true. God has said it. God has said it. It is true. And so he really has written the Bible with us in mind. Steven? Promises are really, really important. It's hard to quote them when you're in public. Your mind goes like that and you forget about them. But I think it's important for us to not only read them, meditate upon them, try to memorize them because we can bring them back to the Lord. Lord, you said this. You said no temptations. taken you, but such as is common to man. But God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you're able. Or Romans 8, 32, I love that one. He who did not spare his own son, but had lived him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things? And there's so many like that. I just think it's important for us to meditate upon them and think about them and pray over them and make them a part of our lives. You took the application away. No, that's actually, no, you're fine. No, but that's, no, and when we're on promises, no, that's a good point, is that, and that's one of the points I'm gonna make in a little bit, but to not only read the word of God, but meditate and memorize and put it into our hearts and minds. But God also not only has commandments and promises, He also has instruction in the Bible. And I won't ask this just for the sake of time, but He has personal experiences of people that He's given to us in His Word. He's given us the Psalms. He's given us the book of wisdom, which is Proverbs, which has so much instruction in it. He's also had historical narratives that are full of instruction. We can see these people's lives and we can learn from them and see how God relates to those people and we can learn from that as well. Personally, one of my favorite books is the book of Ruth because I love that integrity of Ruth and Boaz. I cannot think of one time in the whole book where they did not show faith and love and joy in their God. Where they were not living in a righteous manner. It's so encouraging to read what a woman of God looks like in that book and what a man of God looks like in the book of Ruth. And so, and then also another one I had written down was Andrew McCaskell's been going through the parables. The parables are instruction. They're illustrations. They're ways that we can learn, ways that we can see how some things play out. It's a way that Jesus used to illustrate, to teach. And so, we can learn from those as well. That would go under information, under instruction. And for a quick word of application, God knows exactly what we need, and that's why He's given us the Bible. He has filled it with commands, promises, and instruction, information, knowledge, so that we can be saved and to know our God. Just as a car needs fuel, trees need sun and water, so our hearts and souls and minds were made to be fueled by the Word of God. Now, do you believe that? We can all sit here, I can stand, and shake our heads. But really, do we believe it? Do we see that the fuel of our soul, our hearts, our minds, is made up of the Word of God and fellowship with God in His Word? It's not just about reading. The Bible is about meeting God. in His spoken word. It's relationship. So are we reading, studying, meditating, memorizing the Word of God with much prayer? Are there any questions or comments on just what we've talked about so far? I'm going to kind of shift gears a little bit in a moment, but I wanted to pause if anyone had any comments or questions. Okay, either I'm doing a horrible job and everyone's confused or doing pretty good, or just I'm preaching to the choir. But to go on now, and I could have started with this point, but I wanted to end with it today just to kind of reinforce it. But God's Word is truth. God's Word is truth. And an argument of that is because since God is truth, and God cannot lie, therefore, whatever God has spoken is true, and so the Bible is true. You see that kind of reasoning, that kind of thinking. That's why I say the Bible and putting forward, and I know we believe this, but that's why I believe the Bible is true is because God is true. God cannot lie. Therefore, the Bible is true because God cannot lie. And the Bible is the Word of God. And we see this. God has shown us this in His Word. And so, let's turn, or I'll ask, actually I'll just divide up. For God is truth, Will, could you read Exodus 34, verse 6? Roger, could you read Psalm 108, verse 4? And then could you read John 14, verse 6? Let's go down the line. And this is God saying that He is truth. And so, Will, you can go ahead. And the Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering and abundant in goodness and truth. Psalm 108, verse 4. Psalm 108, verse 4. For your mercy is great above the heavens, and your truth reaches to the clouds. Your truth. And then Greg, John 14, 6. Jesus said to him, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. Thank you. Now those are just three. There's more we could read. But the Bible establishes, and God through the Bible says to us, He is truth. And for the sake of time, I'll just read these. But then God also tells us the flip side of that. He's truth and he cannot lie. Numbers 23, 19 says, God is not a man that he should lie or the son of man that he should repent. And then in Titus 1-2, in hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began. Hebrews 6-18, that by two immutable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation. And so God even there says, I cannot lie. And then God's word is truth. Joe, would you mind reading 2 Samuel? Chapter 7, verse 28. And Shannon, could you read Psalm 119, verse 160? Paul, do you mind reading? Can you read John 17, verse 17? And whenever you're ready, Joe, you can read. And now I will go to God, and I will work for God, and I will put that God in my Word to be true, and I will ask promise of this goodness unto thy servant. Amen. And then Psalm 119, verse 160. And then John 17, verse 17. And so God even here tells us that not only is He truth, that He cannot lie, but He also proclaims that His Word is truth. The Bible is truth. The London Baptist Confession of Faith, Article 1, paragraph 4 says, The Scripture is self-authenticating. Its authority does not depend upon the testimony of any man or church, but entirely upon God, its author, who is truth itself. It is to be received because it is the Word of God. And so God is the highest authority on truth. God is truth. And since that is the case, the Bible is also the highest authority on truth because the Bible is from God. And so I know that's kind of basic. That's back to basics. But that's so important. Because the Bible that we read, if we don't see it as truth, then what's the point of reading it? The Bible is truth. And it's all wonderful, and this is all wonderful, but it even gets more wonderful when we think about the one that the truth is pointing to. The whole Bible, from Genesis to Revelation, points us to one man, and his name is Jesus. It's the man who came, who became man for us. It's the one who was our redemption, our salvation, who paid that price on the cross, who has brought us home, who's done everything to bring us back into the family. He is the way, the truth, and the life. Hebrews 1 says, long ago, God spoke to the fathers by prophets at different times in different ways. But in these last days, he has spoken to us by his son. The whole Bible points to Jesus. Jesus is the point of it all. The word of God is truth and it points to Christ. So to take even more personal, do we meet Jesus? when we read and meditate and study our Bibles. Not just are we learning about Jesus, are we knowing about Jesus, do we meet Jesus there? Do we fellowship with Christ in our prayer life? Do we know our Savior? You know, we watched The War Room the other night, and the movie is about prayer, but two things really struck me. Once again, I watched it in theaters, and when I watched it the other night, the same two things struck me. One of them was how Ms. Clary used and uses the Bible in her prayer life. She didn't just pray, but she studied the Bible and found those different verses that she could use in her prayer life to really bring back to God and say, Lord, this is what You've commanded. This is what You've promised. Fulfill this. Work this. Make this person. Make me this way. And so that was just a great reminder of using the Word of God and applying it in the way of prayer and growing. But that's not the only part we stop at. We also take it a step further. Jesus has called us to not only be personal with Him, but to bring His Word to others. to use his word with others. And that's one thing that also struck me about the movie was that Ms. Clare didn't only teach Elizabeth to pray for herself, but use the Bible to pray for others. And Pastor Wheeler the other night at a prayer meeting reminded us of this. So we're praying for one another. And to think about scriptures that would apply I was thinking about Jack and Christy this morning, and Christy has those back troubles, and Jack sometimes has those neck troubles. And I was thinking this morning about Paul and his thorn in the flesh, and how he prayed that they would go away. And that's our prayer for Jack and Christy, that God would remove this pain from them. But what was the greater? part of that, is that God said, my grace will be sufficient in whatever situation you have. And so that's a way that we can pray for Jack and Christy. Lord, you said that your grace will be sufficient. We're praying that you would take it away, but if you don't, in whatever case, May your grace be sufficient for them. And so it's taking the Word of God and saying, this is how I can pray for others and minister to others. It's not just about us. And that's one thing we also, that hit me as well from the movie, is that Claire reminds and tells Elizabeth now that you're at this point in your life now you find somebody to minister to. You take what you've learned and work with somebody else. There's so much one another in the body of Christ. And we do that through reading prayer and the Word of God to shape and mold, not only have God shape and mold us, but we shape and mold one another in a sense with the Word of God, with experience, with using that and saying, brother and sister, let's talk. Let me encourage you. We see this in the life of Jesus, how He ministered to others around Him. And some were in favor of it. Others were angered by him living out the Bible. We're not called to keep it to ourselves. Jesus says you're the light of the world. You're the salt. And so part of living out the Bible means that some people we're going to rejoice over because they see the truth. And other people are going to get mad because we're saying we even have truth. I was thinking we live in a very We live in an age of relativism, and relativism is that belief that there is no truth, there is no absolute truth, that everything is just relative. What's true for you may not be true for me. And we see this everywhere. We see this in, I'm reading a book right now for work, it's Leadership Development, and while some of it's very insightful, and I'm learning some from it, you can tell the author is coming from a relative perspective, a worldview, because he says things that you're like, he's basically denying that absolute truth exists, that we kind of create our own. And so there's parts of where I have to kind of go, that's not true. But we see it everywhere. I was thinking about that the other day. We see it everywhere, this whole belief that truth, you can't prove it, so it's not real. You know, how many of us have heard that statement that, well, how can you know truth? There is no absolute truth. There is no, the truth is relative. Well, when we come with the Bible and we say this is truth, we might get asked about that. We might upset some people with that. And so part of this is also that I wanted to encourage us in, and let's all turn to 1 Peter 3. As we live out the Bible, as we read, study, meditate, and grow in the Word of God, we're going to encounter ones who disagree. And may our light so shine. 1 Peter 3, I'm going to start halfway through verse 14. but this is so encouraging for us. Do not fear what they fear be disturbed, but honor the Messiah as Lord in your hearts. Always be ready to give a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you. However, do this with gentleness and respect, keeping your conscience clear so that when you're accused, those who denounce your Christian life will be put to shame." And I was reading from a little different translation there, but the point that Peter's making is that we should be ready and be grounded in our hope. Be grounded on the fact that the Word of God is truth. to be grounded upon that. Parents, I would encourage you to teach your children how to think in this way. Not just to tell them the Word of God is true, but teach them why the Word of God is true. Help them to think about this. I think one reason why so many kids go to college and then leave the faith is that they've been told all their lives, well, the Bible's true, the Bible's true, the Bible's true. They've never been taught why. They've never been taught to think about it and to really be grounded for themselves that this is truth. To experience it, to know it, to know Jesus personally, that whatever accusations can come, they say, I know the truth. I know my Savior. And so all of us should be there, but I wanted to give that little side note. Parents, be teaching your children this. Don't just say it's true because. But let's talk. If someone comes to us and says, well, why do you believe the Bible is true? Or someone says, I don't believe the Bible is true. Ask the question, well, what about the Bible makes you say that? Why do you say the Bible is not true? Can you prove to me why the Bible is not true? And so I know I'm a little apologetic, apologetic this morning, but that's so part with the culture we're living in is that we have to show that the Bible is true and be living it out in a way that people look and go, there's something different. That's a man of integrity. That's a woman of integrity. I watched them when their boss was being nasty to them and they were humble about it. They didn't bite back like most people. Look at these two in marriage. They're struggling, but they're not getting out of it. They're committed to something deeper. They're not just getting divorced like everyone else. What's the reason? And so to live a life that honors our God and to be in the Word Personally, I wanted to, I'll leave a few minutes for questions, but personally I wanted to come and just tell you, I was thinking about the question, why the Bible? Why Jesus in my own life? Why am I still here? What's kept me? I mean, I've only been a Christian now for about 14, 15 years. Some of you, you're still calling me a kid in the faith. But 14 or 15 years is a lot more than my first year or so. But why Jesus? Why the Bible? And my answer to that one would be because I've never met anyone else who shows and is so loving to me than the Lord Jesus. When reading Christ in the Bible, I have never seen anyone else who can target my heart for exactly the way it is. Jesus points out the rebellious nature that gets me to the T. He shows my true rebellious nature, my true pride. He says, this is what you're really like. And at first, we might go, I don't know if I'm like that. But then the further we think about it, the further we dive into it, or I've dove into it and thought about it, he's hit me the nail on the head. Jesus has accurately described my heart. No one else that I've ever read or met has described me like when I read in the Bible of Jesus and how he describes. And when I say Jesus, I also mean the rest of the Bible. It's all about Him. It's Him speaking. But no one else has described my human condition like me, like Jesus to me. But then also, no one else has loved me with all of that in mind, like Christ. To say, I know exactly what you're like. You know, you can hide, Stephen, some of your sin in front of the church people. You can hide it at work. You can hide it out in life. But I know who you are inside. And I love you. I love you. I've sent, I've come to this world. I've died for you. I've paid for your sin. Here's redemption. Here's my offer to you for a life fuller than you can imagine. Here's who you should be as a man of God. The way it's written, the way it impacts my own life, that's why I am founded on the word of God because no other book has done so like the Bible. No other book has given such a clear explanation for the way this world is and for the different worldviews that are in it and how they're wrong and how this is right. No other book. No other God. but the one true God, Jesus Christ. And so that's my testimony and answer why the Bible, why Jesus. I didn't do it justice, I could go on. But to be that found, that's what I mean by teaching to think, look at the Bible, read and say, is Jesus? And I would say, if you're struggling with this, If you're here and you're saying, I don't know about the Bible. I don't really know if it's true. I don't really know about this Jesus. And my encouragement would be take one of the gospels, read it through slowly, and ask yourself the question, has anyone else ever lived in this world that is like Jesus? Has anyone else ever described your heart like Jesus? And has anyone else ever loved you like him? The Bible is truth. The Bible is real. And so, let's dive into it. Let's read it, study it, meet our God there, and pray that He would grow us, and then take that to one another, and be lights and the salt in this world. Does anyone else have comments, personal testimonies, or questions? And that's it. Where else is there to go? I mean, we'll encounter people who say, well, I don't believe the Bible. I have my own religion. Well, that's part of it. It's asking those questions to say, well, tell me about your belief in maybe this and this and this and this. It's asking those questions to show the falsehood of it, but then also showing, but here's what Jesus says. There is no other way to go. Jesus has it all. Jesus is everything. But Bob, you're exactly right. Where else is there to turn? I've never encountered another religious belief that's even close to the truth. I haven't studied them all. But they don't answer the questions. They don't give a right perspective of what I'm seeing in this world. Jesus does. He shows the reasons why we're the way we are. And then He offers the redemption for it. You know, it's one thing to read the Bible, to have a Bible, to read the Bible, even to study the Bible. But David said, it's more to be desired than gold, yea, than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey in the honeycomb. Now that's an issue, you know, because when that happens to you, you can't wait to read God's Word. You can't wait to dive into it. because it's more to be desired than gold and sweeter than honey in the honeycomb. And we should ask ourselves that question. Is it that way for me? And if it's not that way for me, why not? And how can I make a change? Because we just shouldn't go through life thinking of the Bible as a dull book that we have to read. It shouldn't be that way. It shouldn't be that way. more to be desired than gold, much fine gold, sweeter also than 99 gold. So in a room this size, there's probably at least one or two or three who are struggling that it's not that way. So in a couple sentences, what would you say to stir up the heart to go back to the Word and say, this is fine gold. I want it to be that to me. Pray. We go to the Lord and we We say, this is the way David felt. This is the way there's some people that I know feel about your word. But it's not that way for me. We admit it. And we bring it to the Lord and say, Oh God, work in me both the willing and the doing of what pleases you. Philippians chapter 2 verse 13. And he does it. And we just don't say pray one time and then, Oh now I've got this hunger for the Word of God. And the desire for the Word of God. But it's an ongoing progressive work of God in our lives. And we can't give up. because He does do that. Blessed are those happy are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness. Where is that righteousness found? In Christ, but He's found in the Word. Jesus rebuked the scribes and said, you search the scriptures for in them you think you have eternal life and they are they which speak of me. I'm in there. You miss me, but you got, I mean, you're reading the Word and you won't miss Him. If you find Christ in the Word, you'll delight in Him. like people delight in gold. I know I go through those periods. You have to go back to God and confess and really be earnest. Sometimes my prayers sound like, Lord, I don't feel like praying today. You know, it's that kind of mundane, but instead of, Lord, help me! There's that earnestness as well. Anyone else? Paul. Is there a bad thing to make it a habit? To delight in God's Word, I mean, to read it. I know there's a danger when we meditate on it. So basically, is it bad to create the habit of going in the Word of God? Sometimes even if we don't want to. The ultimate goal would be waking up every morning and saying, Lord, I can't wait to be in your word. That happens sometimes, but we have to be realist here that that's not always the case. We struggle. And so then the second question is, well, if we don't feel like it, should we do it? Should we wait until our hearts are ready or should we actually Go ahead and read it. And I would say we have to read it. I mean, if our hearts aren't there, that's one reason why we need the Word of God. It's because that's where we meet Him. That's where He shows us our heart condition, and that's where He provides the answer. Now I would say with that, we strive to pray to Him. But I'll confess, I've had those mornings where I don't feel like reading the Word of God. Maybe I have other things on my mind. Maybe I'm tired. Maybe I want to get to work and start on some things that I think are more important. The right thing to do at that moment is to pick up the Word of God and to read it. And I would say, begin by prayer and confess that to God. Lord, I'm going to read your Word, but I don't really feel like it right now. Please, what I read, take my heart, captivate my heart, and then read. Let me add to that. That's very good advice. There are some really bad times that we wake up in the morning where we're just having a real bad week or month or year. And then there's an option. The option is, you know, with what Paul said, either you read the Word or you don't read the Word. Because I don't feel like it, but we don't operate on our feelings. The judge showed it by faith. But I think it's important to know some scriptures that have warmed your heart before. And instead of going, to 1 Samuel chapter 17, which is not a bad chapter, David and Goliath, but when you go into a regular reading, you go to those portions in the psalm, or in one of Paul's letters, or Romans 8, or something, where your heart has been warmed before, and you go there, and you're not trying to read a whole bunch. meditate on the Lord as my shepherd I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. Those kinds of texts. And the Lord warms our hearts again. That's great insight. I'm starting to highlight. I've never marked much in my Bible. I don't know why. I mark in every other book. But I've started to highlight now. And at times, yeah, it's kind of... It's great to go back and see where you highlighted. It's like, oh, wow, I've almost forgotten about that. That is an awesome reminder of God. And I have it breaking down into promises, commands, passages where God speaks about himself, and then those personal passages that just hit you. We go, I need to do this. This is something instruction for me. That's just my personal, but it is great to go back at times and read those and be reminded. What great insight. I wish we could go on. At least I do. Maybe y'all don't want to, but it is a little bit past our time. So let me pray.