Hi, I'm Darrell Bailey. Thank you for tuning in for our Bible study that we have the first and the third of every Wednesday. Here, August the 6th, 2025, the 12th of 5785 of the Hebrew calendar. As we talk about how to study the Bible, Bethel Crossroads Baptist Church. We're in our second lesson, which deals with book study for men's Bible study. And so we'll be coming out of Acts chapter 17 verse 11. We're located at 450 Iron Hill Road, Taylorsville, Georgia, 30178. Now, let me pause for a minute. You know, I wrote a couple of songs and one song that I wrote for children's ministry a while back is a character that I invented back when I was at Oakland Heights Baptist Church. I had invented and wrote this way back a while back. And this is one of the songs that I wrote for the children's ministry that I think it's appropriate to go along with a Bible study because it is a fictional character about Bible man. Will you listen with it before I go on to the rest of my study? Because we're going to be talking about the 10 powerful ways to study The Bible. One of the very first things that we had in lesson one was the soap method. 2 Timothy 3, verse 16, all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. And with the acronym of the SOAP method of lesson one, the S stood for scripture, write it out. The O stood for observation, what stands out. The A stands for application. How does it apply? And the P of soap, prayer. Respond to God. And so I always tell people always look for the key verses that stand out to you and so Pause a few minutes and let me let you listen to a song and this is me singing. There ain't nothing Fabricated about it. It's my bad voice. It's my lyrics and It's one of those things that I have fun because I started out doing children's church a long time ago at Basically, it was in Woodstock, Rope Mill Baptist Church, and I was saved at Blue Springs Baptist Church, right down from North Cobb High School. And so, I'd been always in a Baptist church, is my background. Here is a song that will, if you will, take a time and listen to it. I call it Bible Man. Bible Man, Bible Man, lights the dark with God's great plan. Here comes the Bible man. Yeah. Don't worry, it ain't that much longer. Spreading love and sharing grace. Sin may try to bring him down, but God's truth will stand his ground. Well, when you're lost, feeling weak, God's Word gives the strength you seek. Hold it high, walk in light. Bible man stands for what is right. Oh, Bible man, Bible man. Trust in God, the perfect plan. Reads and prays, Night and day leads us all in Jesus way. Praise God for the Bible man. Thank you for listening to that. I'm glad you can tune in on Sermon Audio as I have the complete children's ministry under the Bible section, Amen. Over 1,700 messages on Sermon Audio that deals with from baptism to salvation to one thing to the next. But now, without further delay, Let's get into the wonderful word of God. How to study the Bible at Bethel Crossroads Baptist Church. Lesson two, book study. Now, how to study the Bible with the 10 powerful ways to study the Bible. Here, as we look at lesson two, book study, August the 6th, 2025, the 12th above, 5785 of the Hebrew calendar. Always look for the key verses that stand out to you and I'm glad that as you're seeking a deeper understanding, a spiritual growth and a meaningful connection, our Wednesday night Bible study offers a welcoming environment to explore the scriptures and apply the timeless truths to your everyday life. And so discover the insights, ask the questions and connect with fellow believers. As we get into tonight, we look and we realize that out of all we're in lesson two, amen, book study. Next time, as we go into August the 20th, in lesson three, we'll be dealing with chapter and verse study when we do it. And so I'm glad that as we look at the wonderful word of God and see that the first study that we had was the soap study. the scripture, write it out, observation, what stands out, application, how does apply, and prayer, respond to God. Now, take your Bibles with us and we'll have it up in a moment of Acts chapter 17, verse 11, as we get into the Bible book by book. Now, when we were there, I handed out to all the men a way to do all of the chapters. the topic of each chapter of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, Romans, and I'm currently, as I read through the Bible every year, I wore out three Bibles in my lap. Hey, as old as I am, you ought to be wearing out Bibles. The pages ought to be falling out of your Bible. And so I've got pages that just fall literally out because I wore the pages slap out. and the indexes out of them of reading them for so long and so much over the years. And so I have to go and get another Bible because all the pages are falling out and I try to keep those in the study. Well, book by book, as I said, this Wednesday night, I did a an outline of Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Romans, and because I'm currently reading through the Bible, I am in the book of Psalms with the five books in 150 chapters. I gave one this past Wednesday as we had to class. I had it with uh I gave out each one of those and not for some kind of assignment of work but just an example to see how much you can get when you take the book by book and begin to study the Word of God. And so in Acts chapter 17 verse 11 These were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the word with all readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily, whether those things were so. Here, when we look at book by book, and I'm glad that next time will be chapter and verse as we get into that, but as we look at the word of God and we are remembering how that the scripture will be talking more about this in just a minute and I'll break this down but I want you to ponder on this scripture because this is the highlight of our message because we're going to be copying the Bereans as what this is talking about in just a few minutes but let me finish my introduction and so the frequency of Bible reading Many people, about 35% of Americans said they'd read the scriptures at least once a week. Now, when you look at my highlights, this is where I got the information from. And it is not just information that's been fabricated. This is current information, except for here, this is state of the Bible, USA 25, this year, statistics. And so 35% of Americans said they read scripture at least once a week. But from the Barna via ABS 2021 search engine, it talked about 34% of U.S. adults read the Bible once a week or more, and 16 read it most days from the Barna group. Now, from the Gallup historical polls, around 37 reported reading the Bible at least once a week, 21% weekly, 16% daily, which was about 41% rarely or never read it. Now the ABS, the state of the Bible, USA 2025 defines Bible users as those who engage with scripture at least three to four times per year. That's about 39% that qualify with that broader threshold through the Church of God International. Now, you know, every one of us, as I tell you, I run on a five-fold mission. I've said this before, and I'll say it again. to share the word with the world. The gospel is not a museum piece. It's a living, breathing word, sharper than any two-edged sword. And if we don't proclaim it, who will? If we don't shout it from the housetops, the rocks will cry out. To share the word of God with the world, but also to help believers understand the word. The church is starving for truth. And the word must be rightly divided, line upon line, precept upon precept. Don't just shout, explain. And so there's a lot of folks that want to huff it and puff it, but they ain't got no backing up with it. They don't know how to explain it. They don't know how to get into it and break it down. They've got a lot of an emotion, but that's about it. Don't just shout it, explain it. Don't just declare disciple. And so to help the believers, both the minister, the layman alike, and understanding the preaching and the teaching of God's word to lead souls to Christ, to secure them for eternal life. And so we Have the cry of every evangelist must be this, one more soul. That's the business we're in. We're in the soul-saving business. We're in the heaven-bound business, praise God, and to do everything that we possibly can to lead men, women, boys, and girls to give their hearts and lives to Jesus Christ, to secure them for eternal life, which he offers. You see, our job, if you don't know what your job is, listen, pastors will tell you what it is, and that is we're the Great Commission. We're about the business of Jesus Christ, and he's dependent on us. He depended on the apostles to get the word out. The word got from the apostles, and it distributed all over the world. We need to minister to the needy, not just preach with your mouth. Listen, preach with your hands. The gospel feeds, it clothes, it visits, it helps, it heals. Jesus said, when you've done it to the least of these. And so to do all we can to minister to the needy of the world, every local church, or to reach around the perimeter of their community and take care of the needs within the community. And so Bethel Crossroads reaches around the community in the needs of Taylorsville and U Harley and Cartersville, praise God, to give Jesus Christ his proper place. And I tell you, not just in the pew, not just in the pulpit, but in the very center of everything in our lives, our marriage, hallelujah, our relationship, praise God. That's the purpose of the church. And so I'm glad That's the goal of gospel, to give Jesus his proper place, amen. And so, which the word gives him. What is that place? That is the sit on the throne room of your life and my life. And so, if this mission doesn't set your soul on fire, you better check if you've got oil in your lamp. Because this isn't a job, it's a calling. This isn't a career, it's a commission. And the time is short. Let's preach it. Let's teach it. Let's live it. And let's finish the work. that Jesus gave us to do while we still can. And so, woe unto me if I preached not the gospel. Paul didn't say woe is unto the bishop, the apostle, the prophet. No, he made it very personal. He said, woe unto me, he said. And friend, if the Lord Jesus Christ has called you, if he saved you and filled you, listen, with the Holy Spirit, Then you are the who, and that cry burns in the bones of every God-called preacher, every man, woman, boy, and girl saved under the marvelous grace of Jesus Christ, and every spirit-filled believer, because you can't sit still. You can't stay quiet. You've got to proclaim the truth, not out of duty, but out of divine compulsion. Go ye, therefore, teach all nations in Matthew 28, verse 19. are called to do that. Not to entertain, not to tickle the ears, not to build empires, but to preach the gospel, to teach it, to shout it, to sing it, to live it. And so that's the five-fold mission. It isn't just a ministry statement. It's a mandate from heaven. It's about the cross. It's about Jesus. It's about the blood. Praise God. It's about the souls of men and women. It's about eternity. We're all nations and And I thank God there's no boundaries to the gospel. It's for every man, every woman, every color, every country, from the backwoods of Mississippi to the back streets of Mumbai, from the jungles of Africa to the skyscrapers of Manhattan. The gospel must go forth. And friend, television can't limit it. The internet can't contain it. The spirit of God will move wherever hearts are hungry. And when? Lord, I'm with you always, even into the end of the world. Listen, when do we do this work? right now. Listen, not tomorrow, not when it's convenient, not after the budget comes in, not when the world calms down, but now, while it's still day. For today is the day of salvation. For the night is coming, friend, and Jesus, listen to me, said he would be with us until the end. So what are we waiting for? To give Jesus his rightful place, the throne of your life. He would declare this is the heart of it all. That Jesus Christ may be glorified. And he's not just your helper, he's your king. He doesn't want a corner of your heart. He wants the throne. He wants every bit of it. And until he has that place, You'll never know real peace. You'll never know real joy or real power because the gospel exalts Christ and the spirit points to Christ and the mission must enthrone Christ in your life, in my life, in your home, in your church, and in our nation in America, praise God. And so, as we look in lesson two, the book study, how to study a book of the Bible in full deeper content. Now, I'm glad that when we look and realize that the asterisk that is here, it may not always be in the King James, but I'm going to tell you when you begin to look and realize that through this, the asterisk and what it speaks of it's talking about we need to it's an action it puts an action verb and it begins to put action into this and said these were more noble than those in Thessalonica and so every time there's an asterisk It is putting an action word and putting an emphasis on the importance of how action packed that that is. And so I'm glad that as we look at the wonderful word of God and realize that, Lord, I can't remember where I put the prayer thing. And so let me pause for a moment right here and let's open up with a time of prayer before I go any further. Heavenly Father, we come before you tonight with open hearts and ready minds, just like the Bereans of old, that we thank you for the living word that feeds our soul, that corrects our course and builds our faith tonight. Open our understanding as we learn how to rightly divide your word through studying the entire books of the Bible. And may the Holy Ghost May the Holy Spirit be our teacher and our guide and let this study stir a hunger in us to go deeper in the things of God. In the mighty name of Jesus Christ, we pray tonight. Thank you, Father, for saving us by your marvelous grace and forgiving us of all our sins and setting up, Lord, and a Holy Spirit within our hearts ever since 1972 in the month of September. Lord, thank you for saving me. Thank you for forgiving me of all my sins. Thank you for my family. Thank you, God, for Bethel Crossroads Baptist Church. Thank you for all of our leaders, our deacons, Lord. Thank you for the body of Christ at Bethel Crossroads. Thank you, Lord, for all the men and women of God. Thank you for our shut-ins at Bethel Crossroads, Father. Thank you, God, for those men that have come together this, as I, earlier this Wednesday, Lord, that came. Lord, they weren't but about five that came, but praise God, hallelujah, thank you for them. And last time there were nine that came. But Lord, I don't care if it's one that came that's got an interest in the Word of God. Praise God, Lord, light a fire in us and let us start with one after one after one after next after next. and let it begin to be like something that catches on fire with one man after the next man. And Lord, as they get into the Word of God, Lord, before we ever cross the threshold the next Sunday, why the Holy Spirit will be doing something Lord God that only we can imagine that Lord that our minds can't even comprehend thank God Lord you're in control thank God you know what needs to be preached thank God you give us the words that we need to say and God what we need to read and Lord how we need to say it and when we need to say it thank God for salvation And Lord, for our relationship with you, day in and day out. Lord, there ain't nothing else I can think about. There ain't nothing else I want to think about. Lord, forgive me when the times that I should be working when I'm thinking about you, Father. Forgive me, Father, Lord, when I should be getting more and more of my mind in my job, when Lord, I can't get you out at all, because you're always there. And Lord, I love it, and I want more of it. In Jesus' mighty name we pray, amen. Well, I thank God. Why study the whole books of the Bible? Well, there's too many that pluck verses out of the Bible like fortune cookies, and they begin to detach right out of context, and it's often misapplied. But when we study the Bible book by book, we receive the full counsel of God. And it's like reading the whole letter from a loved one instead of just a sentence. And so, You know, when we look and realize today, if how many imagine receiving a love letter from your spouse, only reading one sentence, I never want to be without you. Oh, man. Or what about the word forever, forever? And then the next thing. And then imagine someone else only reads the sentence. I'm tired of this. Well, the context changes everything. And you got a lot of people that get up and preach something way out of context, teach it way out of context, and only begin to teach and read just that. Listen, if I get up and if I teach you through verses, it's not based on just that. It's based on the entire content of that entire chapter. You know what? You can't know what Romans chapter 7 means or Romans chapter 8 means till you know what Romans chapter 7 means and Romans chapter 6 means and Romans chapter 5 means and Romans chapter 4 means. And that's what it means when you get into the book of God, book by book, when you study it, when you get into those little small books, praise God, book by book. And so imagine you got a love letter. I never want to be without you. And then all of a sudden, I'm tired of this. You see, that's sad. And so, to miss the flow of thought, to miss the heartbeat of the Holy Ghost, the book is a book of divine order. God inspired every word, hallelujah, every chapter, every book, praise God. And to miss the flow of thought is to miss the heartbeat of the Holy Spirit of God. You can't understand Romans 8 until you wrestle through Romans 7. And so, we look. And we realize that as we start out, the first thing is the noble method of the Bereans. And so we look and we see that from that, the noble method of the Bereans, the biblical symbolism of this, because, you know, I'm glad that each and every one of us, praise God, in Acts chapter 17, we begin to look that it tells us that these were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that day they received the word with all readiness of mind and so in Acts chapter 17 verse 11 if you're seeing again that asterisk next to a word in the Greek interlinear or the scholarly Bible but most of the time you won't see it in the King James Version itself but it indicates that historical present tense verb in the original Greek that present tense verb used to describe a past action for a vivid storytelling and so he says these were more noble than those in Thessalonica in that they received the word with our readiness of mind and searched the scriptures daily whether those things were so if you've got your bible you can read it with me and so you know what when we look at that it tells us that Luke, the author of Acts, is describing a past event using a present tense verb on purpose to make it feel alive, to make it happening right now. It's a storytelling too. So Luke is drawing the reader into the scene as if you're watching the Bereans daily digging into the scriptures in real time. And so the Holy Spirit uses the present tense here. And so they search the scriptures daily. And so, they were more noble than those in Thessalonians in that they received the Word of God with all readiness of mind and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were so. And so, it's that storytelling tool that Luke has drawn the reader into the scene. And as we watch the Bereans daily digging into the Scriptures, praise God, I'm glad that, first of all, we see that who were the Bereans anyway? Well, the Bereans were a group of Jews that were mentioned in the New Testament in Acts chapter 17, verses 10 through 12. They lived in the city of Berea, the region of Macedonia, which was the modern day northern Greece. They were best known for their noble and their diligent approach to studying the scriptures. And so that's why we call it the noble method of the Bereans. And so those were no more noble than those in Thessalonica, it said, and so they were Jewish residents of Berea. the city west of Thessalonica. Paul and Silas came there after facing persecution in Thessalonica. They were welcomed the gospel with openness and like the hostile reception in some cities, the Bereans received the word with all readiness of mind. That means they were eager and open to what Paul preached, but they were not gullible. And so they examined the Scriptures daily. They didn't just accept Paul's teaching blindly. They searched the Scriptures daily, whether those things were so. In other words, they tested every word by the authority of God's Word, likely the Old Testament scrolls that were available at the synagogue at that time. They were called more noble. And Luke, the writer of Acts, commends them as being more noble. those than those that were in Thessalonica, not because they were smarter, but because of their humble, careful, truth-seeking spirit, praise God. Many of them believed because of their open heart and their commitment to the Word of God. Many Bereans came to faith in Christ, including men and women and Gentiles. And so the Bereans were not just content to merely hear a preacher and believe him without question, They ran every doctrine through the filter of Scripture. That's the kind of believer God's looking for. One who hears the word preached, but then checks it against the Word of God to make sure it's truth. And it shows us that no matter how anointed the preacher is, the final authority is still the Bible. What can we learn from the Bereans? Well, we need to be hungry for truth. They received the Word with eagerness. We need to test everything by Scripture. They searched the scriptures daily. They were discerning. They didn't reject new teaching outright, but they didn't accept it blindly either. And they honored the word over emotion or tradition. There's a lot of places that get all hyped up. They all get emotional, and there's nothing wrong with that. Scriptures, not popular or culture, Scripture, not popularity or culture, was their final word. And so we let the word lead us to faith. Their study wasn't just academic. It led them to believe in Jesus Christ. And so spiritual nobility comes from eagerness. They didn't argue with the word. They received it. Readiness of mind means eager anticipation like a child on Christmas morning. Man, let's get them gifts opened up. Let's rip that paper right off of them gifts. Well, we see, secondly, the daily engagement that brings spiritual maturity because they search daily, not just weekly or when it was convenient to them. Real Bible growth requires consistency, not convenience. Maybe you're somebody that you don't never even pick the Bible up after you go to church. You just got that thing and it's a showcase for you. You don't even touch it during the week. You don't even take it to work with you. You don't ever even take time to read it until you get back into the house of God. Not the noble method of the Bereans. They had a daily engagement that brings spiritual maturity. But also thirdly, testing the word against the word. Whether those things were so, means they compared what they heard with scripture. A sermon, listen to me, hear me out, a sermon should never take the place of scripture. A preacher's words are judged by the word of God and not the other way around. And so, I wonder, what made the Bereans more noble than the Thessalonians? Huh? What made the Bereans more noble than the Thessalonians. Secondly, we see lesson two, as we get into it, that it tells us not only the noble method of the Bereans, but secondly, the six-step approach to studying a book of the Bible, book by book. I want you to follow along with me. I've got a six-step approach to studying a book of the Bible. Hey, you want to take John? Then start with John chapter 1 and go all the way to the end of the chapter. Hey, you want to go to the Old Testament? Take the book of Psalms and start with chapter 1 and go all the way to chapter 150. Huh? Well, this six-step approach, when we look at it and we see, first of all, choose the right book for the right season. Every one of us. You start with shorter books like Philippians, like James, like Ruth, or like Jonah. So choose the right book for the right season. And when you do, prayerfully ask, hey Lord, what do you want to teach me in this season? Because all of us go through different seasons. You may be going through some pain right now. There may be a death in your family and your season needs to be in this book. Your financial struggles need to be in this book. You got health issues, they need to be in this book. Your season, choose the right book for the right season, praise God. And then secondly, read the entire book in one setting if possible. just like watching a movie. Oh, you can't tell the story. You don't know the characters. If you just sit down for a little bit, if you haven't saw the entirety of the whole thing of the movie, you need to understand the whole story. And so that's the same with the Word of God. It helps us identify the themes, the tone, the context, so that you get the entirety of what the writer of the Holy Spirit is saying to you. And so that's why I gave out an illustration of a topic of each chapter of all the books of Matthew, of Mark, of Luke, and John, and Romans, and Psalms that this earlier this Wednesday when we met from 630 to 730. And so as we do that It helps us identify the themes, the tone, and the context. Thirdly, look at the big picture first and listen to what I'm trying to say. Ask, who wrote it? Hey, who wrote Matthew? Who wrote Mark? Who wrote Luke? Who wrote Acts? Who wrote Romans? And to whom? And why did they write it? What's the main message that is coming out of this? Look for things that really stand out, a key verse, a word that repeats itself, certain things, certain characters, praise God. What's the main message in this book, praise God? Use the Bible handbook or a trusted commentary if you can't figure it out to help you, but always let the Holy Spirit lead, praise God. And so, fourthly, Break the book into sections or chapters. And that's exactly what I did when I gave these from Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, Romans, and the book of Psalms. And so I'm glad we look and we see that we break the book into sections or chapters. In other words, create headings. What's the main idea in each chapter? For example, Romans 8 can be titled Life in the Spirit. I gave Romans to Rufus Cantrell, uh, uh, Wednesday. And so he had the book in it. And when he looked at Romans chapter eight, I asked him, he said, that's what it says, life in the spirit and the eighth chapter of the book of Romans. And we craft a one line heading for each chapter of all 66 books of the Bible as we do our Bible study. Yes, that's going to take some time. Capturing the main idea of each chapter has a has a thematic title. But listen and hear me out. It's time consuming because there are 1189 chapters in the entirety of the Bible. That's quite a massive undertaking to do in one go. So it's going to take you some time. Listen, I've been at this for a while. And even though I've got 1700 messages on sermon audio, Listen, I ain't even touched the Bible. I can't even get close to covering the entirety of the Bible and I never will because I'm still always, no matter how many years I've been doing this, I'm learning day by day just like you all. And so, I'm glad, through maturity. And so, we look at the chapter headings in the book of Romans, the author, Apostle Paul. The theme of the book of Romans, the righteousness of God revealed. If I was to look at Romans chapter 3, it tells me all have sinned, but grace is offered. There's none righteous, no, not even one, but through faith in Christ, justification is possible. If I was to go down further to Romans chapter 9, God's sovereign choice in mercy. God's mercy is not based on human effort, but his sovereign plan, including his dealings with Israel. And so, I go all the way down to Romans chapter 16, the final greeting and the warning against division. Paul honors his co-workers, he warns against false teachers, and he ends with a doxology of praise. If I was to go to the Gospel of John, John, the Beloved, the theme is Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Living Word. In John Chapter 1, the Word became flesh. In John Chapter 2, the first miracle of the temple cleansing. In John Chapter 3, you must be born again. In John Chapter 4, living water for a thirsty soul. John Chapter 5, the power to heal and judge. Let me skip on down. John Chapter 16, sorrow turned to joy. John Chapter 19, it is finished. John chapter 21, feed my sheep. The risen Jesus restores Peter and commissions him to shepherd his flock. If we go to the Gospel of Matthew, the author, Matthew the tax collector, the theme of Matthew is Jesus Christ, the King of the Jews. In Matthew Chapter 1, the genealogy and the birth of the King. In Matthew Chapter 5, the Beatitudes and the Kingdom Living, the Sermon on the Mount, Part 1. We want to skip down to Matthew Chapter 12, Lord of the Sabbath. Jesus asserts his authority over the Sabbath and confronts the hearted hearts. If we skipped all the way down, all the way to Matthew chapter 28 to the very end, the Risen Savior and the Great Commission, Jesus rises from the dead, commissions his followers to make disciples of all nations. We look at the Gospel of Mark, the author John Mark. The theme is Jesus Christ, the Servant Savior in action. In Mark chapter 1, the Servant arrives with power. In Mark chapter 5, power over demons, disease, and death, Jesus delivers legion, heals a bleeding woman, and raises Jairus's daughter. We skip down to Mark chapter 10, the kingdom values, and the rich young ruler. When we go all the way down to Mark chapter 16, at the end, the risen Christ and the commission that Jesus rises from the dead, appears to his followers, and sends them to preach the gospel out. In the gospel of Luke, The author, Luke the physician, the theme is Jesus Christ, the perfect son of man and savior of all. In Luke chapter 1, the promises and the prophecies begin. The birth of John the Baptist and Jesus are foretold. Mary magnifies the Lord. If we skipped all the way down to the very last of Luke chapter 24, he is risen indeed. Jesus rises from the dead and appears to the disciples and commissions them before ascending. If we go to the book of Acts, Acts of the Apostles, the church on mission, I'm glad Luke was the author. The theme is the power of the Holy Spirit spreading the gospel from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. And I'm glad I could go on and on and on all the way down to the 28 chapters in the book of Acts. I'm glad we could go all the way to the 150 chapters of Psalms, praise God. I'm glad that we could go on and on and on about all of the things, but we look next at that fifth thing, and that is mark repeated words and key phrases. Repetition reveals an emphasis. That's very important. in Romans, joy in Philippians. Do you understand what I'm saying? If you try to find the word faith in the book of Romans, you're going to be highlighting a good bit. If you try to find the word joy in the book of Philippians, you're going to be highlighting a good bit. Circle, highlight, and color code. Now listen, I know that, you know what, if you don't want to damage your Bible, then put some sticky notes or have a notebook that you have that you take notes down. But whatever you do, it's your discretion. Some people don't want to desecrate the Bible. I write all in mine, and I'm going to tell you something. I'll do it, and I've done it several Bibles since. And so, You know what? I know what I'm talking about. I ain't just fell off the truck yesterday and I've been at it for a while. And as I share it with you, when we look at these five things, the sixth thing is asked application questions. What does this book of a Bible teach me about God? Reflect on God's character revealed in the passage. Consider his attributes like love and holiness, justice and mercy, faithfulness, power and wisdom. Ask, what new insight do I gain who God is? Other words, this passage will show God's patience and mercy toward you and those that are sinners. How should I respond or change? Think about how the truth affects your heart, your mind, and your actions. Identify the attitudes, the habits, the beliefs that need to be adjusted. Asked what practical step can I take to live out this truth as I ask the application question. A lot of times when I preach and teach, I'll put an application right after my conclusion to repeat what I learned from this, to repeat it, to remember it. Just like when we take communion, We do it in remembrance of the Lord, what He did on the cross of Calvary. We do it to continually remind ourselves of what the Lord did on the cross of Calvary, that He took all of our sins on the cross, shed His life blood for us. Well, that's the same thing when you're taking the Word of God, that six-step approach to studying a book of the Bible, ask those application questions, praise God. And so, I'm glad, is there a promise? Is there a command? Is there a warning? Is there an example to follow? Look for any direct instructions and commands that God gives. Know any promises God makes to encourage your faith. Be aware of the warnings that protect you from sin or harm. Identify the examples of faith, obedience, or failure to learn from. God promises to never leave me, that's a promise. He command me to love others, that's a command. He warns against pride, that's a warning. He shows Jesus as the perfect example, that's an example. Why is reading an entire book of the Bible important before breaking it down? And so, when we do, that is something that's very, very important for every one of us. Listen to me, listen to me, here we go. Because why is reading an entire book of the Bible important before breaking it down? It gives the context. It gives the flow and spiritual understanding that cannot be gained from isolated verses. So you're getting a better understanding. I brought in one of the books that Jerry Vines, as I eat with him several times and He's gathered and Jerry Vines has always take time out for pastors and preachers throughout America and especially in Georgia. I know because I have met with him several times. He's autographed his books and he does expository preaching book by book through the Bible. when they have it they'll go they'll start at chapter one and he'll preach through the entire bible chapter by chapter book by book and so I ain't saying that that's what you got to do, but it's a good example for all of us in our six-step approach to studying a book of the Bible. Choose the right book for the right season. Read the entire book in one sitting if possible. Look at the big picture first, praise God. And because each and every one of us, as we do that, and we begin to emphasize and see how important it is that when we do that, All of us will be able to understand because as we asked who wrote it, to whom, why, what's the main message and break the book. into sections or chapters, create headings, main ideas to each one of the chapters. Praise God. That's very, very important when you're studying the Word of God. Amen. And then, I thank God, we ask application questions. What does this teach me about God? How should I respond or change? Is there a promise? Is there a command? Is there a warning? Is there an example to follow? Praise God. Because this is how that we can learn the most in this six-step approach to studying a book of the Bible. And we see that not only the noble method of the Beroeans and The six step approach to studying a book of the Bible, but thirdly, in closing, the tools and the tips for studying a book of the Bible. Now, when we see this, first of all, use a King James Version Bible that you can mark in. As I said earlier, if you don't want to mark in it, as you're choosing, you have a notebook. Our librarian that I work with, is one of the best note takers and one of the best Bible studies. She has a unique method that she begins to write everything down, draw pictures, and she does everything that we talked about to our six-step approach to studying a book of the Bible. But here, use that King James Version Bible that you can mark in. I say that because that's what I use. Now, if you don't understand the King James, then get you a commentary, get you something that you can understand because Bible study is bad that you got a Bible and you don't understand it and you can't study. You need to study Bibles, what I'm saying. And so use, write notes in the margin or highlight promises and commands and doctrines. The journal, your observation and prayers. Use the soap method from lesson one of the scripture. Write out a verse. Observation, what does it say? Application, what does it mean for me? And prayer, respond to God. Ask God, help you with all of these things. And then rely on the Holy Ghost, the Holy Spirit above all. Remember, commentaries are useful, but the Holy Spirit is the best teacher. And so in John chapter 16, verse 13, he shall guide you into all truth. Think of a Bible like a treasure chest. Each book is a room in the mansion. If you only stay in one room, you miss the mansion. You don't get to see everything that's there. And so I'm glad that when we went to Graceland, several years ago, the wife and I. We went and we stayed over in the hotel over there where all the ducks would come and walk down and go up into the water. What a sight it was to see. Them ducks knew exactly where they were going, what they were doing, and it was like something was guiding them. Well, when we get into the Word of God, the Holy Spirit will guide you to the water. It'll guide you to the right place that you need to go. And so, I'm glad that when we look and realize that what role does the Holy Spirit play in studying a book of the Bible, each and every one of us as we look and realize that the Holy Spirit reveals truth, convicts of sin, and it guides the believer into understanding and obedience. So the role of the Holy Spirit in studying the Bible is the Holy Spirit's God's divine teacher and guide and comforter that opens our hearts and minds to truly understand and to apply God's Word. Without the Spirit's help, the Bible can remain just words on a page, but with His power, with the scripture becomes life-changing truth. Now, when I went to Israel with John Hagee in 2008, a man, Deacon Bob Carroll and I, the Bible came alive. There was something about even though the layers that we were walking on was way up beyond and it was down low where the actual places bore Jesus walked, but when I went and saw the Holy Land, And when I got the images and when I was there and all, the Bible began to come alive to me. Oh, my goodness. I tell you, the Spirit illuminates the Word. The Holy Spirit reveals the deeper meaning of Scripture, helping us to see what God intended. Jesus promised in John chapter 14, verse 26, that the Spirit shall teach you all things and bring all things to your remembrance. And when we study, the Spirit helps us grasp the truths that our natural minds can't fully comprehend. Not only the Spirit illuminates the Word, the Spirit convicts and transforms. The Spirit doesn't just teach. He convicts us of sin, righteousness, and judgment. According to John 16, verse 8, as we study, the Spirit shows us where we need to change and empowers us to live according to God's will. The Spirit guides us with application. Understanding is not enough. Application is the key, as I said. And I'm glad that through that application, the Spirit leads us how to obey God's commands and live in a way that honors Him. He gives wisdom to apply God's Word in real-life situations. So the Spirit strengthens our faith. The Spirit nurtures faith by helping us trust God's promises and depend on His power. When we study, With the help of the Spirit, it deepens our relationship with God, making His Word a source of hope and strength. And so, the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential for Bible study. He breathes life into the Scriptures, making it a living Word that transforms us from the inside out. And so, as we get ready to close out, and as I study in a book unlocks the Bible's depth, Studying a book unlocks the Bible's depth. And the Bible is like climbing a mountain, as I said earlier, step by step, you gain perspective. And when you reach the summit, you're going to see the grandeur of God's plan and the beauty of his character and the power of his promises. And so I'm glad here we've talked about in lesson two, book study, how to study the Bible. The Noble Method of the Bereans, the six step approach to studying a book of the Bible. We talked oh so thoroughly about the tools and the tips for studying a book of the Bible. But in conclusion, studying a book unlocks the Bible's depth. And I'm glad that as we do that, you know, each and every one of us, as we look and realize that as I close out, I'm glad that the book is not to be visited like a museum, it's to be mined like a gold field. Get in the word until the word gets in you. Here's a poem that's entitled My Old Bible, and I want you to look at the emphasis of what I highlighted in green in just a minute. I think I did that. Though the cover is worn and the pages torn, and though places bear traces of tears, Yet more precious than gold is this book, worn and old, that can shatter and scatter our fears. This old book is my guide, just a friend by my side. It will brighten and enlighten my way, and each promise I find soothes and gladdens my mind as I read it and heed it each day. Listen, look at my highlight. To this Bible I will cling. Hallelujah. Of its worth I will sing, though great losses and crosses be mine, for I cannot despair, though surrounded by care, while possessing this blessed divine. Remember, I'll say it again, this book is not to be visited like a museum, it's to be mine like a gold field. Get in the word until the word gets in to you. And as I close out, You know what? What made the Bereans more noble than the Thessalonians? They eagerly received the word. They verified it daily through personal study. When we read an entire book of the Bible, why is it so important before breaking it down? Because it gives context. It gives flow. It gives spiritual understanding that cannot be gained from isolated verses by themselves. I wonder what role does the Holy Spirit play in studying a book of the Bible for you? For me, it reveals the truth. It convicts of sin and it guides the believer into understanding the obedience. And so. I want to challenge you, each and every one of you, as we look and realize how truly blessed that we are. Each and every one of us, as we go through life, God is so good to each and every one of us. And I want to ask you, listen, you know, as we get ready to close out, maybe there's something that's missing in your life. And I want to tell you something. If you've never opened your heart to God's word, now, tonight is the time. If you let dust gather on your Bible, tonight is your invitation to return. Jesus said, search the scriptures. They testify of me in John chapter 5 verse 39. Every book of the Bible points to the Lamb of God. Will you commit tonight to be a Berean? And so, you know, You can come to the altar right where you are. You say, man, this is media. This is social media. I can't come to you. Yes, you can through the spirit. You can pray right where you are and say something in your own words. Lord, make me a student of this book, a servant of your truth. And so I hope and pray that as I close out. That you will let the book get into you. Because every one of us, I'm glad that the Holy Spirit is absolutely essential for our Bible study. It breathes life into the scriptures, making it a living word that transforms us from the inside out. Listen, you know what? Will you commit tonight to be a Berean? Because we can get more into the Word of God Pray with me tonight, will you? Lord, I want to thank you for the treasure of your word. We ask that you give us the heart of the Bereans to be noble in our hunger, faithful in our study, spirit led in our understanding. Help us to approach every book of the Bible, not with intellect alone, but with prayer and with passion. Let Bethel Crossroads be a house of people who know love and live the Word of God. We give you all glory in the mighty name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we pray. Amen. Thank you for tuning us in. I hope and pray God will bless you. Until next time, when we get into the wonderful Word of God, how to study the Bible, I'm glad that when we do, when we get into that next study, we'll be learning chapter by verse in lesson three. Take the word of God and let it begin to speak to your heart. Amen. This is a typo right here. May God bless you.