Study for yourself.

The weekly alphabet bible study moves on. This week's letter is S. I would like to encourage everyone to Study this week. Even God asks you to study. 


II Timothy 2:15 reads: Study to show yourself approved unto God; a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of God.


Now that seems pretty straight-forward. Study to show yourself approved. I know many people go to church every week to listen to someone else tell them what God says. Yet, they never know the word for themselves. I believe God wants a personal relationship with each one of us and that does not involve your pastor. Three really can be a crowd. 


You must give God's Word a place of priority in your everyday life. Practically speaking, this could mean that you confess the Word while getting ready in the mornings. Maybe you could listen to teaching or worship music on the way to work. You may want to use your lunch hour to read the Word or walk outside and pray. Just make sure you pursue His truth on a regular, ongoing basis. Giving His Word a place of top priority will change your life.


I am not trying to discourage anyone from attending church. What I am encouraging is for you to study His Word for yourself. How will you know if your preacher is getting it right if you don't know what is right in the first place? Besides, it says to study to show yourself approved. Not your pastor or minister or preacher or teacher. But YOU and you alone. When the time comes, it will be you standing in judgement. Will you have studied? Will you be approved?


Soli Deo Gloria,


SA Brown

Reasons....

"Reasons--the reasons that we're here..." You might be tempted to belt out the Earth Wind and Fire tune, but today's reading has nothing to do with that song.  I know at some point in your life, you've asked, 'Why, Lord?  Why am I here?  Why is this happening?  Why...'  You need to stop wondering why and simply do what the bible tells you to do.


Proverbs 3:5-6 tells us to: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all ways submit to Him and He will make your paths straight."


The bigger question to be asked is why not you.  God does not play favorites.  His Word tells us that He causes the sun to shine on the evil and the good and sends rain on the just and the unjust.  So why not you?  What exempts you from the lessons everyone has to learn.  There is always a reason things happen.  YOU are a reason that happened.  Good or bad, there is always a lesson in that reason.  It could be a chance to grow or a chance to repent.  Either way, the reason is to make you a better person and more Christ-like.  You could be sowing a seed of a future action or reaping a consequence of a past one.  Your duty is to ask God for revelation but don't be upset if you never get your answer.  The goal is to learn to trust God.  That's the reason--the reason that we're here.


Soli Deo Gloria,


SA Brown

On The Way...

Don't call it a comeback. The weekly alphabet bible study will be back before the end of this week.

Many blessings,

SA Brown