Worship Service | February 15, 2026 | The B-I-B-L-E (Part 3: It's Usefulness)

A first-grade homework anecdote exposes a common tendency to answer life’s questions without first reading the story that contains the answers. The Bible presents itself as that story: inspired, authoritative, and supremely useful for living. Drawing on 2 Timothy 3:16–17, the text explains the Greek idea of ophilimos—scripture as an advantage in life, like switching from a screwdriver to a power tool—and insists that the Bible teaches truth about God, exposes human wrongness, corrects course, and prepares people for every good work. Scripture brings restoration by showing who God is, revealing how lives have veered from God’s path, and fitting people back together to function as image-bearers meant to do good.

A practical method for approaching Scripture centers on curiosity. Reading whole passages or books first preserves narrative shape and prevents one-verse proof-texting. The inductive rhythm suggested here asks three simple questions whenever a passage is read: What is the context? What does this reveal about God? What does this reveal about the reader? Mark 2 (the healing of the paralytic) serves as the working example: reading the story in full highlights Jesus’ claim to divine authority, the priority of the man’s soul over mere physical healing, and an invitation for self-reflection about identity and forgiveness.

Resources such as BibleProject, Blue Letter Bible, and Precept Austin can clarify historical and literary context, while workshops on interpretive method (the “third option”) train readers to move beyond literal-versus-figurative anxiety. The practice closes with Lectio Divina, a disciplined listening that follows questioning and invites God’s response. Finally, steady, faithful engagement—rather than chasing spiritual highs—produces the deepest transformation; scripture works over time to restore orientation and equip for faithful action, even when immediate feelings do not register change.

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Key Takeaways

• 1. Open Scripture before answering life Scripture functions as the story that provides true answers, not a database for quick fixes. Approach life’s big questions—identity, purpose, suffering—by first reading the text that addresses those themes in their narrative and theological context. Avoid inventing answers from memory or convenience; let the story shape the questions as much as the answers. [31:34]
• 2. Scripture gives a decisive advantage The Bible’s usefulness (ophilimos) describes a large, practical gain—like trading a manual tool for powered equipment. Regular engagement with scripture sharpens reasoning, moral perception, and spiritual discernment in tangible ways, equipping action rather than merely offering ideas. This advantage changes how decisions land and how temptation and grief are navigated. [35:44]
• 3. Ask three guiding questions A simple, repeatable method—context, what God reveals about himself, what God reveals about the reader—moves study from opinion to formation. These questions force attention to narrative shape, theological claims, and personal application, preventing selective quoting or superficial interpretations. Let each question lead to further prayerful exploration and practical steps. [47:28]
• 4. Prioritize faithful, steady engagement Transformation usually arrives through faithful repetition, not episodic spiritual highs. Commit to consistent reading and humble questions; over time scripture reshapes desires, corrects patterns, and restores vocation even when immediate feelings lag. Expect a patient work of formation rather than instant sensational change. [60:46]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [30:14] - Homework and honesty
• [31:34] - Life’s big questions
• [34:37] - Scripture: inspired and useful
• [36:09] - Scripture’s restorative journey
• [42:33] - Be curious: ask questions
• [44:20] - Reading Mark 2 together
• [47:28] - Three guiding questions
• [54:49] - What this passage shows about God
• [58:25] - What this passage shows about you
• [61:48] - Lectio Divina and response

Bible reading
2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV)
16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Mark 2:1–12 (ESV)
1 And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. 5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “My son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11 “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” 12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

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Observation questions

1. According to 2 Timothy 3:16, what are the four specific ways Scripture is useful?
2. In Mark 2:5, what is the first thing Jesus says to the paralyzed man, and how do the religious teachers react? [55:23]
3. What practical advantage does Scripture provide, according to the sermon’s explanation of the Greek word *ophilimos*? [35:44]
4. What three guiding questions are suggested for engaging with any Bible passage? [47:28]

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Interpretation questions

1. Why might Jesus have chosen to forgive the man’s sins before healing him physically? What does this order reveal about His priorities? [57:53]
2. The religious teachers accused Jesus of blasphemy because only God can forgive sins. How does Jesus’ response in Mark 2:8–11 address their accusation?
3. Second Timothy 3:17 says Scripture equips us for “every good work.” What kinds of “good works” do you think this includes, and how does Scripture prepare us for them?
4. The sermon mentions that Scripture helps us recognize when we’ve “veered off the path” of God’s ways. How does this process of recognition and correction actually work in a person’s life? [36:30]

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Application questions

1. Scripture is described as giving a “decisive advantage” in life, like switching from a manual tool to a power tool. In what area of your life do you most need that advantage right now? [35:44]
2. The story in Mark 2 shows Jesus valuing forgiveness over physical healing. Where in your own life might you be prioritizing temporary needs over deeper spiritual restoration?
3. The three-question method (context, God, self) is a tool for engaging Scripture. Which of these three questions do you most often skip, and what would it look like to practice it this week? [47:28]
4. Transformation through Scripture often happens through “faithful repetition, not episodic spiritual highs.” [01:00:46] How can you develop a more consistent and patient approach to reading the Bible, especially when it feels dry or unexciting?
5. The religious teachers in Mark 2 were more focused on rules than on the person in front of them. Are there areas where you tend to judge others (or yourself) based on external behavior rather than heart transformation?
6. Jesus knew the thoughts of the religious leaders. How does it affect the way you approach God in prayer knowing that He already knows your doubts and questions? [57:38]
7. The sermon encouraged reading whole books of the Bible to better understand the full story. What’s one small book of the Bible you could commit to reading in one sitting this month? [45:27]