Effective Bible Study Techniques for Spiritual Growth

### Bible Study Discussion Guide

#### Bible Reading
1. 2 Timothy 3:16-17
2. Philippians 1:23-24

#### Observation Questions
1. According to 2 Timothy 3:16-17, what are the purposes of Scripture? How does this passage describe the usefulness of the Bible?
2. In Philippians 1:23-24, what internal conflict does Paul describe? How does he resolve this conflict?
3. What are some practical tips or "Bible hacks" mentioned in the sermon to help with Bible study? ([49:26])
4. What is the SOAP method, and what does each letter stand for? ([01:00:42])

#### Interpretation Questions
1. How does understanding that "all Scripture is inspired by God" (2 Timothy 3:16) influence the way we approach Bible study?
2. Paul expresses a desire to depart and be with Christ but also sees the need to remain for the sake of others (Philippians 1:23-24). How can this perspective shape our daily lives and priorities?
3. The sermon emphasized the importance of choosing a Bible translation that you understand. Why is this crucial for personal Bible study? ([42:26])
4. How can minimizing distractions, as suggested in the sermon, enhance your Bible study experience? ([55:48])

#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your current Bible study habits. Do you have a specific time and place for study? If not, what changes can you make to establish this routine? ([42:26])
2. The sermon shared stories of believers who risk everything for a single page of the Bible. How does this inspire you to value and engage with Scripture more deeply? ([01:09:02])
3. The SOAP method involves Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. How can you incorporate this method into your daily Bible study? What might be the benefits? ([01:00:42])
4. Distractions can hinder our time with God. What specific steps can you take to minimize distractions during your Bible study time? Consider using tools like the Freedom app. ([55:48])
5. The sermon encouraged committing to 21 days of daily Bible study and prayer. Are you willing to make this commitment? What steps will you take to ensure you follow through? ([01:14:03])
6. Think about a time when you felt distant from God. How might a consistent Bible study routine have helped you during that period? What can you do now to prevent feeling distant in the future?
7. Identify one person in your life who might benefit from learning about effective Bible study techniques. How can you share what you've learned from this sermon with them?

Day 1: Understanding God's Word
Description: The first step in effective Bible study is selecting a translation that resonates with you. Whether it's the New King James Version, NLT, or NIV, the goal is to understand and connect with the text. This is crucial for devotional study, where the focus is on personal growth rather than deep theological analysis. Choosing a translation that you can easily comprehend allows you to engage more deeply with the Scriptures and apply them to your life. It’s not about finding the "best" translation but the one that speaks to you personally and helps you grow in your faith. [42:26]

Bible Passage: "For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart." (Hebrews 4:12 ESV)

Reflection: What Bible translation do you currently use, and how well do you understand it? Consider exploring a different translation this week to see if it helps you connect more deeply with God's Word.


Day 2: Creating a Sacred Space
Description: Establishing a specific time and place for your Bible study is essential for consistency and focus. Consistency helps in forming a habit and ensures that your study time is intentional and focused. This practice helps in creating a sacred space where you can meet with God regularly, free from distractions. By setting aside a dedicated time and place, you signal to yourself and to God that this is a priority in your life. It’s about creating an environment where you can hear from God and grow in your relationship with Him. [42:26]

Bible Passage: "But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." (Matthew 6:6 ESV)

Reflection: Where and when can you set aside a specific time and place for your Bible study this week? How can you minimize distractions during this time to make it a sacred space for meeting with God?


Day 3: Structured Study Plans
Description: Whether it's the SOAP method or another structured approach, having a plan helps in systematically engaging with the Bible. The SOAP method, for instance, involves writing out the Scripture, making observations, applying the lessons to your life, and responding in prayer. This method ensures that your study is thorough and reflective. Structured study plans provide a roadmap for your time in the Word, helping you to dig deeper and apply what you learn to your daily life. It’s about being intentional and methodical in your approach to studying the Bible. [01:00:42]

Bible Passage: "Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." (Psalm 119:105 ESV)

Reflection: What structured study plan can you commit to this week? How can you incorporate the SOAP method or another approach to make your Bible study more systematic and reflective?


Day 4: Minimizing Distractions
Description: In our digital age, distractions are inevitable. Tools like the Freedom app can help by blocking interruptions during your study time. This ensures that your time with God is undisturbed and meaningful, allowing you to focus entirely on His Word. Minimizing distractions is about creating an environment where you can fully engage with the Scriptures and hear from God without the noise of daily life. It’s about being intentional in protecting your study time from interruptions. [55:48]

Bible Passage: "Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth." (Colossians 3:2 ESV)

Reflection: What are the main distractions that interrupt your Bible study time? How can you use tools or strategies to minimize these distractions and create a more focused environment for your study?


Day 5: Valuing Scripture
Description: Stories of believers around the world who risk their lives for a single page of the Bible remind us of the immense value of God's Word. This should inspire us to engage more deeply with the Scriptures, recognizing them as a precious gift that guides, comforts, and transforms us. Appreciating the value of Scripture means recognizing its power and significance in our lives and committing to engage with it regularly. It’s about seeing the Bible not just as a book, but as the living Word of God that has the power to change lives. [01:09:02]

Bible Passage: "The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces." (Psalm 119:72 ESV)

Reflection: How do you currently value the Bible in your daily life? Reflect on the stories of believers who risk everything for a single page of Scripture. How can you deepen your appreciation and engagement with God's Word this week?

Well, welcome to Bible Boot Camp Week 2, talking about how to study and enjoy the Bible. I hope you're doing that.

Hey, before I jump in, let me just remind you that Team Night is coming up August 20th. Team Night is a special night in which we honor everyone who serves at the Father's House. But we also open up the door, the opportunity for you to say, "You know what? I've been interested in thinking about where I can serve."

So, Wednesday night, August the 20th. Say August 20th. August 20th is the night for you. But you need to register because we cater a full meal for you. I mean, it's almost as good as what my wife cooks. Sometimes it's a little better, but anyway, it's really good. Did I get in trouble?

So the way to register is to text the word "team" to 352-329-2301, or you can go to our website and click on Team Night to let us know that you're there.

It's funny how words can evolve through time. For instance, the word "hussy," which we use today for a lewd woman, originally meant "housewife." Hussy meant "mistress of a household." Oh, so Brenda, you're the mistress of the household of that home.

Another word, I mean, it's very obvious, the word "gay." It used to mean carefree, bright, or showy. And, well, you know now. And there's the word "hack." You know, hack was someone who had a cough. But hack today means an idea that makes your life easier. In fact, you go online, you see all the YouTube hacks—a hack to make your Bible study easier, a hack to trade cars easier, a hack to find somebody to fall in love with you quicker. So anyway, a lot of hacks.

Well, to help you with your Bible study, we want to give you some hacks. Let me remind you what we did last week. There's a QR code up on the screen. If you'll just scan that QR code, it'll take you to resources. You'll see this little graphic here, Bible Boot Camp resources.

And there'll be the YouVersion plans that we're doing. By the way, we're going to start a brand new YouVersion plan tomorrow. It's 24 days long and it's on the book of Philippians, and it's entitled "Don't Steal My Joy." I mean, it's great. Anita and I have already started. I hope you'll join us.

There's the "Through the Bible in a Year" reading plan that we've had there. All the pins that we talked about last week, the books we talked about, the Bibles—all right there, just scan down. It's amazing, right?

Well, let's look at our verse today: 2 Timothy 3:16-17. We looked at it last week. It's our theme verse for this Bible camp. Let's read it together.

"All scripture, how much? All scripture is inspired of God. It's useful to teach us what is true and make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we're wrong. It teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work."

Scripture inspired by God.

Father, we thank you today. We thank you for everyone who took time to be here today. I know some could have easily just said, "I'm not going. I've worked six days this week. I'm tired. I'm not going to go." But because they want to put you first, they're here today. Lord, they want to honor you. And as they honor you, I know that you honor them.

So, Lord, their time is so precious to me. And so I pray that you would help me, Holy Spirit, to say what you want me to say. Don't let me say anything you wouldn't want me to say. Teach us about your word today. Create a new hunger in us, Lord. A new hunger in us for your word.

And I pray at the end of this teaching today that you will be glorified above everything, that the saints will be edified, and the enemy will be terrified in the name of Jesus.

So let's just look at a little review of what we talked about last week. We said, if you're going to have a study plan to study the Bible, the first thing you need to do, read it with me, is to choose a translation that you understand.

Now, you know, I grew up with "thouest," and "howbeit's," and "shouldest," and "wouldest," and "couldest," and "cantest," and all those. And I cherish that. There are still memory verses today, but I'm so thankful that the New King James Version came along. It's a little easier to read. And then you have the NLT, you have the NIV, you have others.

So choose a translation that you understand. Because right now, we're not going into in-depth theology. We're just talking about devotional study. So choose a translation that works for you.

And number two, position yourself to hear from God. Position yourself to hear from God. In other words, you choose a time and you choose a place. A time and a place. You don't just do it haphazardly, but you have a time and a place.

Because we say, "Well, today I'm just going to lay here in bed and study," and then tomorrow, you know, you're in the kitchen, you're somewhere else. And then the third day, you know, you haven't developed a habit of a time and a place. And so it just becomes haphazard.

Number three, choose a study plan that works best for you. Choose a study plan that works best for you. Some people say, "Well, what's the best plan?" The best plan is what works for you. Look at your neighbor and say, "Relax. It's what works best for you."

But the bad thing is no plan at all. What's your plan? What's your plan? And understand the context. We'll talk more about that in a moment.

Number four, pray for God to speak to you and apply what he shows you. So that's a really simple way to go there. So you open your Bible, you ask God to speak to you, you're in the right place, you position yourself, and you look at the context and you ask him to speak to you.

Let me review some of the resources that we talked about last week if you weren't here. We talked about finding yourself a journal that you can use. This one is called Scribe, Scripture Journal. You can just buy a little notebook at the bookstore or whatever. But you need to find a place to put your notes in.

And especially today, I'll talk to you about a couple of methods, the SOAP method, the SPEC method. So you need to be able to write those down. Now, some of you are thinking, "No, I'll never take time to do that." Yes, you will. Sure you will. Because you're a diligent Bible student and you want to grow closer to God. You want to do more than you've done before. So I know you're going to do that.

We talked about finding a Bible. Maybe a study Bible, like the Spirit-Filled Life Bible that we have. We talked about the pens that don't bleed through and all the other wonderful resources that are available for you. And you can get those, all right?

So let me talk to you about five different ways to approach the Bible. Five different ways to approach the Bible.

Number one, you can start with a book of the Bible. Say "book." A book of the Bible. You say, "Well, what book should I start?" Well, we're studying what book? Philippians. And so, you know, you could maybe say, "Well, I want to understand about salvation and redemption and some of those things." So you study the book of Romans, all right?

So you say, "Well, I want to know more about God and his plan." So you start with Genesis, or you say, "You know, I really would like to know more about Jesus." Well, then you start in the Gospels. And the Gospels are Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

People say, "Well, which one should I start with?" Well, if you're a new believer, I tell people to start with the book of Mark. It's my opinion. Some people say, "Well, start in the book of John." The book of John says, "In the beginning was the Word, the Word's with God, the Word became flesh, and the Word dwelt among us." And that's pretty heavy for a new person or someone who's never read the Bible.

But you go to the Gospel of Mark and he's, boom, bang, bang, bang, bang. He's from one story to another story telling about Jesus. I love Mark because that's sort of how I am. I'm not long on one thing. I like here, here, here, here, here, here, here. If I grew up in today's world as a kid, I'd probably be A, D, D, T to the Q, par, par, whatever, and they'd have drug me up, you know?

But that's who I am. I like things to move quick. How many like things to move quick? After this week, stuck on the tarmac for two hours before we took off, and an hour and a half when we landed because they couldn't get the jetway right because of lightning, I got tired.

And I said a lot of, honestly, honestly, honestly. That's neither here nor there. Start with a book of the Bible.

Or number two, you can study a person in the Bible. Study the life of Peter or study Nehemiah, who was a great young man. Or you could study Esther because sometimes it just takes a woman to do it right, to sing.

Maybe you can study a topic in the Bible. Say, "Well, I want to study salvation." So you go to the back of your Bible and look for something called the concordance. Say "concordance." You look at the word and it'll give you a plethora of other verses to study.

You like that, Tim? Write that down. Write that word down, Tim. Don't know what it means, but I think it means various things. All right. So you look at that.

So like, for instance, we're looking at "rejoice" in the book of Philippians. So you might say, "Okay, I want to study more about rejoicing." So you study that topic, whatever it is. If you find yourself depressed, maybe you want to find about anxiety and you want to find about peace.

And so you study a topic, or you can do a daily devotional. Our favorite plan is to use a YouVersion Bible plan. Right now on our YouVersion Bible plan, which is on the resources, we're going through the Bible in a year. Know that the story of Jesus. And we're also doing Philippians with the Bible project guys.

And tomorrow morning we start the new one with "Don't Steal My Joy." So those are Bible plans. How many Bible plans do you think there are in the YouVersion app? A hundred? How about 53,000? 53,000 Bible plans.

You know how many people have completed at least one Bible plan of that 53,000? 500 million. And if you pick up one of those plans, you could be 500 million and one. Can you imagine? It's a way to study, or you can read through the whole Bible.

That's what we're doing as a church. We do that every year. At the beginning of every year, I get another study Bible and I start marking it up. And I use that Bible to go through. Sometimes I use a New King James, sometimes NLT. I'll use. And so every year I start with a fresh Bible and I read it through.

And in January, we'll start again. If you haven't joined us, you can join us where we are now. Don't try to go back and catch up. That'd be like, "Well, I haven't eaten for a month." And so you sit down at one meal and you think, "I'm going to eat 30 meals in this one time." You know, you're going to explode. So just start where you are.

So let me give you some Bible hacks. This is just all practical things today. Some Bible hacks to help you in your Bible study. Here's the first one: keep the context. Keep the context.

We're studying the book of Philippians, right? So in the context, as we've studied the book of Philippians, we always ask two questions: who wrote it and to whom was it written? So the book of Philippians, who wrote it? Paul, right? And to whom was it written? The church at Philippi.

The church at Philippi. And so then we said we want to keep it in context. So what is the context? What is the purpose? What's the overall purpose that we see in the book of Philippians?

So here's what I wrote down. Paul wrote to the church at Philippi and said, "Thank you for your financial gift and for your prayerful support. And let's learn to rejoice in whatever circumstance or situation that we are in."

So last week, I asked you, this is part of your homework. So I want to see how well you did. I said last week, let me give you a title to chapter one. I said a title to chapter one is "Joy in Living for Christ."

This week, we studied Philippians chapter two. Now you brought your Bible with you. How many brought your Bible? Hold up your Bible. Let me see how you brought your Bible. I love it. Look at this. So many paper Bibles today and digital Bibles. That's all great.

And somebody showed me earlier, said, "Look, I've been writing in my Bible. I've been marking it up." And so I asked you in your Bible to title chapter two. You come up with a title. So open your Bible, turn to your neighbor and share with them your title for Philippians chapter two.

So, all right, go ahead and do that. So if you didn't do chapter two, do it this week with chapter three. Let me share with you my chapter titles, and they're not somebody else's. Sean shared his titles with me in between. I said, "Man, yours are better than mine. I'd like to steal yours."

So it's not about eloquence. It's just about you read the chapter. Now put a title to that. If that chapter were a book and you were the editor and somebody said, "Title that," how would you title it?

Well, chapter one to me is "Joy in Living for Christ." Chapter two to me is "Joy in Serving Christ in Unity," "Joy in Serving Christ in Unity." And then chapter three would be "Joy in Knowing Christ," "Joy in Knowing Christ." And chapter four would be "Joy in Resting in Christ," "Joy in Resting."

So you do that, title that. So this week we're going to be in Philippians chapter three. Now one, two, three, and then the following week will be four. And there's four parts to this sermon and four chapters in Philippians. Isn't it amazing? Isn't it amazing how that just sort of flows together?

Number two, learn to use a dictionary. You ever been reading through the Bible, especially maybe the old King James, and you come to a word like "propitiation"? Propitiation. Well, that's not a word that we use every day, right?

So it's a good time to go to, you know, just a regular dictionary. Those are online, right? Or even better than that, you go to a Bible dictionary. Now what I have here is the New Testament by Vine's Bible dictionary, but there are a lot of them you can get online.

I think there's an app or a translation called the Blue Letter Bible. It's free and you can just get that, and I think it has a dictionary with it. But anyway, like say we're studying about rejoice, so I say, "Well, I really am not sure exactly what the Greek word for rejoice is."

So I look up in here, rejoice. Everything's alphabetical just like a regular dictionary, and there it gives me the Greek word and then it tells me what it means. And then it goes on to give two pages of other ways that rejoice is used throughout the Bible in the New Testament and Old Testament.

So learn to access a dictionary.

Number three, location, location, location matters. Pastor Tim reminded me of a good little book called "Coffee with Jesus," and it talks about having a place. I think maybe he might post that sometime this week on Facebook, but it talks about having a place and having a plan to study.

So we need a place. You need a location that works for you. It may be in your favorite chair, it may be in your bed before you ever get up, it may be for some of you it's going to be in your truck or your car as you're driving to work. But location matters.

You need to have a place that you know that tomorrow you have a location already where you're going to spend your time getting into the word with the Lord.

Number four, diminish distractions. Diminish distractions. I'd love to have a place that's almost impossible, right? You can put on noise-canceling headphones, but something is always going to happen.

But a lot of times what happens is it's this thing right here. Some of us are on social media too much, and so somebody will send us a meme or something right about the time God's getting ready to give us something meaningful.

That's good right there. I didn't have that first service. We'll probably use this service online, okay?

All right, so anyway, there's an app called Freedom App. In the last service, I asked how many know about Freedom App, and there were only five plus me, so six. My wife didn't even know. Now if I know something she doesn't know, that's good.

The Freedom App is on the resource thing now. They have it after I told them about it in between services. What it will do is it will lock out your phone from any interruptions for a set period of time.

So you say, "This next five minutes, ten minutes, they're going to be me and the Lord and the word." So you use the app, you set the Freedom App, and it will block everything from coming through for the next five or ten minutes because your time is going to be sweet with the Lord.

Number five, try listening. You're reading, but try listening. That's a different way. There's an app that you can use, the Streetlights app, that will actually take the New Living Translation and put it to music.

It's also there with the resources. Anita and I do that. We have our devotional time together in the morning with the YouVersion plan. We broadcast it to the TV so it's up there big, and we listen as it's reading the scriptures to us, and we also read.

It's amazing sometimes as you listen, as someone reads, it gives you a different feeling, just a different way. So try listening.

And number six, change your expectations down. We're not reading as fast as we can. "I got to finish chapter two. If I do this, I got to get through the Bible."

And so really at the end of it, when you finish, you didn't get anything. You just read words.

Look, we read this week chapter two. Well, maybe you get into Philippians chapter two and you get over there to about verse six, and it talks about though he was God, he didn't think equality with God. He humbled himself. He came down.

And then every tongue will declare that Jesus is Lord. The whole center section, and remember those of us that are doing the YouVersion Bible plan, it says that the whole center part of Philippians is all about Jesus, and all the other sections around that is just coming back and focusing on who he is.

So slow down. Don't do a marathon. You get to that, you might say, "Well, I just want to take time and listen to that."

And let me also say this: you will not get a fresh word every time you read the word. Some of you just relax because you thought, "Man, I've been reading and nothing happens. I've been meditating, I've been reading, I've been reflecting, I've been responding, but I didn't get anything earth-shaking today."

Just slow down. Change your expectations. You're doing the right thing, and guess what happens? All of a sudden you'll hit something, and the Lord will download a piece that he couldn't download to you if you hadn't got the little pieces put together before you get there.

So I'm just saying change your expectations. You know, we read, we hear people say, "Well, you know, I read the Bible today and God spoke to me, the Holy Spirit." And so you read and you think, "I must be backslid. I didn't get anything."

No, you do you. Because see, a lot of people just bark.

Number seven, use a plan that works for you.

That works for you.

And number eight, try this: make a printout copy of that chapter, like Philippians chapter two. A Xerox copy, or you can go online, you can pull up the Bible, and then you can hit print, and it'll print for you.

And you can get that chapter, okay? Do all of those.

And then you can put that in your binder, and then you can make notes or highlight those.

I want to share with you today two plans. I only shared one in the first service, so you slept in, you came late, so you get two today.

The first one is a SOAP method. Say SOAP, S-O-A-P. And if you've gone through Growth Track, you would receive something that looks like this that told you and reminds you about how to do the SOAP Bible study method.

And we have some of these extras out there that you can pick up as you leave. S stands for Scripture. So in the plan, in my journal—I didn't bring my journal with me—but in my, if this were my journal, I would just literally write out in big letters S, and then down here O, and then A, and then P.

So S stands for Scripture. Like, today I'm going to share with you a scripture, and I would handwrite it out. I would handwrite it out, and that scripture may be part of what we're assigned to read for the day, and I meditate on that.

That scripture just seems to be the one that's important. And then O stands for Observation. What did I see in this passage? What speaks to me?

And then A stands for Application. What's a specific way that I can apply that to my life? How can I apply that to my life?

You have those on the back of your handout today, all right? And then P stands for Prayer. I respond in prayer. I write out the prayer in response to the scripture.

Now let me show you from my journal, and I did this a little more lengthy and in-depth than I do a lot of times. Most of the time I don't take the time to do this, but I knew I'd be in front of you and I felt the peer pressure, so I did a little bit more, all right?

It doesn't have to be like this, but those things S, O, S, and P stands for prayer. I respond in prayer. I write out the prayer in response to the scripture.

The P, the scripture, I'm going to write it out, maybe memorize it, and then observation, application, and then a prayer of just sort of pulling all that in.

So I use the scripture Philippians chapter 1, verses 23 through 24. Would you read it with me? It's on the screen:

"For I am hard pressed between the two, having a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is far better. Nevertheless, to remain in the flesh is more needful for you."

So I read that, I think about that, I pray about that. What am I observing? What is Paul trying to say to the Philippian church?

And so I look at that and meditate, take time, and then I begin writing out my observations.

These scriptures depict the basic struggle of those that have faith in Christ. Once our eyes are open to the reality that we've been reconciled to God through Jesus, how could we not want to be with him in eternity?

Paul himself recognized it would be far better to be in heaven than dealing with the broken state of this physical world. Could I get an amen?

I know that I feel like that from time to time, especially when times are challenging or difficult.

So why go on? Paul states it simply: we should go on because of others. There is such an undercurrent in the culture today that motivates us to be with him in eternity, and that's why we need to live for ourselves.

Most messages are bombarded with encouragement for us to find out what fulfills us on a personal level. Paul reminds in these verses that we remain here to encourage others.

To encourage others, love and service flows from lives of those who no longer need anything but they abide in Christ.

So then I ask, how do I apply that to Terry? How do I apply that to me?

First of all, I need to remind myself of my position in Christ. I need to spend time in prayer and meditating, connecting with the Father and stripping away the noise that keeps me from remembering that I am completely fulfilled with Jesus.

And then I need to quit focusing on myself and focus on the needs of others because left to myself, I become selfish. I didn't write that, but it just came to me.

And then I wrote out the prayer:

"Father, thank you for your abiding word. Thank you that you love me. Speak to me through your spirit. Forgive my sin. Cleanse me from unrighteousness. Father, help me to rest in the reality of your peace and love. Purge me from the desire to seek comfort in the things of this world. Help me to be better at loving and pouring myself out for others. I love you, Father. And I offer you praise in Jesus' name."

And I'm not going to give you SPEC today. We'll save it for later.

So what will the word of God do for your life? Well, if you're hurting, his word will give you hope. If you're lost, his word will give you direction. If you're anxious, you can cast your anxiety upon him and he'll give you a peace that you can't understand.

If you're trapped in a life you've never wanted, he can give you the truth that sets you free.

I got to share with you, church. I love God's word. God has given me a fresh hunger for his word like never before. I mean, I've been a believer since I've been five. I mean, I've been in church. Tim and I both, you know, we grew up in church. I think we were birthed on a church pew somewhere.

So we've always had the Bible, but in these terrible times that we're in right now, we're going to start a new series next month on True North. There is a True North.

There's a lot of misguided direction today, but there is a True North. This is True North. Moving into a political time, that's not easy for us because it causes division, but I really encourage you not to look at personalities, but to look at policy and where's True North.

What does God say about that policy? And I encourage you to vote. We're going to set up registration for voting. If you've never registered, there are a lot of evangelical Christians that are not registered to vote and didn't vote in the last election.

And I want to encourage you. Paul talked about that when you're in Rome or when you're there, you do what's expected. So we have the privilege, for a while, of voting.

I don't know where this nation is going. Let's God help us. We're going downhill. People say, "Where is America in times with Israel?" You can't find it anywhere in Bible prophecy.

I don't know. Have we become such a socialistic nation that we've gone with everybody else and we've left True North and we've just said, "Well, you know, this is good for people. I don't want to hurt anybody."

True North. I love the word.

Do you realize today that there are people around the world that have risked their life for just a part of this? I read the story this week of a young guy, 17 years old, who escaped from North Korea. He was a Christian, and he went to China and he started working, but God told him, "I want you to go back to North Korea and I want you to share the gospel."

So he went back to North Korea and he carried Bibles with him because he knew that there were hardly any Bibles in North Korea to the underground church. And he said, "I want you to go back to North Korea."

But he got caught. When he got caught, the soldiers began beating him when they saw the Bible, and he began crying out. But he wasn't crying out for relief from the beating. He was crying out to his abusers, "Please believe in Jesus. Please believe in Jesus."

And every time he'd say the name of Jesus, they'd beat him more fiercely, and he would just keep on. 17 years old.

And finally, one of the soldiers stopped him and he said, "Are you willing to die for this Jesus and for this Bible?"

And so the young kid had an opportunity to share the gospel. And thankfully, that soldier gave his heart to the Lord. But the kid was sentenced to a firing squad.

Before he died, he said, "My life is worthwhile because I led one person to the redeeming knowledge of Jesus Christ."

Right now, Molly, who plays the flute, the guitar, everything else, I think she plays everything, she said, "When I was in South Sudan last time, there was just like one Bible in that little village."

And they were tearing sheets out of that Bible and giving one sheet to this person and one to that and to someone else. And they would either copy or memorize that page, and then they would pass it on to someone else.

A missionary recently went to the underground church in China. He said, "I went into a room and there was a long table and there were about 20 teenagers. And they were copying something down, writing. All of them were writing, copying down."

And he said, "I asked the pastor, Pastor Lamb, what are they doing?" He said, "Well, we only have one Bible to all of us. And so they are copying down the gospel of John to take a sheet of the scriptures to the friends at school tomorrow because that's all they have."

And he said, "In some of our underground churches, I've been able to just rip one page out, give it to someone, and they memorize it or they write it down because they know they may not always have that opportunity."

I hear story after story after story of people saying of how they sacrificed everything for one page of a Bible that you have at least maybe five or six, some of you, 15 copies, but it's become so casual.

So I'm just saying there are 21 days. And look, before I say this, let me just say this: this is a phrase that I used in the first service. The Lord spoke to me yesterday about this.

I'll give you a 100% promise. If I was a betting man, I'd bet my house, my motorcycle, everything on this one statement.

I promise you that when you hear the story of someone who used to really be on fire for God and they back off, they stop coming to church, and then they just give up, and many return to the addictions they had before when the Lord delivered them, or they get to the place and say, "I just give up. I just quit."

I promise you, 100%. I can trace back the beginning of that to they didn't have a daily time in this word.

Now you may sit here today and you've got it and you've come faithfully, but in the years to come, in the months to come, I'm telling you what we're going to face as a nation and a world.

The only thing that's going to keep you and hold you is what's in this blessed book here, the word of God.

We have, with today, we have 21 days left in this month. Now, people that are smart tell me it takes 21 days to form a new habit.

So here's what I'm going to ask you as a church with all my heart. I'm going to ask you to commit to the next 21 days, beginning today, that you will find a time and a place and a plan to get alone with the Lord every day.

It doesn't have to be 30. It could be 30 minutes. It could be seven minutes. It could be five. Quality of reading, reflecting, and responding.

Now there's no pressure because I'm going to, we're going to do some accountability. I'm going to ask you to raise your hand, and I want you to look around the people around you that raised their hand.

But listen, no pressure. If you're not willing to make that commitment, this is not just one of those things. I'm going to raise my hand because the pastor said. No, I want you to catch the underlying movement of the Holy Spirit in this house.

It doesn't matter where you are, where you've been, but today it's where you start. If you, for the next 21 days, do your best, have a time and a place and a plan with Jesus every day for the next 21 days, starting today, would you raise your hand?

Let's raise it high. Just keep it raised. Now I want to pray for you. That raising your hand right there is some of the most serious stuff that you've ever done in your life.

So now I'd like for us to pray together. You can put your hands down, and I want you to just, I want you to close your eyes, and I want you to pray with me today.

But let me pray for you. Father, I pray that your word this week, this month becomes part of our daily conversation.

Lord, show us. So the hundreds of people at the Father's House today that have raised their hand, the first service in this verse, that we're going to meet with you. We've got a date set up, Lord, a plan, a schedule, a place.

Thank you in advance that you're going to speak to us this commitment and give us the grace and the strength to do it.

As you continue to pray, I also want to say today, as you keep praying, there are two things I know that will live forever. One is the word of God and the other is the souls of men.

The word of God will last forever. And you're going to live forever somewhere. You're either going to live somewhere in the presence of the Lord, or you're going to live away from his presence at a place the Bible calls hell.

And that's because of sin. We've all sinned, come short of the glory of God. But Jesus came to give us access into a place called heaven.

You say, "Well, how do I qualify for heaven?" Well, we can't get good enough for heaven. We have to believe in Jesus Christ.

Scripture says that God so loved the world that he sent his only son to die for us. And if we believe, we could be saved.

So today, for some of you, it's going to be a day of change. You came one way and you're going to leave another. You're not going to be better. You're going to be new.

When you give your life to Jesus, he doesn't make you better. He makes you brand new. Scripture said he forgives your sins and separates those from you. The old is gone. The new becomes.

Today, as the church is praying, if you say, "Terry, that's me. I need to make a decision today to Jesus or rededicate my life to him. I want to make that change today. Today is the day that I feel him knocking on my heart's door."

Would you raise your hand and make eye contact with me? I want to pray with you and for you today. Say, "Yep, today's the day that I want to make that decision."

Thank you. Others today, thank you. Thank you. Others today say, "That's me." Thank you, sir. Thank you. Thank you for the boldness today. Thank you for the honesty. Thank you for responding to the spirit. Thank you. Thank you.

Would you join me in prayer today as I lead you in prayer with those who have raised their hands?

Father God, thank you today for sending your son, Jesus. I confess with my mouth and I believe in my heart that Jesus is Lord and my savior. Forgive me. My sins come into my life best as I know how. I want to serve you the rest of my life.

And today I will be in your word, and I know you'll speak to me.

Church, would you celebrate with me with that five or six that raised their hand? Come on.

Next week is going to be so important. Next week, we're going to talk about, "But how can I trust the word?" You're going to trust the, how to trust the word.

So that's really important. Now, if you raised your hand today that you made that decision, please stop by our first step here or outside. We got some resources for you.

Let's stand. We're going to worship the Lord just a little bit more. The prayer team is coming down front. Maybe you know somebody you need to invite next week. It's going to be a great time.

Looking forward to it. Thank you for responding today. Thank you for loving God. As the prayer team comes down, if you need prayer, they'll be there for you. Don't rush off just yet.

Let's just put an exclamation mark into this service today with just a little bit of worship. If you're new today, Anita and I'll be outside. I sure want to meet you. God bless you. Thank you for coming.

### Quotes for Outreach

1. "If you're hurting, his word will give you hope. If you're lost, his word will give you direction. If you're anxious, you can cast your anxiety upon him and he'll give you a peace that you can't understand. If you're trapped in a life you've never wanted, he can give you the truth that sets you free." [01:05:39] (23 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




2. "I promise you that when you hear the story of someone who used to really be on fire for God and they back off, they stop coming to church and then they just give up. And many return to the addictions they had before when the Lord delivered them. Or they get to the place and say, I just give up. I just quit. I promise you, 100%. I can trace back the beginning of that to they didn't have a daily time in this word." [01:11:50] (35 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




3. "When you give your life to Jesus, he doesn't make you better. He makes you brand new. Scripture said he forgives your sins and separates those from you. The old is gone. The new becomes." [01:16:52] (13 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




4. "There are two things I know that will live forever. One is the word of God and the other souls of men. The word of God will last forever. And you're going to live forever somewhere. You're either going to live somewhere in the presence of the Lord, or you're going to live away from his presence at a place the Bible calls hell." [01:15:29] (21 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




5. "I love God's word. God has given me a fresh hunger for his word like never before. I mean, I've been a believer since I've been five. I mean, I've been in church, Tim and I both, you know, we grew up in church. I think we were birthed on a church pew somewhere. So we've always had the Bible, but in these terrible times that we're in right, now we're going to start a new series next month on true North." [01:06:00] (32 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




### Quotes for Members

1. "So if you're going to have a study plan to study the Bible, the first thing you need to do, read it with me, is to choose a translation that you understand. Now, you know, I grew up with with thouest, and howbeit's, and shouldest, and wouldest, and couldest, and cantest, and all those. And I cherish that. There's still memory verses today, but I'm so thankful that the New King James Version came along. It's a little easier to read." [41:30] (28 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




2. "Position yourself to hear from God. In other words, you choose a time, and you choose a place. A time and a place. You don't just do it haphazardly, but you have a time and a place. Because we say, well, today I'm just going to lay here in bed and study, and then tomorrow, you know, you're in the kitchen, you're somewhere else. And then the third day, you know, you haven't developed a habit of a time and a place. And so it just becomes, haphazard." [42:26] (26 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




3. "So let me give you some Bible hacks. This is just all practical things today. Some Bible hacks to help you in your Bible study. Here's the first one. Keep the context, keep the context. We're studying the book of Philippians, right? So in the context, as we've studied the book of Philippians, we always ask two questions, who wrote it and to whom was it written? So the book of Philippians, who wrote it? Paul, right. And to whom was it written? The church at Philippi." [49:26] (33 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




4. "Change your expectations down, we're not reading as fast as we can. I got to finish chapter two if I do this I got to get through the Bible I'll read that and so really at the end of it when you finish you didn't get anything you just you just read words... So slow down don't do a marathon you get to that you might say well I just want to take time and listen to that." [57:27] (60 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)




5. "So here's what I'm going to ask you as a church with all my heart. I'm going to ask you to commit to the next 21 days beginning today that you will find a time and a place and a plan to get alone with the Lord every day. It doesn't have to be 30. It could be 30 minutes. It could be seven minutes. It could be five. Quality of reading, reflecting and responding." [01:13:00] (36 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)