Fearlessly Courageous
Desk of Dennis Piller
2 5 2025
May I digress for a minute to ask you to pray for my 99 year Mom, Adele, who is in her last days. She has been a tower of faith and strength. Please pray for our family as we make her comfortable in her last days.
The Bible is the greatest love letter of all time… to me… and to you.
Charles Spurgeon said. “Visit many books but live in the bible”
The Bible isn’t something to be intimidating!
Let’s Look at 7 reasons why you should read the Bible!
You will need the Holy Spirit to fill you with the desire to read it.. if you seek him and ask him for it. Once you begin, the hunger will begin.
Protect that… feed it.
Barna Research said 52% of Christians don’t read the bible at all.
WHY?
Lack of Knowledge of how critical it is?
Acts 20:32
“Now I’m turning you over to God, our marvelous God whose gracious Word can make you into what he wants you to be and give you everything you could possibly need in this community of holy friends.
The message version explains it more clearly: “And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified”.
Many love God but don’t read his word and are easily deceived.
It can only be understood by the power of the Holy Spirit when we allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us. “He is able to build you up and give you an inheritance” That should be motivating to us!
Let’s look at 7 reasons we should read the Lord’s, Instruction Manual… The Bible.
1, It is essential to discipleship
Matt 28 19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,
Interesting he didn’t say converts but Disciples.
Act 11:26 26 “And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught many people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.”
Interestingly, the term Christian is only used 3 times in the bible while disciple is used 274 times.
He says: “teaching them”.. why does he make that command?
Fathers tell their children not to walk in the street… you could get killed.
The Bible Protects us with commands in much the same way.
John 8:31-32 NLT … Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth will set you free” Study!
Disciples: .What they are?. Learners. This word means.. more than a learner. Make this your rule of conduct.
If you remain “faithful”. “Meno” is a Greek word. It means To abide and live in – “and then you will know the truth”.
The truth doesn’t set you free but knowing the truth… doing the truth… sets you free.
2 Tim 2 15 says: “Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needs not be ashamed, “rightly dividing the word of truth”.
A workman needs to…rightly divide. That means you can wrongly divide it. The only way to know is to study, it is critical.
If you have to cross a 10-mile land mine field (Like in world war II) and someone gives you a map, how would you handle it? Oh, maybe if I get time tonight or we might say we are…Too busy.
NO, we would read it carefully!
We live in a world where Satan is trying to destroy us.
Satan hates you and lives to destroy you.
No Christian does that to that same level.
He has given us a “light” to study, Meaning we are to study with intense effort and motivation!
Col 3 16 “let the word of Christ dwell in you RICHLY with all wisdom to teach and admonish one another, … Richly MEANS in large amounts.
2. The Bible provides spiritual nourishment. In Matt 4:4 Jesus replied, “It is written and forever remains written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes out of the mouth of God.’”
Job said in the middle of his devastating loss: “I have treasured the words of his mouth more than food.”
One man said, “I don’t eat any food before I read in the word of god!”
Shouldn’t we have that same resolve?
Barna’s research says: 3 of every 4 Christian people read once a week or less.
Can you relate to eating just one small meal only on Sunday for three months? You would starve… This is what people do when they don’t feed their spirit. Have you ever noticed that during those times you did read, your spirit gets quieter and calmer?
Job said: I treasure his word more than food.
Act 20 32 “Now I commit you to God and to the word of his grace, which can build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified”.
3. The Bible is God’s wisdom for success: God’s will is for you to be successful. Do you believe that? But it’s not that big car necessarily or a big house.
Josh 1: 8 “This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth; you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to act in accordance with all that is written in it. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall be successful”.
TRUE Prosperity is helping other people when you give your love – time and talent and help people …that is true success. True prosperity is
“Being faithful and effective to what god has called you to do”.
We know enough to own a bible but not enough for it to own us.
Friday Part II Of Why we need the Bible!
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My website to view past devotions is https://fearlesslycourageous.com
Lesson condensed from Desiring God by John Piper
Psalm 23 (I Am Not Alone) [Live at Linger Conference] People & Songs ft Josh Sherman
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OlMGnPUAdw
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