As false teachers, the Devil, our fleshly desires, and trials of various kinds continue to threaten the church’s stability, growth, and maturity, we must remain rooted in Scripture. The Bible is where we see God, receive His life-giving word, learn of His guidance for life, and find His protection from local teaching.

Tyler’s Main Points

• The Bible is God’s specific revelation of Himself.
• The Bible is God’s life-giving word.
• The Bible is God’s guidance for His church.
• The Bible is God’s protection for His church.

Tyler’s 4 Key Texts

• Luke 24:27
• 1 Peter 1:23-1 Peter 2:3
• Psalm 119:105
• 2 Timothy 4:1-5

Key Takeaways

• The Bible is not supremely a rulebook, textbook, or history book. The Bible is first and foremost God’s specific revelation of Himself.

• If we are going to know the God of the Word, we must come to know Him through the Word of God.

• As gleaned by Tyler from 2 Corinthians 3:18, we are to behold Christ in the Scriptures—not just with a passing glance, but intently and purposefully to enjoy Him and become more like Him.

• The Spirit of God uses the Word of God about the works of God in Christ to empower you to be born again.

• The power of the Word of God doesn’t stop at rebirth, but is the church’s ongoing source of nourishment and maturity.

• There are no shortcuts or feeding tubes to achieve spiritual maturity. God’s Word is essential for the church’s growth and we must ingest it personally, regularly, humbly, and purposefully.

• The Bible offers the church broad guidance through the formation of a Christian worldview and the foundation of the story of Scripture. The Bible offers specific guidance to know God, grow in Christlikeness, live for what matters most, and wisdom for marriage, parenting, money, relationships, work, and all things pertaining to life and godliness.

• False teaching can shipwreck our faith, steal our joy, disguise God’s guidance, lead to instability as we adopt lies, and lead people away from the true gospel of salvation.

3 applications for the individual Christian in the local church:

1. Read your Bible to see Jesus.
2. Read your Bible to meet with Jesus.
3. Read your Bible to submit to Jesus.

2 applications for the church scattered:

1. Look to the Bible to inform our relationships.
2. Look to the Bible to be our source of counsel.

1 application for the church gathered:

1. The Sunday gathering of the local church is to be centered around the Word of God.

Discussion Questions/Application

Personal application:

• Read and review Tyler’s “4 Key Texts” (above) and the “Additional Passages Referenced” (below) from this week’s message.

• What is your aim in studying the Scriptures? How will you seek to behold Christ this week rather than just rushing through your readings?

Discuss with your community group:

• What is your current disposition towards God? Are you reading your Bible to see Jesus, meet with Jesus, and to submit to Jesus? Encourage one another in your attitudes and application of God’s Word!

• What is your group’s plan to excel still more in counseling one another biblically?

Additional Passages Referenced

Psalm 19:1; Romans 1:20; John 1:1, 14; 2 Corinthians 3:18; 1 Samuel 16:7; Psalm 103:8, 13-14; Isaiah 53; John 10:11-18; Matthew 5-7; 1 Peter 5:5; Romans 10:17; Hebrews 4:14-16; Proverbs 16:25.