WEBVTT 00:00:04.830 --> 00:00:06.953 Welcome to the Lone Star Church podcast. 00:00:06.953 --> 00:00:15.050 Pastors CF and Nicole Rady are here to share the Word of God with you each week, helping you grasp the fullness of God's plan for your life. 00:00:15.050 --> 00:00:17.908 We hope you'll be blessed by this week's message. 00:00:17.908 --> 00:00:24.010 If you live in Northwest Missouri or Southern Iowa, we invite you to join us in person on a Sunday morning. 00:00:24.010 --> 00:00:31.469 For more information about us, visit our website at lonestarchurchorg or find us on Facebook, instagram or YouTube. 00:00:38.740 --> 00:00:48.011 We're going to talk about the Word today, the importance of the Bible in our life, and so let's go over to Matthew, chapter 4 and verse 4. 00:00:48.011 --> 00:00:50.344 Matthew 4.4. 00:00:50.344 --> 00:00:53.969 We're going to look at Jesus speaking here. 00:00:53.969 --> 00:01:10.072 So, as we look at Jesus and we go over to Matthew 4.4, if you remember, in John 1, we're going to read Matthew 4.4, but in John1 the Bible says that the word was with God, that the word was always with God. 00:01:10.072 --> 00:01:15.433 And then in John 1, it goes on later to say that Jesus was the word made flesh. 00:01:15.433 --> 00:01:21.566 Jesus was the word in bodily form, so he was the word. 00:01:21.566 --> 00:01:27.305 And so here, jesus had been out fasting for 40 days and now he comes back. 00:01:27.305 --> 00:01:30.191 He's physically weak, but he wasn't spiritually weak. 00:01:30.191 --> 00:01:33.408 I know you can be physically weak but not spiritually weak. 00:01:33.408 --> 00:01:39.507 But in reverse, you can be physically strong and it doesn't necessarily mean you're spiritually strong. 00:01:40.820 --> 00:01:44.490 Jesus had built up his spirit and the enemy was tempting him. 00:01:44.490 --> 00:01:47.266 Anyone ever been tempted before by anything? 00:01:47.266 --> 00:01:49.111 Right, we get tempted. 00:01:49.111 --> 00:01:54.951 Temptation walks into my house, sometimes in a pink box with cookies in it. 00:01:54.951 --> 00:02:00.900 Jesus was tempted by the devil. 00:02:01.180 --> 00:02:05.272 And every time Jesus was tempted he would say this it is written. 00:02:05.272 --> 00:02:06.521 How do you know? 00:02:06.521 --> 00:02:08.788 You can't say it is written if you don't know what's written. 00:02:08.788 --> 00:02:13.348 If you don't know what's written, you can't say what is written. 00:02:13.348 --> 00:02:19.441 But this is what Jesus said it is written man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. 00:02:19.441 --> 00:02:20.883 So what's Jesus telling us here? 00:02:20.883 --> 00:02:25.993 Jesus is telling us that the Bible, the Word of God, is food to our spirits. 00:02:25.993 --> 00:02:28.203 It's food to our spirits. 00:02:28.203 --> 00:02:34.270 So, whether you know it or not, according to the Bible, god is what we call the Trinity. 00:02:34.270 --> 00:02:37.781 The word Trinity is not in the Bible, but Trinity meaning triune, god. 00:02:37.781 --> 00:02:41.406 He is Father, son and Holy Spirit. 00:02:41.406 --> 00:02:47.241 All three are God, right, equally, in three different persons of God Father, son, holy Spirit. 00:02:47.241 --> 00:02:48.828 Well, we're created in the image of God. 00:02:48.828 --> 00:02:50.174 And so, guess what? 00:02:50.174 --> 00:02:53.346 You are a three-part being, just like God is a three-part being. 00:02:53.346 --> 00:02:56.254 You are spirit, soul and body. 00:02:56.254 --> 00:03:00.044 And the Bible gives it in that order spirit, soul and body. 00:03:00.044 --> 00:03:08.080 Okay, most of the time, if you see, like some spa, they're like oh, this spa, we cater to the whole body, soul and spirit. 00:03:08.080 --> 00:03:11.530 The world will always put body first and spirit last. 00:03:11.530 --> 00:03:12.861 But the Bible, right? 00:03:12.882 --> 00:03:14.104 Paul wrote to the Thessalonians. 00:03:14.104 --> 00:03:16.187 He said spirit, soul and body. 00:03:16.187 --> 00:03:17.150 So you're a spirit. 00:03:17.150 --> 00:03:18.292 Guess what? 00:03:18.292 --> 00:03:19.234 Everyone is a spirit. 00:03:19.234 --> 00:03:20.581 You get born again. 00:03:20.581 --> 00:03:25.332 You get a brand new, recreated spirit on the inside, created in the image of God. 00:03:26.561 --> 00:03:27.543 You have a soul. 00:03:27.543 --> 00:03:30.088 Your soul is this your mind, will and emotions. 00:03:30.088 --> 00:03:35.347 And you live in a body which Paul calls it the tent or the house you live in. 00:03:35.347 --> 00:03:39.402 So this flesh that you're in, that's not the real you. 00:03:39.402 --> 00:03:42.692 This isn't the you that's going to live forever. 00:03:42.692 --> 00:03:46.127 The real you is the spirit you. 00:03:46.240 --> 00:03:51.986 That's why sometimes Paul said things like this I do what I don't want to do. 00:03:51.986 --> 00:03:57.526 You ever read that scripture and you're like what has Paul got? 00:03:57.526 --> 00:04:00.667 Personality disorder, what I do, what I don't want to do? 00:04:00.667 --> 00:04:07.163 No, what he's saying is my flesh sometimes makes decisions that my spirit knows is wrong. 00:04:07.163 --> 00:04:14.984 You ever make a decision you knew was wrong as a kid, as an adult, I do what I don't want to do. 00:04:14.984 --> 00:04:23.108 So you're a three-part being, and here Jesus says what you feed your spirit and also, ultimately, your soul. 00:04:23.108 --> 00:04:25.411 Right, your mind is the word of God. 00:04:25.411 --> 00:04:33.048 Well, how long do you think you would last at work if you didn't feed your body during the week? 00:04:33.048 --> 00:04:37.180 How long do you think you'd last? 00:04:37.180 --> 00:04:43.113 You ever skip a meal because you're too busy, and then you're like man, I'm hungry. 00:04:43.113 --> 00:04:45.021 You get to dinner. 00:04:45.021 --> 00:04:46.185 You're like man, I'm hungry. 00:04:46.185 --> 00:04:49.432 Some of you ate every meal, man, I'm hungry. 00:04:49.432 --> 00:05:08.230 Well, brother Hagin said it this way Sometimes right, we'll feed our body three hot meals a day, but we'll give our spirit one cold snack a week, sunday morning, and so we need to feed ourselves on the bread. 00:05:08.230 --> 00:05:14.262 Right, man doesn't live by bread alone, but the bread of the word, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. 00:05:14.283 --> 00:05:26.963 So I was in Louisiana a couple weeks ago and I was speaking with my friend, pastor Chris Romine, who was here with Gary Hennepin last year, and we were up late, because that's what we tend to do when we get together at meetings. 00:05:26.963 --> 00:05:39.461 We go to meetings and then we go back to the hotel and sit down in the lobby until about 12, 30, 1 o'clock in the morning, and thankfully Olive was with me, but she was with some friends that night so I could stay out as late as I wanted to. 00:05:39.461 --> 00:05:43.709 And I know you can stay out late and be talking about the Bible. 00:05:43.709 --> 00:05:48.627 You don't have to be drinking or smoking something, you can stay out late talking about the Bible. 00:05:48.627 --> 00:05:56.446 And so we were just talking and he mentioned a study that he had recently seen and he actually sent me the link. 00:05:56.446 --> 00:06:13.904 And so there is an organization called the Center for Bible Engagement the Center for Bible Engagement and they did a study, a poll, with 40,000 people in the United States from all different ages, from young ages all the way up to like 80 or 85, I think is what the study said. 00:06:13.904 --> 00:06:28.762 And so they polled believers, born-again people, christians, and this is what they found People that read the Bible one time a week, so just one time a week and many times, that's. 00:06:28.802 --> 00:06:31.310 If you go to church, right, pastor says, open up your Bible. 00:06:31.310 --> 00:06:36.089 As we look at scripture, reading your Bible one time a week did make a difference in your life. 00:06:36.089 --> 00:06:42.331 But taking this poll asking people what was going on in their life, it was negligible, meaning it was very low. 00:06:42.331 --> 00:06:50.507 The difference it made People that read the Bible two days a week again, it was very negligible, almost no difference between one day and two days. 00:06:50.507 --> 00:06:53.346 People that read their Bibles three days a week. 00:06:53.346 --> 00:06:56.492 There was a blip, a heartbeat. 00:06:56.492 --> 00:06:59.127 There was some noticeable difference. 00:06:59.127 --> 00:07:03.149 When they polled people, there was some noticeable difference in their life if you read the Bible three days a week. 00:07:03.149 --> 00:07:08.812 People who read their Bible four days a week, right? 00:07:08.812 --> 00:07:10.505 So we've been watching this chart. 00:07:10.505 --> 00:07:10.966 It's here. 00:07:10.966 --> 00:07:11.670 It's here. 00:07:11.670 --> 00:07:14.242 It goes up just a little on third day Four days a week. 00:07:14.242 --> 00:07:15.286 It did this. 00:07:15.286 --> 00:07:20.466 It went off the charts Reading your Bible four days a week all of a sudden. 00:07:20.466 --> 00:07:23.122 It wasn't a gradual change, it just took off. 00:07:23.704 --> 00:07:25.228 People that read their Bible at least four days a week. 00:07:25.228 --> 00:07:29.482 Things changed drastically in their lives. 00:07:29.482 --> 00:07:32.228 Man doesn't live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. 00:07:32.228 --> 00:07:34.892 So you want to know some things that were impacted. 00:07:34.892 --> 00:07:37.182 Listen to this. 00:07:37.423 --> 00:07:40.430 Feeling lonely People that read their Bible at least four days a week. 00:07:40.430 --> 00:07:46.870 The feeling of loneliness dropped by 30%. 00:07:46.870 --> 00:07:49.180 Anger issues Anyone ever deal with anger issues? 00:07:49.180 --> 00:07:51.204 You don't have to raise your hand, right? 00:07:51.204 --> 00:07:55.533 God bless you if you do right, I raise both hands. 00:07:55.533 --> 00:07:56.000 Fists. 00:07:56.000 --> 00:07:59.927 Anger issues dropped by 32%. 00:08:02.269 --> 00:08:05.576 Bitterness in relationships Anyone ever had any bitterness in relationships? 00:08:05.576 --> 00:08:08.312 Dropped by 40%. 00:08:08.312 --> 00:08:10.709 Chris, amen that and his wife's not here. 00:08:10.709 --> 00:08:15.005 Dropped by 40%. 00:08:15.005 --> 00:08:20.271 Problems with alcoholism 57%. 00:08:20.271 --> 00:08:24.471 Viewing pornography 61%. 00:08:24.471 --> 00:08:26.588 That's a big issue in this country. 00:08:26.588 --> 00:08:27.250 61%. 00:08:27.250 --> 00:08:29.076 Viewing pornography 61% that's a big issue in this country. 00:08:29.076 --> 00:08:29.980 61% here's a big one. 00:08:30.379 --> 00:08:33.690 Feeling spiritually stagnant you ever felt spiritually stagnant, boy? 00:08:33.690 --> 00:08:34.981 I just don't feel like God's moving on. 00:08:34.981 --> 00:08:36.245 I just don't feel like I hear from God. 00:08:36.245 --> 00:08:38.660 I just don't feel like Spiritually stagnant. 00:08:38.660 --> 00:08:40.804 Dropped by 60%. 00:08:40.804 --> 00:08:42.126 I don't know. 00:08:42.126 --> 00:08:43.688 That's a big drop in people. 00:08:43.688 --> 00:08:45.611 How did all those things happen? 00:08:45.611 --> 00:08:47.980 Read your Bible at least four days a week. 00:08:47.980 --> 00:08:50.384 How about some positive things? 00:08:50.384 --> 00:08:53.311 Sharing your faith jumped 200%. 00:08:53.311 --> 00:09:00.047 Discipling others right, building into other Christians' lives jumped 230%. 00:09:00.047 --> 00:09:03.812 One day a week negligible. 00:09:03.812 --> 00:09:04.933 Two days a week negligible. 00:09:04.933 --> 00:09:10.721 Three days a week a little bit better. 00:09:10.721 --> 00:09:11.581 Four days a week it jumped off the charts. 00:09:11.601 --> 00:09:15.807 You say well boy, if we know that, you'd think everyone would just be reading their Bible every day. 00:09:15.807 --> 00:09:17.788 Why don't people read their Bible? 00:09:17.788 --> 00:09:18.909 A number of reasons. 00:09:18.909 --> 00:09:19.431 How many know? 00:09:19.431 --> 00:09:21.293 Usually we've convinced ourselves why we can't. 00:09:21.293 --> 00:09:27.065 One reason is you ever heard this excuse, pastor? 00:09:27.065 --> 00:09:27.326 I would read. 00:09:27.346 --> 00:09:27.871 I just don't have the time. 00:09:27.871 --> 00:09:34.462 If you're like me, your phone this morning sent you a message telling you how many hours you were on your phone. 00:09:34.462 --> 00:09:36.982 I get it right at the beginning. 00:09:36.982 --> 00:09:37.716 I don't know why. 00:09:37.716 --> 00:09:39.222 The way mine's set up, it's good for me. 00:09:39.222 --> 00:09:46.259 Right before our 9 am service, in fact, I was sitting in the back and Olive saw it pop up and she called me on it. 00:09:46.259 --> 00:09:48.817 She goes Dad, but I told her. 00:09:48.817 --> 00:09:55.889 I said, olive, I read my Bible on my phone, I read my Christian books, the books I study on my phone. 00:09:55.889 --> 00:10:03.743 I said I'm also on it or so, but no, not all those, right, not all those eight hours or whatever it was. 00:10:03.743 --> 00:10:09.620 But would everyone agree, you got time? 00:10:09.620 --> 00:10:19.717 You got time? 00:10:19.717 --> 00:10:23.528 Do you think being on Instagram four days a week causes things to change in your life for the better? 00:10:23.528 --> 00:10:35.669 Being on Facebook, being on Twitter, being on TikTok, being on whatever others are available LinkedIn, I don't know, that may help you a little bit, right, but reading your Bible all of a sudden, four days a week. 00:10:36.095 --> 00:10:51.148 And so Chris and I, and our friend Anthony, who's there, who does video production for Pastor Mark and has worked with the Copeland's things we were sitting down there talking, and so Chris said that God really laid on his heart to read through the Bible as many times in a year as he can. 00:10:51.148 --> 00:10:52.729 So you can get a Bible app. 00:10:52.729 --> 00:10:59.231 You can get a Bible 365 day Bible and you can read through, and it'll give you a plan to read through, and I think that would be great. 00:10:59.231 --> 00:11:04.860 I think if you could read through the Bible one time a year, that would be awesome, okay. 00:11:04.860 --> 00:11:19.613 So what Chris said, what he had started doing, is if you read four chapters in the Old Testament and four chapters in the New Testament a day, that's eight chapters, and I'll say that's a lot, that's a lot. 00:11:19.613 --> 00:11:22.042 Okay, I'm not asking you, I'm just telling you what he did. 00:11:22.042 --> 00:11:32.924 Because he said if you'll do that, four chapters old, four chapters new a day, you'll read through the Old Testament twice in a year and you'll read through the New Testament four times in a year. 00:11:32.924 --> 00:11:35.118 Think, stuff like that make a difference. 00:11:35.118 --> 00:11:40.477 I'd encourage you look, read part of a chapter, read a chapter. 00:11:40.477 --> 00:11:48.222 What I start doing is I do one old, one new, one chapter of Psalms, one chapter in Proverbs, which is kind of similar to a lot of Bible reading plans. 00:11:48.222 --> 00:11:54.221 Is what they'll have you do and then, honestly, if within my day I have more, I'll read a couple of chapters going on. 00:11:55.663 --> 00:12:05.005 I've always read my Bible to study and prepare and get things ready, but I had gotten away from the habit of just reading my Bible to get the Bible read. 00:12:05.005 --> 00:12:09.652 Because here's what happened Anyone ever just tried to read your I'm reading the Bible. 00:12:09.652 --> 00:12:10.214 You don't have a plan. 00:12:10.214 --> 00:12:11.320 You're just like I'm going to read the Bible. 00:12:11.320 --> 00:12:17.360 So you open the Bible up, you start reading in Genesis and you're like, man, this is great, right, creation, Adam and Eve. 00:12:17.360 --> 00:12:21.168 You get to Noah, you get to Abraham, right. 00:12:21.168 --> 00:12:22.416 And Isaac, jacob, joseph. 00:12:22.416 --> 00:12:27.783 And you get to Moses and you're like, man, this is, these are interesting stories and it's really good. 00:12:27.783 --> 00:12:28.803 And you get to Exodus. 00:12:28.803 --> 00:12:30.125 You're like, oh, that's just like the movie. 00:12:30.125 --> 00:12:33.470 The Ten Commandments and Moses and Joshua, right. 00:12:33.470 --> 00:12:37.443 And so you go Genesis, exodus, right. 00:12:37.654 --> 00:12:39.822 And all of a sudden you get through stuff and you get to Leviticus. 00:12:39.822 --> 00:12:44.048 You get to Leviticus, you're like I don't get Leviticus. 00:12:44.048 --> 00:12:50.116 Leviticus is just weirdness, I don't get it, it's just, I'm just not even going to read it. 00:12:50.116 --> 00:12:58.567 Or maybe you say, okay, you get to a certain part and you're like, okay, I'm done with the Old Testament, I'm going to leave, I'll put the Old Testament on pause. 00:12:58.567 --> 00:12:59.508 I'm on the New Testament. 00:12:59.508 --> 00:13:01.210 Let me go to Matthew. 00:13:01.210 --> 00:13:10.120 Go to Matthew, and here's what Matthew starts with right and so-and-so begat, so-and-so read that I'm just going to sit down here. 00:13:10.120 --> 00:13:12.682 So you just start throwing out parts of the Bible. 00:13:14.404 --> 00:13:19.229 And so Chris and I we were talking and he said you know, people don't read because they feel like I just don't understand it. 00:13:19.229 --> 00:13:21.650 He said this is what I've encouraged people to do. 00:13:21.650 --> 00:13:25.956 Who cares if you understand it, just read it. 00:13:25.956 --> 00:13:26.979 And something clicked in me. 00:13:26.979 --> 00:13:30.302 I'm like boy we've told people, hey, if you don't understand, just skip over and come back to it. 00:13:30.302 --> 00:13:31.403 No, just read it. 00:13:31.403 --> 00:13:33.667 It's getting in your spirit. 00:13:33.667 --> 00:13:36.551 Whether you understand it in your mind or not, it's getting in your spirit. 00:13:36.551 --> 00:13:38.501 And before you read, here's a great thing to do. 00:13:38.722 --> 00:13:39.605 Who wrote the Bible? 00:13:39.605 --> 00:13:40.308 God? 00:13:40.308 --> 00:13:41.432 Who's God? 00:13:41.432 --> 00:13:42.796 The Holy Spirit is God. 00:13:42.796 --> 00:13:44.638 The Bible says it was God-breathed. 00:13:44.638 --> 00:13:47.481 The Holy Spirit inspired men of old to write the Bible. 00:13:47.481 --> 00:13:48.482 Well, why don't you? 00:13:48.482 --> 00:13:51.466 Just because you have the guy that wrote it living on the inside of you. 00:13:51.466 --> 00:13:59.725 How much better would that have been when you were in school if you had the Mifflin guy Dunder Mifflin right sitting by you. 00:13:59.725 --> 00:14:01.221 They wrote most of the textbooks. 00:14:01.221 --> 00:14:02.620 You're like, hey, can you explain this to me? 00:14:02.620 --> 00:14:04.519 He's like, oh yeah, I wrote that. 00:14:04.519 --> 00:14:05.482 Let me just tell you about that. 00:14:05.482 --> 00:14:08.423 You got the one that wrote it on the inside of you. 00:14:08.423 --> 00:14:14.799 Just say you just say, holy Spirit, help me understand this. 00:14:14.799 --> 00:14:16.688 And even if you still don't get it in your mind, you're getting it in your spirit. 00:14:16.708 --> 00:14:17.572 The other thing I do in reading the Bible. 00:14:17.572 --> 00:14:22.668 That is the only book that I do this with now that I'm an adult is I read it out loud. 00:14:22.668 --> 00:14:25.275 I like reading the Bible out loud. 00:14:25.275 --> 00:14:30.727 I sit, I come up to my office up here at church throughout the week and I read it out loud. 00:14:30.727 --> 00:14:35.659 Why Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. 00:14:35.659 --> 00:14:36.663 When I read the Bible, what am I doing? 00:14:36.663 --> 00:14:36.965 I'm hearing. 00:14:36.965 --> 00:14:40.458 I'm hearing myself read the Bible, so I'm helping build my faith up. 00:14:40.458 --> 00:14:41.000 Amen. 00:14:41.000 --> 00:14:47.037 And so we see, if I read the Bible four days a week, so today, right, what are we? 00:14:47.037 --> 00:14:49.600 March 16th 2025. 00:14:49.961 --> 00:15:05.201 If you say I'm going to make an effort to read the Bible at least four days a week, I know that's just barely over half, right, that's not like even a great percentage, right, you're barely passing the test at four. 00:15:05.201 --> 00:15:09.666 But four, we know, starts to really make a difference in our life. 00:15:09.666 --> 00:15:14.696 It'd be great if you said seven, right. 00:15:14.696 --> 00:15:16.461 But what if we just said we're going to start at four? 00:15:16.461 --> 00:15:18.166 I'm going to read a chapter in the Bible. 00:15:18.166 --> 00:15:21.158 It doesn't matter if I don't get it. 00:15:21.158 --> 00:15:27.504 It doesn't matter, because what we've done is we've said things like this Well, you know, it's really not helping you if you don't really get it. 00:15:28.695 --> 00:15:29.456 No, it is helping you. 00:15:29.456 --> 00:15:30.941 It is helping you. 00:15:30.941 --> 00:15:38.927 You may not understand how it's helping you, but you'll start to see how it's helping you if you'll be dedicated and faithful to it. 00:15:38.927 --> 00:15:40.618 How many of you think you could do that? 00:15:40.618 --> 00:15:43.495 Four times a week, you could read the Bible right. 00:15:43.495 --> 00:15:46.503 So it means, maybe, spend a little less time on your phone. 00:15:46.503 --> 00:15:50.519 Maybe it means you sleep 15, 20, 30 minutes less. 00:15:50.519 --> 00:15:57.825 Maybe it means every day when everyone else at work is eating lunch, you don't eat lunch four days a week and you read your Bible. 00:15:57.825 --> 00:16:03.038 I don't know about that. 00:16:03.038 --> 00:16:06.144 I mean, pastor, I got to eat. 00:16:06.144 --> 00:16:08.129 Well, your spirit has to eat. 00:16:08.856 --> 00:16:21.528 Problem is you've been starving your spirit and wondering why your life's falling apart, why your relationships fall apart, why everything you put your hand to fails because you're starving the part of you that really brings success in your life. 00:16:21.528 --> 00:16:25.926 You thought making your body look real good was going to bring great success in your life. 00:16:25.926 --> 00:16:27.479 Hey, take care of our bodies. 00:16:27.479 --> 00:16:30.655 We should Right Number one. 00:16:30.655 --> 00:16:31.840 That's where your spirit's living. 00:16:31.840 --> 00:16:40.201 You've got to make sure your body's capable of getting you to church and getting you up and getting you places, but your spirit, you gotta it's. 00:16:40.201 --> 00:16:47.934 It's that, that inward man that's driving the things in your life, and if you're only taking care of the outward and not the inward, you get into trouble. 00:16:47.934 --> 00:16:50.659 You, you've got to get in the word. 00:16:50.681 --> 00:16:54.688 Let let's go over to Hebrews, chapter 4 and verse 12. 00:16:54.688 --> 00:16:56.379 Hebrews 4 and verse 12. 00:16:56.379 --> 00:16:58.804 Praise the Lord. 00:16:58.804 --> 00:16:59.466 Thank you, lord. 00:16:59.466 --> 00:17:05.319 Hebrews 4.12. 00:17:06.934 --> 00:17:08.161 So listen to what the writer of Hebrews says. 00:17:08.161 --> 00:17:10.001 It says for the word, talking about the Bible. 00:17:10.001 --> 00:17:11.954 The word of God is living. 00:17:11.954 --> 00:17:20.842 It is the only book you possess that is living, right, every other book you own is a dead book. 00:17:20.842 --> 00:17:22.686 But the word of God is living. 00:17:22.686 --> 00:17:24.340 It's powerful. 00:17:24.340 --> 00:17:27.861 It's sharper than any two-edged sword. 00:17:27.861 --> 00:17:34.365 Right, it's the only offensive weapon that we have in the armor of God, the word. 00:17:34.365 --> 00:17:38.461 It's a sword Piercing even to the division of soul and spirit. 00:17:38.461 --> 00:17:43.059 A lot of people struggle with the definition of the soul and spirit here in Hebrews 4.12. 00:17:43.059 --> 00:17:44.423 Well, guess what? 00:17:44.423 --> 00:17:47.757 You really start to see how the soul and spirit are different. 00:17:47.757 --> 00:17:53.749 When you get into the word right, you're able to have a better understanding of that. 00:17:53.749 --> 00:17:57.463 It's a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. 00:17:57.463 --> 00:18:00.958 It's living. 00:18:00.958 --> 00:18:04.026 It's powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword. 00:18:04.026 --> 00:18:09.487 When Jesus said it is written, that was him coming back against the enemy. 00:18:09.487 --> 00:18:12.423 Well, again, you can't say it is written if you don't know what was written. 00:18:12.423 --> 00:18:16.681 You've got to get in the Word, you've got to see what it's saying. 00:18:16.681 --> 00:18:19.361 Word of God is living. 00:18:20.955 --> 00:18:28.044 If you'll approach reading the Bible when you open up that, how many of you like to read in life? 00:18:28.044 --> 00:18:30.281 Just like, you enjoy reading books? 00:18:30.281 --> 00:18:33.483 Right, and there are maybe certain types of books you like to read. 00:18:33.483 --> 00:18:37.404 My children have all been pretty good readers. 00:18:37.404 --> 00:18:45.721 Lucy really loves to read and there are certain types of books Lucy likes to read just personally, on her own right, in her own personal time. 00:18:45.721 --> 00:18:49.840 Well, a lot of people will be like, yeah, I like to read. 00:18:49.840 --> 00:18:53.748 You know Harlequin novels, you know, as long as Fabio's on the front, I like to read Harlequin novels. 00:18:53.748 --> 00:18:55.531 As long as Fabio's on the front, I really enjoy it. 00:18:55.531 --> 00:18:58.654 Comic books right, I like to read comic books. 00:18:58.654 --> 00:19:00.722 I used to like to read comic books when I was a kid. 00:19:03.217 --> 00:19:08.723 Well, a lot of times, people, when it comes down to a textbook or things, those aren't manuals. 00:19:08.723 --> 00:19:10.279 People don't really enjoy that. 00:19:10.279 --> 00:19:12.376 And a lot of people look at the Bible like that. 00:19:12.376 --> 00:19:14.460 It's like a manual, it's like a textbook. 00:19:14.460 --> 00:19:16.001 You're like I wouldn't read. 00:19:16.001 --> 00:19:20.887 Well, if you approach it that way, you're not going to want to read it. 00:19:20.887 --> 00:19:34.556 But what if you approach the Bible and you said you know what that book is living? 00:19:34.556 --> 00:19:34.997 That book is powerful. 00:19:34.997 --> 00:19:35.758 That book is a weapon in my hands. 00:19:35.758 --> 00:19:36.881 It's a weapon when it comes out of my mouth. 00:19:36.881 --> 00:19:38.083 Amen, that book's going to help me prosper and get better. 00:19:38.083 --> 00:19:39.125 I think you'd look at it differently. 00:19:40.207 --> 00:19:49.928 We know the word of God is God-breathed, right Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 16, 17. 00:19:49.928 --> 00:19:50.789 Let's look at it real quick. 00:19:50.789 --> 00:20:05.214 2 Timothy, I want to get to where I want to go, praise the Lord, but I don't want to leave something out. 00:20:05.214 --> 00:20:07.738 Praise the Lord. 00:20:07.738 --> 00:20:11.963 In 2 Timothy 3, 2 Timothy 3, verse 16, listen to this. 00:20:11.963 --> 00:20:15.028 It says all scripture is given by inspiration of God. 00:20:15.028 --> 00:20:16.769 It is profitable. 00:20:16.769 --> 00:20:20.220 I know the Bible, the Word of God, is profitable for your life. 00:20:20.220 --> 00:20:25.582 It's profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. 00:20:25.582 --> 00:20:26.471 Why? 00:20:26.471 --> 00:20:26.611 That? 00:20:26.611 --> 00:20:29.681 The man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. 00:20:29.681 --> 00:20:32.278 So God says look, all Scripture is God-breathed. 00:20:32.278 --> 00:20:33.855 He breathed it. 00:20:33.855 --> 00:20:35.452 What's it good for? 00:20:35.452 --> 00:20:36.498 It's good for everything. 00:20:36.498 --> 00:20:38.253 It's good to teach you. 00:20:38.253 --> 00:20:39.878 It's good to guide you. 00:20:39.878 --> 00:20:41.215 It's good to direct you. 00:20:41.215 --> 00:20:42.733 It's good to teach you. 00:20:42.733 --> 00:20:45.784 It's good to guide you, it's good to direct you, it's good to equip you, it's good to make you complete. 00:20:45.784 --> 00:20:46.385 Praise the Lord. 00:20:46.385 --> 00:20:49.476 So look at this one, psalm 119. 00:20:49.476 --> 00:20:51.622 We didn't look at this first service, but I want to get there real quick. 00:20:51.622 --> 00:20:54.945 Psalm 119 and verse 105. 00:20:54.945 --> 00:20:58.138 Now we're going to move on and wrap this up. 00:20:58.138 --> 00:21:03.642 Praise the Lord, psalm 119 and verse 105. 00:21:06.611 --> 00:21:08.596 Tell you what you go to read the Psalms you get to the day. 00:21:08.596 --> 00:21:09.921 You got to read Psalm 119. 00:21:09.921 --> 00:21:17.380 You'll know you've been reading Psalm 119, verse 105. 00:21:17.380 --> 00:21:18.722 Look what it says. 00:21:18.722 --> 00:21:20.535 It says your word. 00:21:20.535 --> 00:21:21.501 Everybody say your word. 00:21:21.501 --> 00:21:22.770 Talking about the word of God. 00:21:22.770 --> 00:21:24.013 Your word is what? 00:21:24.013 --> 00:21:26.839 It's a lamp to my feet, it's a light to my path. 00:21:26.839 --> 00:21:29.814 People that don't read the word are walking in darkness. 00:21:29.814 --> 00:21:35.693 People that don't read the word are trying to figure out where they're going. 00:21:35.693 --> 00:21:41.605 You ever get up and the lights are off right and you're trying to find your way around. 00:21:41.625 --> 00:21:47.117 Olive and I a few weeks ago, psalm 119, 105, olive and I a few weeks ago. 00:21:47.117 --> 00:21:47.740 We're leaving church. 00:21:47.740 --> 00:21:53.969 We were the last ones to leave and it was really dark out right, and there's nothing like country dark, right? 00:21:53.969 --> 00:21:55.820 People who live in the city don't understand country dark. 00:21:55.820 --> 00:21:58.592 They're like, oh, we went and played hide and seek outside and the lights are. 00:21:58.592 --> 00:22:01.696 Yeah, you got streetlights everywhere, country dark. 00:22:01.696 --> 00:22:06.404 So we left and we went down the hill and we were up on the Nix Ridge. 00:22:06.404 --> 00:22:07.952 She said, dad, it is dark. 00:22:07.952 --> 00:22:09.257 I mean no moon, no stars. 00:22:09.257 --> 00:22:09.857 I said yep. 00:22:09.857 --> 00:22:14.096 I said watch this, turn off all the car lights, even the lights inside. 00:22:14.096 --> 00:22:15.680 So what do you see? 00:22:15.680 --> 00:22:16.722 She goes nothing. 00:22:16.722 --> 00:22:21.137 I mean she couldn't see me, I couldn't see her sitting in the car. 00:22:21.137 --> 00:22:28.584 Just turn it back on. 00:22:30.130 --> 00:22:31.553 I know that's how a lot of people are operating in life. 00:22:31.553 --> 00:22:31.712 Why? 00:22:31.712 --> 00:22:32.996 Because they don't have the word in their life. 00:22:32.996 --> 00:22:33.798 What's the word? 00:22:33.798 --> 00:22:36.182 It's a lamp to your feet, it's a light to your path. 00:22:36.182 --> 00:22:41.058 You've been trying to make it in life and you don't have the word showing you where things are. 00:22:41.058 --> 00:22:45.559 No wonder you're always falling into pits. 00:22:45.559 --> 00:22:50.781 No wonder you're always bumping your nose into stuff, stubbing your toe. 00:22:50.781 --> 00:22:52.516 You ever stub your toe in life. 00:22:52.516 --> 00:22:54.695 Well, no wonder you're stubbing your toe in life. 00:22:54.695 --> 00:22:55.598 You don't have the word. 00:22:55.598 --> 00:22:58.337 The word's going to show you where those things are. 00:22:58.337 --> 00:22:59.140 Amen. 00:23:00.152 --> 00:23:00.836 Now think about this. 00:23:00.836 --> 00:23:03.732 Jesus, we said, was the Word made man. 00:23:03.732 --> 00:23:05.715 Now go with me over to Acts, chapter 3. 00:23:05.715 --> 00:23:10.684 Acts, chapter 3, we're going to start in verse 1. 00:23:10.684 --> 00:23:18.255 We're going to look at an example, because it's real easy to say well, yeah, jesus, of course Jesus was the Word and Jesus was able to say it is written. 00:23:18.255 --> 00:23:19.877 But let's look at this. 00:23:19.877 --> 00:23:24.484 So, acts, chapter 3, verse 1. 00:23:24.484 --> 00:23:28.954 So we're going to pick up with Peter and John. 00:23:28.954 --> 00:23:38.601 Okay, so Peter and John spent a lot of time with Jesus, three and a half years with Jesus, and they were two. 00:23:38.601 --> 00:23:46.203 Right, the Bible says Jesus had the 12 disciples, but there were three disciples that he was closer to than others Peter, john and James. 00:23:46.203 --> 00:23:51.798 In fact, there are times in the Gospels you see that he went somewhere and those were the only three that went with him. 00:23:52.820 --> 00:23:59.603 Okay, so Jesus, after his death on the cross and then his resurrection, spent some time with the disciples. 00:23:59.603 --> 00:24:08.863 And in Acts, chapter one we're not going to look at it, but just remember this In Acts 1, he said wait here in Jerusalem until you receive the promise of the Holy Spirit. 00:24:08.863 --> 00:24:17.440 He says when you receive the Holy Spirit, when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, you will receive power when he comes upon you. 00:24:17.440 --> 00:24:29.673 Also, jesus, nicole, we talked about a little at the end of worship, jesus after his resurrection, and even a little at the end of worship Jesus, after his resurrection and even before, in talking with disciples, he said I'm giving you my name, the name of Jesus. 00:24:29.673 --> 00:24:31.096 Pray to the Father in my name. 00:24:31.096 --> 00:24:32.862 Anything you ask in my name will be done. 00:24:32.862 --> 00:24:39.612 So, Jesus, before he left he didn't just leave the disciples with nothing, just well, I'm gone, I'm going to heaven. 00:24:39.612 --> 00:24:40.273 Good luck, fellas. 00:24:40.273 --> 00:24:45.441 He said I'm giving you some equipment to be able to withstand on this earth. 00:24:45.441 --> 00:24:50.356 He gave him his name and he gave him the Holy Spirit who came to live in them, came upon them in power. 00:24:50.356 --> 00:24:52.750 He said you'll receive power when the Holy Spirit's come upon you. 00:24:52.750 --> 00:24:54.051 Okay, so they got that. 00:24:54.092 --> 00:25:01.237 Peter preaches his first message on the day of Pentecost and they go from a church of 150, right to a church of over 3,000. 00:25:01.237 --> 00:25:04.259 That's pretty impressive, amen. 00:25:04.259 --> 00:25:07.342 And so now how do we know they're feeling good? 00:25:07.342 --> 00:25:09.243 Man, you preach your first message. 00:25:09.243 --> 00:25:10.505 3,000 people get born again. 00:25:10.505 --> 00:25:11.726 You're walking into church. 00:25:11.726 --> 00:25:13.887 You got a cane. 00:25:13.887 --> 00:25:18.902 You're like man, I feel good going to church. 00:25:18.902 --> 00:25:21.664 Man, all these people used to make fun of me in Sunday school and all that. 00:25:21.664 --> 00:25:23.747 I just preached my first time. 00:25:23.747 --> 00:25:25.049 3,000 people got saved. 00:25:25.049 --> 00:25:27.576 I got theme music, I'm going. 00:25:27.576 --> 00:25:30.417 So they got something on the inside. 00:25:30.417 --> 00:25:31.915 They're like let's go to church. 00:25:31.915 --> 00:25:36.157 All those people told us things and so they're going into the temple at the hour of prayer. 00:25:36.871 --> 00:25:41.493 Verse 2, please, and a certain man, lame from his mother's womb, was carried. 00:25:41.493 --> 00:25:49.744 So this man, paralyzed, not able to use his legs, they'd carry him, they'd leave him at the gate called Beautiful, where he would beg money at the temple. 00:25:49.744 --> 00:25:50.246 Verse 3. 00:25:50.246 --> 00:25:56.359 Who, seeing Peter and John about to go in the temple, asked them for money, asked for alms. 00:25:56.359 --> 00:26:04.777 Next verse, and fixing his eyes on him with John, peter said look at us, I'm going to ask someone to fill in something on the inside. 00:26:04.777 --> 00:26:11.193 I know if you you ever been places where there's people begging for money and you don't have any. 00:26:11.193 --> 00:26:11.634