Week Three

Leaping into the Bible

Watching cyclists fix their bikes at the side of the trail during a race can be so inspiring! To see them manage their adrenaline and know how to use their tools to solve problems and get going! But it isn't just cyclists who know how to use the tools of their trade. Bakers know just which cake tins or spoons to use, musicians which instruments to achieve the sound they are aiming for. There are lots of different areas in our lives where knowing how to use the tools of our trade is essential to living well. It is the same with our faith and this week we want to get to know the tool of our Bibles better. The Bible is of course much more than a ‘tool’ (like it is more than a book!) but, like a handy gadget for the cyclist at the roadside, the Bible is a fantastic resource in our faith toolkit. So, what exactly is the equipment of our faith we pick up when we open the Bible? What kind of tool is the Bible, and how does it grow the muscles of our faith?

SEEDS TO SOW: What books of the Bible do you find yourself going back to time and again? If you’ve not read the Bible before, or not for a long time, what parts interest or intrigue you?

Read Psalm 19: 7-11

The enthusiasm and passion shines through these ancient words but some of the terms and imagery are odd and unusual!

How do you feel reading these words? How do we make sense of them?

Read Ephesians 6: 11-17

What are our experiences of the word of God being the 'sword of the spirit'? Have there been any occasions when specific scriptures have helped you?

Read 2 Timothy 3: 16-17

How do we connect with the Bible as inspired from God? How is it similar and different to other books?