Habits of Grace by David Mathis
The Christian book, Habits of Grace, by David Mathis provides a great reminder and set of new challenges for a Christian seeking to sharpen their spiritual disciplines.
There is the reminder to preach to yourself the gospel, page 41. This helps us find responses to life in our fallen world Mathis states. We must pause and take in the truth of the gospel, great advice, even as long time Christ followers.
Beyond merely 'inductive Bible study' he recommends asking an old saint how they read the Bible. This often includes less "formal instruction" and more learning the craft and art of what gets us deeply in God's word. There is no quick fix program, even though popular programs abound. A great word in itself there.
Meditation on God's Word. Believers are to reflect deeply on the truth of Scripture. This is how we apply it. Merely speed reading or memorizing Scripture is not enough. We read for depth, but ponder over a section or few verses to dig in. Like watching a movie "frame" by "frame."
Quoting a well-known Christian on the disciplines, we find: meditation is deep thinking on the truths and spiritual realities revealed in Scripture for the purposes of understanding, application, and prayer.
This also you can tell carries over from private personal devotions with God into things like small groups/Sunday schools, where more than a cursory reading is needed to really apply truth.
Read all of the Bible. We must be students of more than just our favorite part of Scripture. This is a good word to our Christian sub-cultures in the West. Often certain groups or persons stick to just one area. There's the same unchanging God in each section though, if handled properly.
This book continues to get better and better. Highly recommended to any Christian young or old in the faith. It can be gotten anywhere books are sold, but also is found at it's publisher's site, Crossway. God bless!
There is the reminder to preach to yourself the gospel, page 41. This helps us find responses to life in our fallen world Mathis states. We must pause and take in the truth of the gospel, great advice, even as long time Christ followers.
Beyond merely 'inductive Bible study' he recommends asking an old saint how they read the Bible. This often includes less "formal instruction" and more learning the craft and art of what gets us deeply in God's word. There is no quick fix program, even though popular programs abound. A great word in itself there.
Meditation on God's Word. Believers are to reflect deeply on the truth of Scripture. This is how we apply it. Merely speed reading or memorizing Scripture is not enough. We read for depth, but ponder over a section or few verses to dig in. Like watching a movie "frame" by "frame."
Quoting a well-known Christian on the disciplines, we find: meditation is deep thinking on the truths and spiritual realities revealed in Scripture for the purposes of understanding, application, and prayer.
This also you can tell carries over from private personal devotions with God into things like small groups/Sunday schools, where more than a cursory reading is needed to really apply truth.
Read all of the Bible. We must be students of more than just our favorite part of Scripture. This is a good word to our Christian sub-cultures in the West. Often certain groups or persons stick to just one area. There's the same unchanging God in each section though, if handled properly.
This book continues to get better and better. Highly recommended to any Christian young or old in the faith. It can be gotten anywhere books are sold, but also is found at it's publisher's site, Crossway. God bless!
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