Expectations of the Bible

What do you expect from the Bible?

• Is it simply an ancient wisdom text that can give you interesting insight?

• Is it a history book to help you piece together the story of God?

• Is it a biography of God, revealing who He is and how He acts?

Hebrews 4:12 states:

"For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart."

The difference between the Bible and every other book is that the Word of God is living and active. That means we are constantly gaining new, fresh, and deeper understanding from the Word of God.

Is that what you think is going to happen when you read your Bible?

• Do you really expect that your life could be changed by the next verse you read?

• Do you wonder if God is going to reveal something about your real life in this leather-bound book?

We must raise our expectations of the Bible because the Bible is both the guidebook for our lives and the foundation of our hope.

Did you know that reading the Bible regularly has real and noticeable effects on your life?

Here is some data from people who read their Bibles four or more times a week:

• A reduction in loneliness by 30%

• A reduction in anger by 32%

• A reduction in bitterness by 40%

• A reduction in abuse of alcohol by 57%

• A reduction in pornography usage by 61%

• A reduction in spiritual stagnation by 60%

What if the problem is not the church you attend, how much you feel God in worship, the preacher, or the worship style? What if it is our failure to use what is right in front of us? What if we are failing to realize what we already have?

Engaging the Bible has real effects.

It changes your life.

Maybe we should stop expecting the Bible to merely inform us and start expecting it to transform us.