Tag Archives: Bible study

Abide in God’s Word

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Jesus said, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32). To be a genuine disciple of Jesus Christ, rather than one in name only, requires abiding in his word. That’s what Jesus Christ himself said. That means a real disciple of Christ, a real Christian, is one who abides in — continues in, or lives according to — the teachings of Christ. And one of the teachings of Christ is that we are to live “by every word of God” (Luke 4:4).

Is it your desire to be a true disciple of Jesus? If so, it’s absolutely vital that you abide not merely in some particular organization of men, or a religious tradition imposed by the flawed teachings or reasonings of men, but in God’s word, correctly understood.

Discover keys that can help you enter into God’s kingdom as you abide in his word.

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How to Study and Understand the Bible (part 2)

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Jesus said, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed” (John 8:31). The “word of God” has been preserved in the Scriptures, the Holy Bible. In it are found the words, the teachings, of Jesus Christ, and the words of God sent to the prophets and others and which together make up the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. Paul wrote to Timothy, “… from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (II Timothy 3:15-17). If we are to abide in God’s word, if we are to be indeed the disciples of Christ, if we desire the salvation spoken of in the Bible, we need to diligently study the Bible so we can learn of its teachings and apply them in our lives as our knowledge of God and genuine godly faith grows. The second part of the message “How to Study and Understand the Bible”, providing keys to help guide listeners to effective Bible study is posted here.

Copyright © 2025 by Messenger Church of God

Unless otherwise noted Scripture taken from the New King James VersionTM
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission.

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Messenger Church of God
PO Box 619
Wentzville, MO 63385
USA

How to Study and Understand the Bible (part 1)

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The word disciple is often used of the followers of Jesus Christ in the New Testament. “Disciple” in English versions of the New Testament is translated from the Greek mathētḗs, which means a learner, student. “A ‘disciple’ was not only a pupil, but an adherent; hence they are spoken of as imitators of their teacher” (Vines Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words). Jesus commanded “Learn from me” (Matthew 11:29). The Greek word from which “Learn” is translated in this verse is in the imperative mood, the mood of command. Jesus Christ is our teacher (Matthew 10:24-25), we are commanded to learn from him, to be his students, and adherents, learning and following his teachings.
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Stir Up the Spirit

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On the Feast of Pentecost following the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ the Holy Spirit was poured out in a spectacular way on the apostles, there were signs and miracles, and many were converted and received the Holy Spirit on that day and days following.

God’s Spirit is available to anyone who is willing to believe the true gospel, repent of sin and be baptized. But once having received the Spirit of God, one must nurture it, and stir it up to retain it and bear the fruits of God’s Spirit as he would have us to.

Listen to “Stir up the Spirit,” as Rod Reynolds explores this subject from Scripture, how it’s done, and to what end, and related questions.

“Stir Up the Spirit” audio recording by Rod Reynolds, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Messenger Church of God
PO Box 619
Wentzville, MO 63385
USA

cogmessenger.org


Make Your Calling and Election Sure

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Scripture warns of perilous times to come in the “last days” of this age (2 Timothy 3:1-5). We need to be prepared spiritually to meet the challenges we face in an age of increasing lawlessness and conflict (1 Peter 1:3-11).

We are warned by Jesus Christ not to let ourselves become spiritually lethargic, lukewarm, lacking in zeal (Revelation 3:14-19). While we do not know the precise time of the second coming of Christ, we should be able to discern the signs of the times we live in (Matthew 16:3). We cannot afford to allow complacency to cause us to stumble as the world becomes ever more hostile to and removed from genuine reverence toward God, and respect for his commandments.

In this message trends in the world are reviewed, and we consider encouragement and admonitions from the Bible to help us make our calling and election sure (cf 2 Peter 1:10).

“Make Your Calling and Election Sure,” a sermon by Rod Reynolds, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

Copyright © 2023 Messenger Church of God

cogmessenger.org

Messenger Church of God
PO Box 619
Wentzville, MO 63385
USA