"It is written, 'Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.'"  Matthew 4:4

THE PREEMINENCE OF THE SCRIPTURES. No other book is like the Bible. No other book has had more copies published. No other book has been translated into so many languages. No other book has been so widely distributed. No other book has so positively changed so many lives. The Bible is the most important book ever written because it is God's message to us. It is more than inspiring. It is inspired. It is God-breathed. The authors of the Bible were carried along by the Holy Spirit as they wrote. Therefore the Bible is true ... it is accurate ... it is pure ... it is eternal ... and it is powerful. The Bible is more than man's message about God ... it is God's message to man. It is a book from God ... not simply about God. It is the preeminent Book. It is the supreme and final authority in what we should believe and in how we should live. The Bible is The Book ... it is The Book to study.

THE PRIORITY OF STUDY. The verse quoted at the top of this page records the great commitment that Jesus had to God's Word. These were His words during His temptations in the wilderness. God's Word was more important to Jesus than physical food was ... even after 40 days without eating. The Bible is provided for our spiritual nourishment. The availability of His Word gives us the great privilege and serious life-long challenge of Bible study. If we really want to learn and to grow ... then we must invest both time and energy in the process of Bible study. There are no shortcuts. We must commit sufficient regular time to studying God's Word.

THE PROGRESS OF STUDY. Peter used a newborn baby's focused attention on its need for milk to illustrate what our desire for God's Word should be ... "Like newborn babes, long for the pure milk of the word, that by it you may grow in respect to salvation." 1 Peter 2:2. Then, as we grow, we need to move on to the solid food of deeper study, Hebrews 5:11-14. It is important to set realistic goals for regular study ... starting with the easier sections of the Bible ... and increasing the quantity and complexity of study as we grow. Throughout this life-long process of study, our continual prayer should be like that of the Psalmist, "Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Thy law." Psalm 119:18.

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Disciplemaking 1, copyright 2003, is available free from www.MyDisciplemaker.org where you can study online or print free copies. You may copy this course, any any part of it, for free or at-cost distribution ... without change to the content ... and with this copyright policy attached. Published by www.ActsOneEight.org. Bible Quotations are from the NASB unless noted.