The International Olympic Committee recently released their updated Olympic Charter in preparation for this year’s Winter Olympics. In it’s PDF form, the Charter is 105 pages long and lists the rules and bylaws governing the Olympic organization. It does not list the rules for individual events, but refers readers to their individual documents. So, an athlete participating in the Olympics has a lot of rules to learn as they train to do their best.
Knowledge is discovering something new so you can be better at whatever you do. We believe that God’s Word is the best place to discover something new about our world and ultimately ourselves. And when we put those discoveries into practice it changes us from the inside out and impacts the choices we make and the way we live. God is the source of all truth. We need to dig into His Word and discover that truth for ourselves.
The knowledge we glean from the 66 books of the Bible tells us how to live our lives day in and day out. But that knowledge is not an end in and of itself. We can know all there is to know about God, but if we don’t put any of our knowledge into practice, it is worthless.
The monthly memory verse is: “God has breathed life into all of Scripture. It is useful for teaching us what is true. It is useful for correcting our mistakes. It is useful for making our lives whole again. It is useful for training us to do what is right,” 2 Timothy 3:16, NIrV. God’s Word is powerful and strong. When we discover it and put it into practice, we have its strength on our side every day of our lives.
In Week One’s Bible story, Jesus models the importance of seeking knowledge even as a young boy (Luke 2:41-52). Our Bottom Line is: Since God knows everything, it’s important to discover what God says. The Bible is God’s Word to us. That’s why it’s important to read the Bible and ask questions to someone we trust.
In Week Two’s Bible story, John the Baptist dedicated his life to preparing the way for Jesus (John 1:19-42; supporting – Matthew 3, Mark 1:1-11, Luke 3:1-22). Because he knew God’s Word, he could lay the groundwork for Jesus’ ministry. Our Bottom Line is:Discovering what God says helps me know Jesus. The more we read God’s Word, the more we understand about who Jesus is and what that means for our lives.
In Week Three’s Bible story, Jesus is tempted by Satan in the wilderness (Luke 4:1-13; supporting – Matthew 4:1-11). But Jesus was prepared! He knew all of Scripture and was ready for any and all of Satan’s tricks. Our Bottom Line is: Discovering what God says helps me make the wise choice. That’s why it’s important for us to find out what God says and know His words well enough to use them when we are tempted to do something wrong.
In Week Four’s Bible story, Jesus tells His followers a story about two men who learn a valuable lesson about building on a strong foundation (Matthew 7:24-29). It reminds us that when we put God’s words into practice, they will help us stand firm when life’s storms blow our way. Our Bottom Line is:Knowing and doing what God says makes me strong. Knowledge doesn’t change anything unless you do something about it.
By Jessica McKee ©2013 The reThink Group. All rights reserved. www.ThinkOrange.com *Used by permission.