8 Profitable Ways to Read the Bible (Number 5)

5. Read the Bible daily. Make it a part of every day’s business to read and meditate on some portion of God’s Word. Private means of grace are just as needful every day for our souls — as food and clothing are for our bodies. Yesterday’s food will not feed the laborer today; and today’s food will not feed the laborer tomorrow. Do as the Israelites did in the wilderness. Gather your manna fresh every morning. Choose your own seasons and hours. Do not scramble over and hurry your reading. Give your Bible the best, and not the worst part of your time! But whatever plan you pursue, let it be a rule of your life to visit the throne of grace and God’s Word every day.
(J.C. Ryle, Practical Religion, “Bible Reading”, [Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1998], 131-134.)

8 Profitable Ways to Read the Bible (Number 4)

4. Read the Bible in a spirit of obedience and self-application. Sit down to the study of it with a daily determination that you will live by its rules, rest on its statements, and act on its commands. Consider, as you travel through every chapter, “How does this affect my thinking and daily conduct? What does this teach me?” It is poor work to read the Bible from mere curiosity, and for speculative purposes — in order to fill your head and store your mind with mere opinions; while you do not allow the book to influence your heart and life. That Bible is read best — which is practiced most!
(J.C. Ryle, Practical Religion, “Bible Reading”, [Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1998], 131-134.)

8 Profitable Ways to Read the Bible (Number 3)

3. Read the Bible with child-like faith and humility. Open your heart — as you open God’s book, and say, “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening!” Resolve to believe implicitly whatever you find there, however much it may run counter to your own desires and prejudices. Resolve to receive heartily every statement of truth — whether you like it or not. Beware of that miserable habit into which some readers of the Bible fall — they receive some doctrines because they like them; and they reject others because they are condemning to themselves, or to some relation, or friend. At this rate, the Bible is useless! Are we to be judges of what ought to be in God’s Word? Do we know better than God? Settle it down in your mind — that you will receive all and believe all, and that what you cannot understand — you will take on trust. Remember, when you pray — that you are speaking to God, and God hears you. But, remember, when you read Scripture — that God is speaking to you, and you are not to “dictate,” but to listen!
(J.C. Ryle, Practical Religion, “Bible Reading”, [Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1998], 131-134.)

8 Profitable Ways to Read the Bible (Number 2)

2. Read the Bible with an earnest desire to understand it. Do not think for a moment, that the great object is to turn over a certain quantity of printed paper, and that it matters nothing whether you understand it or not. Some ignorant people seem to imagine, that all is done if they advance so many chapters every day, though they may not have a notion what they are all about, and only know that they have pushed on their bookmark ahead so many pages. This is turning Bible reading into a mere ritual form. Settle it down in your mind as a general principle, that a Bible not understood — is a Bible that does no good! Say to yourself often as you read, “What is this all about?” Dig for the meaning like a man digging for gold.
(J.C. Ryle, Practical Religion, “Bible Reading”, [Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1998], 131-134.)

8 Profitable Ways to Read the Bible (Number 1)

1. Begin reading your Bible this very day. The way to do a thing — is to do it; and the way to read the Bible — is actually to read it! It is not merely meaning, or wishing, or resolving, or intending, or thinking about it — which will advance you one step. You must positively read. There is no royal road in this matter, any more than in the matter of prayer. If you cannot read yourself, you must persuade somebody else to read it to you. But one way or another, through eyes or ears — the words of Scripture must actually pass before your mind.
(J.C. Ryle, Practical Religion, “Bible Reading”, [Carlisle, PA: Banner of Truth, 1998], 131-134.)

Bowling, Bowling, Bowling

What? Winter Bowling Party

When? This Saturday, Jan 28th from 3:00 to 5:00 PM

Where? Kent Lanes, 1524 South Water St., Kent

$10 per person includes pizza, pop, shoes and 2 hours of bowling.

If you don’t bowl and just want to fellowship and eat, the cost is $5.

Come join your FBC brothers and sisters for a wonderful time of Christian fellowship.

It doesn't get any better than this, men!

An unbelievable breakfast prepared by the FBC ladies... a time of fellowship and male bonding with your FBC brothers... a brief but relevant devotional from the FBC handbook - the Bible... and of course, a time of praying one for another.

Join us Saturday morning starting at 8:00!  If you are able, stay for a bit afterward and join the "Men Serving Others" team as they head out to put their faith into action.

Calling ALL YOUNGSTERS!!!

TONIGHT, Wednesday, Jan 25^th at 6:15 we will be starting our Jr. Choir practices while parents enjoy the prayer meeting upstairs. Children of all ages - THIS IS FOR YOU!!!! 

We promise fun music and a great "Pick-me-up" for the mid week blahs!!!! 

See you tonight?

Bible Study and Bible Lands!

Men, don't forget Men's Bible Study tonight starting at 6:30.  Note that the location has changed to the Johnson home for the next couple weeks. Bring your Bibles, and turn to Hebrews 2!

And if you've been attending the grief classes on Tuesday evenings, well... tonight's the night for that, too.

Then tomorrow (Wednesday), we will gather for prayer as we do most Wednesdays.  Join us and see just what prayer meeting is all about.  And then, immediately after prayer meeting, join us in Fellowship Hall for an informational meeting about the upcoming Holy Land trip.  If you have questions about this trip, bring them along.

Podcast has been updated

For our shutins, and for anybody who may need them, four new audio files are now available, either via iTunes, via the church mobile app, or HERE

I don't pray enough for the lost

I am convicted by a quote from "Alone With God," by John MacArthur:

The seventeenth-century English Puritan Richard Baxter wrote,

Oh, if you have the hearts of Christians or of men in you, let them yearn towards your poor ignorant, ungodly neighbours. Alas, there is but a step betwixt them and death and hell; many hundred diseases are waiting ready to seize on them, and if they die unregenerate, they are lost forever. Have you hearts of rock, that cannot pity men in such a case as this? If you believe not the Word of God, and the danger of sinners, why are you Christians yourselves? If you do believe it, why do you not bestir yourself to the helping of others? Do you not care who is damned, so you be saved? If so, you have sufficient cause to pity yourselves, for it is a frame of spirit utterly inconsistent with grace … Dost thou live close by them, or meet them in the streets, or labour with them, or travel with them, or sit and talk with them, and say nothing to them of their souls, or the life to come? If their houses were on fire, thou wouldst run and help them; and wilt thou not help them when their souls are almost at the fire of hell? (cited in I.D.E. Thomas, ed., A Puritan Golden Treasury [Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1977], 92–93)

Just as true today as when Baxter said it in the 1600s. There are many we will meet today who are hopelessly, eternally, and terribly lost if they do not come to Christ. Let us not neglect to pray for them today... and if God gives opportunity, to speak with them as well.

Today - Jim Elliot

On this date in 1956, Jim Elliot, a missionary to the Auca Indians in Ecuador, was martyred. Four other servants of God died with him. Jim is known for a quote found in his diary, which seemed to characterize his life:

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose. (1949)

His journals contained some other gems as well:

One treasure, a single eye, and a sole master. (1948) God, I pray Thee, light these idle sticks of my life and may I burn for Thee. Consume my life, my God, for it is Thine. I seek not a long life, but a full one, like you, Lord Jesus. (1948) Saturate me with the oil of the Spirit that I may be aflame. But flame is often short-lived. Canst thou bear this, my soul? Short life? In me there dwells the spirit of the Great Short-Lived, whose zeal for God’s house consumed Him. ‘Make me Thy fuel, Flame of God.’ (1948) As your life is in His hands, so are the days of your life. But don’t let the sands of time get into the eye of your vision to reach those who sit in darkness. They simply must hear. (1948) I must not think it strange if God takes in youth those whom I would have kept on earth till they were older. God is peopling Eternity, and I must not restrict Him to old men and women. (1950) The will of God is always a bigger thing than we bargain for. (1952)

I thank God on this, the anniversary of his death, for selfless believers like Jim Elliot, who take the gospel to the ends of the earth.

Big Weekend

Don't forget Haven of Rest this coming Saturday from 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM. "If you extend your soul to the hungry And satisfy the afflicted soul, Then your light shall dawn in the darkness, And your darkness shall be as the noonday." (Isaiah 58:10 NKJV)

And in addition to our normal Sunday morning activities (i.e. Sunday School at 9:30 and Morning Worship at 10:30), we will also have our annual member's meeting this Sunday morning immediately following the worship service. All active members are encouraged to take part.

CANCELLATION

Due to the weather, the Grief Share class is cancelled this week.  See you next week!