Hearing God

This Sunday at our all age service we are thinking about how we hear God through the Bible. I'm fairly confident that most people in our churches would say that the Bible is the 'Word of God' and that therefore when we read it God can speak to us. The problem is that statistics show that many people attending church rarely read the Bible outside of a Sunday morning church service. So if we believe that the Bible is the word of God and that God speaks to us when we read the Bible, why don't more people read it regularly?

Maybe it is because we have tried and we've not heard anything - instead we've been confused by things we don't understand, or bored by lists of names and then more names. Or maybe we've read things that seem irrelevant. Maybe we thought it was just a case of read it and do it. Which is fine with a verse like 'Do not steal, do not lie, do not deceive each other' (Leviticus 19:11). But what do we make of a verse that tells us that it is wrong to wear a shirt made from polyester and cotton (Leviticus 19:19)? Why do some parts of the Bible still apply and others don't - and who decides which bits are which?



In Acts 8:26-40 God sends Philip to help someone who is reading a part of the Bible, but doesn't understand it. Today, in our individualised world, we think that reading and applying the Bible is something that we do on our own - but God has put us in communities of disciples (churches), so that there are others to help us, and so that there are others for us to help.

So when we read the Bible we should:

1) Pray. Ask God to speak to us, and to help us understand and apply His word - through the Holy Spirit.

2) Don't read alone - get the help of others. A group from our church are following the Cover to Cover Complete Bible reading programme, and we get together once a month to discuss what we've been reading - to ask questions and to hear what God has been saying to others. Small group Bible studies are another way in which we can help each other.

3) Bible reading helps. We might agree that it is important to read the Bible regularly, but how - where do you start, how much to read, what does it mean, what difference does it make? Scripture Union is just one organisation that produces material to help Christians read, make sense of, and apply the Bible. You can take a look and 'test drive' some of their resources here.

WordLive is an online Bible reading resource - www.wordlive.org

Closer to God

Closer To God is for anyone who longs to hear God's voice in today's noisy world. If you believe or hope that God speaks to ordinary people; loving, freeing, changing and healing them, then Closer To God is for you.

There's a Bible reading with notes for every day of the week, but each weekly section is designed so that if you miss up to two days you still won't get behind. And there's plenty of room for prayer, praise and reflection too.

Daily Bread

Daily Bread helps people explore, understand and enjoy the Bible - and work it out in everyday life. Daily Bread gives you:

• a Bible reading for each day;
• easy-to-understand, practical comments which relate the Bible to everyday life;
• a special Talkabout section for individuals and small groups.

Encounter with God

Encounter with God is designed for readers who want a thoughtful, in-depth approach to systematic Bible reading. It contains:

• daily consecutive Bible readings;
• exposition by experienced Bible teachers;
• introduction and review articles for each consecutive series, enabling further study, reflection and response;
• feature articles addressing contemporary issues;
• a dual programme, covering the Bible in either one or six years.

There are also reading guides for young people to use and for children to use with their parents. These include Snapshots and Submerge.