From the Pulpit: God gave us the Bible to nurture our faith

Friends in the Community,

Greetings to each and every one of you from God our loving heavenly Father and our living Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I hope and pray that this article finds all of you well as we continue our way through this beautiful month of September!

Do you have a favorite book of the Bible or verse from the Bible? I know that the entire Bible is important for our lives as Christians. However, there can be times when certain verses, books or parts of the Bible have a special meaning for us. They seem to be the first ones that come to mind for us during various situations in our lives.

One of my favorite books of the Bible is the book of Romans. Several years ago, I sat down and read that book of the Bible every day during the season of Lent. It definitely became part of my regular preaching then, and it continues to get mentioned in many of my sermons now. This book has so many great passages that relate to different stages of life. In Romans chapter 6, we are told about the new life we are given the moment we become Christians through the sacrament of Baptism. In chapter 8, we are told about the hope we have been given when life does not go the way we would like it to go. Throughout the book, we are reminded that even though the things of this world will pass away, the love that God has for us is forever and can never be taken away from us!

Because this book is so rich and fascinating, it applies to many situations outside of sermons. I have used passages from this book for funerals, for weddings and for other special events in people’s lives. I also find myself relying on certain passages from this book when I am celebrating special times in my own life and when I am needing words to express what I am feeling when I cannot come up with them myself. It is amazing how part of God’s Word has the right words at just the right time.

Do you have a book or passage from the Bible that does that for you? What is it? What is one way you could share that special passage or book with someone else in your life right now? What is one way that you can apply it to your own life?

This is why God gives us the Bible. He wants us to treasure it and use it to share his love and to nurture our faith. Just a thought ...