Application Archives - King's Grant Baptist Church

Do the Word

An encouraging word from Pastor Ken:

So often, we read and understand what God’s Word teaches. But more than one might care to admit, there exists the tendency to move from God’s word without the accurate and immediate personal application of His truth. So, what moves us beyond such inactivity with the truth? How can we genuinely apply the Word of God to our lives?

First, time is necessary. Yes, time! An article from the late Bill Bright with Campus Crusade suggested a minimum of 15 minutes for personal study in God’s Word. John Stott suggests reading three chapters from the Bible per day and studying one of those chapters in depth. When you audit the way you have spent your schedule on any given day, what absorbs most of your time? Have you determined how to have adequate time in God’s Word?

Second, memorization is necessary. We may often groan at this idea, for so many things already demand our mental energy. Therefore, we may need a more practical approach to memorization. To effectively memorize, we must embrace the message of the text. The goal then becomes, “taking the message with us” throughout our day. We must take time to embrace the spiritual truth from the verses being read. We then strive to memorize a phrase or verse that will keep the truth before us. We may not memorize perfectly, but simply making the attempt will carry the message deeper into our heart.

Third, some form of inductive study is necessary. Inductive study engages one with the Scriptures through digging deeper for the truths of a particular verse or passage. The following is a simple example of such an approach (although there are many patterns one can discover through reliable Christians resources). When you read a verse or passage, ask the simple question, “what is one thing God is saying to me?” Follow with the question, “based on what God has said to me, what do I need to say to Him?” Finally, ask, “how can apply this truth to my life in the next five days?”

With time, memorization, and a simple plan, find some way to make personal Bible study a regular discipline in your life. I journal regularly, and almost every day I write down some answer to the three questions I have offered above. Notice that I said, “almost.” Life happens, and sometimes my desired way of studying the Bible does not. Nonetheless, I have prompts in my life that hold be accountable to a regular discipline of personal study. One prompt I use is that I always keep my journal with me. Like my car keys or my phone, my journal is never far away. With such an visual influence, my journal always seems to bid me to respond to God’s truth. Another prompt I have heard someone use is the alarm on a personal device. That may seem extreme to some, but there are phone apps that will wake you with a verse of the day. But I offer a warning here. Do not reduce personal study time to merely another piece of your daily schedule. Such prompts can become beneficial for establishing the discipline, but they should not be the goal. Eventually, with the right accountability, your study time should be the first thing you think about when you wake up. Your personal time in God’s word should also negotiate external demands of life, and not the other way around. So suffice to say, sometimes developing a regular habit of being in God’s word takes time. But, be intentional. You will be amazed at what can happen when time in God’s Word becomes as regular as waking up, grabbing your phone, and checking your updates.

So today, be a doer of the Word. Take time to personally apply the truth of God’s Word. It is the Living Word, so make sure you live by it!

Authenticity

A challenging word from Pastor Ken… AUTHENTICITY: The Unspoken Goal

“. . . to study the law of the Lord and to practice it, and to teach His statues and ordinances in Israel.” Ezra 7:10

Dr. Curtis Vaughn, renown Greek scholar and professor in Baptist life, was a personal mentor and friend whose influence significantly affects my life today, even years after his passing. One of Dr. Vaughn’s well-used teaching points was, “when you have recognized your humility you have just lost it.” Through this principle, he attempted to teach his students that the best things achieved in one’s life of faith can never be genuine and self-recognized at the same time. Therefore, any expression of spiritual authenticity ceases to exist when self-recognized. Also, such authenticity cannot be announced either as a goal or an achievement, but simply becomes a reality as one’s actions and attitude give way to a heart that truly seeks after God.

As an appointed scribe, Ezra’s personal life of faith exemplified spiritual authenticity in a clear and precise way. (Let’s engage with the pattern of his life offered in Ezra 7:10.)

First, Ezra had purposed early on to study the Law of the Lord. He set his mind to purposefully obey God at every point. He did not stop at the mere intention.
Second, upon studying God’s law, his desire was to “practice it.” Ezra was concerned about keeping the details of God’s Word, and not simply to embrace the law with a rote memorization. He studied for personal application. Can you imagine that upon every expression of God’s word you hear (in a sermon, bible study lesson, personal reading, a song, etc.), your initial reaction is not, “I know someone who needs to hear this,” or, “that would make a good bible study topic or sermon title”, but rather, “how can I better reconcile my own life to this truth?”
Third, Ezra was committed to teach God’s Word, and to lead others in personally applying God’s truth.

Conclusively then, 3 steps that exemplify authentic living are observed from Ezra and applied to our lives:

Study the Word of God so consistently and personally that the application of the truth becomes clear.
Make the application through carefully obeying God’s truth at every point in your life.
As you grow in your obedience to God’s word, be open to teaching His truths to others (intentionally influencing others through your faith). The teaching may be in the context of your parental role as you teach your children, in the context of your campus as you speak necessary truths into the lives of your friends, through personal feedback in church settings like small groups and Bible study classes, or in more formal roles of teacher and preacher. Writing, singing, and serving speak the truth as well. But do not sell yourself short. God has a word for you to share in the way He has designed for you. It may not be as a scribe like Ezra, but there is no unimportant way of living out God’s truth. Let Him open the door for your influence. You simply need to be ready. Allow the truth to flow out of you from within your own genuine encounter with God.

This constitutes for every Christ-follower how to live out one’s faith authentically.

Spiritual authenticity! That’s the unspoken goal. Now, don’t talk about it. Don’t wish for it. Don’t announce it. Simply go and do it.

Study, obey, and influence others. Live out what God is pouring in!

Blessings, Ken Pruitt

READ: Read and meditate on the following verses and be encouraged toward genuineness of faith: Romans 12:9; 1 Timothy 1:5; 1 Peter 1:22; James 1:27; 2 Corinthians 8:8-9.