Read and Grow

Have you ever wondered if the Bible is legit? There’s plenty of people who claim it changed their life and they’ll never be the same – but does it have the same relevance for you? How can a simple book be that life-changing?

The fact is, the Bible isn’t just a normal book. It’s more than that.

The Bible is actually a library of books that come in a diverse range of literary styles including history, songs, wisdom, and letters. It contains real-life moral teachings like, “love one another,” as well as witty wisdom like, “it’s better to live on a housetop than inside with a quarrelsome wife.” It even has racy romantic poetry, “Your breasts are like two fawns.” It contains all these things.

But it’s more than that.

Christians believe God authored the Bible through human hands. 66 books written by 40 different human authors over 1500 years all participate in the same metanarrative of redemption for humanity. The truth and veracity of the biblical stories and history have withstood the test of time and even atheist biblical scholars believe that the words in the Bible today are accurate to what was originally written.

But it’s more than that.

The Old and New Testaments make up both sections of the Bible. The Old Testament describes how God created the universe, revealed himself to the world, and how mankind is fundamentally broken. The New Testament reveals a bigger picture of who God is – that because of His great love for humanity, God sent his Son Jesus to come to the earth to bring healing to all people and provide a path out of our brokenness.

The Bible is ultimately about Jesus. Jesus is the clearest demonstration of God’s love, mercy and power. Jesus claimed to be God and proved it by dying and rising from the dead.

But it’s more than that.

Jesus came so that you – yes you, reading this right now – could have life. He laid down his life so you could be rescued from your own brokenness and sin. The life Jesus gives you is better than money, fame, and anything this world can offer. The life Jesus gives is marked by unconditional love, forgiveness, peace and eternal security. (John 10:10) “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

And when you follow Jesus you become a part of the same biblical story of redemption that God is still writing today.

The Bible is more than a book. When you read it the hope contained inside its pages will come alive in you. It could change your life for the better, the same way it has for billions of people before. Check out the Bible for yourself, start reading it today and see for yourself what it says.

Bella loves Jesus and wants her everyday life to be open to God doing his thing. Bella prays each day on her way to work that Jesus would use her in her workplace – she shares her story of one particular opportunity that came her way to talk about Jesus at work.

“So usually when I go into work, I pray that Jesus would use me. This one morning in particular, a girl is asking me tons of questions about Him, and I felt kind of flustered because I didn't want to not have answers for her.

But secondly, because I felt like the answers I did have, I just wanted to give her a theology lesson on them. So, I prayed, and I felt God really tell me to slow down and relate to her as a human and to go easy on the theology.

And after I did that, I noticed that it was so effortless to convey Jesus to her in such a personal way. I ended up being able to share the gospel with her anyway, because of how many questions she was asking.”

She ended up telling me at the end that her dad is quite religious. He doesn't know Jesus, but he subscribes to Christianity in a religious way. And for her, it was just amazing to hear that someone could know Jesus Christ and have an authentic relationship with him.

Bella’s number 1 tip for sharing Jesus with others:

“I learnt it’s all about listening to people and relating to them, and they will guide the conversation by asking the questions that they want.”

Tish is passionate about people knowing Jesus, she spends Friday nights running a youth group helping them in their journey of faith and has a beautiful little family. She shared with us her story of praying for someone while doing a late-night snack run. Here’s her story.

Tish:

I was driving home late at night, and I decided to get myself a bit of a treat. I sheepishly kind of walked in and said, “oh, where are the big tubs of ice cream?”

The lady showed me and, on our way, back to the counter I joked about how I'll probably put on weight.

And her whole face kind of changed. And she said, “I've been trying to put on weight lately.” I hadn't noticed until that moment, she did have quite a baggy work shirt on and when I looked closer I noticed she was quite thin. I could tell she was being serious, so I asked her more about it.

She shared that she had some health issues where she really is struggling to put on weight and is really needing to. So, I took the opportunity. I just kind of felt like, what would I like in that situation?

And I would probably really like someone to pray for me. So I offered to pray and she said yes. I actually offered to pray right there and then out loud for her. Sometimes when we offer to pray, people think that you're going to go away and pray for them.

But it was really nice to take that opportunity. And she bowed her head and closed her eyes, and I was able to speak out loud and ask God to give her good health and to help her to put on weight, which we had a bit of a giggle about afterwards.

So what was the takeaway for Tish from this experience.

It was nice, the natural way it unfolded and the way it started off as a bit of fun, but at the same time, had depth and showed her that God sees her in her circumstance and that there is someone else who sees her too. I drove away smiling to myself. Jesus had hijacked my late-night snack run!

Do you believe Jesus can use you in the everyday moments of your life?

Keep an eye out today for low-key opportunities.

Sharing Jesus is one of the most important things we should be doing as Christians. You know this because you’re reading this article – but are your friends on the same page?

If you’re passionate about sharing your faith, how can you influence your friends to share theirs?

The truth is God has already made you an influencer. You might not have tight abs and a huge Instagram following, but your words and actions influence your friends and your family. Whether it’s for good or bad, by merely being in proximity to others, influence is occurring and shaping is taking place.

If we can understand how influence occurs naturally, we can be intentional about influencing our friends when it comes to sharing Jesus.

HOW TO INFLUENCE YOUR FRIENDS

1. Proximity with each other

If you want to help your friends understand the importance of sharing Jesus, meet together regularly. This is called discipleship. Spiritual conversations, Bible study, and prayer with other Christians help us grow. Community and shared experiences smooth out our rough edges so we can become sharpened over time.

Proverbs 27:17 says “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.”

Dull knives are ineffective. They require more effort to use and they can cause a lot of undesired damage. Sharp knives, on the other hand, are effective, efficient and will do the job the wielder wants. To keep a knife sharp, it needs to be sharpened constantly.

2. Proximity to Jesus

We are being shaped into the image of Jesus, so it’s important to keep him at the center. Proximity to Jesus is the intentional inclusion of Jesus’ priority to love God and love others. Pray about how you can instill a desire for discipleship and growth within your friendship groups. Try:

• Praying for each other.
• Talking about what God is teaching you.
• Studying the Bible together.
• Bringing spiritual conversations to the group for discussion.

3. Proximity to others

Once the process of discipleship has begun and sharpening is taking place, talk about the importance of sharing Jesus with others. Plan intentionally to burst your bubble and connect with non-Christians and do it together for mutual support. Share stories, inspire and encourage each other.

Here’s a few things you can try:

• Joining a sports team together.
• Inviting non-Christians to social gatherings.
• Inviting interested non-Christian friends to your discipleship time.

Any cultural change needs to be led intentionally, it won’t change on its own. Remember, you are an influencer whether you like it or not, so use your influence for good. Take personal ownership and responsibility for the culture of your group.

How will you influence your friends this week?