The Bible - Lesson 3: Why is God's word important to us?

The Bible

Lesson 3: Why is God's word important to us?

2 Timothy 3:14-17 [14] But you remain in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them. [15] From infancy, you have known the holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. [16] Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, [17] that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Matthew 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

Psalm 119:9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.

The Main Points for This Lesson:

The purpose of this series of lessons is to provide some basic instructions and principles regarding the Bible, so that the scriptures may be found to be that which makes wise unto salvation (2 Timothy 3:15) and not that which will judge in the last day (John 12:48).

God's word is important. When God spoke through his son, and through the apostles and prophets, it was important. Today, that word has been written down for us to read as the Bible. It is still just as important for us today.

Why is God's word important to us? In his word, in the Bible, God shows us the path that leads to eternal life with him. Jesus said, the pure in heart will see God. If we want to see God, we must be pure in heart. Then, how can we be pure in heart? The Psalmist tells that a young man can keep his way pure by living according to God's word. Do you want to be found pleasing to God on the judgment day? How should you live today? Where can you find out what God requires of us? The prophet Micah said, He has shown you, O man, what is good, and what the Lord requires of you: to do justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God (Micah 6:8).

God, in his word, provides us with strong encouragement regarding the importance of his word.

God's word is the wisest choice. That is, hearing and obeying God's word is the wisest choice you can make, both for this life and for the next. Do you want to do what is best for yourself? Then hear and obey God's word. Such people will have a firm foundation in this life and the next.

God's word is many things for and accomplishes many things in those who hear and obey it. It is a lamp to our feet and light to our path. It warns us, enlightens us, and keeps our way pure. It is profitable for those pursuing righteousness, to help make the man of God complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. God's word can makes us wise for salvation, and is able to save our soul.

Jesus said that he is the only way to the Father. Where can we learn of Jesus that we may follow him, and so get to the Father? In the volume of the book it is written of him (Hebrews 10:7), that is, God tells us in his word of Jesus, who is himself the path of life.

One word of caution: The Bible is not a magic wand. We should read the Bible, but reading alone, without humble obedience, may serve only to bring upon us greater condemnation at the judgment day. We must remember that the difference between the wise man and the foolish man is that while both heard the word, only the wise man did it. Great was the fall of the foolish man, the man who heard the word and did not do it.

Suggestions:

To open the lesson, pray for the teacher and the students.

Let the children know that we will have a few lessons on the Bible. In this lesson, we will talk about why God's word is important to us.

Begin by asking the children why they think God's word is important. Write down some good ideas they may have.

Read Matthew 5:8. How can you see God? [by being pure in heart] How can you have a pure heart? How do you know what a pure heart is?

Read Psalm 119:9. Explain that God's word shows us how to keep our way pure. So, if you don't want to see God, is God's word very important to you? No. If you do want to see God, is God's word important to you? Yes.

Tell the story of Adam and Eve in the garden. Was God's word important? Did they listen to it? [yes] Did they obey it? [no] What were the consequences of not keeping God's word?

As you tell these stories and ask them questions, be sure to connect God's word that he spoke to God's word written down in the Bible.

You can play a game by reading verses below and asking them to tell you what each verse says about the importance of God's word.

To close the lesson, pray with the children and have all the children read the Lord's prayer together.

Stories:

Genesis 2:8-10,15-16 [8] Yahweh God planted a garden eastward, in Eden, and there he put the man whom he had formed. [9] Out of the ground Yahweh God made every tree to grow that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food, including the tree of life in the middle of the garden and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. [15] Yahweh God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to cultivate and keep it. [16] Yahweh God commanded the man, saying, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden;

Genesis 3:1-24

God spoke to Adam and Eve. He gave them his word. They could choose to hear and do his word, or hear and not do his word. When they chose to disobey God's word, they found death.

2 Kings 22:1-20

During the reign of Josiah, the book of the law was found in the house of the Lord. When Josiah heard it, he chose to obey what God said by humbling himself and praying, seeking for mercy for the sins of his people. Walking in the path of God's word, Josiah found grace from God and life.

More Stories and Examples:

Here is a short list compiled from scripture of the things God's word does for God's people:

Restores the soul

  Rejoices the heart

Makes us wise

  Enlightens the eyes

  Gives me understanding

Warns us

  helps me to not sin against God

  Written for our admonition

Great reward in keeping God's word

  Keeps our way pure when we live according to it

  We have a house built on rock when we hear and do God's word

  Makes us truly his disciples and sets us free (when we abide in it)

A lamp to our feet

  A light to our path

Live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God

  His commandment is eternal life (implied: when we hear and do)

Testify about Jesus who gives us life

  Helps us to believe in Jesus, and so have life in his name

Is part of sanctifying us

Written for our learning, helps us to find and have hope

Is the sword of the Spirit for us

Makes us wise for salvation (through faith)

Profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness

Helps us to be complete

Equips us for every good work

Divides/discerns soul and spirit and thoughts and intentions

Implanted word is able to save our souls

We can grow by it

Other Verses:

GOD'S WORD IS IMPORTANT BECAUSE IT IS THE WISE CHOICE

Proverbs 3:1-4 [1] My son, don’t forget my teaching; but let your heart keep my commandments: [2] for length of days, and years of life, and peace, will they add to you. [3] Don’t let kindness and truth forsake you. Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart. [4] So you will find favor, and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

THE BENEFITS / VALUES OF GOD'S WORD

Psalm 19:7-11 [7] Yahweh’s law is perfect, restoring the soul. Yahweh’s testimony is sure, making wise the simple. [8] Yahweh’s precepts are right, rejoicing the heart. Yahweh’s commandment is pure, enlightening the eyes. [9] The fear of Yahweh is clean, enduring forever. Yahweh’s ordinances are true, and righteous altogether. [10] More to be desired are they than gold, yes, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the extract of the honeycomb. [11] Moreover by them is your servant warned. In keeping them there is great reward.

Psalm 119:9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word.

Psalm 119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.

Psalm 119:97-104 [97] How I love your law! It is my meditation all day. [98] Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for your commandments are always with me. [99] I have more understanding than all my teachers, for your testimonies are my meditation. [100] I understand more than the aged, because I have kept your precepts. [101] I have kept my feet from every evil way, that I might observe your word. [102] I have not turned aside from your ordinances, for you have taught me. [103] How sweet are your promises to my taste, more than honey to my mouth! [104] Through your precepts, I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.

Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet, and a light for my path.

Matthew 4:1-4 [1] Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. [2] When he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was hungry afterward. [3] The tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” [4] But he answered, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”

Matthew 7:24-27 [24] “Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house on a rock. [25] The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it didn’t fall, for it was founded on the rock. [26] Everyone who hears these words of mine, and doesn’t do them will be like a foolish man, who built his house on the sand. [27] The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”

John 5:37-40 [37] The Father himself, who sent me, has testified about me. You have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his form. [38] You don’t have his word living in you; because you don’t believe him whom he sent. [39] “You search the Scriptures, because you think that in them you have eternal life; and these are they which testify about me. [40] Yet you will not come to me, that you may have life.

John 8:31-32 [31] Jesus therefore said to those Jews who had believed him, “If you remain in my word, then you are truly my disciples. [32] You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.”

John 12:47-50 [47] If anyone listens to my sayings, and doesn’t believe, I don’t judge him. For I came not to judge the world, but to save the world. [48] He who rejects me, and doesn’t receive my sayings, has one who judges him. The word that I spoke, the same will judge him in the last day. [49] For I spoke not from myself, but the Father who sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak. [50] I know that his commandment is eternal life. The things therefore which I speak, even as the Father has said to me, so I speak.”

John 17:17 Sanctify them in your truth. Your word is truth.

John 20:30-31 [30] Therefore Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book; [31] but these are written, that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name.

Romans 15:4 For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that through patience and through encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

1 Corinthians 10:1-12 [1] Now I would not have you ignorant, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; [2] and were all baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; [3] and all ate the same spiritual food; [4] and all drank the same spiritual drink. For they drank of a spiritual rock that followed them, and the rock was Christ. [5] However with most of them, God was not well pleased, for they were overthrown in the wilderness. [6] Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted. [7] Neither be idolaters, as some of them were. As it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.” [8] Neither let us commit sexual immorality, as some of them committed, and in one day twenty-three thousand fell. [9] Neither let us test the Lord, as some of them tested, and perished by the serpents. [10] Neither grumble, as some of them also grumbled, and perished by the destroyer. [11] Now all these things happened to them by way of example, and they were written for our admonition, on whom the ends of the ages have come. [12] Therefore let him who thinks he stands be careful that he doesn’t fall.

Ephesians 6:17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

2 Timothy 3:14-17 [14] But you remain in the things which you have learned and have been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them. [15] From infancy, you have known the holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. [16] Every Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction in righteousness, [17] that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Hebrews 4:12-13 [12] For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and is able to discern the thoughts and intentions of the heart. [13] There is no creature that is hidden from his sight, but all things are naked and laid open before the eyes of him to whom we must give an account.

James 1:22-25 [21] Therefore, putting away all filthiness and overflowing of wickedness, receive with humility the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. [22] But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves. [23] For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man looking at his natural face in a mirror; [24] for he sees himself, and goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. [25] But he who looks into the perfect law of freedom, and continues, not being a hearer who forgets, but a doer of the work, this man will be blessed in what he does.

1 Peter 2:2 as newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the Word, that with it you may grow,