For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. Hebrews 4:12 (NLT) How does getting into God’s Word affect us? The first thing the Word does is it produces faith within us. Prior to giving your life to Christ, you were lost in sin, destined for an eternity in Hell without Him. As you heard about Jesus and His saving grace, it began to produce faith within you (Romans 10:17). Now as a believer, you can dig into the Word every day and let it continue to grow your faith. Not only does God’s Word produce faith, but it gives us new birth. God’s Word says when we …

He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. Titus 2:14 (NLT) As believers, the blood of Jesus Christ set us free from the penalty of our sins. But God’s Word also reminds us that we’re cleansed and sanctified as a result. The more we grasp who we are in Christ and the totality of forgiveness and redemption we have in Him, the clearer we see ourselves through God’s eyes. He views you as priceless; after all, Jesus gave His life to make you cleansed, holy and right with God! (See 1 Corinthians 6:11.) Do you struggle with seeing yourself as a hopeless sinner (when …

In the same way that nursing infants cry for milk, you must intensely crave the pure spiritual milk of God’s Word. For this “milk” will cause you to grow into maturity, fully nourished and strong for life. 1 Peter 2:2 (TPT) God’s Word is spiritual nourishment. Physical nourishment and mental stimulation are both important, however our spirit grows from the revelations we find as we dig into God’s Word. God’s Word feeds our spirit like milk nourishes babies; it helps us thrive, fuelling us from the inside out. Whether you’re a seasoned or new believer, the source and result of spiritual nourishment is the same. The more you “chew” on God’s Word daily, the more it feeds your spirit. However, your spiritual growth depends on …

I pray that your love will overflow more and more and that you will keep on growing in knowledge and understanding. Philippians 1:9 (NLT) For God’s Word to change our lives, we need revelation. Many of us were taught the old song, “Read your Bible, pray every day and you’ll grow, grow, grow.” Now that’s true, but just reading the Bible without understanding it doesn’t bring change. Simply expecting to get power from words is like believing in magic, but the power of the Bible lies in revelation. When a thought or concept from God’s Word becomes clear, you experience a revelation or “a-ha!” moment. The more you begin to understand a truth, the more you’ll walk it out. I once interviewed a young lady …

Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. Psalms 1:1 (NLT) My dad used to always say, “Don’t hang around the peanut gallery.” This same wise advice is shared repeatedly throughout the Bible. (Proverbs 13:20, 1 Corinthians 15:33.) Those who focus on criticism and gossip aren’t headed for the amazing life that’s available to us as believers in Christ (Colossians 1:26–27). Since their attitudes will begin to cloud your perspective, choose instead to surround yourself with people who know God, understand His Word and model active faith through their actions. By hanging around believers who are alive in their faith and actively pursuing their relationship with God, you’ll see …