Recovering the Bible | Part One

What is the Bible for? Many of us have a complicated relationship with Scripture—it has been misused as a tool of exclusion, harm, and control. But what if Jesus is right, and the Word of God is actually a good gift meant to give us life? Recovering the Bible begins with receiving God’s word, not as a weapon, but as a locus of divine encounter where we are formed into a liberated people of hope.Journaling PromptsWhat does your relationship with the Bible look like right now? Why do you think this is? What do you wish it looked like? What would a small first step in that direction be?In what ways do you see yourself reading the Bible to gain information? In what ways is this helpful? In what ways is it restrictive?Does the idea that the Bible is a gift of God for the people of God resonate with you? Why or why not? In what ways does this challenge or change what you expect from the Bible?Practice — Lectio DivinaDo the following alone or with a small fellowship of others.Lectio: Read Luke 4:1-13 slowly, notice any words or phrases that stand out.Meditatio: Pause and ponder what God might be bringing to your attention.Oratio: Respond to what’s been unearthed in prayer with your own words, desires, hesitations, or questions.Contemplatio: Rest in God’s presence by sitting in silence, receiving His love and peace as a generous gift.Consider sharing with those in your group or with someone later what God impressed upon you through meditating prayerfully on this passage.Generosity⁠https://www.redemptionhou.com/give⁠