CHECK IT OUT FOR YOURSELF
- Key Verse
- "Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true." Acts 17:11 (NIV)
READ THE PASSAGE
Central Truth
The Bible is God’s truth, and as Christians, the ultimate authority in our lives.
Reflections
As a young adult I labeled myself an atheist. Attending many church services I had not listened and summarily discounted all Christian teaching. However, I had not opened a Bible. I was disappointed in the behavior of some Christians I knew but I was in a constant state of denial about my own persistent and rapidly accumulating failings. In a word, I was prejudiced.For close to twenty long years, I traveled in my world with closed ears, eyes and heart. Desperately longing for love, compassion and a bit of understanding, one day I found myself at the absolute bottom and most surprisingly in a church. For the first time I wholeheartedly listened to the message being spoken and heard about God’s love and forgiveness. Absolutely amazed at what I heard, I wrote down the Scripture references cited by the pastor. At home I found the Bible that I had once bought on a whim, and looked up the verses. Fully expecting to find the message substantially enhanced, I instead found the truth of God’s Word resonating in my soul. A modern day Berean, my life was forever changed as I joyfully received God’s love, forgiveness and acceptance.
In Acts 17:11 we learn the Bereans went to the synagogue with open-minds. Once there they listened eagerly. Later, they searched the Scriptures for themselves, day after day, to verify that Paul and Silas were teaching the truth. As believers we can follow their model as we grow in our faith by seeking Biblical teaching, remaining open-minded and eagerly listening. Most importantly, we should examine Scripture for ourselves to validate what we hear and read. A teacher or author who claims to speak God’s truth will never purposely contradict, dispute or minimize the Bible’s words.
Discussion Questions
1. Which of the four things that the Bereans did are the hardest for you to do - attend church, be open-minded, listen eagerly, or read the Bible? Why?2. If your spiritual growth has ever stalled, have you let one of the four Berean practices go to the back burner?
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