Book of the Week – Matthew

So we have decided that we want to be devouring the Word more in our everyday life, and we would like to be doing it in community so that we are learning about the same things. That way we can share what we are learning and grow together.

When the Lord was talking to me about it, He used the phrase “immersion study”.

He brought my attention to the parable of the sower.

Luke 8:5-15

5 “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds of the air ate it up. 6 Some fell on rock, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. 7 Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. 8 Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown.” When he said this, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” 9 His disciples asked him what this parable meant. 10 He said, “The knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of God has been given to you, but to others I speak in parables, so that, “‘though seeing, they may not see; though hearing, they may not understand.’ 11 “This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. 12 Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. 14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life’s worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop.”

In this world we have seed being sown in our hearts constantly.  Radio, TV, billboards, magazines, conversations, books, movies, commercials, internet, email, etc.  But those seeds choke out the word.  They produce weeds in our hearts and distract us from the truth.

When the Lord was talking to me about becoming immersed in the Word, He began showing me my life in ratios. In percentages.  I began looking at my day and asking these questions.

What percentage of my day is spent doing things that affect eternity?

What percentage of my day is spent renewing my mind in the things of God?

What percentage of my day is spent listening to God?

What percentage of my day is spent reading the Word?

What percentage of my day is spent dwelling on the things of God?

I was not happy with what I saw.  And as I began talking with the others in the house, they were feeling the same way.

So we are going to take a book of the bible a week, and read it/listen to it, as many times as possible through out the week.  Some weeks it might be once or twice, other weeks it might be 10 times.  But we are not going to get discouraged if we have a busy day, we are not going to dwell on yesterday’s failure, but we are going to wake up each day knowing that the mercies of God are new every morning and live on purpose, pursuing the Word of God.

So this week we are starting with the book of Matthew.  We will be posting as things stand out to us in our study, and we will be encouraged and inspired to hear what you are learning as well.  There is no revelation too small or too great, every insight into the heart of God is valuable and treasured to us.

So dig in!