Belonging
Bible reading is part of the Christian rule of life because Scripture is the inspired and inerrant Word of God that renews the mind and forms believers in maturity. Liturgy is the ordered pattern of worship through which the Church gathers with reverence, peace, and biblical faithfulness. Together, Scripture and liturgy help believers live disciplined lives centered on God’s Word and God’s presence.
Rule of Life Continued
A rule of life helps Christians live with spiritual order and discipline.
The three main components are prayer, Bible reading, and liturgy.
Prayer is regular and sustained communion with God.
The Early Church practiced set times of prayer.
Bible Reading
Bible reading is also known as Scriptural devotion.
Scripture is a unique means of grace.
The Bible is the divinely inspired and inerrant Word of God.
God uses Scripture to help believers grow in Christian maturity.
The Renewal of the Mind
Philippians 2:5 calls believers to have the mind of Christ.
Ephesians 4:23 teaches that believers are renewed in the spirit of their minds.
Scripture speaks to the intellect and moves the will toward truth.
God gave Scripture so that His people may understand and live according to the truth.
Receiving Scripture
The Church has taught that believers should:
Hear the Scriptures
Read the Scriptures
Study the Scriptures
Learn the Scriptures
Inwardly digest the Scriptures
Prayer and Spiritual Strength
The apostles understood the importance of prayer and refused to neglect it for other responsibilities.
A strong prayer life protects against burnout and spiritual emptiness.
Prayer keeps the believer connected to the presence of God.
No earthly power can take the presence of God from someone who has cultivated prayer.
Prayer must be guarded, protected, strengthened, and enflamed.
Hearing and Reading Scripture
We hear Scripture through the worship and services of the Church.
We read Scripture through daily Bible reading.
Bible reading helps believers develop personal devotion.
Helpful tools may include reading plans, commentaries, expositions, and Study Bibles.
Studying and Learning Scripture
We study Scripture by noting key verses, themes, and connections.
We should pay attention to how the Old and New Testaments connect.
Scripture can be studied personally or with other Christians.
We learn Scripture by memorizing passages for personal growth.
Digesting Scripture
To digest Scripture means to meditate on it until it shapes us.
Scripture should shape our thoughts, prayers, attitudes, and actions.
We approach the Bible with gratitude, humility, and awe.
The Bible was not written directly to us, but it was written for us.
Worship and the Word
Worship songs should be rooted in the Word of God.
Songs shape the hearts and minds of God’s people.
The Church must be careful to sing songs that teach biblical truth.
Everything in the Church should come from the Word of God.
Liturgy
Liturgy means an established pattern or form of worship.
Every church has an order of service.
Order in worship is not bad.
Order helps the Church worship God with reverence, clarity, and purpose.
Order in Worship
Acts 2:42 shows that the Early Church had discipline and pattern.
1 Corinthians 14:33 teaches that God is not a God of confusion but of peace.
Disorder brings confusion, disturbance, and chaos.
Because God is a God of order, the Church should order its worship.
Why Liturgy Matters
Liturgy reflects biblical patterns of worship.
Liturgy fosters reverence and love for God.
Liturgy helps deepen our faith in Jesus Christ.
Liturgy connects us to the worship of Israel and the Early Church.
Liturgy trains our hearts to worship God rightly.
Order and the Holy Spirit
Structured worship does not prevent sincere or vibrant worship.
The Holy Spirit is not the author of chaos.
The Holy Spirit works in peace and order.
The Church should not confuse disorder with the work of the Spirit.
Gathering with the Church
Hebrews 10:23–25 teaches believers not to neglect meeting together.
Gathering with the Church is both a duty and a discipline.
We do not gather merely to meet with people.
We gather to meet with God and encounter the presence of Jesus Christ.
