I find myself remembering the days when I belonged to my home church. I grew up in a small country church - (you must drive two miles on gravel to get there). The church that I attended 60+ years of my life was established by my Great Great Great Grandparents in their home in 1849. That was when they settled near the Iowa River after traveling 400 miles from Owen County Indiana.
The settlers who came to the rural Liscomb/Albion area established the church with "the only creed the Bible." That is the creed I still live by. I've had many different Bibles during my life and all have played a part in making me who I am. My first Bible was given to me by the pastor when I was baptized at age 12. It was a RSV. Then I got the Good News Bible (Today's English Version) for use at church camp and Sunday school.
I progressed to other versions including the Living Bible, a Parallel Bible with four versions side by side. When I went to college I was to use The New Oxford Annotated Bible for my Bible classes. There were several others including a Women's edition and finally I got my New International Version of the Life Application Study Bible that I love for the footnotes. Then most recently I read through the English Standard Version and I'm working on the New English Translation God Speaks Interactive Bible.
Each one I've read through has helped me grow and learn through the Scriptures. As Scripture says "...for they received at the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true," (Acts 17:11 NIV).
We are to study the Word faithfully, with eagerness and delight in His Word. And we must use the Word to examine preaching or speaking for truth or falsity.
"All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work," (2 Timothy 3:16-17 NIV).
Lord, speak to us through Your Holy Word so we can hear the message You have for us. In Jesus Name we pray. Amen.
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