Necessity of God’s Word

𝗪𝗔𝗥𝗠 𝗨𝗣

• Tell us about a time when you wanted to gain something (food, experience, or habit) because you knew it would be good for you. What did you do to have it?

• What’s something that you used to enjoy but grew out of as you matured? What changed?

• Have you ever had to walk away from people, experiences, or behaviors that were holding you back? Tell us what happened.

𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗗

𝘚𝘰 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘺𝘱𝘰𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘷𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳. 𝘓𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘬, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘪𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘶𝘱 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯—𝘪𝘧 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥. 𝟭 𝗣𝗘𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟮:𝟭–𝟯

Just like how babies naturally want and need milk to grow healthy and strong, we’re supposed to want God’s word because it’s what helps our faith grow. Without it, we can’t grow stronger in our faith and in our relationship with God. Tasting and knowing how good God’s word is increases our desire to know Him more through His word. Today, we will look at how God’s word isn’t just something nice to have, but something we need every day to keep growing and stay close to God.

𝟭. 𝗚𝗼𝗱’𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲. 

𝘚𝘰 𝘱𝘶𝘵 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘺𝘱𝘰𝘤𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘷𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘴𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳. 𝘓𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘬, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘪𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘶𝘱 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 . . . 𝟭 𝗣𝗘𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟮:𝟭–𝟮

As believers, we know that sin keeps us away from God. This grieves the heart of God because He created us to have a loving relationship with Him. When we receive God’s free gift of salvation, we start a journey of spiritual growth. In the same way a baby needs milk to grow, we too need spiritual food. When He was tempted, Jesus told Satan that we don’t live by food alone but by every word from God (Matthew 4:4), showing the importance of God’s word in our daily life. His word strengthens and enables us to turn away from sin and live a life of worship unto Him. According to John 17:17, what does God’s word do to us?

𝟮. 𝗚𝗼𝗱’𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗮𝗹𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 

𝘓𝘪𝘬𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘳𝘪𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭 𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘬, 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘣𝘺 𝘪𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘨𝘳𝘰𝘸 𝘶𝘱 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘢𝘭𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯—𝘪𝘧 𝘪𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘦𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘳𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥. 𝟭 𝗣𝗘𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟮:𝟮–𝟯

God’s word is essential for our spiritual growth. We need God’s truth to mature our faith. Salvation isn’t just about going to heaven one day; it is a lifelong process of becoming more like Jesus and experiencing His power, love, and faithfulness. His word shapes how we think, live, and love, helping us grow in every part of our walk with God. How has God’s word brought growth in your life by changing the way you think, make decisions, or relate with others?

When we’ve tasted how good the Lord is, we’ll keep craving for more of His word because it’s through that steady nourishment that we truly grow up into the full life He has called us to. Therefore, we should ask God to give us a deep desire for His word, knowing how essential it is for our spiritual life. If we truly want to grow in Him, we need to keep coming back to His word every day.

𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

• What might it look like for you to “crave” what’s spiritually good for you? What’s one practical way you can take in spiritual nourishment starting this week?

• In what areas of your life do you sense the need to grow or mature spiritually? How can God’s word help you grow in these areas?

• Who in your life might need spiritual encouragement or guidance right now? How can you encourage and support them in their faith journey?

𝗣𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗘𝗥

• Thank God for giving us His word that helps us grow every day. Ask Him to continue to nourish and strengthen you through His word. 

• Pray that you will continue to long for God’s word to help you grow in your salvation. Ask Him to show you anything you need to turn away from to live a life that honors Him. 

• Pray for a heart that builds others up and guides them toward spiritual growth. Ask God for opportunities to help someone grow in their faith this week.