“Undergoing Construction ‘25: The Tools Of Truth”
Pastor Jim Lowe III
Sunday Morning, 9:30am Stream 10/12/25 (2nd Sunday Message)
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{All scriptures are NIV84 unless stated}
Message Title:
“Undergoing Construction ‘25: The Tools Of Truth”
No home/temple is secure without the word. The word is our bible.
It is a book of collections.
which ALL of it is important.
Why Is The Bible Important?
2 Timothy 3:16-17 (NKJV)
16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.
ALL scripture…
Your bible
given by inspiration from God “God breathed” {NIV}
Many people want to doubt our faith… “The bible was written by a man.”
Well what book wasn’t written by a man or a woman?
Actually what happens is when someone writes a book, they have to mentally challenge themselves…
or stimulate themselves as an author to write something
for the reader.
Actually the bible was written by MANY men. Over 1,500 years from beginning to end.
And those authors didn’t look to their own inspiration on what to write.
Each one of them wrote what they heard… and EACH of them heard from God.
The Bible Is The ONLY Book Written By Multiple Authors Over A Long Time With A Consistent Message Of A Living God!
Only the Lord can work through that many people…
over that long of a time…
and the message stays consistent.
This is why it is God breathed. It is a link to the Lord.
It is his love letter to us.
He poured himself out for us and put it all into a book…
If We Want To Know The Lord Better, We Find Him In The Word!
Hebrews 4:12
12 For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.
For the word of God is living and active… it is LIVING.
These are the words of the Lord… and they are powerful.
These things are the essence of who God is.
They are HIS Words!
There is also something VERY important about the word… I wanted to find it in scripture to point it out.
The book of Samuel tells us that Samuel was talking to Saul.
Saul had been acting up. He was the King of Israel
He had MULTIPLE instances where he was messing up.
There was an instance where Saul offered up a burnt offering that Samuel was supposed to do. What does Samuel say when he comes and confronts Saul?
1 Samuel 13:13-14
13 “You acted foolishly,” Samuel said. “You have not kept the command the LORD your God gave you; if you had, he would have established your kingdom over Israel for all time. 14 But now your kingdom will not endure; the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him leader of his people, because you have not kept the LORD’s command.”
The Lord is looking for a man after his own heart. We know that person was found.
Son of Jesse
His name was David.
David Was Considered A Man After God’s Own Heart
What a title!
how did David operate?
what did he do to deserve that??
We know David wan’t perfect… but what did this man say?
Psalm 119:11
11 I have hidden your WORD in my heart that I might not sin against you.
The Lord told Samuel he was looking for a man after his own heart.
And HOW did that man operate? He said what he does
HE hides the word of the Lord in HIS heart! This tells us how powerful THAT word is!!
Because our bible is the LIVING INSPIRATION of God…
“My Bible Is My Window To The Heart of God!”
This is how we learn to see God.
If you want to know the character of the Lord… it’s in his word.
But how can that help me right now?
Let’s talk about reasons we should read and study the bible.
{Why Should We Read And Study The Bible?}
It gives us direction for our lives.
Psalm 119:105
105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.
A lamp to our feet which lights up where we’re currently standing. It show us our current position.
To Get Where You Need To Go, It’s Necessary To Know Where You Are?
How many of you know,
It’s hard to give directions without a starting point?
Sometimes when you ask for directions…
someone will say “what direction are you coming from?”
But it doesn’t just show where you’re standing… it also lights the way you need to go.
A light for your path.
Which path?
The right way to go.
Psalm 17:4-5
4 As for the deeds of men—by the WORD of your lips I have kept myself from the ways of the violent. 5 My steps have held to your paths; my feet have not slipped.
By the WORDS of your lips… By your word.
I have kept myself from the WAY of the violent.
I step in YOUR paths…
the ones you light for me.
and I have NOT slipped.
The Lord Gives Direction Through His Word!
Psalm 32:8-9
8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you. 9 Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you.
He will teach us where we should go.
Don’t be like the horse or mule…
that have to be led and forced to the place they need to be.
We can learn to hear from him…
but we also have his LIVING INSPIRED words in our hands.
{Why Should We Read And Study The Bible?}
Sometimes it can be hard to make decisions on where we are in life. What should I do here?
Should I go with this or that.
Psalm 119:130
130 The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.
Not just the reading of the word. But the study of it.
The understanding of it.
Proverbs 2 talks about wisdom and discernment. it’s a lot in the chapter.
Proverbs 2:1
My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you…
if we accept his words and keep them within…
Verse 5-6
5 then you will understand the fear of the LORD and find the knowledge of God. 6 For the LORD gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
Your living word has the ability to give you wisdom! More of a Godly wisdom!
We’re Living In A Time Where We Go By Thoughts And Feelings And Not The Word!
We need discernment from the WORD because THAT’s the standard!
2 Timothy 4:3-4
3 For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. 4 They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.
This is where the preachers and teachers and evangelists will say stuff… and it SOUNDS good!
it SOUNDS like God! but it’s no where near it.
We have to learn to KNOW the word… so our discernment is sharp.
so we can’t be deceived by ANYONE.
1 John 4:1
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
But maybe we feel like we’re good with this already.
You may feel like you can discern between what’s right and wrong. you know when you hear God.
you know when something is the wrong choice.
But we’re living in a time where CHRISTIANS… can look the Lord in the face…
and not recognize him…
because they don’t know him or his ways… and THAT is because.
they don’t know the word.
If You Want To Know The Lord Better, You Have To Know His Word Better!
Sometimes the “GOOD” thing… isn’t the “GOD” thing…
This is why we need GODLY Discernment!
Proverbs 14:12
12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.
This means you can live your WHOLE life making good decisions… doing the right thing.
but still be totally wrong…
“Discernment is not knowing the difference between right and wrong. It is knowing the difference between right and almost right.” - Charles Spurgeon
The Lord isn’t just trying to stop us from doing wrong… he wants us to get better and better and better.
because HIS way is well above ours.
What do you do if you have 2 decisions to choose from… and neither are wrong?
How do you choose the better one? That’s what the Lord can help you with.
{Why Should We Read And Study The Bible?}
I say the outline because you don’t just read it once.
Matthew 7:24-25
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.
Everyone who hears these words of mine… AND puts them to practice.
those who hear/read/study and DO.
They are like the person who put their house on a rock.
The rain fell…
the streams rose
and the winds blew.
This talks about how we endure THROUGH tough times. The rain falls from the top.
the streams rise from the bottom. the winds blow from the side…
yet we still stand.
because our FOUNDATION is on the rock!
The Bible Gives Stability To Those Who Know And Follow It!
No matter what happens…
the bible tells us we are stable in him!
2 Corinthians 4:8-9
8 We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; 9 persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.
This is telling us that there is stability in God. things we WOULDN’T know!
Matthew 7:26-27
26 But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
Some of us have to start over.
We have to go back to the beginning. The bible is a tool of truth.
It is NECESSARY to our growth as believers.
{recap}:
The bible is more than a book.
It is the living…
it is the heart of the Lord… his love letter to us.
{Why Should We Read And Study The Bible?}
{Why Should We Read And Study The Bible?}
{Why Should We Read And Study The Bible?}
So this week:
{This Week}
Be Present In The Word
Let’s set a goal to open our bible and read something each day. We want practice…not depth.
“Be Present In The Word”
-
Pick an Easy Plan: (A Psalm A Day, A Chapter Of Another Book A Day etc)
-
Pray Before Reading: “Lord Show Me What You Want Me To See”
-
Read Slowly And Listen
-
If Something Jumps At You, Highlight It Or Write It Down
Let’s start somewhere…
OR continue where we left off.
For God is speaking…
and our word is access to his heart.
Let’s finish with a scripture from Hosea 4:6
Hosea 4:6
my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge…
