The Word [Free Resource for Your Church]

As a pastor, one of my greatest desires is to see our people grow in their knowledge of the Word.  If believers can make scriptural study a habit, every other good work will come out from it (2 Tim. 3:17).  That’s why it is so important to get them into the Word.

I want to provide some resources to you for free if they could benefit your church.

We went through a sermon series entitled, “The Word,” which was a 100-day focus on walking through the Scriptures together in daily Bible reading and sermon content.  Take the material below, change it, edit it, and make it better.

Series Overview

Here’s the simple basics of the series:

  1. Get your people to commit to being in the Word for 100 days – off the shelves and into our lives!
  2. Use a daily reading plan of 50 days in the Old Testament and 50 days in the New Testament (you might think some passages need to be included or excluded, then make your personal adjustments).
  3. The reading is chronological so that it jumps around in books but progresses through the narrative.  You will hear the prophet’s sermon right after the event to which he was speaking.
  4. Preach from one of the assigned passages each Sunday and keep connecting the dots for the church.
  5. It allows the entire church to see the big picture narrative of the Bible rather than as mere isolated stories.

Links

  1. Here is the list of the 100-Day Bible reading plan – make any tweaks to it that you see fit.
  2. Here is the sermon series – as someone who has taught Bible in university classrooms, I do wish I would have started the series less academic and more pastoral.  It is an easy trap to fall into.  I also borrowed some texts from the week’s reading, and if I did it again, I would have preached strictly from each Sunday’s readings.

Sermon Overview

It was amazing to me seeing how the reading plan had so many of the Sunday readings on a topic that related to the importance of the Word.  I wish I could say I was that smart to figure out how to do it, but that is all God.  The first week was the reason for the series.  The second week was a summary of the Bible.  The third week served as the first day in the reading plan.

  1. The Word: For the Bible Tells Me So (Ezra 7:1-10) – Similar to our context, Ezra the scribe lived in a time when the Word of God had been neglected.  How are we to reorient our lives to what the Bible teaches?
  2. The Word: The Story of the Bible (Rom. 1:1-6) – The Bible is not a collection of disconnected, moralistic stories. It is the one overarching story of how the cross of Christ will rescue a fallen people.
  3. The Word: Two Trees in the Garden (Gen. 1-3) – It didn’t take long before sin corrupted God’s good creation. While disobedience brought about brokenness, God revealed a plan to redeem what had fallen.
  4. The Word: There’s a Ram in the Thicket (Gen. 22) – God miraculously gave Abraham a son but later commanded to sacrifice him. Instead of Abraham having to go through with Issac’s death, a ram in the thicket became a substitute.
  5. The Word: God Meant It for Good (Gen. 50) – Once Israel died, his sons feared Joseph’s retaliation. While Joseph had been hurt by their evil, he viewed his suffering role as critical in the good God was doing.
  6. The Word: Impatient Idolatry (Ex. 32) – Even though the people had gotten out of Egypt, Egypt hadn’t gotten out of the people. Growing impatient with God’s timing, the people used a gift from God as a replacement for God.
  7. The Word: The Word of the LORD Was Rare (1 Sam. 3) – Samuel was called to be a prophet during a time when the word of the LORD was rare.  His ministry was established by God’s presence and determined by God’s Word.
  8. The Word: Walk in His Ways (1 Kings 2) – As David neared his death, he gave final instructions to his son, Solomon.  Out of all the wisdom he could have given, he urged his son to walk in the ways of the LORD.
  9. The Word: I Have Found the Book (2 Kings 22) – King Josiah stumbled upon the neglected Word of God and it changed the nation. We must blow the dust of the Bible and encounter God’s claims upon our lives.
  10. The Word: The Great and Awesome Day of the LORD (Malachi 4) – As God’s people wavered in their devotion, Malachi promised that the promised Messiah was drawing near. This great and awesome day of the LORD would change everything.
  11. The Word: Salt and Light (Matthew 5:13-16) – As Jesus began his public ministry, he gathered disciples in order to teach them how to live for the Kingdom. As he once encouraged them to be salt and light, we are called to the same lifestyles as his followers.
  12. The Word: The God Who Washes Feet (John 13) – Before the cross, Jesus washed the feet of his disciples in an act of humble servitude.  Jesus didn’t come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.
  13. The Word: Day by Day (Acts 2:42-47) – As the Holy Spirit empowered the disciples, the early church was born.  This body of believers met together day by day and saw God do amazing acts in their midst.
  14. The Word: Doers of the Word (James 1) – Learning biblical information does not guarantee biblical transformation.  We must learn how to apply the Word of God into our lives.
  15. The Word: Red and Yellow, Black and White (Eph 2:11-22) – In Paul’s description of the Church, he explained that Jesus’ cross broke down sinful, ethnic boundaries we established.  How are we to combat racism within the Body of Christ?
  16. The Word: When Jesus Sat Down (Heb 10) – Priests could never sit down in worship because sacrifices would always need to be offered. Once Jesus offered himself, he sat down at the right hand of God for the task was finished once and for all.
  17. The Word: All Things New (Rev 21-22) – What once was broken will be made right again. Jesus is making all things new

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Slides for Presentation

Pray that this can be a resource for your church or a catalyst for an idea to get your church into the Word!