Why are we struggling?

Have you ever bought one of those furniture pieces you had to assemble? You know the one, a million different size screws and one of those little half-bent metal bar things to act as a wrench? Are you like me where you open the box, scatter all the pieces, proceed to scan the directions (maybe 😆), and often grab the nearest piece?   

Random is often how we approach the Bible. We pick a spot or a problem and go! Think for a moment about your favorite book or favorite T.V. show. How would you explain the plot or the main characters to a friend who wasn’t familiar? Would you start in the middle or maybe work backward? Of course not! Wouldn’t so many things be missed?  

What if I were to tell you that the Bible has a set of directions?

Directions guide us to where we need to go. The Bible teaches us where to go and who we need to know.

  

I don’t want to take you away from what is working for you; instead, I want to help you build on what you already have. I want to teach you a Bible study method built on the basics of the Christian faith that you can use with any plan.  

This Bible study method will lead you to Jesus Christ, our Savior, to understand the point and purpose of why He came and how that should affect your response to Him. To those reading who might not have a plan, don’t worry; building a foundation on the basics of the Christian faith is also a plan!   

Let me give you five reasons why building a foundation on the basics of the Christian faith is so important.   

1# The Pursuit of Christ

10 According to the grace of God given to me, like a skilled master builder, I laid a foundation, and someone else is building upon it. Let each one take care how he builds upon it. 11 For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.   

1 Corinthians 3:10&11

In these verses, the Apostle Paul addresses the Corinthian church on the foundation of their faith. In the opening verses of this chapter, he gave them a strong rebuke, calling them fleshly children, causing strife and jealousy among themselves. Their argument consisted of who the best teacher was, Paul or Apollos. Paul explains that it isn’t the messenger that is important; instead, it is what foundation you are building on.  

Finally, Paul clarifies the foundation he and Apollos built upon, Christ Jesus. Paul’s point is that neither he nor Apollos determines the foundation, nor are they the foundation to build on.

If we don’t pick the foundation of our faith, shouldn’t we be looking to God, who gave us His revealed Word, to determine how everything fits together?  

Going back to our furniture example, what will our kitchen island or chair look like if we don’t first read and follow the directions? Will we be able to use it the way it was intended?

Without direction from the Bible, our focus on studying it becomes about our needs or wants.

I know, dear sister, if you have read this far, you want to please God. The question is whether your current approach leads you to the right foundation.  

Sign up below to get your FREE Bible Study Jump-Start

#2 The Priority of Christ

But he said to him, “A man once gave a great banquet and invited many. 17 And at the time for the banquet he sent his servant to say to those who had been invited, ‘Come, for everything is now ready.’ 18 But they all alike began to make excuses. The first said to him, ‘I have bought a field, and I must go out and see it. Please have me excused.’ 19 And another said, ‘I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them. Please have me excused.’ 20 And another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’   

Luke 14:16-20  

#3 Devotion to Christ

But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep.   

2 Peter 2:1-3

In the opening chapter of 2 Peter, Peter instructs his readers to remember the gospel and everything God has provided them through Christ. He then calls them to respond to God’s work by walking in a manner worthy of that calling.

Peter proceeds to set up the rest of the book, a warning against false teachers, reminding his readers of the surety of the word given through his personal experience with Christ on the mountain of transfiguration.

If you remember, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John to the mountain, where he shows them his 2nd coming glory. If that wasn’t enough, they heard God from heaven personally confirm His Son’s mission. 

If we don’t ground ourselves in the right foundation, we are easily swayed from one idea to the next. Peter wanted his readers to be grounded in the truth; this was the same truth he had been given directly from Jesus Himself.

When you look at your foundation, are you anchored to Christ, or does your Christian walk seem to change according to the latest cultural or Christian trend? 

#4 The influence of Christ

24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”  

Matthew 7:24-27 

#5 The Hope of Christ

8. But you, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, the offspring of Abraham, my friend; 9 you whom I took from the ends of the earth, and called from its farthest corners, saying to you, “You are my servant, I have chosen you and not cast you off”; 10 fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.   

Isaiah 41:8-10  

In this passage, we see the prophet Isaiah speaking to the southern kingdom, Judah. His message was to those who refused his rebuke of their sins and the coming exile to Babylon. As we read further in scripture, we know that his warning came true, and the Babylonians took the southern kingdom into exile.

In verses 8-10, we see God’s promise not to destroy Judah ultimately. God had chosen His people as His own; He had set them apart, and they could have hope on that basis. Their hope depended not on themselves but on God’s promise to keep them.   

Have trouble finding your way around the Bible? Join me for a 90-minute coaching session where I will walk you through 4 important steps to Bible Study. Workbook and Study notes included. Click the image below to get started.

God makes us aware of our sinfulness and our need for forgiveness and redemption through His Holy Spirit. He also shows us that our hope is dependent on Him and not ourselves

When we build our lives on the lasting hope of God’s relationship with us in Christ, our hope is anchored not only to the Eternal One but to the one who is Holy and perfect.

The Holy and perfect One provides us with everything lacking in ourselves; everything that has caused our hope to be unsteady is steadied in Him.

He has exchanged our sins for His righteousness. In Him, we can stand firm in the hope that we are secure in Him no matter how many times we fall.

Do you find that your hope is based on your performance? Our world daily tries to focus our hope on performance. Dear sister hear me when I say, it is finished; Jesus has paid the price for your sin there is nothing left to add.

The question is are you placing your hope in the finished work of Christ? 

Conclusion

Resources I recommend for understanding the basics of the Christian faith.

A Visual Theology Guide to the Bible: Seeing and Knowing God’s Word

Visual Theology: Seeing and Understanding the Truth About God

Biblical Doctrine: A Systematic Summary of Bible Truth