Jason Pensa 
We know that knowledge alone won’t make us better Christians. We won’t love God more by just knowing more facts about Him. We won’t love our neighbors like Jesus by just understanding that it’s something we “should do”. We need to apply the Bible to our lives. We need to live out the Bible. So today I want to give you some keys to putting God’s word into action, to applying the Scripture to your life.
We hear inspirational speakers say “You know best, just follow your heart.” This idea exists (even in Christian communities) that we should follow our hearts. We hardly question it.
Highlighting your Bible is not something that you’ll read about in your Bible, nor is it a tool the Jewish Teachers, Catholic Priests or early Protestant Pastors ever thought about. I highlight to help me interact with the Bible.
It seems everyone has an answer as to why people are leaving and there are a myriad of people who know how to fix these issues. I’m not sure that the issues are as simple as we’d like to believe. We have to understand that church attendance is on the decline in part because the social expectation of church attendance has eroded, people are more busy and active now than ever before and their priorities are elsewhere.
Instead of turning to a commentary or a devotional, the best way to interpret the Bible is to use other Scripture. So the first tool I recommend when it comes to diving into a passage is the cross-reference tool. If you don’t have a Bible with a built-in cross reference, I recommend you get one.
The philosophy behind student ministry is the most important thing when it comes to thinking about how to do Youth Ministry in the Church. Should it be family focused? Will entertainment and pizza parties be the hook? Do we need a rock-star youth pastor who puts cool gel in his hair and knows the latest hip phrases and popular music?
Even Moses standing before a burning bush was reminded by God almighty that he need not approach in haste or to consider the ground where God had chosen to meet with Moses as ordinary. Moses was cautioned to keep his distance and to remove his sandals. God declared who He was and Moses hides his face from God because Moses is afraid.
You need the right tool for the right job. Each tool serves a specific purpose and they all serve a purpose in your toolbox. In the same way, we each need certain tools to dig into God’s Word.
What if this past year was just a year where God was making sure your heart was ready? I’m not talking so much about God testing you but preparing you. Even if you think you utterly failed in how you responded to this past year maybe God had used a season of waiting, mourning and praying to push you to your limit to make you more durable for the road ahead.
We’re to rejoice over another day to breathe. We’re to give thanks to God because His steadfast love is enduring and will continue to be so forever. We’re to rejoice and be glad because God alone does great wonders.