Last week we began talking about the value and function of God’s Word. We started with this one statement, “The Word of God of is not about us, it is for us.” The Word of God is the character, heart, thoughts and ways of God written down for man so that we can know Him, love Him, trust Him and follow Him. According to John 1:1, Jesus is the embodiment of the Word of God and the Word of God is the revelation of Jesus, the written word reveals the living word. Last week we concentrated on three main points: The words of God are important, His words are both creative and sustaining. Every time God speaks He gives birth and from birth He continues to give life by His voice, as Moses said and Jesus quoted, “Man does not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. God’s words are important and God’s words reveal His heart. Jesus said “out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” We have talked about this statement, in reference to ourselves, many times, we must also talk about it in reference to God. Our lack of knowledge, devotion to and trust in God’s Word leads us to a lack of believing, trusting and understanding God’s heart. If we take Jesus’ words in Matthew 12 seriously, then the greatest way to know someone’s heart is to listen to their words, hear what they say and how they say it; according to this Scripture we don’t speak our minds, we speak our hearts. God is no different, His Word reveals His heart and His heart calls us to know His love and love Him in response. God’s words are important, God’s Word reveals His heart and the Scripture creates for us an experience with the Author. If the Scriptures are God-breathed, inspired by the Holy Spirit as both Paul and Peter write, then that means that the Bible is written to us by God and about God, the Bible is not the conglomeration of 66 books written by 40 different authors all writing about their understanding of God but instead it is one perfect revelation of God, from God for us. The Bible does not lead to an experience with God, the Bible is an experience with God. The same Spirit that inspired the writers on behalf of the Author inspires us to meet the Author in His words. The Bible has many uses but one main purpose and so, reading the Bible will do many different things in us and through us, but the reason we read is for relationship, to the know God in depth, to learn His character and to come to a place in which our experience with Him through the Word leads us to trust Him so that we can follow Him. Today we will build upon last week’s lessons. A relationships is not built in the initial meeting, it begins there but then it has to grow; a relationship takes time, effort, commitment and devotion. Our experience with God through His Word leads us to hunger and thirst for a greater depth, greater joy, and greater intimacy, all of which are both birthed and sustained through His Word. The Word of God does not lead us to something else, it leads us back to itself, the Word begets the Word. In John 15 Jesus uses a key word in teaching us about the role His words must play in our hearts and in our lives, He told us to “Abide”. Today, and next week we are going to study this word and attempt to understand what it means to abide, what abiding does in us and what role the Word of God plays in our abiding.