Who is the Bible written to?

The Bible is written to Christians who gather together to worship Jesus and carry out his mission

This letter is from Paul, an apostle. I was not appointed by any group of people or any human authority, but by Jesus Christ himself and by God the Father, who raised Jesus from the dead. All the brothers and sisters here join me in sending this letter to the churches of Galatia. GALATIANS 1:1-2 NLT
At Sandals Church, we preach the word of God to the church and the heart of God to the world.

Why can I trust the Bible?

It is written first-hand by eyewitnesses

Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ. GALATIANS 1:11-12 NLT
NOTICE WHAT LARGE LETTERS I USE AS I WRITE THESE CLOSING WORDS IN MY OWN HANDWRITING. GALATIANS 6:11 NLT

The Christian Bible is mostly written by its greatest enemy

You know what I was like when I followed the Jewish religion—how I violently persecuted God’s church. I did my best to destroy it. GALATIANS 1:13 NLT

Paul wrote the truth about God and suffered greatly

I declare before God that what I am writing to you is not a lie. GALATIANS 1:20 NLT
And if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than anyone in the world. 1 CORINTHIANS 15:19 NLT
From now on, don’t let anyone trouble me with these things. For I bear on my body the scars that show I belong to Jesus. GALATIANS 6:17 NLT

How can the Bible help me?

It teaches me about the real purpose of Jesus

May God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ give you grace and peace. Jesus gave his life for our sins, just as God our Father planned, in order to rescue us from this evil world in which we live. All glory to God forever and ever! Amen. GALATIANS 1:3-5 NLT

It helps me battle my natural desires with supernatural power

So I say, let the Holy Spirit guide your lives. Then you won’t be doing what your sinful nature craves. The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. GALATIANS 5:16-17 NLT
For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires. HEBREWS 4:12 NLT

It teaches me about how Jesus wants me to live

As for me, may I never boast about anything except the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because of that cross,my interest in this world has been crucified, and the world’s interest in me has also died. It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation. May God’s peace and mercy be upon all who live by this principle; they are the new people of God. GALATIANS 6:14-16 NLT

Community Group Discussion Guide

1. Have you always trusted that the Bible is God’s word or have you gone through seasons of doubt? What was it like?
2. Read Hebrews 4:12. When was the last time you felt really exposed by the Bible and what did you do about it?
3. Read Galatians 1:3-5. The Bible tells us that Jesus’ purpose was to rescue us. When in your life have you felt God rescue you?
4. Read Galatians 5:16-17. In what ways has God helped you battle your natural desires?
5. Read Galatians 6:14-16. What change has God brought about in your life that would be worth bragging about on his behalf?
6. If you were to “preach the heart of God to the world” what would you say? What would help you to say it?

Personal Reflection Guide

Find a place where you can be alone with your thoughts and with God. Have a Bible with you, but let everything else that could distract you go for just a little bit. Thinking back through the sermon, bring to God any questions you may still have about the Bible and what it says to you. Are there parts you find hard to believe or doubts that you struggle with when it comes to believing the Bible? Do you have a hard time seeing the Bible as a way to help you battle your sin and struggles? Try reading through Jesus’ temptation in Matthew 4:1-11. What do you notice about how he defeats the devil? How does that build your confidence in the Bible? Talk to God about some areas in your life where you need to defeat temptation with truth from the Bible. Ask him to bring you passages that will encourage you and equip you to live as Jesus wants. Take time this week to write some of these passages down on note cards or in a place you will see often, believing that God’s word has the power to change our lives and make us more like Jesus.