Today’s update is “borrowing” from Jonny Ardavanis of Stonebridge Bible Church in Brentwood, TN where Pastor Jonny is the Lead Pastor.
The original source from DialedIn can be accessed here on Spotify:
What I’ve done is summarize some of the key points that Jonny brought out in collaboration with Harry Walls in his podcast this week and I want to encourage you to listen to the message (I did so several times) since it is truly exceptional. I thank God for equipping and guiding Jonny’s ministry and I am thankful for his faithfulness.
Introduction:
This summary of the podcast highlights the key themes and ideas presented and emphasize the importance of studying and trusting the Bible for spiritual growth, transformation, and a deeper relationship with God. This message is one that is focused on the Bible's unique nature, its practical applications, and the numerous promises it offers to believers.
Main Themes and Key Ideas:
1. The Bible is Essential for Spiritual Transformation:
The Bible is of Central Importance: The Bible is not merely a historical document but a vital, living, and active force for spiritual transformation. It is the primary means by which individuals grow in their faith and understanding of God. As stated by Jonny and his guest, Harry Walls in the podcast,
"You can't become more like the son of God if you're not committed to the word of God.”
Another point of emphasis is, "The word of God is living and active, and it has the capacity to inform you in the categories of life, internal and practical, so that you can become what Jesus Christ saved you to be.”
The Bible Offers Divine Wisdom: The Bible is portrayed as a source of divine wisdom, offering not just knowledge but also guidance for living a life that fulfills one's potential. The Bible summary highlights the concept of “divine wisdom, righteousness, and deep satisfaction”.
The Bible Offers Transformative Power: The Bible is described as having the power to reach deep within a person, achieving what nothing else can.
"It gets places where nothing else can go and it does what nothing else can do. And it's supernatural".
2. The Supernatural Nature of the Bible:
Unique and Flawless: The Bible is distinguished from other books due to its supernatural origin, being a direct communication from God and "flawless."
Jonny and Harry declare, "There's no imperfection. This is the supernatural power of God through the word of God to do the work of God in my soul. That's core to me. It's healing to me. It's lifegiving to me. It's life restoring to me."
God's Testimony: The Bible is seen as God's own testimony about Himself, offering self-revelation about His power, glory, and purpose, and a contrast to the "world book" of creation.
3. Psalm 19 as a Key Passage:
C.S. Lewis's View: C.S. Lewis's opinion that Psalm 19 is "the greatest poem in the psalter and the greatest lyric in the world" is mentioned to highlight the profoundness and importance of the passage.
God's Revelation Through Creation and Scripture: The passage is interpreted to show that while God's glory is evident in creation, salvation and true understanding of Him are found through the Bible.
Jonny and Harry declare: "The world, the created world is the world book. God's self-revelation about his power, his capacity, his glory...And then there's the word book.... self-revelation about God that the world cannot communicate absent God's revelation in his word.”
4. Bible Titles and Qualities (Psalm 19:7-9):
Titles:
The Bible is referred to by various titles:
law of the Lord (prescriptive direction)
testimony of the Lord (God's story)
precepts (doctrinal instruction)
commandment of the Lord (the laws)
fear of the Lord (worship manual)
rules/judgments of the Lord (divine verdicts)
Qualities of the Bible:
perfect (complete and flawless)
sure (reliable and eternal)
right (straight and true)
pure (clear and understandable)
clean (without corruption)
true (100% trustworthy)
"Not only is it comprehensive, complete, perfect in the sense that it speaks to all that needs to be spoken to, but it's also flawless."
5. Eight Promises of the Bible (Psalm 19:7-11):
There are eight specific promises connected with engaging with the Bible:
Revives the Soul: Repairs damage caused by sin and the world, bringing renewal and restoration. "It has the ability to recover and recreate in a way that's healthy."
Makes Wise the Simple: Provides divine perspective for navigating life successfully. "Wisdom comes from God...wisdom is knowing the best goals and the best way to get there."
Rejoices the Heart: Leads to joy through applying the Bible's guidance. "...the outcome of that is not just profit or or benefit, but internal… elevated joy."
Enlightens the Eyes: Provides true vision and understanding of reality. "It the scripture is the instrument by which God turns the lights on in your own thinking."
Endures Forever: Its truths and principles are unchanging and stable in an ever-shifting world. "This book is reliable from beginning to end."
Produces Righteousness: Its own righteousness leads to righteous living in those who follow it.
Satisfies Deeply: Fulfills the deepest desires and longings of the heart. "It's more desirable than any pleasure you could experience in life..."
Warns and Rewards: Provides warning against sin and reward for righteous living. "The Bible is a preservative because it protects you from what you need to know in order to avoid what can cost you your life…"
6. Practical Application:
Commitment and Meditation: The importance of daily Bible reading along with meditation is essential to experience its transformative power.
Understanding the Narrative: It is essential to see the Bible as one continuous story, with each section contributing to the revelation of God's plan. " You are encouraged to see the Bible as one volume with many contributing chapters and books meant to tell you a connected story of God's revelation about the world He made, what happened to the world He made, your place in it, what's happened to you, and what He's done in order to recover and restore us…"
The Bible does not offer a "Tip and Trick" but a Systematic Renewal: The Bible offers a deep, systematic, and holistic transformation, not just surface-level advice.
Conclusion:
As you listen to Jonny and Harry in their conversational exposition of Psalm 19 and its fit in your spiritual fitness for 2025, you are compelled to consider the essential nature of the Bible in a Christian's life. It is not just a book but a living instrument of transformation, offering wisdom, guidance, and deep satisfaction.
By studying, meditating on, and trusting in the Bible, believers can experience the profound promises of God and grow into the people they were created to be. The Bible’s enduring nature provides stability and security in a constantly changing world. These constant changes are not new to the world, but everyone is seeing a pace of change that will be formidable in the years to come.
❤️❤️❤️
PODCAST NARRATIVE BY:
Jonny Ardavanis / LEAD PASTOR Stonebridge Bible Church
Harry Walls / EXECUTIVE PASTOR Stonebridge Bible Church
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