LIFE Posts - The Living Word, part 1
This week we turn from talking about the power of the words we use to the Living Word of God. As noted before, we’re continuing to heavily use the Freedom curriculum to guide this study.[1]
Let’s begin by looking at some things the Bible says about itself, the Word of God. The apostle John tells us about the Word in the opening verses of the book of John (bold emphasis mine):
John 1:1–5 (NLT) 1:1 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 1:2 He existed in the beginning with God. 1:3 God created everything through him, and nothing was created except through him. 1:4 The Word gave life to everything that was created, and his life brought light to everyone. 1:5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness can never extinguish it.
The author of Hebrews tells us that God’s Word is alive and full of power.
Hebrews 4:12 (AMPC) 4:12 For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart.
John 1:14 reiterates the amazing truth that the Word became flesh, God’s Word manifested as Jesus to walk the earth as a man and to die for our sins, buying our salvation.
John 1:14 (NASB95) 1:14 And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.
It is important that we chew on this fundamental truth and let it sink deeply into our understanding – the Bible is the Word of God and is the same as Jesus. As we accept and absorb this truth, we will be able to see the world through a spiritual lens more clearly and confidently. We need to rely upon the Holy Spirit to embed this truth into our worldview – a superficial or “logical” understanding of it isn’t enough.
As a Christ follower, if Jesus was to physically show up next to you right now and put His arm around your shoulder, you wouldn’t have any problem believing what He said or obeying His direct verbal instruction, would you? Certainly, if He told you that you were able to do something, you’d accept and believe it; if He told you that you were healed of a disease, you’d accept and believe it; if He told you that you needed to repent of something, you’d repent.
Yet if we’re honest, that same level of conviction and belief is sometimes (or even most often) missing in us when we read the Bible. Our experience with the Word may make us wonder why we don’t understand it, why it may seem dry or boring, or even worse, without any felt power. The answer to why this is relates to how we approach the Bible. Are we seeking knowledge, or are we seeking relationship? In the natural realm, when we’re in a human relationship that we’re truly interested in cultivating and growing deeper, we earnestly seek to spend time with that person, paying attention to their words, noticing their likes and dislikes, and have our minds focused on them. Conversely, if there is someone we interact with that we’re not interested or invested in, when we do interact with them it is vastly more transactional than relational.
If we purely approach our time in the Bible out of gaining intellectual knowledge or “checking a box” indicating we’ve done our devotional for the day, we will find it at best an interesting collection of wise sayings, or at worst outdated and powerless history. If we read the Bible with only the motivation to get advice on getting a blessing like healing, prosperity, etc. we will find ourselves feeling empty and the time fruitless. However, since the Holy Spirit resides in us, if we read the Word seeking to know Jesus more and to deepen our relationship with Him, we will find great richness in our time in the Word. Allowing the Word to read us enables transformation to take place – with the Word reaching not just our head, but also our heart.
Look at what God tells Joshua when He commissions him to lead Israel after Moses died.
Joshua 1:6–8 (NLT) 1:6 “Be strong and courageous, for you are the one who will lead these people to possess all the land I swore to their ancestors I would give them. 1:7 Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the instructions Moses gave you. Do not deviate from them, turning either to the right or to the left. Then you will be successful in everything you do. 1:8 Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.
The revealed and written Word at that point in history was the Torah, the first five books of the Bible. Besides telling Joshua to be strong and courageous, God told him to carefully obey the Word, and to meditate on it day and night. The Hebrew word for meditate is hagah, meaning, “to meditate, moan, growl, utter, speak.”[2] This indicates an intense focus on the Word, not just reading quietly, but of speaking it out loud and reflecting on it constantly. With the Holy Spirit living in us, we have God constantly with us – speaking His Word out while we meditate on it enables deep connection in our relationship with Him. The promises of success and prosperity follow obedience of God’s instruction to Joshua and us.
We’ll continue looking at the Living Word next week - during this week, spend time reflecting on the truth that Jesus is the Word, and we have not just the Holy Spirit residing in us but the Living Word available to us to know Him more. Prayerfully consider the following application questions, journaling your thoughts and responses.
Application/Questions/Journal your thoughts
- How does knowing that the Bible you have is both the Word of God and Jesus impact your approach to handling it?
- What is the key difference between knowing somebody and knowing about somebody? When you first meet someone, how do you develop a relationship with them? Isn’t it true that you not only seek to learn about and from them, but you share things about yourself (your thoughts, desires, emotions, interests, etc.) with them? How can you apply that in the way you approach your time with the Word of God?
- Hebrews 4:12 tells us that the Word of God is living and active (ESV). The Greek word translated living is zao, which in Greek means life, which is “…understood, not as a thing, but as vitality, as the nature or manner which characterises all living creatures as such.”[3] The Greek word translated active is energes, meaning “…pertaining to being effective in causing something to happen.”[4] This tells us that God’s Word – the Bible – is full of life and vitality, fully effective in what is said within it. This can manifest in many different ways – journal what ways you have experienced this truth and share with a brother or sister in Christ.
Scripture of the week
2 Timothy 3:16 (NLT) 3:16 All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. [5]
Hebrews 4:12 (NLT) 4:12 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. [6]
Weekly prayer
Dear Jesus,
Thank You for the gift of Yourself that has been given to me! May I never take Your sacrifice or Your Word for granted. Holy Spirit, please guide me into deep understanding as I spend time reading Your Word. May it transform my life into Your Image Jesus, and may I be used by You to bring Your Word to those who are lost. I ask this in Your Name Jesus! Amen.
Freedom Facet
The fundamental truth that Jesus is the Word of God as described in John 1:1-5 needs to be a foundational element of our walk on the narrow path that leads to life. Spending time reading the Bible is spending time with Jesus. Asking the Holy Spirit to lead us into revelatory understanding when we read the Word is key to having our spirit engaged and not just our intellectual mind. The transformational power of the Word strengthens and protects us, while also arming us for spiritual warfare (Ephesians 6:17).
Jesus's Freedom is for those who call Him Lord - those who believe in Him. If you’ve not yet accepted Christ Jesus as Your Lord, and would like to, say the following prayer aloud.
Lord Jesus, I confess and realize that I am a sinner, and without You, I am lost and separated from God. Thank You for going to the cross and dying for my sins – I ask for Your forgiveness for my sins, and I thank you and receive the forgiveness of my sins Your Word says is now mine! Holy Spirit, I thank You that You now reside within me. I lay down my will for Yours and ask for Your daily guidance and direction to make me more and more like You. Amen!
The Bible tells us that if we confess Jesus as Lord with our mouth and believe in our hearts that God resurrected Jesus from the dead, we are saved for eternity. If you’ve just accepted Jesus as Lord, know that heaven is celebrating right now (Luke 15:10)! Rejoice because you are a new creation in Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17), and now have begun the process of sanctification becoming like Him. Keep coming back, as we explore Freedom facets and what our Identity in Christ truly is. Share this joyous news with a brother or sister in Christ and get connected in your local church! LIFE is yours!
Small Group Invitations - Week of September 13, 2026
Below are invitations to just a couple of Men's Small Groups that are happening this week, both a part of Celebration Church, Georgetown, Texas. If these don't work for you, or if you're not a Celebration Church, TX attendee - regardless of the church you attend - being a part of small group is immensely important! If you're not involved in one, I pray that you find one that works for your schedule and you get plugged in. Being connected in the local church will bless you immeasurably! Also - with the fall semester starting, many churches are offering Freedom small group classes. If one is available near you, I pray you plug in to it - the Freedom Small Groups are life changing!
Tuesday Morning Men's Fellowship Group: 6am - 7am at Rudy's BBQ in Round Rock, Texas. Join us for a time of fellowship where we'll discuss the message from the Pastors on Sunday, the newsletter contents, or whatever is going on in the lives of the brothers meeting.
Friday Morning Celebration Men: We're back to Rudy's this week - Join us at 6:30 am at the Rudy's BBQ in Round Rock for fellowship and discussion about God's Word. We'll conclude at 8am so people can get to work.
[1] Freedom Church of the Highlands, Birmingham, AL; Freedom – Celebration Church, Georgetown, TX
[2] Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr. (1996). In Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Vol. 1, p. 150). Nashville, TN: T. Nelson.
[3] Bultmann, R. (1964–). ζάω, ζωή (βιόω, βίος), ἀναζάω, ζῷον, ζωογονέω, ζωοποιέω. In G. Kittel, G. W. Bromiley, & G. Friedrich (Eds.), Theological dictionary of the New Testament (electronic ed., Vol. 2, p. 832). Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans.
[4] Louw, J. P., & Nida, E. A. (1996). In Greek-English lexicon of the New Testament: based on semantic domains (electronic ed. of the 2nd edition., Vol. 1, p. 162). New York: United Bible Societies.
[5] Tyndale House Publishers. 2015. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.
[6] Tyndale House Publishers. 2015. Holy Bible: New Living Translation. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.