Hearing God's Word

By Tim Chester

Hard work or delight? Which describes the way you engage with your Bible?

Tim Chester shows us how the Bible is much, much more than a book full of information about God. Here we meet the God of the universe and allow ourselves to become transformed. Here we are involved in a relationship.

The Bible is a personal letter, a battle cry, a love story.

We can come to our Bibles expecting a response.

Contents:
Introduction
God has spoken
About his Son
Through his Spirit
A sufficient word
A transforming word
A relational word
Notes for leaders

• Language: English
• Publisher: IVP
• Release date: Jul 20, 2017
• ISBN: 9781783595822

Tim Chester

Dr Tim Chester is a pastor of Grace Church in Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire, UK (www.thecrowdedhouse.org/boroughbridge). He has previously been Research and Policy Director for Tearfund UK and an adjunct lecturer in both Reformed spirituality and missiology. He speaks at conferences (including Keswick, where he is a trustee) and is the author of over 40 books, including Mission Matters and Sent (IVP). He is married with two grown-up daughters.

Book preview

Biblical, practical, devotional and thoughtful. This study guide is an excellent resource for group or personal study to strengthen our convictions about the truth of the Bible, and enable us to discover its riches for ourselves.

John Risbridger, Chair of Keswick Ministries, Minister and Team Leader, Above Bar Church, Southampton

In a word-based faith, words count. Faith comes by hearing God’s word and it flourishes when that word is applied. Here is a workable, practical guide that will help you to study the Bible by yourself or with others. Used well, it will help you to grow in your faith.

Ian Coffey, speaker, author and Vice-Principal, Moorlands College, Dorset

INTER-VARSITY PRESS

36 Causton Street, London SW1P 4ST, England

Email: [e-mail]

Website: www.ivpbooks.com

© Tim Chester, 2017

Tim Chester has asserted his right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 to be identified as Author of this work.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publisher or the Copyright Licensing Agency.

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version (Anglicized edition). Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica (formerly International Bible Society). Used by permission of Hodder & Stoughton Publishers, an Hachette UK company. All rights reserved. ‘niv’ is a registered trademark of Biblica (formerly International Bible Society). UK trademark number 1448790.

First published 2017

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN: 978–1–78359–581–5

eBook ISBN: 978–1–78359–582–2

Set in Warnock

Typeset in Great Britain by CRB Associates, Potterhanworth, Lincolnshire

Printed in Great Britain by Ashford Colour Press Ltd, Gosport, Hampshire

eBook by CRB Associates, Potterhanworth, Lincolnshire

Inter-Varsity Press publishes Christian books that are true to the Bible and that communicate the gospel, develop discipleship and strengthen the church for its mission in the world.

IVP originated within the Inter-Varsity Fellowship, now the Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship, a student movement connecting Christian Unions in universities and colleges throughout Great Britain, and a member movement of the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students. Website: www.uccf.org.uk. That historic association is maintained, and all senior IVP staff and committee members subscribe to the UCCF Basis of Faith.

TitlePage_ebk

Contents

Introduction

1. God has spoken

2. About his Son

3. Through his Spirit

4. A sufficient word

5. A living word

6. A transforming word

7. A relational word

Notes for leaders

1. God has spoken

2. About his Son

3. Through his Spirit

4. A sufficient word

5. A living word

6. A transforming word

7. A relational word

Books mentioned in the text

About Keswick Ministries

Introduction

The Bible is God’s word.

The Bible teaches how we should live.

The Bible is something we should read every day.

The Bible should be something we delight to read.

I’m sure you agree with all these statements. In theory. But what about in practice?

I’m sure there are times when reading the Bible is a delight and I’m sure there are many ways in which it shapes your life. But for most Christians there are also plenty of times when reading the Bible feels like hard work. Often we read it only out of a sense of duty. Others have perhaps given up.

One problem is that we can view the Bible as a repository of information about God. And, of course, it certainly is this. The Bible reveals