Sixth Grade Lessons, Block 5, Week 22: Reading the Bible

Sixth Grade Lessons, Block 5—How to Contact the Lord

Week 22
Reading the Bible (Revised on 3/26/2024)

Reading Reference: Crucial Truths in the Holy Scriptures, vol. 3, ch. 31; Life-study of 1 Peter, msg. 15, pp. 128-129; 1 P. 2:2; Job 23:12; Psa. 119:36; Acts 17:11

Memory Verse: As newborn babes, long for the guileless milk of the word in order that by it you may grow unto salvation. (1 Peter 2:2)

Suggested Songs: I love the Bible, the Word of God

Scripture Reading: 1 P. 2:2; Job 23:12; Psa. 119:36; Acts 17:11

Points to Emphasize

Genuine growth

• As newborn babes, long for the guileless milk of the word in order that by it you may grow unto salvation—1 P. 2:2.

To grow is a matter of life. We received the divine life through regeneration, and we need to grow in this divine life and with this life by being nourished with the milk conveyed in the Word of God.

Many Christians think that to grow is to gain more knowledge…According to the New Testament, growth is the genuine increase in the measure of life. Knowledge does not help us to increase in the measure of life.

How do children grow? They grow by receiving nourishment. If an infant has a healthy diet and daily is given nourishing food, gradually he will grow. This growth is the increase from all the food taken into him. Eventually, as a full-grown adult, this one will be a composition of what he has eaten. Perhaps at birth he weighed only six pounds. But when he is full-grown, he may be a man weighing one hundred eighty pounds. He has experienced the real growth in life, the growth that comes from eating healthy food, digesting it, and assimilating it into his cells so that it becomes the very fibers of his being. This is an illustration of genuine growth in life.

The relationship between the believers and the Bible

• “I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my apportioned food”—Job 23:12.

We should treasure and regard the word of the Bible more than our apportioned food. Some brothers and sisters say that they are too busy to read the Bible. But no matter how busy we are, we still have time to eat three meals every day. If we treasured the Bible more than food, we would not say that we do not have time to read the Bible. If we have time to eat, we have time to read the Bible. We even should have more time to read the Bible because the Bible is more important to us than food. Someone once said, “No breakfast before reading the Bible.” We should not eat if we have not read the Bible. We should treasure the Bible more than food.

• “Incline my heart”—Psa. 119:36.

We must incline our heart toward the Bible. If we only use our eyes to read the Bible, but our heart is not inclined to it in our reading, it will be difficult to understand the Bible. Many brothers and sisters read the Bible without an inclined heart; rather, their hearts are inclined toward their school books, toward the activities of their day, etc.

How to read the Bible

• “Examining the Scriptures daily”—Acts 17:11.

Many can testify that the best way to read the Bible is to read it daily. Since the Bible is closely related to our living and actions, we need it in every area of our life. Therefore, we should read the Bible daily. Since the Bible is food for our spiritual life, we must receive spiritual nourishment from it daily. We are healthy when we eat food every day, and we are healthy when we read the Bible every day. We should not eat food one day and then fast for three days. Likewise, we should not read the Bible in fits and starts. Just as our food should be apportioned to us throughout the day, our Bible reading should be apportioned in a measured and daily way. We should not receive too much or too little, reading too much one day and very little the next.

Furthermore, eating at specific times is the most healthy way to eat. Similarly, we should set aside specific times to read the Bible every day. Just as it is best for our body to eat a specific amount of food at specific times every day, it is best for our spirit to read a specific amount of the Bible at specific times every day. May we practice this by the Lord’s grace.

Activity: Memorize the Books of the Bible

Old Testament

New Testament

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