October

 
 

Refreshed For Fall

Nearly 40 women attended the Refresh retreat in September to enjoy nature, good coffee and food with friends, and learn to read the Bible better. Using the excellent Bible study materials from Charles Simeon Trust, we gleaned principles and practiced reading the Bible well.

The Bible is not just an ancient text that we can take to mean anything we want. As with any piece of literature, we need to understand what the author intended to communicate. The Bible, unlike any other piece of literature, is God’s inspired truth and contains a unified story that points us to Jesus and the salvation he offers. Reading the Bible well helps us understand that story and how it applies to us. 

To read the Bible better, we should practice a few key principles. 

  1. We should commit to upholding the intended truth of God’s Word, not going above or below the line of scripture.

  2. We must find God’s intended meaning out of the text before we apply the text.

  3. To find the intended meaning, we must understand the context in order to see how the original audience understood the text.

  4.  Uncovering the structure also helps us find the intended meaning. Every text has a structure. The structure will reveal an emphasis. The emphasis should shape our understanding of the text.

  5. We should not apply God’s Word to us now until we have considered how the passage points to Jesus and the gospel, because the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the unifying interpretive center of the scriptures according to the scriptures.  

  6. Reading the Bible well is more than getting the text right. We also must get it into life. The Bible is for us today, and we should never stop short of applying God’s Word to our lives.

Do you want to learn to read the Bible better? Try an online class through Simeon Trust or a free online course through Western Seminary. Do you want to practice reading the Bible better? Sign up for Side by Side Bible Reading in October and read with a partner! Reading the Bible better is a life-long pursuit and worth every effort.

 

1st Thursday Connect

Use Your Noodle, that’s the theme for our gathering on October 6, National Noodle Day. Should be fun! Here are the details.

  • October 6, 6:00-8:00 p.m. (Note the new time!)

  • New Life Church, West Linn, downstairs

  • Noodle Bar, Asian-style

  • RSVP for October’s 1st Thursday Connect at newlifenw.com/westlinn/women

We have been reading Galatians in September and will finish our study with teaching from Galatians at 1st Thursday Connect. It’s a short book and not too late to read along. We will be reading Deuteronomy in October. Pick up materials at 1st Thursday Connect, in the church foyer, or find them on the website. You can also request a Side by Side Bible Reading partner online.

Would you like to join other women in memorizing Galatians over the course of the next year? You can get materials and instructions to make your own memory booklet at 1st Thursday Connect or on the website and get started anytime! Remember, perfection isn’t the goal. Time spent learning God’s Word is always beneficial.

 

Opportunities

The Word Speaks, a women’s conference, will be held at the Salem Convention Center November 4-5. Tara-Leigh Cobble is this year’s speaker. Register online.

Revive Women’s Conference, put on by Western Seminary, is coming up November 18 at River West Church. This year’s theme is Seeing Beyond.

 

Links

Below are links to articles, books, podcasts, and music that might be of interest or help on various topics. Resources are curated but may not always reflect the views of New Life Church. Enjoy!

Marcia ReavelyComment