“This is the one to whom I will look,’ declares the LORD, ‘he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.” ~Isaiah 66:2b~

Get ready! Throughout 2016 Cromhall Chapel will be journeying through the entire Bible, the greatest story ever told, a message from God Himself about redemption, intimacy and truth! Our back to the Bible campaign will centre on our 2016 chapel theme verse from Isaiah 66:2b.

Why this verse?

As a chapel we are committed to the trustworthiness, relevance and power of Scripture because we believe that it transforms lives producing life, hope and clarity. God has spoken and He desires us to draw near and know Him. Our verse reminds us of the attitude we are to have towards the LORD and His Holy Word. As a people desiring revival Church history reveals how the Bible has always been a light in dark places and that every revival—ever— was and is always associated with a renewed hunger for God’s Word (cf. Acts 2:41, 42 & 47, 6:7, 9:27 & 31, 12:24, 16:5, 19:20). May the Lord look to us with favour as we humble ourselves and tremble at His Word!

What will this entail?

• Memorizing this short verse
• Reading the Bible daily following a chronological reading plan
• Journey together for enjoyment, profitability, encouragement and accountability
• Pastor Chris will be preaching through a chronological survey of the Bible each week;
• Visiting preachers are invited (though not compelled) to join with us
• Blog posts will centre around what we are reading each week
• Focusing on Scripture in other ways and bringing Isa 66:2b into our weekly conversations

Why read the Bible?

Central to why we believe the Bible should be read and proclaimed is because of what we believe it to be, the very Word of God:

God has revealed himself in the Bible, which consists of the Old and New Testaments alone. Every word was inspired by God through human authors, so that the Bible as originally given is in its entirety the Word of God, without error and fully reliable in fact and doctrine. The Bible alone speaks with final authority and is always sufficient for all matters of belief and practice. (FIEC Statement of Faith).

Similarly, we believe in the importance of the proclaimed Word of God. We believe the Bible is God’s written word and that, by the work of the Holy Spirit, as it is faithfully preached, God’s voice is truly heard. That is why preaching is at the heart of chapel life; the people of God gathering under the Word of God, to hear from Him just as we see it in Scripture.

Do I have to read the Bible?

No. No one can be forced to read the Bible. But ultimately it is your loss. That is why we would love to see everyone pledge to make this journey! The elders will be leading by example because they believe this is so important. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain! If you choose not to participate, decide to join part way, or are already mid-way through a reading plan of your own (which is great!), then that is between you and the Lord. However, we hope you’ll read what you can, follow the sermons, and put the spirit of our verse into practice. There are lots of excuses why not to read the Bible but the reasons to read it make these appear feeble. The Bible is the most precious possession this world affords. What shall we say if we neglect so great a treasure? How can we be wise and discerning if we don’t know what it says?

How does reading the Bible spiritually bless us? (The Bible as a means of grace):

• God’s Word is used by Him as an instrument to impart spiritual life to us (Jas 1:18, 1 Pe 1:23)
• It makes us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus; is inspired by God; and convicts of us sin and points us to righteousness (2 Ti 3:15-16)
• As new Christians this continues as the Word is able to build you up (Acts 20:32)
• By it we are spiritually nourished (Deut 8:3; Matt 4:4)
• It is of absolute necessity and is not an extra or something to be trivialized (Deut 32:47)
• It guides us in the correct way and speaks wisdom into life’s journey (Ps 119:105, Ps 19:7) especially in the midst of an ungodly culture (1 Pe 1:19)
• It provides us with encouragement and hope in life’s journey (Ro 15:4)
• God’s Word is powerful like fire and a hammer (Jer 23:29) and a sword (Eph 6:17; Heb 4:12)
• And at the end of the day you really do become what you eat (Ps 115:8)

Prayer Points:

Please pray that the Holy Spirit might:

• Place within our hearts an insatiable hunger for God and His Word
• Give us the spiritual stamina to stick with the readings and make regularly spending time in God’s Word a spiritual discipline that will last a life time
• Be encouraged to grow our faith and that we would apply the Word to our lives
• Do great things amongst us throughout 2016 at Cromhall Chapel!

Bible Reading Plan

We will be following a chronological reading plan (enclosed, posted at the chapel and online). There are many online versions of this plan including, e-calendar alerts, emails, mobile apps, and an online tracker and additional resources (not to mention Mp3 audio Bibles available online). These can be found by going to: http://about.esvbible.org/resources/reading/. We are doing a chronological plan primarily because it is easiest to preach, however, this will also help us understand God’s story of redemption as it unfolds.

Come along on this incredible journey, you will never be the same again…