POINT TO PONDER: The Truth transforms me. 
       "God's gracious Word can make you into what He wants you
   to be and give you everything you could possibly need." 
   (Acts 20:32 - The Message)

       "Jesus said, 'If you abide in My word, you are My disciples 
   indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall 
   make you free.'" (John 8:31-32 - New King James Version)
The Spirit of God uses the word of God to make us like the Son of God. To become like Jesus, we must fill our lives with His word. The Bible is far more than a doctrinal guidebook. God's word generates life, creates faith, produces change, frightens the Devil, causes miracles, heals hurts, builds character, transforms circumstances, imparts joy, overcomes adversity, defeats temptation, infuses hope, releases power, cleanses our minds, brings things into being, and guarantees our future forever.
The truth transforms us. Spiritual growth is the process of replacing lies with truth. In chapter 29 of his classic "Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis compared the process to God changing us from toy soldiers into real people.. "The real Son of God is at your side. He is beginning to turn you into the same kind of thing as Himself. He is beginning, so to speak, to 'inject' His kind of life and thought ... into you; beginning to turn the tin soldier into a live man. The part of you that does not like it is the part that is still tin." To abide in God's word requires three decisions I need to make every day.
  1. First, I must accept the authority of the Bible.
    2. What is the ultimate authority for my life? Regardless of culture, tradition, reason or emotion, I need to choose the Bible as my ultimate source of authority
  2. Second, I must assimilate the truth of the Bible.
    3. I must fill my mind with the Word, so the Holy Spirit can transform me with the truth. I need to make the choice to receive it, read it, research it, remember it, and reflect on it.
  3. Finally, I must apply the principles I've learned from the Bible.
    4. This is where most of us fail, because we think that just assimilating truth (by osmosis of hearing the word) is going to make life change. God's Word exposes my motives, points out my faults, rebukes my sin, and expects me to change. It's human nature (the tin man) to resist change, so applying God's Word is hard work.

"The best way to become a 'doer of the Word' is to always write out an action step as a result of reading or studying God's word." This action step should be personal, practical, and provable. STOP... Why not try it today...
PRAYER:
"Gracious Father, thank You for Your word. Help me to never take it for granted but to begin today to let the truth You teach me today be applied in my life today. Amen
FOR MY CONSIDERATION:
    What has God already told me to do from His word, that I haven't started doing yet?
This week's Memory verse: 
 	"... Your attitude should be the same as that
	of Christ Jesus..."	 Philippians 2:5 (NIV)
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