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As Christians, we're told that reading the Bible is important, but what about the really boring or confusing parts of the Bible? Should we read as much as possible every day or just a single verse each day? This week, John Bailey and Mark Renfroe explore how to prioritize reading scripture but also doing so in a way that actually draws us closer to God.

Key Points from the Podcast

• Jonathan Edwards said that true revival exalts Christ, provokes the devil, prioritizes the Bible, and inspires love.

• The fuel you use for a fire matters. Is it something that starts easily but burns out quickly? Or is it something that can burn for a while? If spiritual fire is not built on the Word of God and prayer, it will not last very long.

• Prioritizing the Bible doesn’t necessarily mean reading as much as you can within a certain amount of time, but picking a portion of scripture to read, then pray over it, mediate on it, and ask the Holy Spirit to help you live it out.

• Are God and the Bible central in your conversations? The world doesn’t need another opinion. They need God’s truth. The Word of God is eternal and powerful.

• Is God’s Word hidden in your heart? There could come a time when you don’t have access to a Bible and will need to have God’s Word hidden in your heart to sustain you through difficult times.

• If you are prioritizing the Bible, you will allow scripture to confront the areas of your life that are not aligned with God’s Word.

• Build your life on the foundation of Christ and his words, so that you will be able to stand when hard times come.

• A sure sign of the Holy Spirit’s presence is not manifestations or signs and wonders, but a genuine love for God’s people, the poor, and the lost.

• True love does not allow someone to continue in sin and self-harm. When we truly recognize what Christ has done for us, we will want to share it with others.

• As we see in Matthew and James, faith in Jesus Christ will lead us to love and care for others, both inside and outside the church.

• Pastor, are you walking in revival? Churches seldom have spiritual intensity that exceeds that of their spiritual leaders.

• If we fall in love with the God of the Word and the God who created the world, then we will love God’s Word and the world he created.

Bible Verses Referenced in the Podcast

Matthew 28:19–20; Matthew 7:24–27; James 1:22; Proverbs 25:21; 1 Corinthians 12–14; Matthew 5:43–47; Luke 6:27–36; John 13:35; John 15:13; Romans 5:8; Matthew 12:34; Matthew 23:33; Romans 2:4; 1 John 3:18; Ephesians 4:15; Colossians 4:6; Matthew 13:23; Mark 4:20; James 2:18; Matthew 25:31–40; Galatians 5:6; 1 Peter 4:17; Matthew 9:37; Luke 10:2; John 4:35; Revelation 2:4

Resources Mentioned in the Podcast

• Discerning True Revival (Revival Part 1)

• Walking in the Fire of God (Revival Part 2)

• The Cross and the Switchblade book

• Fire in Our Bones conferences

About John Bailey

Pastor John Bailey serves as the Chief Operating Officer at World Challenge. John came to know Christ in jail after some difficult struggles as a young man, and God has done a powerful work of transformation since! Spending 13 years in Next Gen ministry, he excelled in discipleship and helping young leaders discover giftings to serve God. John was called next to serve as a missionary and pastor in Western Europe. John and his family then returned to plant the Springs Church in Jacksonville, Florida. Today, the church is a thriving body of believers excelling in outreach and missions. John has now brought his giftings and vision to World Challenge, accelerating the spread of the gospel in America and around the World.

About Mark Renfroe

Mark married his college sweetheart, Amy, with whom he has four adult children—one girl and three boys. The Renfroes have been involved in field missions work for 30 years. They served in the Arab community of San Francisco for four years before becoming foreign missionaries in 1995. Mark was asked to serve as the Area Director for Assemblies of God World Missions in 2007. As part of his role, he led missionaries and interfaced with national church leaders in the 18 countries of the Arab World. In 2017, Mark created Reaching Africa’s Muslims, an initiative to mobilize, equip, and deploy indigenous African missionaries to reach Muslims on the continent. Mark has graduate degrees in Intercultural Studies and Executive Leadership. He currently serves as the Chief Missions Officer for World Challenge in Colorado Springs.