Prepare your heart for our Sunday Morning Gathering by looking through these suggestions that will assist you in making the most of our time together.

You will find tangible suggestions for putting scripture to action in your personal life and in our corporate body, links to the songs we will sing, and lyrics for you to prepare for our corporate singing.

This week’s sermon will be a topical message on interpreting the Bible biblically. The sermon will be surveying many passages rather than one single passage. Please take the time to consider the passages listed here and consider how they relate to interpreting the Bible biblically as you prepare for Sunday.

Critically Think

• Read 2 Timothy 3:16-17. How does this text describe scripture? How much of scripture is being described in 2 Timothy 3:16-17?
• According to these verses, what is the purpose of scripture?
• Read 2 Peter 1:21. According to this passage, what are the mechanics of inspiration? How were the scriptures inspired?
• Concerning this text, what can be inferred about the meaning of scripture we seek to interpret? Are there multiple meanings?
• How do 1 Corinthians 5:9-13 and John 21:20-23 defend the idea that meaning resides within the author’s intention?
• Read Psalm 25:8-9, Romans 8:32, and 2 Timothy 3:16-17. What larger themes do these texts call the reader to?
• Read Philippians 2:12, 1 Corinthians 15:10, and 2 Timothy 2:7. In what specific ways were the original hearers/readers called to act?

Prayerfully Meditate

• Make a list of presuppositions you have (or should have) when you begin to interpret scripture. Root each of your answers in biblical passages.
• How do the descriptions of scripture in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 impact how one might pursue interpretation of scripture?
• According to Mark 7:1-13, what is the role of tradition in Bible interpretation? Is tradition authoritative? Is it on equal footing to the Bible? Justify your answer from the text.
• Read John 15:5. According to this text, are you able to interpret the Bible on your own? Upon what/who must we be dependent? How does this practically impact how you study the Bible?
• Read Psalm 119:36-37, Psalm 119:18, Psalm 86:11, Psalm 90:14, and Psalm 119:35. How do these passages express dependency upon God in Bible study?
• How might praying through the above psalms prior to Bible study help prepare your heart to study God’s Word?
• What pitfalls are there for those who do not seek to interpret scripture carefully and correctly? List these. How can you be on guard against these pitfalls?

Intentionally Act

• How do the principles in Romans 8:32, Psalm 25:8, and 2 Timothy 3:16-17 practically impact us as we seek to understand Scripture?
• In light of the progression of all the Scriptures reviewed throughout this post, how should we approach extra-biblical sources (commentaries, history books, lexicons/dictionaries, the internet) as we seek to understand and interpret Scripture? 
• Considering these various Scriptures, how should we engage with the unsaved when they want to discuss or argue the interpretation of a biblical passage?
• What is your typical practice when it comes to studying the Bible? How might the texts investigated in this post help inform the way you read and study your Bible? What could you add to strengthen your Bible study?
• Click the links below to find the lyrics and recordings of the songs planned for our gathering this Sunday; learn the songs, study the lyrics and sing them with others.
• Pray for those leading our corporate gathering this week and for the Holy Spirit’s work as the Word of God is further explained and applied: Dawson Bryant: music; Terry Engling: elder prayer & scripture reading; Dalton Vansell: teaching; Lords Supper: Ben Gardner.

Songs for Sunday

Morning Gathering

• O for a Thousand Tongues to Sing (sheetmusic)
• The Grandure of God (sheetmusic)
• Speak, O Lord (sheetmusic)
• O Sacred Head, Now Wounded (sheetmusic)
• The Church's One Foundation (sheetmusic)

Lyrics

Lyrics Morning Gathering - May 25, 2025 by Summit Woods Baptist Church