3-Day Bible Reading Plan: Practice What You Preach
“Big Idea: Practice what you preach. In our passage today, we will see how Paul made this point incredibly clear to Timothy. Paul encouraged Timothy to preach the Bible and to practice what it taught. Paul also revealed what was at stake if Timothy didn’t do these things. If Timothy didn’t practice what he preached, he and his hears could face eternal consequences. The stakes could not be higher. As we are studying the spiritual rhythm of Bible Reflection, we need to see how important our obedience is to our salvation and our witness to others. If we don’t practice what we preach, we could perish.” - Pastor Paul Crandall (1/28/23)
3-Day Bible Reading Plan: Practice What You Preach
Welcome to our brand new weekly 3-Day Bible Reading Plan which will correspond with each week’s sermon, as well as provide life-level application questions. With this new tool, our aim is to give you everything you need to put your faith into practice. **Consider inviting a friend along for the journey by following along this reading plan with them. Whether it’s a phone call, zoom, cup of coffee or text, it’s better together.
Day 1: Setting the Foundation (1 Timothy 4:11-12)
Main Passage: 1 Timothy 4:11-12 - “Command and teach these things. Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity.”
Focus: Paul's encouragement to Timothy to display good character.
Life-Level Application:
In what areas of your life do you desire to set a better example?
How can you overcome the tendency to complain or defend yourself and instead actively practice good behavior?
Cross References (ESV):
Philippians 2:3-4: "Do nothing from selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but to the interests of others."
James 1:22-23: "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror and after he goes away has forgotten what he looked like."
Day 2: Preaching and Practice (1 Timothy 4:13-15)
Main Passage: 1 Timothy 4:13-15 - “Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation, to teaching. Do not neglect the gift you have, which was given you by prophecy when the council of elders laid their hands on you. Practice these things, immerse yourself in them, so that all may see your progress.”
Focus: Timothy's dual responsibility to preach the Bible and practice its teachings.
Life-Level Application:
How can you ensure your own faith life is grounded in Scripture?
How can you encourage and equip others to also practice what they hear?
Cross References (ESV):
2 Timothy 3:16-17: "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work."
James 2:17-18: "So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works."
Colossians 3:16-17: "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with gratitude in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
Day 3: Persist in Obedience (1 Timothy 4:16)
Main Passage: 1 Timothy 4:16 - “Keep a close watch on yourself and on the teaching. Persist in this, for by so doing you will save both yourself and your hearers.”
Focus: The importance of persistence in obedience for both Timothy and his hearers.
Life-Level Application:
What practical steps can you take to integrate more obedience into your daily life?
How can you hold yourself accountable and maintain focus on this marathon of faith?
Cross References (ESV):
Hebrews 12:1-2: "Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
Revelation 3:11-12: "Behold, I am coming soon! Hold fast what you have, so that no one takes your crown. The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, never to go out again. And I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.”
Grow Deeper
Head: Read Matthew 4:1-11. What did Jesus use against the temptations of the devil? How often do scriptures come to your mind when you are tempted? Have you ever attempted to memorize scriptures that directly relate to the temptations you frequently encounter? Look up some passages that would help you specifically when you are tempted.
Heart: Read 1 Timothy 6:3-5. What are the consequences of false teaching? How have you personally seen some of these negative effects in your life or the lives of others?
Hand: Read Psalm 119:9-16. What commitments does the author make concerning God’s word? What will be the positive results of these commitments?
Habit: How often does a specific step of obedience come to your mind when you read and reflect on the scriptures? How can you focus more on obeying the words you read?