Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald Whitney
Week 2: Chapter 1 — Bible Intake (Part 1): Hearing, Reading, and Studying
Read Chapter 1 of Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life. Key Scriptures: Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:1-3; 2 Timothy 3:16-17.
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Whitney begins with the discipline at the center of everything else — engaging the Word of God — and challenges us to move far beyond casual acquaintance with the Bible into genuine, life-shaping intake.
Discussion Questions
8 questions1.Whitney describes several methods of Bible intake: hearing, reading, studying, memorizing, and meditating. Why do you think he treats the Bible first, before all other disciplines? What would be lost if a person practiced every other discipline but neglected the Word?
2.He uses the memorable image of a person who *hears* the Word holding it like a single point of light from one candle, while a person who *reads* holds a flashlight, a person who *studies* holds a floodlight. How has your own experience confirmed or challenged this analogy?
3.Whitney is honest that most Christians hear the Bible preached far more than they read it for themselves. What practical barriers most prevent *you* personally from regular, systematic Bible reading — and are those barriers truly insurmountable, or mostly habitual?
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