“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.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17
When we think about some of the essential components of a church, we cannot overstate the importance of the Bible. In order for a church to properly function as a New Testament church, it is imperative that the church has a proper view of the Bible. At Richland Hills Baptist Church, we believe that the Bible is God’s inspired Word, totally without error and perfect in every way. It is through the Bible that God reveals Himself to humanity. (See: 2 Timothy 3:15-17; Hebrews 4:12; 1 Peter 1:25; 2 Peter 1:19-21). With this understanding in mind, we endeavor to study the Bible faithfully, so that we can have a right understanding of who God is (Orthodoxy). This happens through Sermons, corporate Bible studies, small group studies, and an emphasis on personal Bible reading. It is our hope that throughout the week, we are all engaged in God’s Word and are challenged to grow in our understanding and application of Scripture.
Not only do we want to have a right understanding of scripture so that we can have right beliefs, but we also want to understand the Bible so that we have right practices (Orthopraxy). As a church, we want everything that we do to be properly built on the foundation of the Bible. At times this may mean discarding traditions that don’t fit with the Bible or incorporating things that we should be doing. As your pastor, this is something that I will always strive to evaluate so that we can operate our church according to God’s Standard. For this to be true of the church, it must also be true of each of us personally. As we grow in our knowledge of Scripture, it is critical that we apply the Word to every area of our lives. The truth is, it is easy to say we love the Bible but it is much more challenging to put it into practice. We must continually evaluate every area of our lives to be sure that we aren’t simply following the values and morals of the culture, which are constantly being pushed upon us. This is one of the reasons we must gather together to study the Word so that we can challenge and encourage one another to rightly apply the Scripture.
As your pastor, my prayer is that you would continually grow in your Biblical knowledge and understanding every time you are here. In addition, I pray that you are challenged to live out God’s Word in your life. May we always be a Bible-Believing and Bible-practicing church!
In Christ,
Pastor Donald