Stories Jesus Told: A 6-Day Reading Plan Sample

Why Parables?

All people want to hear God speak to them. The good news is, we serve a God who communicates with His people. From the opening chapters of Genesis through the Book of Revelation, we see evidence that God is committed to speaking to those who want to hear. As modern-day believers, the primary way we hear from God is through His Word.

The Bible itself has a lot to say about the role the Scriptures should play in the life of a believer, as we see in 2 Timothy 3:16-17.

In Paul’s letter to Timothy, he revealed that the Scriptures were “inspired” by God—which means “breathed out by God.” When Paul referred to the Scriptures he was referring to the Old Testament, but by implication, he was referring to the New Testament as well. When the Bible was written, God spoke through more than 40 authors over a period of 1500 years. As you read the Scriptures, you’ll notice the individual styles and personalities of the authors are apparent in the text, but God inspired the words Himself. Because Scripture originated with God, it’s profitable for us to interact with it regularly. It is necessary for us to know God and know how we are supposed to live.

In the same way a surgeon’s knife pierces into the deepest parts of a person’s body, the Word of God probes into our innermost thoughts, attitudes, and emotions. God’s Word delivers both bad and good news. The bad news is that because of our sin, all human beings have fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). The good news is that because of His grace, God has provided a way for us to be reconciled to Him through the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross. In other words, God’s Word serves to convict us of our sins and also offers us a pardon, resurrection, and life for those who believe in Jesus.

Bible reading is one of the most important habits we can engage in because it puts us in a posture to grow in our faith. As we continue in this study of the parables, spend time thinking about the truths you are learning and how to apply them to your life.