Hebrew 4:12 - NIV
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.

Let's change how we see the Bible. Sometimes we can be so focused on the thing right in front of that we can miss the big picture. We can tend to think of the bible as a bunch of stories to memorise and learn from and miss the part of the bible that is a real time conversation between us and the God of the bible. We want to re-engage with what it means when it says that the word of God is alive and active

This term, let's hit the pause button and take a breather from our usual hectic routine. We're zooming out to look at two things: First off, we're digging into the words of Jesus scattered throughout the New Testament. We're not just skimming the surface; we want to really get what these words mean for each of us as the reader.

Then next, we're checking out those Letters sent to the early churches that spoke to how they engaged with the culture around them and with others inside of the church. This helps us not just to think of our personal relationship with the Bible but our community relationships all around us. Each of these has a different focus that can teach us how to exist as a church right here in New Zealand today.

Our hope is that instead of seeing the bible as a bunch of stories to hear about and reflect on, we could see the bible as something that is a living and breathing conversation. That this isn’t some book separated by 1000’s of years but is a conversation written down for every generation with us and Jesus in mind.