Sessions Include:

1. Do You Thirst for God?
2. Are You Increasingly Governed by God’s Word?
3. Are You Becoming More Loving?
4. Are You More Sensitive to God’s Presence?
5. Do You Have a Growing Concern for Others
6. Do You Delight in the Bride of Christ?
7. Are Spiritual Disciplines Increasingly Important?
8. Do You Still Grieve Over Sin?
9. Are You Quicker to Forgive?
10. Do You Yearn for Heaven?

The sum and substance of the preparation needed for a coming eternity is that you believe what the Bible tells you and do what the Bible bids you. -- THOMAS CHALMERS

WHAT DO YOU BELIEVE to be the most valuable tangible object in the world? Perhaps you think of something like the Hope Diamond, the Mona Lisa, Michelangelo’s sculpture of David, or the gold burial mask of King Tut’s tomb. As costly as these are, the price tag on some enormous skyscraper could be higher. And yet, offer any of these on the one hand, or food and water on the other to an emaciated man who is hours from dying of hunger and thirst, and the relative value of the world’s greatest treasures drops to nothing. Though often taken for granted and inexpensive, ultimately it’s the basics of life—things such as food and water—which are most precious. For without them, there is no life at all.

Therefore, I submit that the single most valuable item on Earth is the Bible. God’s Word is like water, according to Ephesians 5:26. It is also food, as the prophet Jeremiah said to God, “Your words were found, and I ate them, and your words became to me a joy and the delight of my heart” (Jeremiah 15:16). In Hebrews 5:12–14, Scripture is compared to milk and meat. Jesus Himself proclaimed, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4). Without physical food and drink, our bodies would die in a matter of days; but without scriptural soul nourishment, we perish forever.

Food and water are essential, but there are other things basic to life, and the Word of God is compared to these as well. It is a light (Psalm 119:105), a fire and a tool (Jeremiah 23:29), a weapon (Ephesians 6:17), and seed (1 Peter 1:23). Moreover, the Word of God is perfect, sure, right, pure, true and righteous, sweeter than honey, and to be desired more than much fine gold (Psalm 19:7–10). Indeed, the psalmist exclaimed, “The law of your mouth is better to me than thousands of gold and silver pieces” (Psalm 119:72). It can revive the soul, make wise the simple, rejoice the heart, and enlighten the eyes (Psalm 19:7–9). The Bible is unlike any other book, religious or secular:

The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. HEBREWS 4:12

The written words of God are closely identified with God Himself. Through them He makes Himself most clearly known and declares to us the way to Himself through Christ. And without knowledge of God, no matter how long and prosperous one’s earthly existence, ultimately life is meaningless and worthless. Thus no other object on Earth is as valuable as the Bible, for nothing else can provide for us anything as essential or eternal.

Given the incomparable value of Scripture, the Christian’s need for its constant influence cannot be overstated. God’s Word is the manna by which the heavenly Father feeds His children so they can grow more into the likeness of His perfect Son. That is why the Lord has told us to “desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby” (1 Peter 2:2, NKJV).

While the Pharisees of Jesus’ day and certain cult groups in our own show that more is needed to know God and become Christlike than mastering megadoses of Scripture, still it is true that little input of God’s Word results in little resemblance to God’s Son. So one question by which you can evaluate your spiritual growth is: Am I governed increasingly by God’s Word?

Donald S. Whitney, Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health (NavPress; Tyndale House Publishers, 2021), vi–3.

Check out our Bible Study on Ten Questions to Diagnose Your Spiritual Health . A bible study on the book of Lamentations as well as some Psalms of Lament.

These lessons are available on Amazon, as well as a part of Good Questions Have Groups Talking Subscription Service. Like Netflix for Bible Lessons, one low subscription gives you access to all our lessons--thousands of them. For a medium-sized church, lessons are as little as $10 per teacher per year.