Principle #4 - Saturation in the Scriptures

Over the years I have found saturation in the Scriptures to be a crucial element in personal spiritual growth and effectiveness in ministry. By saturation I mean that one's intake of the Word of God is so significant that it holds sway over all thoughts, speech, and actions of the disciple. Jesus was saturated in the Scriptures. He was constantly quoting or alluding to the Old Testament and even saw the Word of God as more important than His food (Matthew 4.4). If we are going to become like Jesus we need to be saturated in the Scriptures like He was. The practical application of this principle can look very different but usually includes voluminous Bible hearing, reading, and study (Colossians 3.16), Scripture memorization (Psalm 119.9,11), and meditation throughout the day (Joshua 1.8, Deuteronomy 6.6-9).
A good standard for saturation: 3-4 chapters of Bible reading daily (1 chapter in the Gospels), Intentional reflection on the Scriptures throughout the day, Memorizing 1-2 verses weekly, Participating in a weekly Bible study discussion (not lecture) group, Hearing 1 challenging and/or encouraging expositional sermon weekly, and finally, Weekly fellowship that asks three questions; 1. How this saturation is going? 2. How God is speaking? and 3. How the individual is applying what they heard from God?
This of course is not the only way one can be saturated in the Scriptures but after 30 years of making disciples, I have found it very effective. Obviously, a young disciple doesn’t get to this level of saturation overnight but can grow into these disciplines within a year.
If you'd like help developing a Disciple-Making Community, please contact me at charleswood1 at Gmail.
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