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A growing Christian needs roots in good soil
 A growing plant gets its food from the soil. A new Christian gets food for growth from reflective reading of the Bible. The deeper you go into understanding and applying God's word, the more you feed the inner person.
You may not be a reader of books. In Jesus' day you would have managed, because the great stories about God were frequently retold. But today we are not so privileged. We have to play catch-up. It's the testimony of many generations of Christians that when they were introduced to Jesus they also discovered the Bible. With the discovery came a habit of reading and another surprise: they found benefit in reading for themselves.
You need to get yourself a Bible in English, if that is your first language. They come in all sizes and shapes. Ask at your local bookshop of shop online at www.koorong.com.au or http://shop.gospelcom.net/cgi-bin/IBSDirect.storefront/
There are many versions of the Bible in various levels of English. If you are not sure which translation, then email us info@christianityworks.com and, depending on your background, we'll give you a recommendation.
As most of those who read this page are not privileged to be Jewish, there is much to learn about God from the Bible. Understanding the priorities and plans of God and developing a lifestyle that pleases him will take a lifetime. The Bible is not like other books. Its story line, shows God's character and his amazing plan to renew this world and its people, becomes a source of food for the new Christian.
How do you read the Bible? Start at the beginning? No, not initially at least. Jesus is the key to understanding the Bible from cover to cover. So getting to understand his story, his significance and his purposes is the place to start. So start by reading one of his biographies (the Gospels): Matthew, Mark. Luke or John.
You then need to see the story unfold, so read the book called Acts. When you have done that then read Genesis the first book in the Bible. If you make it this far, then email us for a recommendation about the next phase or reading.
How do you read? Unlike reading emails or advertising, reading the Bible is like reading a letter from someone dear to you, in this case God. So you need to go over the words and extract from them all you can. The Bible ought to stir your emotions as well as inform your understanding. It's like that when we read a message from someone we love.
Sometimes what you read will guide you. Sometimes it will reveal the character and purposes God and perhaps how you might fit into the big scheme of things. Sometimes what you read will cause you to be thankful.
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