The attainment of knowledge is through three channels:

1. From the Bible, God's word to us is the only sure-to-be-accurate source of knowledge and wisdom:

2. from others, through reading and listening.

3. by our personal experience 

We do well to seek wisdom.

Three big pictures that the Bible teaches. 

1. The Bible is a love story of God creating man, man turning away from God, and the rest of the Bible being God drawing man back to himself.  

2. The Bible teaches us about who God is. 

3. The Bible teaches us what God expects out of us.

   "First, one can know a great deal about God without much knowledge of Him."

Application of Knowledge

   "It ain't those parts of the Bible that I can't understand that bother me,

 it is the parts that I do understand."           Mark Twain

FOCUS ONE: An Earthly Parallel

 The lack of applying truth is a result of:

1. Lack of belief that one has personal value.

2. Lack of discipline

Bluntly, the lack of discipline is laziness. 

3. Lack of self-control

4. Lack of desire

5. Ignoring the truth.

   If a person has believed a particular way for most of their life,

 it can be painful to admit they have been wrong all those years.

6. Ignoring the significance of the truth.

7. Ignoring that the consequences of the truth will apply to them:

FOCUS TWO: Drinking enough water. 

FOCUS THREE: Applying Spiritual Truths

  Many people equate their value to their performance.

  God has called us His children. Our value comes from God.

  JESUS DIED FOR YOUR SINS! There is NOTHING more significant.

And yet, some people seldom think about what that means.

  Some think, "If I go to church most Sundays, give some money,

and do not do any of the real bad stuff, then I am doing ok."

1. Instant Gratification: Our flesh cries out for satisfaction, for pleasure.

2. Our minds are clogged with the present, all that our senses take in.

3.  Satan continually tempts us both with pleasing ourselves ahead of others and trying to shake our faith in the unseen.

  The false thinking is, "If I do not see immediate results, then it does not work."

  Most things that have value do not gratify right away.

  We are pulled toward that which gives us pleasure like a magnet.

  Today, Satan's lie might sound like, "Do you really believe _____?" 

Jim Elliot, a missionary, understood this when he said,

  "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose."

The Three Main Roadblocks Overcome by Focusing on the Prize

  Our vision of the prize gives us motivation to overcome the flesh.