How can you tell if a teaching lines up with God’s truth? In this devotional, we explore how reading the Bible protects us from false teaching and equips us to recognize deception before it takes root. By understanding Scripture deeply, we can confidently discern God’s truth and avoid being led astray by misleading doctrines and counterfeit beliefs.

✨ Highlights


Why studying the Bible is key to recognizing false teachers


How God’s Word exposes manipulation, error, and deception


Practical ways to hide God’s Word in your heart


How the Holy Spirit guides us in discerning spiritual truth


Scriptures to help strengthen your faith and guard against lies

💬 Join the Conversation

Have you ever encountered a teaching that didn’t sit right with you? How do you test what you hear against God’s Word? Share your thoughts and experiences with us — we’d love to hear from you! Tag @LifeAudioNetwork and use #GroundedInTruth to join the conversation and encourage others in their faith journey.

🎙🎶 SUBSCRIBE to our NEW SHOW — Your Nightly Prayer

🌟 Check out other Crosswalk Podcasts:Crosswalk Talk: Celebrity Christian Interviews

Full Transcript Below:

How Reading the Bible Keeps Us from Believing False Teaching

By Lynette Kittle

“But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them—bringing swift destruction on themselves”--2 Peter 2:1

Like art and jewel experts and dealers study real jewels and artwork to keep them from buying forgeries and counterfeits, studying the Bible keeps us from believing false teachings.

Disappointingly, the world, like never before, is full of scams, schemes, and false beliefs. Nowadays, there are countless emails, texts, and online offers and deals that look so convincing before we know it, we’re ordering products that are never going to arrive.

Like phony offers, if we aren’t aware of and informed to know and understand that there are false teachings trying to draw us in, designed to deceive us, we can be duped and led astray. It’s why the Bible is such an important book to read and study, because by doing so, it protects us from being captured by the enemy of our souls.

2 Timothy 3:6-9 describes what they are like: “They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires,  always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.  Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.”

The Bible Reveals Truth to Us

The Apostle Paul wrote, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16).

He understood, as written in Hebrews 4:12 “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.”

The word of God not only gives us life, but it also helps to protect our faith by cutting through errors, manipulation, deception, and false teaching, revealing the truth to us of what we’re reading and hearing.

The Bible Equips Us to Recognize When Things Seem Off

Because I carefully go through each morning choosing vitamins for my husband and myself, it’s so familiar to me, that I can look down and instantly see if one is missing because the pile of pills looks off and different.

It’s like that when we know God’s word, when we’ve hidden it in our hearts. We come to know it so well that when we see, hear, or read something that’s off or different from the truth of His word, we instantly recognize it.

Psalm 119:11 teaches, “I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.”

Becoming so familiar with God’s word and establishing itself in our hearts, along with the help of the Holy Spirit leading us, helps us, without even thinking to recognize when we see or hear something that doesn’t line up with it. God’s truth hidden in our hearts alerts us to false teachings.

The reason so many believers are led astray is that they don’t know His word, so when a false teaching or doctrine is introduced to them, they don’t recognize it. For those reasons, it’s vital and critically important for us to read and study our Bibles, so that we aren’t deceived, misled, or led astray from the truth of God’s word. 

We can be confident that when His word shines light on what we’re hearing and reading, we will not be misled, as Psalm 119:105 describes, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”

Intersecting Faith & Life: How are you at knowing what is truth or error when it comes to God’s word? If you don’t know His word, find a Bible reading plan to help you know the truth of God’s word. Check out Biblestudytools.com for a free Bible app offering Bible reading audio, reading plans, and devotionals to help you know God’s word.

Further Reading: 7 Reasons to Read Your Bible

https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/crosswalk-devo/7-reasons-to-read-your-bible-the-crosswalk-devotional.html

How can you tell if a teaching lines up with God&rsquo;s truth? In this devotional, we explore how reading the Bible protects us from false teaching and equips us to recognize deception before it takes root. By understanding Scripture deeply, we can confidently discern God&rsquo;s truth and avoid being led astray by misleading doctrines and counterfeit beliefs.
<hr data-start="771" data-end="774">
✨ Highlights
<ul data-start="799" data-end="1116">
<li data-start="799" data-end="866">
Why studying the Bible is key to recognizing false teachers
</li>
<li data-start="867" data-end="928">
How God&rsquo;s Word exposes manipulation, error, and deception
</li>
<li data-start="929" data-end="984">
Practical ways to hide God&rsquo;s Word in your heart
</li>
<li data-start="985" data-end="1048">
How the Holy Spirit guides us in discerning spiritual truth
</li>
<li data-start="1049" data-end="1116">
Scriptures to help strengthen your faith and guard against lies
</li>
</ul>
<hr data-start="1118" data-end="1121">
💬 Join the Conversation
Have you ever encountered a teaching that didn&rsquo;t sit right with you? How do you test what you hear against God&rsquo;s Word? Share your thoughts and experiences with us &mdash; we&rsquo;d love to hear from you! Tag @LifeAudioNetwork and use #GroundedInTruth to join the conversation and encourage others in their faith journey.
🎙🎶&nbsp;SUBSCRIBE to our NEW SHOW &mdash; <a href="https://www.lifeaudio.com/your-nightly-prayer/">Your Nightly Prayer</a>
🌟 Check out other Crosswalk Podcasts: <a href="https://www.lifeaudio.com/crosswalk-talk-celebrity-christian-interviews/">Crosswalk Talk: Celebrity Christian Interviews</a>
<hr>
Full Transcript Below:
How Reading the Bible Keeps Us from Believing False Teaching
By Lynette Kittle
&ldquo;But there were also false prophets among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you. They will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the sovereign Lord who bought them&mdash;bringing swift destruction on themselves&rdquo;--2 Peter 2:1
Like art and jewel experts and dealers study real jewels and artwork to keep them from buying forgeries and counterfeits, studying the Bible keeps us from believing false teachings.
Disappointingly, the world, like never before, is full of scams, schemes, and false beliefs. Nowadays, there are countless emails, texts, and online offers and deals that look so convincing before we know it, we&rsquo;re ordering products that are never going to arrive.
Like phony offers, if we aren&rsquo;t aware of and informed to know and understand that there are false teachings trying to draw us in, designed to deceive us, we can be duped and led astray. It&rsquo;s why the Bible is such an important book to read and study, because by doing so, it protects us from being captured by the enemy of our souls.
2 Timothy 3:6-9 describes what they are like: &ldquo;They are the kind who worm their way into homes and gain control over gullible women, who are loaded down with sins and are swayed by all kinds of evil desires,&nbsp; always learning but never able to come to a knowledge of the truth.&nbsp; Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so also these teachers oppose the truth. They are men of depraved minds, who, as far as the faith is concerned, are rejected. But they will not get very far because, as in the case of those men, their folly will be clear to everyone.&rdquo;
The Bible Reveals Truth to Us
The Apostle Paul wrote, &ldquo;All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness&rdquo; (2 Timothy 3:16).
He understood, as written in Hebrews 4:12 &ldquo;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.&rdquo;
The word of God not only gives us life, but it also helps to protect our faith by cutting through errors, manipulation, deception, and false teaching, revealing the truth to us of what we&rsquo;re reading and hearing.
The Bible Equips Us to Recognize When Things Seem Off
Because I carefully go through each morning choosing vitamins for my husband and myself, it&rsquo;s so familiar to me, that I can look down and instantly see if one is missing because the pile of pills looks off and different.
It&rsquo;s like that when we know God&rsquo;s word, when we&rsquo;ve hidden it in our hearts. We come to know it so well that when we see, hear, or read something that&rsquo;s off or different from the truth of His word, we instantly recognize it.
Psalm 119:11 teaches, &ldquo;I have hidden Your word in my heart that I might not sin against You.&rdquo;
Becoming so familiar with God&rsquo;s word and establishing itself in our hearts, along with the help of the Holy Spirit leading us, helps us, without even thinking to recognize when we see or hear something that doesn&rsquo;t line up with it. God&rsquo;s truth hidden in our hearts alerts us to false teachings.
The reason so many believers are led astray is that they don&rsquo;t know His word, so when a false teaching or doctrine is introduced to them, they don&rsquo;t recognize it. For those reasons, it&rsquo;s vital and critically important for us to read and study our Bibles, so that we aren&rsquo;t deceived, misled, or led astray from the truth of God&rsquo;s word.&nbsp;
We can be confident that when His word shines light on what we&rsquo;re hearing and reading, we will not be misled, as Psalm 119:105 describes, &ldquo;Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.&rdquo;
Intersecting Faith &amp; Life: How are you at knowing what is truth or error when it comes to God&rsquo;s word? If you don&rsquo;t know His word, find a Bible reading plan to help you know the truth of God&rsquo;s word. Check out Biblestudytools.com for a free Bible app offering Bible reading audio, reading plans, and devotionals to help you know God&rsquo;s word.
Further Reading: 7 Reasons to Read Your Bible
https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/crosswalk-devo/7-reasons-to-read-your-bible-the-crosswalk-devotional.html

Are you a Christian looking for a daily devotional podcast to encourage, inspire, and convict you in your walk with Christ? 7 days a week, The Crosswalk.com Daily Devotional Podcast offers wisdom and insight for applying Biblical truths to the ups and downs of everyday life. Let's study the Bible together and through the experiences of other believers, learn how to apply the Word of God to our lives.

Here’s just some of what we cover in The Crosswalk Daily Devotional Podcast:

☕️ Why the Tongue Can't Be Tamed (And What to Do about It)
☕️ The Quickest Way to an Attitude Adjustment
☕️ Your Birthday: The Most and Least Important Day of Your Life
☕️ Noticing God's Blessings in the Hardest Moments of Life
☕️ One of the Sneakiest Lies Satan Is Telling the Church
☕️ How to Push Through the Weariness of Prayer
☕️ 3 Steps to Take When Facing Temptation
☕️ What to Remember during a Stressful Election Year

If you love what you're listening to on the podcast, be sure to check out our companion devotional at https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/crosswalk-devo/.

Are you a Christian looking for a daily devotional podcast to encourage, inspire, and convict you in your walk with Christ? 7 days a week, The Crosswalk.com Daily Devotional Podcast offers wisdom and insight for applying Biblical truths to the ups and downs of everyday life. Let's study the Bible together and through the experiences of other believers, learn how to apply the Word of God to our lives.
Here’s just some of what we cover in The Crosswalk Daily Devotional Podcast:
☕️ Why the Tongue Can't Be Tamed (And What to Do about It) ☕️ The Quickest Way to an Attitude Adjustment ☕️ Your Birthday: The Most and Least Important Day of Your Life ☕️ Noticing God's Blessings in the Hardest Moments of Life ☕️ One of the Sneakiest Lies Satan Is Telling the Church ☕️ How to Push Through the Weariness of Prayer ☕️ 3 Steps to Take When Facing Temptation ☕️ What to Remember during a Stressful Election Year
If you love what you're listening to on the podcast, be sure to check out our companion devotional at <a href="https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/crosswalk-devo/">https://www.crosswalk.com/devotionals/crosswalk-devo/.</a>

7 days a week, The Crosswalk.com Devotional Podcast offers wisdom and insight for applying Biblical truths to the ups and downs of everyday life.

Advertisement