This is an abridged version of a newsletter article that Rev. Nathanael Scharf shared with his congregation, St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, in New Ulm, MN, in the summer of 2026.

Paul encouraged Timothy to continue in the Holy Scriptures he had known from infancy because those Scriptures make us wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus (2 Tim 3:14–15). There is a popular phrase, “Live and learn.” You gain knowledge from experiences. God’s encouragement is better. Gain knowledge from his Word and from living it until he calls us home.

The big danger is thinking we’ve graduated from God’s Word. The new pastor graduates from the Seminary and is tempted to think he now knows it all and is too busy with ministry to learn anything new. Yet Psalm 1 reminds us that the person who continually delights in and meditates on God’s Word is like a tree planted by streams of water, bearing fruit in season (Ps 1:1–3). The Scriptures lead us to Jesus, forgiveness, certainty, salvation, and God’s will for us. Where else would we want to go (John 6:68)?

I was privileged to receive a Master of Sacred Theology degree in the biblical languages from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary this Spring. I was blessed to take classes from wise teachers and then turn around and teach many of those subjects in Bible Class, write sermons from an even more thorough study of the biblical text, and better apply God’s comfort in counseling. God promises you’ll be blessed as you learn it, live it, and learn it some more.