You must KNOW the Word of God to know if what you are hearing about the Word of God IS actually the Word of God.

Charles Spurgeon: "You know more about your ledgers than your Bible; you know more about your magazines and novels than what God has written; many of you will read a novel from the beginning to the end, and what have you got? A mouthful of foam when you are done. But you cannot read the Bible; that solid, lasting, substantial, and satisfying food goes uneaten, locked up in the cupboard of neglect; while anything that a man writes, a best seller of the day, is greedily devoured." 

Without an understanding of the Scriptures, a person is a likely target to be led astray. That is why it is so important to know the Word of God for yourself. We need to not simply know about the Word, but know the Word. Far to many people rely upon what others have told them about the truths of the Bible rather than studying the Bible for themselves.

Our enemy, the devil, is a liar. According to Jesus, the devil is "a murderer from the beginning" and "a liar and the father of lies" (John 8:44).  The devil desires to keep men from truly knowing the Word of God.

One of his greatest tactics is to use those who profess to be teaching the Bible, when in fact they are not. America is filled with churches, and sadly, most of these churches are not teaching the Word of God in truth. One of the best ways to know if your church is really interested in you knowing God's Word is to see if they encourage your personal study of God's Word.

Men of God who love the truth want others to love it as well. Pastors who encourage regular, consistent Bible reading among their members are the most likely to preach the truth themselves. Sadly, most churches simply tell you what to believe without encouraging a personal knowledge of God's Word.

Get to know the Scriptures! Read it, study it, meditate on it, memorize it! Then make it a point to practice what you have learned or else you will "deceive yourself" (James 1:22).