From “Discipleship and Discipline” by William H. Hicks, copyright March, 2005:

“The third responsibility of a disciple is to be a diligent student of God’s Word.  Why here the emphasis on being a diligent student of God’s Word?  II Timothy 2: 15 encourages us to “Be diligent to present yourselves approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, handling accurately the word of truth.”  This is the foundation scripture for the AWANA program (Approved Workmen Are Not Ashamed), a youth-focused program designed to spread the gospel and to build church census.  As a young boy growing up in the African American church, we were taught the Ten Commandments.  As an exercise in Sunday School, we were called upon to recite the Ten Commandments from memory.  The King James Version.  The implication I received over time was that I was righteous for having learned to recite the Commandments.  However, the Lord makes clear, in Deuteronomy 6: 3, that recitation is not all that is required:  “O Israel, you should listen and be careful to do it, that it may be well with you and that you may multiply greatly, just as the Lord, the God of your fathers has promised you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.”  At Hebrews 11: 6, the KJV encourages disciples to “diligently seek” the Lord.”