The Bible is primarily the means by which God has chosen for the gospel to go out, and the gospel the means by which He saves men. But, it is also the means by which He shows us how to live "Christianly", if you will.
What I want to tell you, is this:
Watch out for bad theology.
Why do I key on the issue of theology? Because the theology (or doctrine, or teaching) that we hold to is the foundation which our faith is based on. If the foundation is faulty, everything built on it is faulty. In other words, if we don't properly understand what God is telling us, we can't properly live our lives as He would have us (and after he has saved us and given us that desire, as we would want to live...uh, captain obvious here).
As Paul said when he wrote his pastoral letter to Timothy:
But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people. For among them are those who creep into households and capture weak women, burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. Just as Jannes and Jambres opposed Moses, so these men also oppose the truth, men corrupted in mind and disqualified regarding the faith. But they will not get very far, for their folly will be plain to all, as was that of those two men. - 2 Timothy 3:1-9 ESV
and, a little later:
For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. - 2 Timothy 4:3-4 ESV
The first passage is often taught to mean unbelievers, I used to think of it that way and while the things Paul wrote about here may be true of the world (and obviously are), we cannot use THIS passage to make that judgement. Why? Context. Paul is writing a pastoral letter to Timothy and when it is read in context, the subject of all the descriptors is the church. He is saying that people in the church will be "lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, etc".
As to the second passage, again he is writing of those in the church. Notice in this passage it says those with "itching ears" will "accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions". I hadn't noticed this until it was pointed out a few years ago, but Paul is saying that people WANT bad teachers and they go eagerly seek them out!
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About 10 years ago I had what I refer to as the "theology dump". It was as if God picked up the bucket that had all the theology I held to in it, turned it upside down, and dumped it out. Then He proceeded to start filling it up with new (to me) theology. My theology is totally different now than it was then.
A few years after the "theology dump" began, I started listening to a guy named Chris Rosebrogh. He does a show called Fighting For The Faith (http://www.fightingforthefaith.com). One of the things he does on the show is to review bad sermons (and on friday, good sermons), while interjecting correct teaching along the way, and I have heard many a bad sermon. I have heard the things Paul wrote of in 2 Timothy preached from "Christian" pulpits, as "Christian" doctrine, all in the name of Christ. What I am saying is that the time Paul wrote about in 2 Timothy is here, and it is now.
Sam, most of the people who claim the name of Christ are not really Christians (do you really think 80% of Americans are Christian?). Remember, the road to life is narrow, that means the majority of people are on the broad road, including the majority of the visible church, as stated in Matthew 7:21.
"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.' - Matthew 7: 21-23 ESV
The Bible clearly states that MANY will call Jesus "Lord" at the last day and He will tell them "Depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness"
So, why will he say that to them if they are Christians? Because, in fact, they are not Christians, even though they claim to be.
A little earlier in the same chapter Paul speaks of false prophets, calling them "wolves in sheep's clothing". Again, reading the context, he is speaking of prophets (pastors, preachers, teachers, authors, etc).
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits. - Matthew 7: 15-20 ESV
What is the fruit they are known by? It is what they are teaching. You will know them by their bad fruit, i.e. bad doctrine, or bad theology.
As I started out with:
Watch out for bad theology.
Sam, as you are now your own man, I want to challenge and encourage you to "Bereanize" everything you hear, everything you are taught, and check the scripture for yourself. Make your faith YOUR faith. Check what your parents tell you, check what your pastor tells you, check EVERYTHING...and I am not exempt from this...check what I have told you. Don't forget, the Bereans were commended for questioning Paul the Apostle himself and checking what he taught them against the scripture:
The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. - Acts 17:10-11 ESV