study methods.

There are so many ways to study the Bible! I was introduced to Bible Study by Kay Arthur. Two friends of mine - Jamie and Angie George - gave me a book, Lord Heal My Hurts, after my divorce in 1996. Even though my friends had to return to their home in Tennessee, Kay Arthur remained with me through the pages of her book, and as I'm sure Jamie and Angie prayed - she and the Spirit of God sat there with me in my tiny apartment and walked me through how to hear God speak off the pages of His book. From that point on - there was no turning back.

These two study methods that I am sharing with you, my friend, here are easy, and yet oh so heart challenging. The first study method is active reading. We engage our mind and pen with paper to think through what God is teaching us. And with this study - as with any Bible study - the context of the passage we have read is critical to understanding God's message. Be careful not to lift a verse and assume its meaning without careful consideration of all the information that God has given to surround that verse. Like, "Now in the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall also have a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work. It will be to you a day for blowing trumpets." Numbers 29:1 Don't get out your calendar and buy a horn, okay? This direction specific direction was given to Israel. However, if we study this passage and God's directions to His people there are some AMAAAZING truths to be realized about our God - about His revelation of Jesus - about His heart for all His people. So, we can't disregard this passage - but rather study it further to see exactly what God is revealing to us about Himself .

The second study method is a bit more involved. You may want to study a character, an event, a topic, a chapter, a book - whatever you are drawn to understand you will not be disappointed as you seek to know God - His character - better. This is a study that involves cross referencing and using the concordance in your study Bible. You do have a study Bible right? Best tool I own! Invest in a good one; one that allows you to cross-reference and contains a concordance will be a huge help to your learning journey. I hope this is a help to you. I'm praying it is! Truly - it is only the personal study time that I have spent with God that has changed my life. Sermons and songs are great - but nothing can compare to the awareness that God is meeting us right where we are - speaking to us - heart to heart - and giving us understanding. CRAZY faithfulness that grows my faith! No one - no circumstance - can take our intimate learning moments with Jesus from us - ever. AND that will make - and HAS made - all the difference.

BIBLE STUDY

“Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things from your law.” Psalm 119:18

~ Ask God to Teach you about Himself ~

Reading the Bible

1. Read the passage several times.

2. Be still and think about the verse(s) that you have just read.

a. Have you heard or read this before? In what context?

b. Is there another Scripture you have heard or read that is similar? Can you find it? What is the context of this passage? Do these passages connect? If so, how?

c. What stands out to you from this passage (word, phrase, action, person)? Why?

3. As you read the passage again, possibly aloud this time, ask yourself some questions about the passage. Is there:

a. A sin to confess?

b. A promise to claim?

c. An attitude to change?

d. A command to obey?

e. An example to follow? A positive one to imitate or a negative one to avoid?

f. A prayer to pray?

g. An error to avoid?

h. A truth to believe?

i. Something to praise God for?

4. Write out what you have understood from your time of meditation.

5. Write out how you will apply to your life the truth you now understand from this passage.

Studying Your Bible

1. Read with purpose (to know a character, a truth, a promise, a topic, a theme, chapter study, word study).

2. Observe the obvious (FACTS: type of book, author, audience, people mentioned, places, repeated words, events.

3. Identify the context (words, phrases, and sentences surrounding a particular word, phrase, or sentence).

4. Consider details (contrasts, comparisons, terms of conclusion, expressions of time, the culture).

5. Deal with the text objectively (let the text speak for itself).

6. Cross-reference (biblestudytools.com).

7. Compare translations. (crosswalk.com).

8. Write down what you learn from each passage you study.

What does it all mean?

1. Context is king in interpretation; it rules.

2. Be careful not to violate the general theme of the book you are studying.

3. Look for the author’s intended meaning of the passage.

4. Check to be sure your conclusions are in accordance or agreement with what the author said in other books of his writing.

5. Make sure your conclusions do not violate other Biblical truths. Scripture will never contradict Scripture.

Application

1. Pray for insight on how to apply the passage of Scripture you have studied.

2. Write out the your personal application plan: Based on: _____________ I am going to:_______________.

3. How will you evaluate your life change?