Four Tips to Help You Read the Bible

Posted on by Matthew Laker

bible 2The most powerful “catalyst” for your spiritual growth, as a follower of Jesus, is found in the rhythm of bible reflection and study.    My hope in this series is to give you a hands-on-approach to developing the discipline of engaging the bible to guide your life.

When I worked for Macdonald’s, right before the rushes of people would come, preparation would always take place.  You would make sure there was enough ketchup, etc. out and on the tables.  You would pull buns out of the freezer, and meat all ready to go for the mealtime rush. The idea was have everything you needed ready to go to make serving lunch go smoothly.

Preparation is important in life.  Preparation can help make a lot of things go smoother.  You still have to be willing to adjust your life, but it helps.

The same applies in the discipline of engaging the bible to guide your life.

Here are four items to have in your backpack as you engage the scriptures in your daily journey.

1. Schedule your time.

For many of us we are driven by the calendar and clock.  There are pros and cons to this, but pull out the calendar and slot in a time.  It is like scheduling time for going to the gym or out with friends. This many seem ridged, but it will help you to develop a rhythm.

A few things to note:

What works for your schedule?  It will be different than others, and be aware of the season of life you are in.  Do not be worried if the time slot changes a bit.  If free time opens up, I will pick up my bible to meditate and pray.  Just because it is not the scheduled time does not mean you have to wait. Embrace those times as they come, even if it is not the scheduled time.

Try this goal:  In any given week try to have 1-2 times of significant engagement of the scriptures. Already there? Great, then look at how you can increase it.   

2. Keep a notebook.

Writing helps our thoughts with the learning process.  Journaling can bring clarity to your thoughts.   Things to write about:

  1. What is being said in the text?
  2. What do you need to hear from the text?
  3. What questions do you have?
  4. The Psalms can be used as a path for prayers, you could write out prayers.

Check out the first post in this series for a study process that you could combine with your journal/notebook.

Nancy Leigh DeMoss shares some helpful thoughts on writing as you read your bible.

3. Get helpful tools

Having reference tools will be useful, such as a good study bible and commentaries.   Finding trusted online sites is needed and even building a library, or knowing someone who has a larger library can also be helpful.
A few websites I recommend to people to help in studying the scriptures:

www.bible.org
www.biblegateway.org
www.studylight.org
www.ccel.org

4. Spend time in prayer.

As you start, it is good to close your eyes, take a deep breath and invite Jesus’ and the Spirit’s leading.  As you read through do not be afraid to stop and pray. It is always good to wrap up in prayer as well.

As you develop the discipline of engaging God’s word, start small, keep it small.  Spend time reflecting upon what you are reading throughout the week as you ride the bus, eat, walk, do the dishes and things around the house.

Let the text take you to Jesus.  The bible will not save you, but point you to the one who will.

What have you found useful in developing the rhythm of bible engagement?      Any sites to add to the web tools?

Bible Study Method – One Way

Posted on by Matthew Laker

 

Engaging the bible ultimately should lead us to engaging Jesus Christ. Otherwise we will never know the value of the bible.

How does the bible guide your life? How do you use the bible in your life as a follower of Jesus? No matter where you are in your spiritual journey with Jesus, the discipline of engaging the bible plays a significant role. It will be one of the great spiritual catalysts repeatedly in your life, as you live out the gospel of Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 (ESV)

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

The idea is one of formation.  In all of our lives, there are things that form and shape us.  Paul’s call here is to let the scripture form and shape us.  The words we find in the bible are useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness.  Listening to God’s voice through the scripture will cultivate our life with God, and direct us to living what we were created for.

Early in my journey, we were taught a method called “Inductive Bible Study. This is a useful method to start with for beginners, but a great one for those who have been on the journey longer.

Here is how I have adapted it in my life, and used it as I engage in the scriptures. Grab a piece of paper, divide it into three columns, and walk through each of the following steps.

Observation

Here you want to ask: What is being said? You are not trying to apply, just answer the question

Some Question to answer:

  1. Who is speaking in the part of the selected text you are working on?
  2. What do you notice in the emotion of the people?
  3. Who is listening?
  4. Where is it taking place?
  5. What does it say about God?
  6. What does it say about following God?
  7. What are the main points

Interpretation:

Here, we are seeking to grasp the meaning of the text. We are looking to understand the meaning of the passage for the people to whom it was written We try to define terms, phrases and sentences. We look at the relationships and implications of the statements. Write out the main points of the text.

Application:

Here, we ask what it means for us today. Using the information from the above two steps, we have gained an understanding of the spirit of the text. We look at what questions we have from the text that were not answered.

I always encourage people to journal as they read God’s word, but you can also lightly do some of this in your mind as you reflect upon the text.

Looking for more help on developing the rhythm of bible reading, check out my series of posts called “Help Me Read the Bible”

When did you first start reading the bible?