Paul Carden - Bible Study Made Easy

Gods Word can change your heart and transform your life. The Bible wasnt written to be merely history or a piece of great literature. It is meant to be read with both the mind and heart. God loves you and wants you to love him. As Deuteronomy 8:3 reminds us, Man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.

Studying the Bible does not mean becoming an expert in one passage or book. It means we dig deeply so we can be deeply transformed. The more we know about God, the more we can love him.

God gave the Bible to the church. Reading and studying the Bible in community is very rewarding. Share what youve learned with others. Their questions will challenge you to pray and study more to find the answers.

Read it through; pray it in;
live it out; pass it on.

George Gritter

• Plan a Study Time

  Decide on a quiet time and place to study Gods Word and make it a daily habit, like eating. Some people get up early to spend time with God. Others study during the day or evening.

• Pray

  Ask God to help you understand his Word. Pray using your own words or something like this: Lord, thank you for the Bible, which teaches us who you are and what you want for our lives. Please help me understand it and do what you want me to do. In Jeremiah 33:3, God promises: Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.

• Read and Re-read It

  The Bible is the most important letter you can ever receivea message from the God of the universe who made you, loves you, and wants to communicate with you. Open your love letter every day. Re-read each chapter and verse several times.

• Know the Author

  Read Genesis to learn about the God who created the world. All Scripture is inspired by God. God actually visited Earth in the form of manthe man Christ Jesus. Jesus said, I and the Father are one (John 10:30). Read the Gospel of John to learn about Gods plan for you.

• Take Notes

  Write notes about what you read. Use a specific notebook or journal especially for Bible study. The four steps of inductive Bible study will help you look at God's word and discover how it applies to you. You might want to underline key verses or write notes in the margin of your Bible.

• Make the Bible Your Authority

  Accept and believe that what the Bible says is true. You may not understand everything in the Bible, but obey and apply what you do understand.

  
  Seven Ways to Read the Bible

  Prayerfully

  Before you begin, ask God to speak. Ask him for ears to hear.

  Expectantly

  Believe that God wants to speak to you, even more than you want to hear from him. Then be alert for his voice.

  Devotionally

  See your Bible reading as personal time with God rather than an assignment to learn new information about God.

  

  Slowly

  Dont be in a rush. Linger. Savor the words.

  Comprehensively

  Read through a whole book of the Bible. Dont ignore big sections of Scripture. Consider reading the entire Bible cover to cover. Thats the best way to get the truest sense of who God is, and what his story is about.

  Regularly

  Exercising once every three weeks is better than nothing, but it isnt likely to get you in great physical condition. In the same way, occasional Bible reading isnt the optimal way to cultivate your relationship with God or prepare for helping others know God.

  Obediently

  Always read with a mind-set of I will do whatever God commands.

  Become Familiar with the Bible
• Memorize the order of the books of the Bible.
• Learn how to read Bible references.

  For example: Psalm 23:2

  Psalm = Name of letter or book

  23: = chapter

  :2 = verse

  
• Know the type of book youre reading.

  Is it a book about history, poetry or wisdom literature, a book by a prophet, one of the four Gospels, the book of Acts, or an epistle (letter)?

• Reflect on Scripture daily.

  Reflection (also called meditation) means that we allow the Bible to settle in our minds and hearts. We do this by thinking about it all day long, wondering what a passage or a verse means for us throughout the days activities.

  Write a verse or passage on a small piece of paper and carry it along with you. If you are standing in line, waiting at a restaurant, or have another free moment, take the paper out and think about how the text connects to your life at that specific time.

• Memorize Bible verses.

  When scuba divers face problems underwater, they rely on their previous training to find a way out. When we face temptation or sudden grief, our training will kick in. All those Bible verses we have memorized will come back. God will speak to us through them in unexpected ways.

  One of the best ways to memorize something is by finding partners who help and challenge you to work together.