How Can I Get More Out of My Bible Study? Tips 101

Everyone knows that personal Bible Study is very important...but it is also a constant struggle for all of us. 

Basic Bible Study Tips to Help You! 

* Pray and ask God to teach you by his word-through the Holy Spirit!

Starting Off: Use a top-down approach

1)      Always remember the big picture of clear cut biblical teaching/theological truth throughout the whole Bible. *New truth/insights should add to/correlate with and not contradict/take away from well established biblical truth.

2)      Always remember the big picture of different dispensations (time period) and how God works with his people (Covenants/Testaments). Find out where this passage falls in the course of biblical history and God’s dealings with humanity.

3)      Get an overview of the book (then chapter) of the Bible that the specific passage is in. What is the over all purpose of the book? What is the theme and emphasis? What style of writing is being used (poetic, narrative etc…)?

4)      Get an overview of the writer. Who wrote the book? When did they write it? Why did they write it? What major events have happened (and may have yet to happen) in the life of the writer? What is the personality of the writer? Why would the writer be writing what he is writing?

5)      Get an overview of the context of the writing. Who was the intended audience of the writings? What was the intended meaning/purpose of the writing/truths mentioned? 

Answer these questions in your study:

What MAIN old/new truths are present here? What FINER truths/applications are here?

What was the intended meaning/purpose of the writing/truths?

How does/what still apply to us today?

How is/would this scenario/application seen today in our modern world? (Analogy) LOOK FOR LIFE APPLICATION. What would this look like today, how does this play out in my life?

Try to avoid seeing added items not originally there (chapter titles, verse division, chapter/paragraph/verse breaks).

Look for repetitions.

Look for and examine similar passages/accounts/teaching on same truths.

DEFINE unknown words and phrases with intended meaning (look up Greek/Hebrew/Aramaic words)

Use multiple versions of the Bible (MES, CEV, NIV, NLT, KJV+)

Read commentaries, Bible study notes on the passage/chapter/book

Take notes while you read, write down observations and questions.

Other Basics 

1)      Get in a small routine, not because you have to, but because it’s BEST for you (for instance; read right when you get out of the shower in the morning or night. Or the same time of day,just because it will remind you and you will have time. (my whole life is a routine, geeze, because I won’t remember to put my contacts in if it wasn’t a routine). 

2)       Make sure you cut out all the distractions. Don’t try to read with music on, TV on, or while instant messaging ... I have become good at reading in a busy room and tuning out things and getting lost in the reading, but a lot of people can’t do that, I can’t do it all the time, it has to be good reading. So cut out all the noise.

3)      Make sure you can see what you are reading, make sure you got some light right on the page…if not you will be more likely to have your mind wander.

4)      Make sure you are alert and awake. Before bed I am ok for a while, but after like 15 mins, it’s pointless. But I usually can get in a good 15 mins.

5)      Read ACTIVELY. This is the most important thing. Take those notes. Ask yourself questions.What I used to do, was print the questions off and have this sheet for my notes and to write the major point or two on the page I printed.

What  truths/principles are present here?

What was the intended meaning/purpose of the writing/truths?

How does/what still apply to us today?

How is/would this scenario/application seen today in our modern world? (Analogy) LOOK FOR LIFE APPLICATION. What would this look like today, how does this play out in my life?

If I were to teach this chapter to someone, what would I want them to know about it?!

*Sounds corny answer questions, but it works and you will learn what you read!

6) Get a version of the Bible that you like! One that makes sense. I highly recommend the NLT (New Living Translation) it is easy to read and understand without loosing meaning and that’s the point of reading (understanding)! I would highly recommend reading your daily/regular reading from a different version that you normally use! If you use the NIV, use something else, because it will just be mundane and like “I know this already”. Switching it up really helps! The NTL Study Bible is awesome, tons of notes and extra information/helps to help break down the text.

What is God's Will For Me?

1)      You exist (we all exist) to have a special, specific impact on your world. In your area of influence. There are things here on earth, within the Church etc. that God has given specifically for you to do. He created you for them and put you here for them.

 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Eph 2:10

2)      We need to begin to find out specifically what those things are. Until then, we may just be doing what we want to do, or spinning our wheels, while the task God has for us is still out there. I believe whole heatedly that my task right now is working with this Youth Group, and that God prepared it in advance for me to be doing. That is why we were voted in, that is why things are going well and things feel “right”, not because of me, or anything I did, but because God organized it and he has kids here that only we can reach, through his planning. I believe he, himself, already picked the Youth Leaders, knowing their skills, talents, hearts, and knowing what the kids needed and that he called and lead them all to the Youth Group. And I believe he determined that before each of us were born and were saved, as Eph 2:10 says, he prepared good works for us to do, in advance. And he knows the additional leaders that will come our way etc.

3)      I believe a great way to find out what God wants us to do is looking at two things.

a.       God has given us each a unique bent, or a unique set of skills, gifts and abilities, desires, passions: some by birth, others by practice/experience, others by spiritual gifting (either way, they were all given by God). We need to discover those #1.

b.      God is revealing specific, pressing needs in our world, that require our God given skills, gifts, abilities, concern etc. We need to look around our world (Church, Ministries, Lack of Ministries, Area of Influence) and find out those needs, and as they meet our skills and concerns, we have seen an area where I believe God is ASKING and clearly SHOWING us to get involved. There are other areas too that he COMMANDS us all to get involved in eg. Go and Make Disciples, Teaching them to obey all I have commanded you. (Matt 28)  

God's will is where his commands/instruction intersect your God givens skills/talents, your heart-aches and hearts-desires and where there is a clear need for it! Make a list of each, and where they overlap, is where God is clearly calling you to STEP IN! 

I would suggest, prayerfully, making a list of your skills, abilities, desires, attributes, gifting from God. Ones you know you have, others people have told you have, ones you currently use all the time (fill out a spiritual gifts inventory, free online). Then make a list of things that you feel like aren’t getting done, the Church is overlooking, the Youth Team doesn’t have enough time or help for etc. etc. And then begin to prayerfully see where God may be leading you do get involved, create something new. Be sure to talk to all the people involved as well (the pastor, youth pastor, directors, helpers) before springing into action.

But beyond that. I think God wants to use you right where you are at. I would suggest a few things, or pointers to help you see some of those things. 

1)      It is all about 1 on 1 time. How much 1 on 1 time have you had with people (your friends, your kids, your neighbors, your co-workers)? Do you feel like God is asking you to spend more 1 on 1 time with people.

2)      It is all about communication. Are there specific people that you communicate regularly to and specifically too. Not just Hi, and How are you? But diving deeper and seeing where they are really at. Have you ever brought God into the conversation, even if they are a believer. You would be shocked to see how little we all really talk about God and are helping each other grow in God. More often we just talk about the easy things (Tv shows, Movies, Events, Sports, Family).

3)      It is all about living moment by moment, in step with the Spirit. We all want to know what God wants us to do tomorrow, or how he wants to use us in a newer greater way, I think about it daily. But more important than that, he wants our moments, our minutes, our seconds. That is truly fulfilling God’s will for us.

It is like Philip in Acts 8:24-40, he followed the Spirit, moment by moment…. He saw a needthat only his knowledge and abilities could meet, and it was with 1 on 1 personal communication and taking someone deeper and BAAM something great happened. All the things I mentioned are in that text! He is the MODEL for DOING GOD'S WILL.

So I would say ask yourself this, daily:

1)      What am I doing TODAY, DAILY and can be doing, to allow God to “transform the way I think”? (What biblical knowledge am I getting to ensure my thinking is transformed to God’s thinking?) (Rom 12:1-2)

2)      What am I doing TODAY and can be doing to fulfill the GREAT COMMISSION?

3)      What am I doing TODAY and can be doing to live out the Great Commands (Love God, Love Others)?

4)      What am I doing TODAY and can be doing to impact my sphere of influence for eternity?

5)      What am I doing TODAY and can be doing to live a life that is a living sacrifice to God, the kind he will find holy, pleasing and acceptable? (Rom 12:1-2)

God's will is where his commands/instruction intersect your God givens skills/talents, your heart-aches and hearts-desires and where there is a clear need for it! Make a list of each, and where they overlap, is where God is clearly calling you to STEP IN! 

‎ASK YOURSELF:"Who can I add value to, today?!