Study The Bible For Depth Of Knowledge
Few of us can gain a depth of knowledge without sitting under skilled teachers. So, for most people, they must sit under effective preaching from the Bible and be involved in a Bible study taught by an effective teacher. For maximum benefit, Bible study must have assignments that get you studying and interacting with the Bible on your own. To gain a depth of knowledge, you cannot be passive. You must become active in the process of deepening your knowledge.
If this is new to you, begin by attending a church that is committed to teaching the Bible, not only from the pulpit during sermons, but also in small groups or Sunday school classes. You might also find helpful information in Christian bookstores or online. More seasoned Christians might be able to give you helpful suggestions as well. If you are an avid reader, there is a wealth of knowledge available to you as well through good books available online or at Christian bookstores.
Tactics 10th Anniversary Edition: A Game Plan For Discussing Your Christian Convictions
In a world increasingly indifferent to Christian truth, followers of Christ need to be equipped to communicate with those who do not speak their language or accept their source of authority. In Tactics, 10th Anniversary Edition, Gregory Koukl demonstrates how to artfully regain control of conversations, keeping them moving forward in constructive ways through thoughtful diplomacy. Youll learn how to stop challengers in their tracks and how to turn the tables on questions or provocative statements. Most important, youll learn how to get people thinking about Jesus.
Read Through Cover To Cover
Its hard to dig deep into Scripture using this method, but you do get a good, broad overview when you read through the Bible cover to cover. Many who choose this Bible study method read through the Bible in one year, using a seven days a week plan or a five days a week plan. I like the five day plan because it gives you two days without a reading assignment, so you can catch up if youve fallen behind or dig a little deeper if something stood out to you.
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How To Read The Bible For Beginners
There are so many things that God wants to tell us through His Word. Unfortunately, our Bibles are closed. Although this article is titled how to read the Bible for beginners, this article is for all believers.
Most believers struggle with reading the Bible. Here are some things that I do which have helped to strengthen my personal devotional life.
Quotes
- The Bible will keep you from sin, or sin will keep you from the Bible. Dwight L. Moody
- Within the covers of the Bible are the answers for all the problems men face. Ronald Reagan
- A thorough knowledge of the Bible is worth more than a college education. Theodore Roosevelt
- The purpose of the Bible is simply to proclaim Gods plan to save His children. It asserts that man is lost and needs to be saved. And it communicates the message that Jesus is the God in the flesh sent to save His children.
- The more you read the Bible the more youll love the author.
A Letter To Believers: Ephesians
Unlike the gospel of John and the book of Acts, Ephesians is a letter from the Apostle Paul to the believers in Ephesus.
Christianity begins not with a big DO, but with a big DONE God has already blessed us with every spiritual blessing.
Watchman Nee, a Chinese church leader and teacher, distils the essence of Ephesians into three simple words: Sit. Walk. Stand, and says Ephesians abounds with spiritual riches, and yet is intensely practical.
He writes: Christianity does not begin with walking it begins with sitting.
For Christianity begins not with a big DO, but with a big DONE. Thus Ephesians opens with the statement that God has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ. And we are invited at the very outset to sit down and enjoy what God has done for us not to set out to try and attain it for ourselves.
Introduction to the book: In the book of Ephesians, we see how the Gospel story affects believers everyday lives. God, the Father, planned throughout history for Jesus to create a multi-ethnic community of followers. Consisting of Jews and non-Jews, these followers form the family God promised to Abraham. They live in unity as one body in their families, neighbourhoods, and churches because of Gods grace.
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Meditate For The Bible To Master You
Many people know passages of Scripture, but have not spent enough time meditating on them enough for the truth of the passages to penetrate deeply into their mind and heart.
In the book Change Your Heart, Change Your Life, Gary Smalley makes a compelling case for meditating on Scripture. He states that what we think about all day long, over long periods, eventually seeps into our heart as controlling beliefs. When we learn the right thoughts and mentally chew on them over and over, day after day, they lodge in our hearts as beliefs, and these beliefs become the controlling influences of our lives. If we do not think about Scripture enough, the truth of Scripture may be in our heads as knowledge but not in our hearts as deep, controlling beliefs.
Smalley challenges us to meditate, think about, ponder, and recite Scripture until the Scripture becomes a path in our minds and hearts . . . then ponder it some more until the Scripture becomes a road in our minds and hearts . . . then ponder it some more until it becomes a four-lane freeway. Then, and only then, will the Scripture migrate from information in our heads to deep, controlling beliefs in our hearts.
Navigating A Toxic Culture With Your Daughter
As a pediatrician, Dr. Meg Meeker has seen thousands of girls come through her office through the years. They struggle with eating issues, sexual identity, social mediaand many other challenges in this toxic culture. Dr. Meeker will encourage parents to invest love and time in their daughters and develop their character to give them the best opportunity for a bright future, all rooted in a spiritual foundation. The discussion also includes healthy feminism vs. toxic feminism
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Another Method Of Book Study Is Called The Synthetic Method
For example, the Book of Exodus tells the history of the children of Israel from the death of Joseph in Egypt until the erecting of the tabernacle in the wilderness in the time of Moses. This covers approximately 400 years.
The principles of Bible book study, whether inductive or synthetic, are very similar. Such study will require more time than the previous methods mentioned, but it will be amply rewarding.
Best Bible Recommendations For Beginners
There are the bible translations that I recommend for beginners based on their accuracy level. Ive also included a sample of the same scripture from each translation.
Word for Word Translation
Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God John 1:12
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Embracing Your Role As A Spouse
As a spouse, you have three roles to playa friend, a partner, and a lover. On this one-day Focus on the Family broadcast, Pastor Kevin A. Thompson explores those different roles and challenges you to live them out by investing emotionally, physically, and mentally in your relationship. As friends, he suggests we learn to play and laugh together. As partners, he equips us with solid ways to handle conflict and communication. As lovers, he offers some thoughts on how to bring back the sizzle. He shares five keys to saving your marriage: humility, respect, mercy, communication, and resilience. Youll be encouraged to intentionally invest in your marriage.
Remember That God Is Love
Love suffers long and is kind love does not envy love does not parade itself, is not puffed up does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 1 Corinthians 13:5-7
Replace the word love with God. Seriously go do that Ill wait.
Now, doesnt that sound like a God you want to know and be close to? Doesnt that sound like a God you can approach when youve made mistakes and been distracted and find kindness and help?
That is who He is! His love is unconditional, and it does not shrink or flee because you lost focus. You are on a journey. Sanctification, or becoming more like God, is a process, and the Father is with you in it.
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Identifying Triggers In Your Marriage Part 1
They were both convinced they had married the wrong person. From almost the very beginning of their marriage, Amber and Guy Lia experienced various tensions and personality clashes related to house cleaning, backseat driving, workaholism, and intimacy. In this two-day Focus on the Family broadcast, Amber and Guy discuss how they bravely faced the triggers head-on, and committed to working on their own relationships with Jesus. As you listen to the Lias story, youll feel hope that you, too, can see real marriage transformation!
Start With Gods Promises And Truth
The best place to start is with Gods many promises and with the Truth. These dont change because you got busy or distracted.
What did change if you are dealing with shame and condemnation is you are likely entertaining some lies and false beliefs. Thats why the first things first: lets replace the lies and unbelief with Truth and promises.
I think having a list of verses that point to truths and promises that resonate with you is a smart idea. I would read through those verses in a few translations or write them out in my favorite translation.
Here are some verses to start your list.
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Need A Way To Keep Track Of Your Bible Reading Plan For Beginners
When I was learning how to read the Bible for the first time, I loved checking off each book and chapter as I read them, so I could easily see my progress.
My NIV study Bible came with a built-in reading plan checklist right in the front. If yours doesnt, youre welcome to print off this Bible Reading Checklist to keep track of your progress.
It comes straight out of my Fall in Love with Gods Word WORKBOOK, but youre welcome to have it for free.
Print it out and stick it in your Bible, or hang it on your fridge where youll see it often as you work your way through your Bible reading plan for beginners.
The Book Of Acts: What Happens Next
The book of Acts continues the story of the Gospel and how it changed life on earth after Jesus came. It is a powerful testimony of how the early church was established by the work of the Holy Spirit and it is easy to see how that work is continuing today, even in the Church in Singapore.
Introduction to the book: Before Jesus was taken to heaven, He instructed His followers to be a witness for Him. Jesus followers received the Holy Spirit on Pentecost and became filled and equipped to spread the good news that would restore Gods kingdom over the world. Through persecution, the believers were scattered. They continued to preach, and the church at Antioch was born.
It grew into the first multiethnic, international church from which missionaries were sent throughout the world to preach about Jesus.
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Choose A Personality To Study
Another option is to choose a particular person to study, such as Paul, and spend time researching about that person. For example, if I was studying Paul, Id make notes about what his name meant, where he was born, where he was from, what do we know about his childhood, what major events happened in his life, etc.
Teaching Your Kids To Read The Bible
As Christian parents, we want to introduce our kids to Jesus and see them grow in their relationship with God. One of the best ways to do that is to encourage them to read the Bible regularly. But its more than just having your kids read the Bible its teaching them how, and where to start reading.
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Ask Someone To Join You
Having an accountability partner to join you in your Bible reading plan is a really smart idea. You can help by encouraging them to continue reading their Bible, and they can do the same for you. Its great to have someone to read the Bible with and will help keep you motivated!
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Dig Into Context Before Diving Into Details
You may have heard the phrase context is key and it is!
I am going to dive deeper into this topic in the seven day Where to Start Reading the Bible Course but for now context is simply understanding facts around the book of the Bible.
Its asking these questions so you can understand each book and unique verses.
- Who wrote this book?
- Why did he write it?
- What was his main points?
- What was going on in history?
These questions give us context so when we read the verses we understand the author which leads to us better grasping their truth.
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First Books Of The Bible For Young Christians To Read
Young Christians either in terms of their age or the recency of their conversion understand they should read the Bible, and even desire to. A major problem they encounter is knowing where to start. What are the best books of the Bible for young Christians to start with?
All of Scripture is Gods authoritative, inspired Word, but some books are more conducive for a young Christians first reading of the Bible than others. Earlier in my ministry career, I met monthly with a young Christian in his first year out of college, and I selected Jeremiah as our first book to read together. I cringe to remember my lack of wisdom in this decision. When we met up a month later, he sheepishly admitted that he had quit reading by Jeremiah 5. He was utterly clueless about what was going on in Jeremiah and understood little to nothing. His embarrassment and failure were my fault.
In negative terms, books like Jeremiah that require a great deal of redemptive historical and theological knowledge are not a great place to start. For example, Ezekiel or Jeremiah require deep knowledge about the divided kingdom and the exile. A young Christian could gain knowledge and insight from these books, of course, but they may encounter more frustration than necessary compared to others.
Books that Educate on the Basic Foundations and Moments of Redemptive History
Books that Educate on Basic Christian Doctrine without the Advanced Knowledge of Context
Books about Christian Living
How I Studied The Bible When I First Started Out
My own interest in Bible study first began about 20 years ago with the desire to read the Bible from cover to cover.
After several failed attempts to complete a read the Bible in a year plan, I decided to try something different. The 90 Day Bible came to my attention, and it perked my curiosity. Maybe, if I really dedicated myself to it, I could read the Bible through in 90 days?
On one hand, its a lot of reading to do each day, and I didnt have much time to do a deep dive into many Scriptures. However, I did get a great overview of the Bible, and 90 days wasnt too long for me to keep my commitment. It seemed more manageable than the typical 365 days, at least for the stage of life I was in at the time.
Before I knew it, my husband had decided to join me. We ordered not one, but two copies of the 90 Day Bible and began setting our alarm to wake up super early each morning so we could each do our reading and discuss it together.
Oh, how I loved our Bible time in the mornings! Since his degree is in Theology, and he was already well versed in Bible study and understanding Scripture, our conversations were rich and wonderful. I learned so much during those 90 days.
We loved completing that plan together, and did it again the following year. It was a great foundation. From there, I began to focus on other Bible study methods and continued to grow.
And Im still learning, even after all these years!
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Why Should You Teach Your Kids How To Read The Bible
Were told that All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work .
The importance of reading Gods Word is clear, and its certainly a habit worth passing down to our kids. So, how do we do that? Well, its a bit more nuanced than simply telling your child to read the Bible.
How To Start Studying The Bible
When you start your study of the Bible God can speak directly to YOU if you ask him. You can understand the basics of His word all by yourself. You do not need a priest, preacher, scholar or church denomination to grasp its fundamental teachings . Over time, our heavenly Father will lead you into comprehending the “meat” or more spiritually in-depth doctrines of his holy word.
In order for God to speak to you through studying His truth in the Bible, however, you must be ready to put aside your preconceptions and cherished beliefs you may have learned. You must be willing to start your pursuit with a fresh mind and be willing to believe what you read.
Have you ever questioned the traditions various religions state come from the Bible? Did they exclusively come from a study of Holy writ or from another place? If you are willing to approach the Bible with an open mind and a willingness to believe what God teaches you, your efforts will open up vistas of truth that will amaze you.
In regard to Biblical translations to purchase, you can never go wrong with obtaining a King James translation for your studies. Although some of its words are a bit dated, many reference tools such as Strong’s Concordance are keyed to its verses. If you do not have the money to buy a KJV, do a Google search for organizations and outreaches that provide free copies to the public. You may also wish to try contacting a local church in your area.
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