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Week Eight - Learning How to Study the Bible Systematically
Today, you will begin the final three week section of this Bible study guide. You are to be commended for staying with your study so long. In all likelihood some of your peers have stopped reading and going through this guide, but you have not. Well done and keep going. The remaining three weeks of this study will focus on teaching you specific Bible study skills and help you form your own study process. In the previous seven weeks, we have skipped around in the scripture each day. In the final three weeks you will begin to learn how to "systematically" go through a book of the Bible and study it as a unit. There is a danger to skipping around each day and not getting the context (verses around the verses that you are studying). When you are reading scripture, you should, as often as possible, read through a book or section, rather than just read one or two verses. Over the next three weeks, you should use a paper copy of the scripture as well as this guide. You will also need to continue journaling. In fact, over the next few weeks you will be learning some additional ways to journal. Find a way that fits your personality best and do that method. At this point, make sure that any time a response is required, you record it in your journal. Try to rewrite the question to help you remember what you studied. Also, make sure to date your entries and record the scripture references. What stands out to you about this passage (words, phrases, ideas…anything)? Underline or highlight those things in your Bible. Underlining and Highlighting: Anytime you read the Bible, you are giving the Holy Spirit an opportunity to teach you more about God, show you God's will for your life, and help you become more like Christ. When the Holy Spirit speaks through scripture, He may cause you to notice certain parts more than others, help you remember truths you have learned or bring to your mind things in your life that relate to what you are reading. Pay close attention when this happens and note what the Holy Spirit "highlights" for you. This will help you study and keep track of what the Holy Spirit is saying to you. Highlighting will also help you find a passage more easily in days to come. It is always a good idea to highlight verses that you might need to find quickly in the future and verses that God uses frequently and/or powerfully in your life. STUDY When reporters want to get "the whole story," they ask questions. The six questions they always ask are; WHO? WHAT? WHEN? WHERE? WHY? AND HOW? If you really want to understand the Bible, asking these same questions can help you, too. Look back at 1 John 1. Try answering the following "digging question." WHO? What group of people is John speaking to? If you have a study Bible you can read the introduction to 1 John to get more information. This will be important to know as you read all of 1 John. Looking for "You": Whenever you are reading scripture, be careful not to dismiss God's Word as being "for someone else." The Bible is also God's letter to you. Be sure to always read the Bible listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
MEDITATE Meditation: To meditate on scripture means to think it over for a while, exploring your thoughts and feelings and letting the Holy Spirit speak to you. Some religions teach that meditation means that you empty your mind of any thought, but that is not Christian meditation. Christian meditation is thinking about truth, the Bible, and how that applies to your life rather than trying to think about nothing. Try this: For a moment, think about what it would have been like to receive this letter from John the Apostle and read it for the first time. What is John trying to say to you about life with Christ?
EVALUATE What new thoughts did you have today during your Bible study? Did you, at any point, think that you were connecting with or hearing from God in a special way (even the "tiniest" thing counts)? Explain. It's always good to record these moments to look back on later.
PRAY Spend a few moments thanking God for loving you enough to give you His Bible. Thank Him for giving you the intelligence to study it and apply it to your life. Ask Him to continue to challenge you in the area of Bible study. Write down anything that you want to remember from this prayer time.
Think of a title for today's Bible study that reflects what you learned personally and write the title in your journal. Previous weeks have had a title, for the next three weeks you will be creating the title. Titling your Bible study helps you evaluate what you have learned in a Bible study. It also helps you find a journal entry later when you are looking for it.
STUDY WHO? WHAT? HOW? WHERE? WHEN? WHY? Were any of these more difficult than others? Why? When asking "digging questions" of scripture, it's important to remember that you will not always find obvious answers to all of them in the text. Sometimes the foundation of truth already laid in your heart and mind by previous Bible study may help you fill in the blanks. Sometimes, you will find that one or more of the questions simply do not apply to the passage you are reading. That is fine. Don't ask more of scripture than God intended. Simply use the questions as a guide.
MEDITATE Write down your thoughts and concerns as they occur to you. Be honest. No one has to read your journal but you. Ask the Holy Spirit to show you what it is God wants you to learn and how you can apply it to your life. Then listen for the Holy Spirit's response. Listening to (and hearing) the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit may respond by bringing scripture or sermons that you have heard to your mind. He may bring words, phrases, or names to your mind. He may simply remind you of what you just read or show you areas of your life that you need to give to God. He may be completely and frustratingly silent for now. The ways that He may respond are too numerous to write here, but God does know how to speak to His children and He desires to lead us. It would be absurd to say that our main task is to follow God, but know that God is not interested in leading us. We follow, He leads. For now, listen the best you know how and write down ANYTHING that occurs to you as you listen. Don't be afraid to write down things that may not make a lot of sense at first. Learning to discern the Holy Spirit's voice takes practice and patience. You learn God's voice like you learn other voices, by listening and spending time with them. John 10:27
EVALUATE Look back over what you have written. Check what you heard against the truth you know. Checking against truth: If you ever feel unsure about whether what you hear during your quiet time (or from someone else) is really from God, compare what you heard against scripture. God doesn't contradict Himself. So, when you hear something that contradicts (goes against) scripture, you can assume that it did not come from God. As you grow and mature, it will be easier to check this on your own. For now, you may need to run your questions by a GOD-SEEKING adult to see if you are on the right track. Can you think of any verses that would contradict what you believe you heard God saying to you through the Holy Spirit? If so, write down as much as you can. Can you think of any verses that reinforce what you heard? If so, write them down.
PRAY Pray and thank God for speaking/guiding you in your Bible study. Tell Him what it is you heard Him saying to you. Openly and honestly, respond to what He has told you. Tell Him the positive and the negative. He can take it, and besides, He already knows. Make any commitments that you need to make. Ask God to help you keep those commitments and to show you when you have a chance to use what He has taught you. Write down anything you want to remember from this prayer time.
Title today's Bible study. Take a moment and look back over what you have written and learned over the past couple of days. Think of what it is that you hope to get out of today's Bible study and ask God to give you that. Don't forget to pray this simple request: "God teach me today more about you and how I can follow you."
STUDY WHO? WHAT? HOW? WHERE? WHEN? WHY? Underline and/or highlight in your Bible any words or phrases that are particularly meaningful to you right now.
MEDITATE Take a moment to meditate on 1 John 3. Record your thoughts. Ask the Holy Spirit to speak to you. Listen for the response (Don't be afraid to wait for it.) and record it the best that you can. Circle key words in the scripture. Circling: After you have studied a passage of scripture, it's a good idea to circle words that you have found to be meaningful in your study. Some people like to circle word groups (the action words, nouns, etc.). Then, when you look back on scripture that you have studied, you will be reminded at a glance of your study, and you will be able to compare what you learned last time to what God teaches you the next time you study it.
EVALUATE What did you get from your Bible study today? How does it check out against the truth of scripture?
PRAY Spend some time in open, honest prayer with God. Tell Him what you heard Him say and respond to Him. Ask for His help in making commitments and/or changes that you need to make. Spend time loving God with your words. Write down anything that you want to remember from your prayer time today.
Title your Bible study. Spend a moment praying about this Bible study. Pray this simple request: "God teach me today more about you and how I can follow you." Highlight and/or underline the passage that you chose in a way that will help you study and follow what the Holy Spirit brought to your attention as you read.
STUDY Look for the answers to the six "digging questions" and record them below. Remember that each question may have more than one answer or set of answers. WHO? WHAT? HOW? WHERE? WHEN? WHY? Did what you found raise any questions in your mind? If so, write them down. Questioning scripture: It is okay to ask questions, even difficult questions, about what you read in the Bible or hear taught. God doesn't want you to have a lazy mind. If you did, you might follow anything that anyone teaches you, right or wrong. Instead, research, ask hard questions and study. Acts 17:10-11 and 2 Timothy 2:15. Write down your questions for a later time. Sometimes, when we question scripture, we find the answers right away. Sometimes we have to wait a while and come back to them as we grow, learn and seek godly counsel.
MEDITATE Meditate on 1 John 4 and the questions that it may have raised. If you need a review of what to include in your meditation time, look over the Bible studies from the last few days. Explore your thoughts and feelings and record them.
EVALUATE On a scale of 1 to 10, how much did you put into your Bible study today? What did you get out of it? What do you make of that? What did you learn or how did the Holy Spirit speak to you in your Bible study today? How does it check out against the truth of scripture?
PRAY Spend some time in open, honest prayer with God. If unsure what to pray through, look back at yesterday's Bible study. Write down anything that you want to remember from this prayer time.
Title your Bible study. Pray this simple request: "God teach me today more about you and how I can follow you." Highlight and/or underline this passage. Review the reading skills during earlier days, if necessary.
STUDY Write down any questions that you may have.
MEDITATE Go back and circle the words/phrases that were important to you in your study of this passage of scripture.
EVALUATE Evaluate your Bible study today. Did you rush or take the time to study? How did it go? Why? Does what you heard from the Holy Spirit check out against scripture?
PRAY Using what you wrote down today as a guide, spend some time in open, honest prayer with God. If you need to, look at past Bible studies for instruction on how to pray. Write down what you want to remember from this prayer time. Title your Bible study. |
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