I discovered shereadstruth.com a few months ago and I’ve been on fire for God (read: diligently studying His word) ever since…
I’ve wanted this mug since I first saw it and finally purchased it a couple of weeks ago. I so adore it!
“She Reads Truth is an online community of women who are committed to reading God’s Word together.” One of the things I love most about this community is reading through and contributing to the comments during each study because it gives me so many different perspectives. I now make it a point to dive into the Bible first thing in the morning when I rise and it makes for the perfect beginning to each day!
After joining this community I also found Kristen Schmucker’s blog through her #lampandlight campaign via Instagram. I’ve come to love and utilize her suggestions on studying scripture. She includes a link to a sermon by Matt Chandler, How to Study the Bible, which I encourage you to listen to in it’s entirety. However, I’ve included an outline of what I learned from Matt’s sermon below.
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Needed
to Study
to Study
1.)
Consistent
time and place.
Consistent
time and place.
a. Without
this you just won’t do it.
this you just won’t do it.
2.)
You
need a Bible (obvious right?!).
You
need a Bible (obvious right?!).
a. One
that is as close to the original Hebrew/Aramaic/Greek text as possible.
that is as close to the original Hebrew/Aramaic/Greek text as possible.
3.)
Highlighter
and Pen.
Highlighter
and Pen.
a. Highlight
or underline or make notes about text that just seems to jump out to you or
move you at the time.
or underline or make notes about text that just seems to jump out to you or
move you at the time.
b. Certain
things may resonate with you…what do you think that is? The holy spirit, of
course.
things may resonate with you…what do you think that is? The holy spirit, of
course.
4.)
Reading
Plan
Reading
Plan
a. Not
having a plan will open you up to feeling lost.
having a plan will open you up to feeling lost.
b. Without
a plan you won’t stick with your goals…that’s with anything, right?
a plan you won’t stick with your goals…that’s with anything, right?
c. It’ll
also send you to places that you might not normally read.
also send you to places that you might not normally read.
5.)
Journal
Journal
a. There
are just certain things that you need to write down so that you reflect on them
later.
are just certain things that you need to write down so that you reflect on them
later.
6.)
Calendar/Planner
Calendar/Planner
a. So
that if something comes up while you’re studying, you can just write it down
quickly to do later and not use it as an excuse to be/get distracted.
that if something comes up while you’re studying, you can just write it down
quickly to do later and not use it as an excuse to be/get distracted.
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How
to Study
to Study
1.)
Start
with prayer (~5 mins)
Start
with prayer (~5 mins)
2.)
Read
(~10-15 mins).
Read
(~10-15 mins).
a. Don’t
just read just to read or as a checklist. The point is to be engaged and
actually soak in the text. Keep it short.
just read just to read or as a checklist. The point is to be engaged and
actually soak in the text. Keep it short.
3.)
Journal
(during reading).
Journal
(during reading).
a. Physically
write out the verse that jumps out. If
multiple jump out pray about which should be the one to focus on.
write out the verse that jumps out. If
multiple jump out pray about which should be the one to focus on.
b. Write
down what you observe from that verse.
down what you observe from that verse.
4.)
Application
(during reading).
Application
(during reading).
a. What
does it mean for you?
does it mean for you?
b. Write
out how it applies to you. Don’t be
ambiguous.
out how it applies to you. Don’t be
ambiguous.
c. Application
Steps
Steps
i. Detail
what is going on in your heart and spirit that need to be corrected and what
steps need to be taken to correct them.
5.)
End
w/ prayer (~5 mins).
End
w/ prayer (~5 mins).
a. Write
down your prayer. It will keep you
focused to finish out the study strong.
down your prayer. It will keep you
focused to finish out the study strong.
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The idea is to start
small with something you can apply and be obedient to time-wise. In other words, start off with small
increments of time as listed here. 5 mins, 10-15 mins, and 5 mins for a total of
20-25 mins soaking up His word each day. Then, as necessary, increase that time as you
become more disciplined. Know that it’s okay to miss a day but get right back in there and stay consistent overall.
small with something you can apply and be obedient to time-wise. In other words, start off with small
increments of time as listed here. 5 mins, 10-15 mins, and 5 mins for a total of
20-25 mins soaking up His word each day. Then, as necessary, increase that time as you
become more disciplined. Know that it’s okay to miss a day but get right back in there and stay consistent overall.
Studying God’s word diligently has such a huge, lasting impact on life, and ones attitude towards life. I pray that these suggestions are helpful and that you find the time to draw near to Jesus!
Be blessed,
This is awesome advice. I still struggle with being disciplined in studying, but this helps
Okay! You know I've been trying to find my bible study method since you told me about this. KCC gave us a sure fire way to get the most out of the sermons and bible study and it worked really well. It's sort of like this, but not really. What I would do is take notes from the sermon (or from the passages, or devotional, or whatever I was spending my time doing that day) and go through this four part study method. 1 is summarize, 2 is what is God saying to me. 3 is how does my life measure and 4 is what actions do I need to take!! It was pretty affective and I think I'm going to start doing that during my deep bible study times. Thanks for encouragement!!