FREE BIBLE STUDY GUIDE
Do you have a desire to study the bible more, not sure where to start, or just need a fresh approach? Enjoy this free guide to get you started.Most people know they should read their Bibles, and they want to read their Bibles, but too often, they don’t know where to begin. Reading scripture can feel intimidating, difficult, and too hard to start.
Have you ever found yourself sitting alone, with your Bible in front of you, knowing you need to read it, but not knowing where to begin? Have you started reading in the Old Testament and then quit when the words got big and weird? Have you tried to read an entire book of the Bible in one sitting, but got distracted by your to-do list? Have you been spending time with Jesus for a while, but your quiet time is stale? Then this is for you.
As a big fan of God’s Word, I want to share a few tips and tricks that I’ve used to learn how to study the Bible.Follow a plan. It doesn’t have to be a “Read the Bible in a Year” plan or a bible study with hours of homework. It doesn’t even have to be something you buy or something written down. Just make a plan.
The YouVersion Bible app is a great place to start. You can sign up for the verse of the day to be sent to you each day at a certain time. There are hundreds of reading plans and studies to choose from as well.
Pick a book. There are short commentaries for each book of the Bible, there are topical books that also supply scripture in each chapter, there are bible studies with videos and homework, and there are daily devotionals that can last for up to a year.
Or my personal fav, pick a book of the bible. In my time with God, I just pick a book of the Bible to walk through. There’s no set plan or time or agenda. I’ve been reading through Philippians for a few months now.
We spend too much time trying to pick the perfect resource. If it’s scripture--it will work.How to read the Bible:
Mark it up. You don’t have to write in your bible if you don’t want to. But if not, print it out! Copy the text you are going to read, give yourself some space and margins, and print it out. Or handwrite the verses in a journal. This is a good practice anyway! Just make a way for you to physically interact with the text.
So what do you mark?
Mark words that stick out, underline phrases, circle recurring words and themes, alternate definitions in the margin, big ideas at the top of the page, questions that I have, and anything the Spirit is telling me through the text. It’s partly an active-reading technique that keeps you focused and engaged, but it’s also a good study technique that will help you dig deeper.
Did you circle a word? Go look up the definition. Did you underline a phrase? Is there a cross-reference or footnote that takes you somewhere else in scripture? Follow it.Ask questions. Now this is where God speaks if He hasn’t already in reading the text.
After you’ve read it through several times, marked it up, and followed any natural references or word studies, ask yourself these 3 questions:
1. What does this teach me about God?
2. What does this reveal in my life?
3. What do I need to do next?
The questions aren’t magical or even complex. But they help us take the words off the page and put them into practice.
First, the bible was given to us so that we may know God. It is a revelation of Him to us. That is always number one.
Second, because God reveals Himself to us, we will see things in ourselves that don’t line up. Now that you know this about God, what does that mean about you?
Third, now that you know something about God and it’s revealed something in you, what are you going to do about it? Maybe it’s a truth to affirm, a lie to renounce, or a perspective to shift. Maybe you need to have a conversation with someone, ask for forgiveness, and invite them to church. Maybe you need to break a habit, start a new one, or even take some radical step of obedience.
What does this passage say about God, and you, and what do you need to do about it?Write it out. This last step may feel like way too much extra work, but I have found the most fruit here.Journaling your thoughts, your takeaways, the scripture itself, your prayers--will change the way you study the Bible. I used to do it by hand, and I sometimes still do because I love the feeling of writing on pages, but you can also type it out. I use Evernote almost every single day whether I’m writing what God is saying to me through scripture or just processing my next steps. If I’m having trouble focusing, I will journal my prayers word-for-word.Sometimes my journal entries are one verse typed out, sometimes they are full 5-point sermons, and sometimes they are simple prayers repeated over and over. Whatever it takes for you to process what God is speaking to you.Look it up.
The Word of God can stand on its own and you have the ability to hear from God through the Spirit on your own, but there is a time for extra help to take your study deeper.
Now you can do some research, ask other opinions, and grab other books.
If you have a study bible, a commentary, favorite authors, or even just the internet. Use those here. Look up definitions, historical context, and works other people have written on your scripture.
Find authors and resources you trust, ask your pastors and ministers, talk to your community group, and find what tools they are using. Be gracious to yourself. Spending time with God is not about an amount of time or amount of words read. It’s not about checking off the list of resources or doing a full word study every morning.
You know what I do? I meet with God until I get one takeaway for the day--that’s it.
I don’t slave over a whole chapter of the Bible or hold myself to some life-changing idea each day. Sometimes those things happen! But I make myself available to hear from God. Sometimes that’s 15 minutes, sometimes it’s hours. But the moment I hear clearly from Him for that day, I take that, and I go do it.
So take the pressure off of yourself.
God will meet you where you are every time.