Tag: Bible Study

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How to Keep a Scripture Journal – Part 1

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As an apostolic leader in the church, one thing that really bothers me about too many Christians – at least the part of the church that I know – is that it seems there is such a low value for reading the Bible and making regular study a priority. Now, of course, no one says they don’t value the Bible. Yet in practice, a majority of professing Christians do not read it daily, and many do not read it at all. Something has to change. In a previous post, I have shared a simple method for Bible study. Today, I want to present another idea to you, to help you grow in the word. I want to show you how to keep a scripture journal to keep a record of your Bible reading over time.

In this first of two posts, I am simply going to talk about the logistics of disciplining yourself in Bible study and prayer, and then in part two, I will show you how to format your scripture journal.

Getting a Journal.

Although needing a journal is obvious to this post, the type of journal you will use is something to consider. Are you the type of person who is fine with a plain spiral notebook? Great! Maybe you are a bit more trendy and would be more comfortable with a nice leather, or decorative journal. Or maybe a classic style is better and you would prefer a moleskin for this purpose. Obviously you have almost infinite possibilities to choose from, but the journal itself needs to be something you are comfortable with.

If you are more high tech, you may just keep a file on your computer to act as your journal, or even utilize an online journaling system like Day One (no affiliation). If you do go online, though, I wouldn’t make it a public one. Your time with God needs to be personal, and you might not be willing to put everything in there if you don’t control who will see it.

Getting a Bible Reading Plan.

Before you mind runs to a “through the bible in a year” program, let me say that it doesn’t have to be so formal. It might be. However, for beginners, sometimes simpler is better.

Although it doesn’t matter which plan you use, the point is, you do need a plan. You may plan to read through one book of the Bible at a time. I think that is a great idea. In fact, for new believers I disciple, I recommend beginning with the Gospel of John, then the book of Acts. The shorter epistles, such as Philippians, Galatians, and Ephesians are awesome to get you started, too! (I wouldn’t recommend Leviticus or Revelation until you are firmly in the habit of Bible study, but that’s just me.)

Another option is to find a simple reading plan online, or in the appendix of you Bible. Those are great, too! Websites like ESVOnline and BibleGateway are full or free reading plans. It is up to you, but do have a plan. Otherwise, you end up flipping through pages of the Bible reading random passages, and will usually end up getting nowhere.

My usual plan is simply to select a book and read 1-3 chapters each morning, depending on the day. This has worked for me for a long while, and I continue to get new insights every day. Right now, however, I have been reading using the “Read Scripture” app concurrently with my 9 year old daughter. It can be used to go through the Bible in a year, and has great embedded videos to teach you the themes of each book and passage.

Whatever your plan is, make sure it is attainable. Don’t over do yourself. That will lead to discouragement and giving up. This needs to be a time to relax and commune with God. Not a time to stress because it is too much to handle.

Scheduling a Time.

Before you can say it, let me say it for you. You are way too busy today to spend time reading the Bible and praying. (BTW, if you haven’t already, check out my blog series on dealing with busyness: part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4.)

The fact is, we are all busy. But busyness is not an excuse to not spend time with God. In fact, just the opposite is true. The busier you are, the more time you need to spend with God if you want to maintain spiritual sanity. 

What I cannot tell you is when, in your busy schedule, you should put this. In reality, it may mean waking up a half hour earlier, or going to bed an hour later. It may mean spending your lunch break at work alone in silence with the Lord, instead of mingling with co-workers. The truth is, though, we all find time to surf the web, tweet to our friends, and check our facebook feed. I mean, you have found the time to read this, right now. If it is something we want to do, we will find the time to do it.

When I was single and didn’t have kids, and worked a second job, my best Bible time was right before bed. I would spend the mornings being very task-oriented for ministry before going to work until 9pm. The easiest thing for me was to get home from work. Watch a little T.V. or something to wind down, take a hot shower, then grab my Bible and journal and climb into bed for some relaxed time with the Lord.

Now that I am married and have children, that is impossible. My evenings are even more hectic than my days. Instead, I discipline myself to wake up every morning before my kids do, make my coffee, and get into my quiet place with the Lord.

My reading usually takes about 20 minutes, including looking up a few key words or something in a study tool, then I will spend another 20-30 minutes in prayer to ask the Holy Spirit to apply the truth of what I’m reading, and to guide me through the day. 

Finding a Place.

The last question I will offer in this post is, “Where?” Again, this is a question I cannot answer for you. It looks different for everyone.

When I was a single guy, with no kids of my own to deal with, I could shut myself in my room and not have to worry about other people distracting me. I would never have dreamed of meeting with God in an office at a desk.

Now, I have a wife and three kids, netflix and pets. I am glad to have an office and a desk! It is where I can go, and shut the door, and meet with the Lord privately. At times, though, my office is as big of a distraction as my kids. Especially when there are piles of work waiting for me. Fortunately, my house also has a great balcony, overlooking Mount Wanale in Uganda. If the weather is nice, I can take my bible and coffee there and enjoy a sunrise with the Lord, in the sounds of nature.

My point is, you need to find a place that you can be alone with the Lord, and free from distraction. Now, this may be a quiet room at home, or it may be at your local coffee shop with the headphones in. No matter where it is, though, it needs to be a place you can train your mind to know that, “this is where I go to meet with God.”

Think about it. When you walk into the office, you mind knows it’s time to work. When you walk into the kitchen, you mind knows it’s time to cook and/or eat. We train our minds spatially. This needs to be a space that your mind will know that it is time to meet with God. For you, a bedroom may be a great place for intimacy with the Lord. It may also be a place your mind is trained to only go to for sleep. That would make it the worst option for you. You may need to try a few different places to find a good fit, but just like scheduling this in, finding a place to do it will help discipline yourself to do this.

So get a journal. Ask the Lord “what” you should read. Decide “when” and “where,” and then check out part 2, where I will give you the practical side of keeping a scripture journal.

If you are enjoying what you are reading on my blog, I would be honored if you would subscribe to my weekly email, below. You can also follow me on Facebook and Instagram for blog updates!

(This post was originally published January 21, 2010. It has been revised and edited for reposting.)

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Why You Should Study Theology

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I believe the greatest factor in developing maturity in a believer is their time spent engaging with scripture. If there is not a love for the Word of God in a person’s life, they will never do well at conforming their life to Christ. A believer must engage with the Word daily to become conformed to Christ’s image daily. However, on the flip side, I also believe there can actually be a danger in too much study of the Word, IF we do not connect it to real-life application!

God never called us to just know about Him. God calls us to know Him and then to bring other people into that relationship as well. That is the purpose for which He gave us the scriptures. That is the reason we study theology. It is applicational.

Knowledge of God is Not the Goal

Knowledge about God is great to have, and is a beautiful gift from God to us, but in our study of the scriptures, knowledge cannot become the end goal. Head-knowledge must lead us into deeper worship of the God of the universe. It should strengthen our faith and solidify our trust in who He has revealed Himself to be. And when that comes about in our life, it should lead us into an experience with Him!

When someone is first born-again, they will naturally burn with passion to learn all they can about God and will devote themselves faithfully to spiritual disciplines like study and prayer. There will also be a desire in them to share their newfound faith with everyone around them. As time rolls on, however, and some months or years pass, all-too-often these once-passionate new believers will transition to a stagnate church-goer. They will sit in church,  hear the sermons, learn all there is to know in small groups or Sunday school, and fill their head with knowledge about God; yet they lose their zeal to truly know God and reach their neighbor. As their head fills up, their hearts become indifferent.

I don’t know the cause of this problem, but the symptoms are obvious. We have whole churches that understand the depths of the gospel — that “understand all mysteries and all knowledge” as Paul would say — but it does not cause them to go deeper in their love for God and others, and they are essentially dying because of it. Or, again, as Paul says, they have “become nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:2).

Knowledge Must Affect Reality

Knowledge of God is meant to be a platform for Christians to take what we know by faith and make it a reality. We are to hear the promises God makes and learn about His character; to seek Him and pray, “let it be done on earth as it is in heaven,” and then to walk out the door and put hands and feet to that prayer.

We are to be living reflections of the Jesus we read about. When people see us, they should be seeing the effects of our theology put into action!

Everyone Has a Theology

Someone will no doubt read this post title and say, “I’m really not into theology and study, so this isn’t my problem.” This however is not true. Just because someone does not study the Bible does not mean that that person lacks a theology. Whether you study scripture or not, you do have beliefs about God, which will always lead to your actions concerning God.

If you truly believe that God is only a God of love and mercy, and never of justice and wrath, then you will never see a need to repent or tell others of the Cross of Christ.

If you truly believe that people are generally good, and it is just that God is too cranky, and out to get everyone, then you will avoid having a real relationship with Him.

The purpose of studying theology, then, is not just so that we have the right thoughts about God, but also that we might live rightly before this God.

Good Theology Must Be Learned

If you are a Christian, you must be devoting yourself to exploring the things of God. The scriptures tell us so many times, things like: “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth” (2 Timothy 2:15), or “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” (Romans 12:2).  The result is that you will be able “to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15).

I believe that it is important for every believer to invest time studying theology in the scriptures – things like the Trinity, or the “how” and “why” of salvation, or even things like the end times. We must realize, however, that this study is just the first step, not the last, in growing in Christian maturity. We must let the scriptures push us toward the God of the scriptures, so that we can become more like Him!

So what are you studying? How is it leading you in your relationship with God? I’d love to hear from you in the comments.

(This post was originally published June 26, 2011. It has been revised and edited for reposting.)

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The R.E.A.P. Method of Bible Study

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Do you struggle with daily Bible study? You know you should go beyond just reading a passage, or relying on a personal devotional, yet real Bible study seems like a lot of work. Not to mention the need of time and resources to get it done. How can anyone make it a daily practice? 

I have recently stepped in as the interim pastor of one of Sozo Ministries’ village churches in Uganda. This has given me the opportunity to return to ongoing discipleship and mentoring of regular Christians. It is an enjoyable change from my normal mode of dealing mostly with leaders, and doing higher-level ministry trainings. Even still, the thing I cannot get past in either case is the need for Christians to be in the Word of God, daily, and applying the truths of scripture to their lives. 

I want to share with you a simple method of Bible study that can be applied to your daily reading, no matter how much time you have to give. Whether you have ten minutes or two hours, this approach can be a great benefit. You won’t need to have a massive library of Bible commentaries; just a place to sit, read, and pray. This tool will help make the scriptures accessible to you, and it is called the ” R.E.A.P. Method.” It is not a method I developed. It is one I was taught a few years ago in my home church in Texas, who also learned it elsewhere. Despite not knowing its source, I will tell you that it is one of the simplest and most beneficial methods you can learn, to start studying the Bible on your own. 

R – Read

The obvious first step in Bible study is to read a passage of scripture. It is completely up to you and the Holy Spirit where you need to focus your attention each day. If you aren’t sure where to begin, you cannot go wrong by beginning with one of the Gospels – Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John. There are also thousands of Bible readings plans available online, or possibly even in the back of the Bible you use each day. Don’t hesitate to find a reading plan that makes sense for you. Just don’t fall into the trap of shame and condemnation if you miss a day or two.

E – Examine

Anyone can read a passage of scripture. Only those committed to grow from it go further into Bible study! Once you have read the passage of scripture, the real work begins. You must now seek to understand what this scripture is trying to teach. Obviously, the world is full of resources that can help you go deeper and deeper into your understanding of any passage; however,  if you are new to Bible study, that is not necessary. 

The beauty of the Bible is that it was written by God for men to read and understand. It is therefore fairly straightforward in what it says. Still, God did not expect us, with the lingering presences of a sin nature drawing us back to untruths, to navigate the Bible alone. He has given us the Holy Spirit to “teach you all things…” (John 14:26). As you seek to understand the scripture, ask the Holy Spirit to enlighten your mind to understanding, and to reveal any hidden wisdom within the passage.

Now, as you examine the passage, you should learn to ask these questions about what you have read:

  • What does this passage teach about God?
  • What does this passage teach about mankind?
  • What does this passage teach about sin and salvation?
  • What does this passage teach about Jesus and the Holy Spirit?
  • What does this passage teach about new life in Christ?

In the beginning, you may only ask the first two questions about each passage, which will definitely grow your knowledge of truth. Still, as you grow in Bible study, always take your examination deeper with these kinds of probing questions.

A – Apply

Once you have spent time  understanding the text, it is time to apply what you have learned to your own life. Remember, Bible study is not just a practice to gain knowledge. It should be connected to your own discipleship and your growth into the image of Christ! 

The simplest way to apply what you have learned is to ask yourself, “Based on what I have read, what do I need to do or change in my own life?” Don’t forget to include the Holy Spirit’s guidance in answering. Once you have finished wrestling with this question, you have taken the first step in application. You now must commit to doing whatever the Holy Spirit and the scriptures are leading you to do. This is how the Word of God transforms you.

P – Pray

The final part of the process is to go back to God in prayer. Even though you have sought the Holy Spirit’s help in each step up to now, this step should pull everything you have done together and bring it back to Him for help living it out. 

Begin by thanking God for what He has taught you. Walk through the process of repentance if there is an area of need. Ask for grace and strength to make the necessary changes in your life. Trust the Holy Spirit to help you as you begin to walk out what you have learned. Finally, ask Him to reveal to you someone in your own life who needs to hear what you have just learned. Seek an opportunity to share with someone else, what you have just been given.

That’s it. You have just successfully completed a real, authentic, personal Bible study! Not too bad, right? Now make it a part of your daily walk with the Lord! New levels of glory await (2 Corinthians 3:18).

Photo by Skyler Gerald on Unsplash

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