***There is a new blog at the bottom of the page that I’m excited about.  You should read all about it!

Finally, at least I bet that’s what you’re thinking by now.  “She’s finally getting to the point, how do I study!”

But first one last verse on why: “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” 2 Timothy 2:15  The KJV says “rightly dividing the word of truth”.  So obviously, we need to know what we are talking about while we are going about our work here on earth – making disciples.  Here’s a great thought on discernment.  Christine Abraham – 30 Verses on Discernment

So here’s a few ideas for learning how to study the Bible.  It’s not a one size fits all.  I’ve included a link for each so you can explore further on your own.

Some love the SOAP method which I discussed before in part 1.  Let’s review it, shall we?  S stands for Scripture.  Write down the scripture you are reading for the day.  It sticks in your brain better that way.  And no, typing it on a keyboard doesn’t do the same thing.  O for Observe, write down any words or phrases that stand out in your mind.  Keep writing until you have gotten all your thoughts out.  It can be simply one sentence or it can go on and on and on.  This is when God has the ability to say things specifically to you; specifically into your situation at the time. A is application.  How does it fit into your life right now?  How are you supposed to act on it?  What are you supposed to learn from it?  And finally P is for prayer.  Talk to God about it.  Ask for His wisdom and strength to do whatever it is that you learned from the scripture.  Below is a great blog about this soap method.  You can click on it and see exactly how she did it herself.

SOAP method – How to SOAP a Bible Study Blog by Angela Perritt is the best one I’ve seen so far.

Kay Arthur is someone who has been around since I was a little girl.  She unpacks key words and understanding concepts in the Bible in her book below.  Discovering main points of stories and making things stand out and applying them to everyday life can be learned in her book with the link below.   She even has a download of the first few pages if you’d like to try her ideas on for size.

Kay Arthur’s Book, “Lord Teach Me to Study in 28 Days”.   Based on Psalm 119:102, “I have not turned aside from Your ordinances, For You Yourself have taught me.”

And finally, Jen Wilkin’s book on How to Study With Both Your Heart and Mind.  This book kept jumping out at me for about two weeks before I even took note.  It’s insightful on the culture today and why we don’t value our time in God’s word, how important that we start, and the things we are missing if we don’t dig in.  She also tells of the wrong ways we are going about it today and why that doesn’t work. (Part 2)  After that, she explains how to.  One part I truly appreciated was the need for understanding what was going on in the culture at the time.  Not only that, but who is this passage addressed to.  Those are important for understanding  exactly what the passage meant then and for today.  I needed the how to.  The link to the book is below.

Jen Wilkin’s Book “Women Of The Word: How To Study With Both Our Hearts and Minds.”

I’m sure there are many other ideas and books about this very topic, but these are three to get you started on your way.  How can we know what we believe if we don’t read about it?  And how in the world are we to make disciples if we don’t know what to teach them?

So, how are you doing with that challenge?  Have you stopped and given God that five minutes we’ve been talking about?  I’m sure if you have, you haven’t been sorry.  God will meet you and teach you right where you are.  And He will redeem your time.

And if you haven’t, it’s not too late to start today!  Let’s make the decision to give God our first fruits of time.

Have a marvelous day!

XOXO, Linda

Read the other five blogs here:

Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5

***After I posted this yesterday, a blog from Women of Faith came out. It’s all about teaching us how to read and they are going to have one lesson a month.  I was really excited.  You can read it here.