Resources
Bible Study Tips for Advanced Readers
Spending time studying your Bible is part of the way of Jesus.
- The Bible is mainly a book about God. Study the Bible to learn more about God, grow closer to Him, and become more like Him. (As wise people often say, you become what you behold.)
- Focus on what you learn about God. What does He show you about Himself? What are His names? What aspect of His character do you see? What verbs (action words) does He do? What does He like? What does He hate?
- Have a plan for reading the Bible. Don’t just skip around in the Bible every day. If you are just starting, read one verse a day and get into the habit of reading your Bible every day. If reading the Bible is already a habit, then read more. Make a plan ahead of time. Decide if you want to read one paragraph, or one chapter. If you have time you could read an entire book if it is a smaller book. There are many good reading plans on the YouVersion Bible App (but I don't recommend all the plans).
- Reread verses or sections you already read. And reread again. And reread again. Rereading helps you learn more from the passage. You could read the same chapter every day for a week. Or read the same book every day for a month. The more you read it the more truths you will see in it and the more it will renew your mind.
- Pick a verse or two or a truth about God to really think about throughout your day. Write it on a little piece of paper you can keep near you or put a picture of it on your device if you have one. Think about the verse and what it means throughout your day.
- Pray. God is the one who teaches us and helps to us obey. Ask God to help you. Ask God to make you more like Jesus as you study His Word and obey it.
- Reread verses in different translations. Consider different word choices. On BibleGateway.com you can search for a specific verse reference. Once the result comes up you can select to read that verse in all English translations. Remember not all translations are reliable.
- Study the words. Use BlueLetterBible.org to look up specific words. Click on the tools for a verse the word is in, then select the word in the verse. You can see the definition and how that word is used throughout the Bible.
- The Bible is mainly a book about God. Study the Bible to learn more about God, grow closer to Him, and become more like Him. (As wise people often say, you become what you behold.)
- Focus on what you learn about God. What does He show you about Himself? What are His names? What aspect of His character do you see? What verbs (action words) does He do? What does He like? What does He hate?
- Have a plan for reading the Bible. Don’t just skip around in the Bible every day. If you are just starting, read one verse a day and get into the habit of reading your Bible every day. If reading the Bible is already a habit, then read more. Make a plan ahead of time. Decide if you want to read one paragraph, or one chapter. If you have time you could read an entire book if it is a smaller book. There are many good reading plans on the YouVersion Bible App (but I don't recommend all the plans).
- Reread verses or sections you already read. And reread again. And reread again. Rereading helps you learn more from the passage. You could read the same chapter every day for a week. Or read the same book every day for a month. The more you read it the more truths you will see in it and the more it will renew your mind.
- Pick a verse or two or a truth about God to really think about throughout your day. Write it on a little piece of paper you can keep near you or put a picture of it on your device if you have one. Think about the verse and what it means throughout your day.
- Pray. God is the one who teaches us and helps to us obey. Ask God to help you. Ask God to make you more like Jesus as you study His Word and obey it.
- Reread verses in different translations. Consider different word choices. On BibleGateway.com you can search for a specific verse reference. Once the result comes up you can select to read that verse in all English translations. Remember not all translations are reliable.
- Study the words. Use BlueLetterBible.org to look up specific words. Click on the tools for a verse the word is in, then select the word in the verse. You can see the definition and how that word is used throughout the Bible.
Bible Study Methods
There are many good methods for studying the Bible. Choose one that works well for you personally. At different times in your life you might prefer different methods.
There are many good methods for studying the Bible. Choose one that works well for you personally. At different times in your life you might prefer different methods.
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SOAP
Use this acronym to think about Scripture in your mind, write down these things on paper, or even use the free graphic organizer. Look at SCRIPTURE, OBERVE what you see in the Scripture, record how the Scripture APPLIES in your life, and PRAY for the Lord to help you live out what you have learned. Remember to focus on what the Scripture says about God. | ||
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HEAR
HIGHLIGHT what sticks out to you in the text. (Remember to focus on what you learn about God.) EXPLAIN what it means. Write down how it APPLIES. Consider how your should RESPOND to the Scripture. How should you live differently because of who God is? | ||
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SMA
Use any piece of paper to make your own chart. Record what the Scripture SAYS, what it MEANS, and how it APPLIES. Remember to focus on what the Scripture shows you about God. |
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3-Point Post-It
Each day get a sticky note and write three things for you to look for while you read. Record the main thing you want to remember for each category based on that day's Scripture. You can collect your sticky notes or put them around your house/car/notebooks to help you meditate on God's truth throughout your day. God is _ Takeaway: Application: |
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Bible Journaling
Publishers make Bibles designed with extra space for you to take notes or draw. Remember to stay focused on what you are learning about God and what God is showing you. Drawing and making the pages cute should not be the main goal; spending time with God and growing closer to Him should be the goal. But journaling can be an effective and meaningful way to connect with God, especially for artistic people. If you don't like writing in a Bible, publishers also make books of the Bible journals you can use (click here for an example), or you can print off each day's Scripture from a Bible website like BibleGateway.com. |
