As we began our freshman year of high school, everyone in my class was encouraged to take a foreign language. At our school, there were three options: Spanish, German, or French. So, of course, I chose French (apparently, I was anticipating spending a lot of time in Paris or Quebec later in life…). I have no idea why I chose French. Actually, I do have an idea, I just can’t remember what her name was.
If I had it to do all over again, I would choose Spanish. I have way more opportunities to use Spanish and have been to many places in the world where it would have come in handy. So recently, I have been using an app on my phone to learn Spanish, and that cliché about teaching an old dog new tricks is feeling very accurate. But I want to be able to converse with our new brothers and sisters at Agape Church, so I am working at it.
Why We Study the Bible
When you read the Bible, you might feel a little bit like I do when I work on my Spanish. “I don’t really get it, but I am determined, and I am trying.” We talk a lot at Journey about the importance of personally engaging with the Scriptures. By that, we mean reading the Bible for ourselves and not relying on other people to tell us what’s in there. One reason we emphasize the importance of personal Bible study is because over one million Christians have been surveyed about what has caused their faith to grow, and the #1 answer (by a mile) is: “When I began to personally engage with the Scriptures.” The greater reason why we emphasize personal Bible study is this: the Bible itself tells us that it is what will help us to know God and grow in Him. For instance:
“Your word I have hidden in my heart, so I would not sin against You.” – Psalm 119:11
“Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light for my path.” – Psalm 119:105
“For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two- edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires.” – Hebrews 4:12
“All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. 17 God uses it to prepare and equip his people to do every good work.” – 2 Timothy 3:16-17
How To Start
We all know that reading and studying the Bible is important to a Christian and anyone else who wants to find out what the Christian faith is all about. But the Bible can be a challenge to understand. The good news is that there are a lot of resources out there that can help you with the challenges of understanding and applying the Bible. Here are a few basic thoughts on how you can begin to read, understand, and apply the Bible:
Before you read – pray.
Ask God to help you to understand what you are reading and show you how you can apply it to your life. Imagine being able to sit next to Mark Twain while reading Tom Sawyer or having Harper Lee on speed dial when you picked up To Kill a Mockingbird. Any time you read something that you didn’t understand you could simply ask them, “What did you mean at this point in the story?” When we ask God for insight and illumination, we are asking the author of the story to help us understand.
Start with the story of Jesus.
His story is found in the first four books of the New Testament (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). These are called the Gospels, which means, “Good news.” These are first-hand accounts of the life of Jesus, written down by people who saw what Jesus did and heard what Jesus said. While this might seem like starting in the middle of the book, this is the perfect place to begin studying the Bible. Everything that comes before the Gospels (the Old Testament) points ahead to Jesus, and everything that comes after the Gospels (the rest of the New Testament) points back to Jesus. The Bible is actually a library more than a book. It is a collection of 66 books that cover a variety of genres of literature. But they all point to one thing - actually one person - Jesus. So, start with the story of Jesus if you are just getting started in reading the Bible. Reading a chapter or two a day is a great start.
As you read, jot down your initial observations about what you are reading.
Don’t skip this part. Observation is an important part of studying the Scriptures. This is where you get the chance to pay attention to the little things you’re reading so you can figure out the big picture. This is where you get to ask questions or the text. Things like, Why is this there? What does this mean? Isn’t that a contradiction? Why is there a “but” here instead of an “or”? I’ve seen this word used a lot in one paragraph—I wonder why. Studying without observing is like cooking a meal without paying attention to the ingredients.
Apply the S.O.A.P. method.
SOAP is an acronym for SCRIPTURE, OBSERVATION, APPLICATION, and PRAYER. Here’s how it works:
SCRIPTURE: Out of the chapter(s) you just read, what is one verse or small group of verses that stuck out to you? Highlight or write down that verse or verses.
OBSERVATION: What is it that you observed from the Scripture you highlighted? Why did that passage impact you? It could be because of what is currently happening in your life, or it could be an idea or truth you had never considered. What did you learn from the text?
APPLICATION: The goal of reading and studying the Bible is not to increase our knowledge, but to change our lives. So, a great question to ask it, “How can I apply what I just read to my life?” We want to take it from the theoretical (“That’s a great thought!”) to the practical (“Here’s how that thought can change my life!”).
PRAYER: Take a moment and pray about your observation and application. Ask God to help you to not just learn from His Word, but to live His Word in real life.
While there are certainly more ways to study and learn from the Bible and opportunities to go deeper by looking at the original languages (Hebrew for the Old Testament and Greek for the New Testament), learning about the context in history, and reading commentaries on the Bible, this is a great place to start.
Don’t Just Read The Bible. Understand It.
Jesus told a parable (story) in Matthew 13, called, “The Parable of the Farmer Scattering Seed.” In the story, the farmer is scattering seed by hand and it falls on different kinds of soil. One of the types of soil is the hard, packed ground of the path. The seed can’t sink into the path and just sits there on top. Soon a bunch of birds come down and gobble the seed up. Later, when Jesus explained His story to His followers, He told them that the seed on the path represented people who heard the Word of God, but did not UNDERSTAND it, so it was snatched away from them.
At Journey Church, we don’t want you to miss out on the life-changing message of the Gospel because you don’t understand it. As the lead pastor, I don’t want you to feel about the Bible the way that I feel about trying to learn Spanish. I don’t want you to feel stuck - that feeling of really wanting to know, but not understanding. The Bible, and more specifically the truths from God in the Bible, can change your life. But only if you read it, understand it, and apply it. I hope this little blog post can help you with that.
Next week, we’re going to tackle PRAYER. What it is and how to connect with God through it.
Be blessed,
Darrick