Other Study Helps

Episode 77: Resource Review - Inductive Bible Study Method

When you sit down to study the Bible, what system or method helps you examine the word of God? Our new guest, Matt Jolley, has been disciplining young men and women with his wife for many years. The inductive study method is what Matt has used to teach others to study the word for themselves. In this episode, we discuss the practices, benefits, and give some starting tips for those wanting to start with this method.

Episode 85: Grow and Shine
Feasting at the Lord's Table

The Lord spreads a feast for us every day in the Word of God. In this episode, Dan Moffitt and I discuss how his daily Bible readings minister to him and prepare him for the Lord's supper each week. Along with very helpful tips on how to get a lot out of your time in the Bible, we discuss the importance of this time with our God.

Episode 86: Resource Review
Vine's Expository Dictionary

One of the most essential tools to help with studying the Bible is a good Bible dictionary. The discussion centers around the purpose of using this resource along with several examples of how it can help unearth some amazing connections! Listen in to get some starting tips on when and how to use one.

Location

Try to have a “normal” spot to decrease the set up time. If you are unable to have something like this, get a big box or tube with everything in it. Store it until your study time and then if your location has to change you still have everything together and you can set up quickly.

Tools

Have these in the same location. Get familiar with the tools so that they maximize your study.

Commentaries: The biggest thing about these is that you do not treat these as if they are answer keys. Instead, they should be referenced after your initial study using the basic and specialty study tools. This way , when you are consulting the comments of another person, you are comparing them against your own personal study in an effort to discern the truth.
Concordances: An excellent tool, especially when analyzing the words in a text, the concordance (I am partial to Strong's) gives you an alphabetical listing of all the words in the Bible and the references of the locations of each word. If I want to look into the word "love" more, I may want to see other places it talks of the same word. There is not always a 1-to-1 correlation between an English word and a word that is Greek or Hebrew (the original languages). It can be important to look into the meaning of these words in Bible Dictionaries but this will be revealed in most Bible concordances.
Bible Dictionaries: When transitioning from English to Greek or Hebrew, there can be a variety of situations you might need to confront. Sometimes a single English word is translated from multiple words from the original language and sometimes a single word from the original language can be translated into many different words in English. The Bible dictionary (I am partial to Vine's) helps you to pair the words to the right definition. This tool works best in conjunction with a Bible concordance.
Paper Books: If there is a word in my Bible that I would like to find the definition of, I would look up that word in the Strong's Concordance and find the specific reference with that word in my Bible. Then I would identify the Strong's number paired with that reference. Then I would look up that number in the Vine's dictionary to determine the definition of the word I am trying to define.
Digital Tools: If there is a word in my Bible that I would like to find the definition of, I would go to that reference in BlueLetterBible.org and click the "Tools" option for the verse. Scroll down until you see the word you want defined and click on the corresponding Strong's number.
Translations: Every translation of the Bible is on a spectrum from "word-for-word" to "thought-for-thought." The word-for-word translations are much more accurate to use in your daily reading and study. However, it can be helpful to reference the thought-for-thought translations if the text is difficult for you to understand. If you are unsure about where on the spectrum your regular Bible falls, I would suggest looking that up.
Bible Atlases: The Bible Atlas allows for a serious look at the geography of the Bible. I enjoy the Moody Bible Atlas because it has everything in chronological order and allows for easier reference.
Biblical Books: These are any type of book that talks about biblical things without going verse by verse through a book or section of the Bible like a commentary would. I broke these into the categories listed below.
Resources - These books are not meant to be read straight through. They are resources for you to pull out when you need it, use the index or table of contents to find a particular section, and then put it back when finished. It is helpful to have these organized when put away for quick reference when needed.
Compilations - These books are pieced together on a particular theme or by a particular author. I like to read a book like this is the busier seasons of life. They allow you to read a chapter, enjoy it, put it down for a while, and then return to it without missing anything. Other books require you to follow a flow of thought that these do not require because each chapter is self-contained.
Devotionals - These books tend to fall into the compilation category, although not all of them do. These also tend to be shorter. It is important to find good devotionals that are based on Scripture. These can be great additions to your regular Bible reading time but they should never replace it.
“Read-throughs” - These books have a consistent flow of thought that runs through the entirety of the book and the reader should grasp that if they want maximum gleaning from the book. I like to tackle these when I know I am going to have more time that I can devote to it. However, some written on heavier subjects may take time to process. I have read books that I needed to delay moving to the next chapter because I was still processing the previous one. Move at your own pace with these books but the idea is to keep moving. Read some every day. Otherwise you forget the main points, lose interest, and stop reading.
TIP: Only read the really good books you are really interested in. There are SO many good books out there. We should never waste time with a poorly-written one or one that you are bored with. Spend time finding a good one! Here is an episode about choosing good books.

Record Your Thoughts

Markings in the Bible and using a journal (physical or digital).

Markings in the Bible: There are many different opinions on marking in your Bible. Whether to like to mark in it or not, I would encourage you to get a binder and print off the passage you are studying and put it in the binder. This will let you mark it up as much as you want. Once you finish that passage, print the next, and continue studying. Then, if you find something that you want to transfer into your regular Bible, it is easy to do. A few things that I do when marking in my Bible are explained below.
Highlighting/Underlining: I use this to emphasize a portion of Scripture that is especially meaningful to me. I sometimes link it with a thought in the margins. I often enjoy rereading this each time I revisit the passage.
Key Terms: Choosing different colors when underlining can help you see the connections easier. One thing I will do is trace over the words to make them bolder. This helps them stand out without necessarily connecting them with other terms. This is best when you want a word to stand out.
In-Text Connections: When I am making connections within a single passage, sometimes I use a color scheme but most times I will use a number/letter theme. This way when I want to draw a connection, I will label points 1a with 1a and points 1b with 1b. The numbering of "1" lets me know that "a" and "b" are connected in the same thought but that "a" is different than "b" because of the lettering. I will then leave a description in the margin next to 1a and 1b explaining the connection.
Reference Series: When I am making connections across passages, I write the references in the margins. For example, if I wanted to link the Romans Road in my Bible, I would go to the first verse in the series, Romans 3:23, and write the second reference there. Then, I would go to the second reference and write the first and third. Then, I would go to the third reference and write the first and fourth etc. I always include the first so that I can easily locate the beginning of the thread and then I always include the next verse for easy transition through the series. If the set of references is chronological, this reduces the amount of references you place in the margin. If the set of references is not chronological, you may have to include all references in the margin.

Journaling: I like to have a digital document (I use a Google Doc) just because I can access it on any of my devices. But whatever you prefer, I would encourage for you to make a daily entry from your Bible reading and/or your Bible study. This is just a short summation of your time in the Word of God. It could be a worshipful thought, an insightful connection, or something you learned that you want to remember. I have a weekly time where I reread my journal from the week.
Topic – Have an idea ready! One reason to not study is to not have anything to study. Have a place to write down new ideas. That way you always have something to move on to when you have completed your study. Whenever I am pursuing a question that seems to be taking me in a different direction than my original study, I include it on my list of topics for study. This helps me stay focused on the original study, knowing that I will return to the question later.
Objective – This is important in your personal studies and your group studies and goes beyond what you have as a topic. Why this topic? What do you want to be able to do or know at the end of this study? Two people studying a book of the Bible may have completely different objectives.
Time of day – When is your brain most active? When will distractions be minimal? Should you wake up earlier or maybe stay up later?
Discussion partners – You remember what you share. The more you regularly share what you have been reading and studying, the more you will remember your mediations. This is also a good opportunity to check your interpretations and applications with others.

Barriers to Avoid

Avoid Distractions - You know the things that distract you when you sit down to study your Bible. Develop your environment to minimize these distractions. Choose a time of the day, location, and think about the tools you are using. If needed, do not use a phone or computer to study your Bible.
Avoid Self-Dependence - The Holy Spirit is the Author of the Word of God and He is our Teacher! We need to depend on Him for our instruction. Pray before, pray after, and pray during your time. There are great strategies and tools but if that is what we depend on we limit ourselves in a dramatic way.
Avoid Knowing Without Doing - There should always be an outflow of your Bible study. If all you gain is knowledge, all that is ahead is a puffing up (1 Cor. 8:1). Below are two helps that I have found to avoid this.
Worship – When you are studying a passage, ask, “What would I know about God if this was the only passage I had?” This leads to to think about God and His attributes leading me to thank God and rejoice!
Reflection – What have you applied from your studies? Who did you share it with? Reflecting and sharing with others is another great way to initiate the "doing" process.

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