January 29th, 2024

The key to Bible Study: Some just don't get Bible study. Why study a book written over two thousand years ago? Is the book going to magically give me spiritual power? And, let's face it, the book is hard to understand. A lot of it just doesn't make much sense. After all, what do I have in common with people who lived in the first century? 
     The first thing we have do realize is that when we study the Bible we are reading someone else's mail. Imagine you moved into a new home and found a personal letter written to the former owners. It would be full of things you wouldn't understand. You're not part of their family, their relationships, their world. Same with the Bible. This is why it takes study to understand it. There are three parts to Bible study: 1. What does the text say? 2. What does the text mean? 3. What does this mean to me? All three are vital to powerful Bible study. The reason many people have trouble with Bible study is they stop at number 1. They read what the Bible says and then they stop. This is shallow and does not produce any effect in our lives. It is sustained only out of habit or duty. You will never fall in love with the Bible this way. The juice comes with numbers two and three. More about that later.