Bible Study: Where Do I Start?

We made reference in I’m New to the Bible: Where do I Start?, that if you’re new to the Bible, we recommend getting in the habit of reading your Bible regularly, choosing a preferred Bible translation that you enjoy reading and getting to know the overall layout of the Bible. So now what? How should you engage with your Bible on a regular basis? What does Bible study look like?

You may take time regularly to READ your Bible. You can also spend time going deeper into BIBLE STUDY. And it can be both! In fact, The Chara Project team makes a practice of reading our Bibles daily, but reserving a few days a week to dive deeper into a passage. Let us explain what this looks like.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN READING YOUR BIBLE & BIBLE STUDY?

Devotional Bible Reading

Devotional Bible Reading is all about spending time with God in His Word. It’s about building a relationship with God and includes giving prayer and praise as you listen and learn the truth about who God is and who you are in Christ. Once you’ve experience connecting with God through devotional Bible reading it becomes something you long for, and miss when you step away for too long.  Because devotional reading is more about reading the passage than studying it, you may wish to write down questions you have as you read and save them for a day when you have more time to study.  It can be led by an already written devotional reading plan, or it could be by reading through a specific book in the Bible. 

A great place to start? Psalms. By their very nature, this collection of poetry is more devotional in style. In the Psalms we see humanity calling out to God in prayer, praise, lament, and wonder and can help guide your own thoughts and prayers as you talk with God. Each of the 150 Psalms are also quite short, making them easy to fit into your daily routine.

Familiarity Bible Reading

Familiarity Bible Reading is exactly that - becoming familiar with the overall message of the Bible by reading one book at a time. We recommend reading for familiarity for those who are just starting out in the Bible and as a first step to studying a book of the Bible. Before diving into the details and possibly getting “lost in the weeds,” read the whole book to see what the author’s overall purpose was and what they spent the most time talking about. This will help you know where you want to study deeper. If possible, read a book of the Bible in one sitting to gain the big picture. Listening to an audio recording of the book is also a great option. Once again, jot down questions you may want to study further later.  

A great place to start? James or Philippians. Without reading the whole book, there are parts in both of these books that would be easy to take out of context of the author’s overall message. As you take in the books as a whole, you can become familiar with the author’s purpose and intent behind their writing. Plus, James and Philippians are shorter books, making it manageable to read it one sitting. 

Bible Study

Bible Study is taking a deeper dive into a specific Bible passage (maybe one you have written down during your devotional or familiarity reading). It involves prayer and proper study practices to read the Bible on its own terms and walk away with its intended meaning. And when you’ve experienced that “Aha” moment when a confusing or difficult passage finally makes sense and the true character of God is revealed - you’ll be hooked. Allowing God to renew your mind and transform your heart through His Word is nothing short of stunning.  Because this is a more in-depth approach to your Bible reading, you might reserve study for days when you have more time. 

A great place to start? Choose a shorter passage, such as Matthew 5 or John 3. In Matthew 5 you learn about the radical Kingdom that Jesus ushered in on earth, that will challenge your view of righteousness today, just as it did for the original audience 2000 years ago. In John 3 you learn how Jesus provided the only way into the Kingdom of God for all eternity. It can be led by an already written Bible study that will help guide you through a section of scripture.

Here are some tips for those of you new to Bible study:

HOW TO APPROACH BIBLE STUDY

1. Ask Questions

The best way to learn is to cultivate an intellectual curiosity as read the Bible. Be brave and ask questions. Look for answers that will give you a deeper understanding as you dive into God’s Word.

3. Get a Study Bible

A Study Bible provides insights from Bible scholars, such as historical context and other key insights that may be missed when reading a Bible passage on its own. In a Study Bible, information on the author, audience, culture, and history are often found in the beginning of each book, study notes are provided underneath the verses, and indexes to look up common words or people are found in the back. Learn more about Study Bibles in our Using a Study Bible article or see our recommended Study Bibles.

4. Get in a Group

We are huge fans of doing Bible study in groups. Whether it’s with one friend, or 12 friends. Being in a group builds accountability in your time with the Bible. It creates community around a shared interest of God’s Word. And it helps provide a fresh perspective as you surround yourself with people from different backgrounds. We have a lot to say on group Bible study that you can check out here.

This is just the beginning of learning how to study the Bible. As you dive in deeper, check out the Resource section of the website for more tips to help you in your Bible study.