A New-To-Me Bible Study Method

S and I recently went through the 101 course at our church, which was held conveniently while N was at Awana.  It was a 'this is what our church believes' course, and most of the things we covered were basic gospel truths, with a touch of denominational distinctives.  While none of it was really new to us, we both enjoyed being in the class; S enjoyed the small group feel and getting to know people, and I really enjoyed the time to slowly go through the gospel.  It never gets old.

One thing I did learn is the SOAP method of studying Scripture.  SOAP stands for

• Scripture
• Observation
• Application
• Prayer

I am a fast reader, and I love my Bible, so I have found it relatively easy to read through the whole Bible.  Sometimes in order, sometimes jumping all over, but then when I finish, I go back and start all over.  So my reading, while important to me, has had the quality of reading as much as I can.  I start at the chapter that's first on the page, then I read to the chapter that starts on the next page.  Then I can just throw a bookmark in and know where to start again.  With this new method in mind, I read until something strikes me, then I stop and journal about it.

Here's a sample from this past week:
S - John 13:1-10
O - Jesus washing his disciples' feet.  Peter says no (because he understood his position before Jesus, but he did not fully understand Jesus' position he was choosing to take before us), then when Jesus says 'Unless I do you have no part with me,' he swings full stop and says 'Wash all!"  It was Jesus' response that made me stop:  "Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean."
A -  We are clean. Cleansed by our repentance and faith in him.  But what makes the difference this time is seeing that image of being clean with dirty feet.  Even though I continue to sin and fall, I am clean.  I jsut have to routinely clean off the 'dust on my feet.'  I like this image better than the white heart with black marks image.  But it also conveys that we have a regular time / routine to dusting off or washing our feet.  A regular confession and repentance.  Not to be forgotten in regular devotion time, but to begin with it.  Enter the house, wash your feet!
P - ... well, you don't need to see that part. :)

It's a more interactive way to read the Word, and I am enjoying it.  Sometimes I read and don't write, but I will often stop and do this.  *And one tip - I just use a little arrow sticky note, and just point it to where I left off.  Problem solved!*  I wanted to share in case any of you might like to give it a try.  Happy Studying!

Feel free to share if you have a different method that you like to use - I am always open to learning and trying new things!

God's Wisdom

I just finished reading the book of Job.  Job and his three friends have finished their speeches, and then Elihu speaks up - a 'young punk' who waited until his elders had had their say (very polite of him); but his speech goes on and on for pages, saying basically, "I'm right - listen to me!"

I found myself scoffing a bit... what a fool.  But then I remembered that we are are on the outside of the story.  We know what has happened behind the scenes and we know what comes next.  We know his is wrong.  Being quick to judge him means that I am just like him...

And that got me thinking - Am I quick to judge and quick to speak?  When others have a disagreement, do I itch to step in and correct?  Yes, sometimes.

What's better? I need to pray for understanding for those involved, and recognize that it may not be my issue to interfere in.  Pray for respect and good clear communication between them - not necessarily from me.

I need to let God's wisdom rule, not mine.  Like we learn in Job, His wisdom in infinitely bigger.

Like Reading It for the First Time

Nolan's Bible story the other morning had me in tears.

It was about Abraham being asked to sacrifice Isaac, and Sally Lloyd-Jones, the author of the Jesus Storybook Bible that Nolan got from Granny & Papa when he was dedicated, tells it so well.  The whole Bible, in whatever translation you read it, points to Jesus all the way through, but it's not always so obvious.  This book is written with every story clearly pointing to Jesus.

But this one: "Many years later, another Son would climb another hill, carrying wood on his back.  Like Isaac, He would trust his Father and do what his Father asked.  He wouldn't struggle or run away..." choked me up.

********** 

Last week I started reading to the kids at breakfast again; I used to read the Bible to M before N was born, but we got out of the habit when we added his needs in the morning.  Now, though, he is old enough (sort of!) to sit and listen / play without interrupting, so we are back at it.  I've decided that we will read from this Jesus Storybook Bible, and we weren't even half a page in, on the first day, before M's 13 year old eyes lit up in an 'Oh - that makes sense!' look.  (Passover explained: "God told his people to take their best lamb, to kill it and to put some of its blood on their front doors.  "When God passes over your house," Moses explained, "God will see the blood and know that the lamb died instead of you."")

It's gold.

The Influence of Parents: A Spiritual Treasure

Over the long weekend, M spent a night over at her Grandpa's.  She came home the next day with a treasure:  One of my old Bibles!  I guess at one point between moves we left some books there.  She had been going through the bookshelves and brought home Little Women and Jane Eyre, too; some good classics.

I took some photos of all my old Bibles with the set now complete (the one she brought was that second one) and got to thinking about what message they send... I think there's a few, but what impressed me most was about the influence parents have.  Those first three Bibles?  They all have my Mom's handwriting on the dedication page, with my name and the dates of when I was five years old, nine years old, and for my 15th birthday.  They went from the King James to the Children's Living Bible (easier to read), to the New American Standard Bible (best mix between readability and literal translation).  The fourth, the New Revised Standard Version, was new from Neil for our wedding, since the middle one saw me from 15 to 22, including four years of Bible school, and was falling apart, and the last one that I'm using now, is a TNIV (Today's New International Version), from Sean for our wedding, when we both got new ones (also because my old one was falling apart again...)

Parents and spouses - people in your life who should encourage your spiritual self; I'm so glad they did for me.  Thank you.

Madeline got a kick out of the spine that had fallen off and that was stuck as a bookmark in the text: "I will read 3 chapters and a Psalm every day and on Sunday 5 chapters and a Psalm..."  I read that Bible from when I was eight to when I was 15.  I wonder what she thought of that commitment?  I wonder if it made her think about her own commitment to read?  We try to encourage her to read first thing in the day, before she reads anything else just for fun, but you can't be legalistic about something like that.  I just hope and pray that God's Word becomes as important to her as it is to me.  As it always has been to me.

Pray with me, won't you, for our children, that they would have a love for God's Word, a desire to commit both to him and to the good habit of reading it?  I will pray for you as parents, that you would influence your children in a positive way and leave a legacy that lasts.

Up Rather Than Down.

When I sit down to 'do devotions' in the morning, I have 4 books with me usually. 

• My Bible, which is the one constant, whether the others get opened or not.  
• My journal, which is the next most used, and truthfully, I can easily spend more time writing than I do reading.  
• My notebook where I write out prayers for M - I find it helps me think clearly about what it is I want for her.
• My gratitude journal, where I jot down things I am grateful for.  Helpful to focus myself on what is good around me.

I wanted to share what I wrote in M's book today, because I think it applies to me as well as her, and maybe you'll find it helpful for you, too.

I pray for up rather than down.
Optimism rather than pessimism.
Acceptance rather than grumbling.
Willingness rather than laziness.
Good rather than bad.
Cheerful rather than grumpy.
Positivity rather than depression.
Up rather than down.

Ecclesiastes

Reading in the book of Ecclesiastes this morning, chapter 12 strikes me as a good purpose statement for why I do what I do.

"Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, "I find no pleasure in them"... " is how it starts, and it finishes: "Of making many books there is no end and much study wearies the body. Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter; Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of every human being. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil."

I want to see young adults and youth get this now, not wait till they have kids or later to find their way back to church and to God. And I'm not harping on the judgment thing, but do you think we might live differently if we remembered this fact a little more often, that we will be judged by the good or bad that we do?

two thoughts

I was studying in Galatians today - 5:13-15. The gist of it is that we are called to be free, right? But we are not supposed to use this freedom, this not being bound in by a bunch of rules, as a go ahead to indulge. We should instead love our neighbor as ourselves. This fulfills the spirit of all the old laws, anyway, right? We are free just to love as we should, without being hemmed in. I thought this was pretty cool because I've been pondering the two greatest commandments as I think about the vision for our young adult ministry: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.

The second thing, which in part lead to the first thing, was a way to study your Bible. Instead of reading it through in a year or whatever and just plowing through it, (like I used to do), I am now taking it little by little and getting as much as I can out of one book or topic before moving on. This is what I've been trying to do this year, and last night I read an article that made that process really simple. I thought it was worth passing on.

Tim Elmore is the guy that wrote this. He says he reads a section (one thought or idea - sometimes a chapter, sometimes less), then writes 3 paragraphs:
ONE TIME - a paragraph paraphrasing what was happening to the original audience
ALL TIME - a paragraph defining the all time, universal principle found in that text
MY TIME - a paragraph describing what my personal application should be to the truth.

Simple and catchy enough to remember. I challenge you to try it.

It's so simple

The summary first:
Just love Him!

Why that is the big thought of the week:

1 - from Bible Study - my fulfillment must come from God, not my husband or my daughter. I can not expect them to fulfill me because I will be disappointed. They are only human, and their purpose in life is not solely to make me happy.

2 - from class - it's a leadership class, and the current assignment is a self analysis. Last night's "Ah ha!" was that no matter how much I change and improve, I will never be satisfied, content or FULFILLED in myself.

3 - from reading the Bible at breakfast with my kid - What is the greatest commandment? #1: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. #2: Love your neighbor as yourself.

What do I do to be fulfilled?
Love God.
What do I do to be a great wife?
Love God and love my husband.
What do I do to be a great mom?
Love God and love my daughter.
What do I do to be a better leader?
Love God, and love my young adults.
What is my purpose in life?
To love God.

Who I am
is who He made me to be.
On purpose.
(So I don't need to try to fix myself or change myself!)

And my purpose
is to love Him.

Love Him.
It's freeing.