Apostle Paul Part VII: Steps To Study

So, you have an earnest desire to study the Bible.

You've got questions.

You're not a biblical scholar.

You want to know The Truth.

What's a girl to do?

Here are MY steps to practical Bible study:

1. Always start with prayer.

I liked Ephesians 3:14-21 so much that I worked to memorize it. It really is the perfect prayer.

2. Let the purpose for your study be for understanding and enlightenment. NOT to prove a point.

Attitude is everything.

3. ALWAYS read your passage in context. That means take the time to read what is before and what is after. At least read the entire chapter. If you've got the time read the whole book.

Searching for Truth is not a rush job.

4. KNOW the intent of the biblical author: who he was writing to and what literary form he was using (narrative, poetry, teaching, or prophecy).

Most Bibles today have excellent "lead in" narratives before each book. If your Bible doesn't have that ... perhaps you should consider investing in a newer one.

5. Make every effort to UNDERSTAND the culture of the passage, both historical and geographical.

Study Bibles make every effort to provide their readers with a wealth of information that gives wonderful insight. My favorite? The New Living Translation Study Bible put out by Tyndale House Publishers. Visit www.biblegateway.com and take a look at all the different versions out there ... for free!!

6. MAKE USE of the many tools available today: reference books. commentaries, concordances, cross references and various biblical translations.

We are incredibly fortunate with the wealth of information available to us today. We should make use of everything we can get our hands on. The Internet is a great place to start ... and the price is right!

I earnestly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed but will have sufficient courage so that now, as always, Christ will be exalted in my life. For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Paul said that in his letter to the Philippians (1:20-21).

But it's my theme.

What's your theme?

This I Believe

The word believe means “to accept as true or fact.” The concept of faith goes one step further as it is “a confident belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence.” Both of these words involved a conscious decision to accept or reject. When people ask me what I believe, I always think about my faith.

Over the years my faith has become an inseparable part of me. Just like my eye color, somewhere along the course of my life my faith has become a distinguishing characteristic that defines the very woman I strive to be. On first blush, you might see me as a wife or a mom, perhaps a friend or a teacher. Lately I’ve been trying very hard to get people to see me as a writer. But what I need for you to really see is that I am a woman after God’s own heart at my very core. (I Samuel 13:14)

Explaining faith to people who don’t have it is just about impossible. It’s like showing a frustratingly inadequate photograph of an indescribable, awe-inspiring vision. You cannot appreciate the scope of faith’s majesty, unless you’re there to actually experience it for yourself.

My faith is uniquely personal. You cannot have your mother’s faith or your friend’s or even your church’s. Over the course of this life’s laughter, tears, tragedies and joys, my faith has become a unique representation of what blessings the Lord has given me and what sorrows the Lord has seen me through.

My faith is vibrantly alive. You’re not done until you’re in the box. I like to ask questions about stuff I don’t get and do extensive research about stuff that intrigues me. I am responsible for nourishing and tending this garden and I work hard at it.

My faith knows no limits. I believe that while God delights in my strengths, His greatest plans are for my weaknesses. It took a long time for me to understand that whenever I said, “I can’t” I was limiting God, not myself.

My faith is a trusting choice. It is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see. (Hebrews 11:1)

Faith makes an ordinary life extraordinary. Without God, I am a shy, introverted, insecure woman who feels that she's never pretty enough, smart enough, clever enough, or strong enough to be much good to anyone. But God doesn’t make mistakes. That has to mean that I’ve got everything I’m supposed to have in order to succeed according to God’s plan for me. Stunningly, I have the capacity to make God smile. How amazing is that?

In this I believe.

More importantly, in this I have faith.