Hello, there! How has your week been? A couple weeks ago I wrote a post on the differences between deductive and inductive studying. I explained the basics of both study approaches while sharing that one of these methods is often overlooked, and unfortunately not taught by many churches today. At the end of my post, I left you on a cliffhanger of unanswered questions and told you to keep your eye out for part two. Well, this week, part two has arrived - as promised! For those of you who didn’t get a chance to read part one that I posted a couple weeks ago, you can do so by clicking here. I encourage you to give it a read. - - - - - Below I’ve listed seven tips and study guides to go deeper into God’s Word through inductive studying. I was blessed to learn these tips over the past two years through the National Bible Bee, and they've made an impact on my life. The excitement I have in studying the Bible has increased as I’ve learned how to get the most out of my time in scripture. Let’s get going! 1. Cross-references - These have changed my life. I didn’t know how to fully use scripture to interpret itself, or how to study cross-references until more recently, and I’m so thankful that I learned how. Two ways that I enjoy finding these are by using Open Bible and Blue Letter Bible. Both sites provide an extensive list of cross-references (for ex. Gen. 1:1 and John 1:1 are similar, thus, are cross-references). It’s been a lot of fun to discover how God has confirmed His Truth to us in so many different ways throughout scripture. It’s like He is saying, “In case you didn’t think this verse was true, take a look at this verse.” His Word never contradicts itself. It just continually supports itself! 2. Greek and Hebrew words - Some may not think these are very important, but they’re definitely useful to understand the full meaning of a word that was used. Sometimes an English word means something completely different in the Hebrew! Blue Letter Bible (as linked above) is a helpful source for finding these. I like to make up fun names for the Greek/Hebrew words I’m trying to remember, too. For ex. “Ken” is the Hebrew word for “Honest/True.” So to remember that word, my sister and I would imagine that we knew a man named Ken who was honest and true. It can get pretty funny when you do this with other people as well, and you’ll probably never forget it! 3. Color - No, you don’t have to be a child to do this one! Personally, if I studied scripture with only black ink and pencils, it would be more difficult for me to remember what I am studying. I like to color code things in my Bible with highlighters, and write notes in that same color in a notebook/binder (yes, I know that isn’t for everybody:). Using different types of pens/brush markers brings my study pages to life. Usually, I can retain the information I’m studying better if I take the time to use color as I think about the verse/passage. It also makes it easier for future reference because I know that any verse I memorized is highlighted in blue (for example). 4. Lists, lists, and more lists - I love making lists of certain things I find in scripture. I like studying God’s Word with friends, and something that we’ve enjoyed doing together is finding attributes of God in His Word. Other things I like to make lists for include names of God (or people), locations, commandments, key words (salvation, grace, all things, hope, etc.), and personal applications. This also helps me to organize things better too so I can further study them. Some friends and I have even made Google Documents to combine our study notes, lists, and thoughts so we can bounce things off of each other and learn together. It is definitely iron sharpening iron! 5. Concordances, Indexes, Dictionaries, and more… These have especially been helpful to me this past year, as they have helped me to see biblical truths I would have otherwise overlooked (and maybe even taken out of context). Concordances list words and phrases found in the Bible alphabetically, which can be very helpful. You can find both online versions and paperback copies of these. The Harmony of the Gospels is so eye-opening (definitely take a look at that if you haven’t yet), and that is only the beginning. You can use Topical Indexes too, and even word dictionaries. 6. Mapwork and Historical Context - This one is definitely fun for those who are really into history. Buy a good Bible Atlas (or zoom in on google earth:) to have a good visual for locations mentioned in scripture. Websites like bibletools.org have amazing overviews of people and locations mentioned in scripture. There are enough resources out there for you to dig deeper into God’s Word for a lifetime, but remember to always compare and test what you read and hear with scripture. Ultimately keep the Bible as your final authority instead of man’s opinions. Context is extremely important in studying, as you don’t want to accidentally misinterpret something. Looking into background information and literary and historical context helps you to keep things in the proper perspective, and besides, it's a ton of fun! 7. Memorization - I could write a fifteen part series on this one, alone. I won’t go deep into memorization this week, but you can read my blog posts: Proclaiming His Word, The Power of Proclaiming, and Are We Equipped? To hear some of my memorization journeys and to get some encouragement if you’d like. God’s Word is invaluable. You’ll never regret the time you’ve spent hiding God’s Word in your heart. I challenge you to start small! Memorize one verse a day and take the weekends to review, or tackle a chapter in a week. Your brain is a muscle, and the more you work it, the better it will become. I hope you found these tips helpful. Remember that this is just my personal overview of some of the ways I like to study. There are definitely other ways you can get the most out of your time with the Lord, and studying looks different for everybody. What’s most important is the realization that God’s Word is endless, and that the treasure, wisdom, and knowledge you can find within its pages is never-ending. If you’re feeling that the Word of God is boring and mundane, I encourage you to go to God and ask Him to renew your joy. Yes, I’ve been there, but I now know with confidence that the Truth of my Savior is the best treasure ever. Know your Creator in the days of your youth before the evil days come when you will say “I have no pleasure in them.” (Ecc. 12:1). You can do this, keep digging deeper. Happy studying, friends! Have any questions, comments, or prayer requests? Feel free to send me an email at [email protected], or leave a comment below - I’d love to hear from you. Stay strong in the faith of Jesus!
Love your sister in Christ, Hannah Kohner
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AuthorHello, I'm Hannah and I'm so glad you're here! I'm a twenty-year-old Jesus-loving writer, National Bible Bee Alumna, and homeschool graduate. Jesus redeemed me, and now I give my life, and this blog, to serve Him. Hebrews 3:13 reminds us to encourage each other daily, lest we be hardened by sin. I hope that reading each blog entry that I post you will be encouraged and challenged to become more like Christ daily. |