40 Different Bible Study Methods

LEARN TO STUDY THE BIBLE - CHAPTER 6
Daily Bread Bible Study (Sample Chapter)

The Lord sustained His people for forty years in the wilderness by miraculously providing fresh manna each morning. Regardless of how much manna they collected, it always was enough nourishment for that day. Similarly, the Lord wants to sustain us, every day, with fresh "spiritual manna" from His Word. The Daily Bread Bible study is one of the simplest ways to begin discovering the specific truths that the Holy Spirit has for us each day. This method involves five steps that will lead you to meditate on a single biblical passage, discover its full meaning, and begin applying biblical truths in life.

Follow these five simple steps to begin your Daily Bread Bible study.

Step 1 Choose a single passage, paragraph, or chapter to study
Begin with a plan. You will get the best results when you work your way through the Bible systematically rather than randomly. By studying the Scriptures in this way, you will also become familiar with the whole counsel of God's Word.

Step 2 Pray-Ask God to meet with you
Before you begin your Bible study, spend time in prayer asking the Lord to reveal Himself to you through His Word. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you see Jesus today.

Step 3 Think about the passage you are studying
Reread the passage a number of times and thoughtfully consider what it is saying. Meditate upon the meaning of the text and how you can apply it to your life. Apply these six "P's" as you think through the passage:

PICTURE IT! Visualize the scene. Imagine how you would react if you were there. How would you have felt to be a part of what was going on? Is there anything you can compare this situation to in your life today?

PRONOUNCE IT! Read the verse aloud several times placing emphasis on a different word each time. Notice how the meaning changes and develops. For example, Psalm 25:15, reads:

"MY eyes are ever toward the LORD" (This is personal-my responsibility.)
"My EYES are ever toward the LORD" (What is my focus?)
"My eyes ARE ever toward the LORD" ("Are" shows a resolute position.)
"My eyes are EVER toward the LORD" (Forever and always: no turning away.)
"My eyes are ever TOWARD the LORD" (Am I going in His direction?)
"My eyes are ever toward THE LORD" (The one and only Lord!)
"My eyes are ever toward the LORD" (Think about His names.)

Note the different shade of meaning that is added by emphasizing each word.

PARAPHRASE IT! Restating the passage in your own words helps you to understand it better. Using contemporary language to express the timeless biblical truths you are reading, bridges the gap between the past and the present.

PERSONALIZE IT! Put your name in place of the nouns or pronouns that are used in the Scripture and read it aloud. (i.e., For God so loved )

PRAY IT! Make the verse a prayer. The best way to express faith in God is by taking the promises and truths found in His Word and praying them back to Him.

PROBE IT! Use the S-P-A-C-E-P-E-T-S acrostic to help you locate the different themes of the passage. Silly, yes but it will help you as you look for ways to apply what you are studying and learning to your daily life. Ask yourself:

S - Is there a Sin to avoid, forsake, or confess?
P - Is there a Promise to believe, and any conditions to meet?
A - Is there an Attitude to change or an action to take?
C - Is there a Command to keep?
E - Is there an Example to follow?

P - Is there a Prayer to pray or a priority to change?
E - Is there an Error to mark?
T - Is there a Truth to meditate upon?
S - Is there Something to thank or praise God for?

Step 4 Plan one application
Write down one application based on the insights you have discovered through your study of the text. Writing your thoughts down will help you to fully think them through and make them easier to remember and apply. It has been proven that writing promotes memory and helps you to express what you have learned more clearly to others. Remember to make your application personal, practical, and provable.

Step 5 Carry your favorite verse with you
On a small piece of paper (i.e., post-it-note or index card) write down the verse that impacted you the most from your study and carry it with you throughout the day. Occasionally, pull the card out and read the verse. This will help you recall what you studied and keep those truths fresh in your thoughts. You might also want to use this system to begin memorizing Scripture.

The next two pages contain handwritten examples of the Daily Bread Bible study method to help you better understand how to follow the steps mentioned above. Please visit www.LearnToStudyTheBible.com to learn more about this new Bible study resource containing 40 different step-by-step Bible study methods for you to use to get more out of God's Word.

Thank you for reading the sample chapter from Learn to Study the Bible! To learn 40 different Bible study methods please visit this book's website at www.LearnToStudyTheBible.com.

LEARN TO STUDY THE BIBLE BY PASTOR ANDY DEANE
Pastor Andy Deane's new book teaches you forty different step-by-step Bible study methods to help you discover, apply and enjoy God's Word. Each practical method has a handwritten example to demonstrate to make it easy for you to follow the steps. Find out how to study the Bible with so much variety that you'll never get into the rut that routine brings ever again.

MORE BIBLE STUDY METHODS THAN ANY OTHER BOOK
No other resource provides the large variety of Bible study methods, how-to illustrations, and study aids that are available in this one book (40 methods!) The hundreds of hours spent researching and proving these forty methods will enable you to find one that will fit your goals and begin enhancing your understanding of God's Word, today. Whether you are a teenager or a mature Bible student, a Sunday school teacher or a pastor, a stay at home mom or a busy executive: you will find in the pages of this book, a number of Bible study methods that will add excitement and enjoyment to your study of God's Word. In addition, you will have resources at your fingertips that will help you to train and encourage others who want to learn how to dig into the Bible as well.

WHY USE A METHOD TO STUDY THE BIBLE?
Why do we need a method to study the Bible; isn't it enough to have a desire to know God's Word as we simply read the Scriptures? While a desire to know God's Word is an absolutely, necessary motivation, unless we have a plan to act upon, we are bound to fail. A Bible study method is a plan. So, each of the forty methods in this book provides a different plan that will help you to think through the passages you are reading. They will allow you to slow down and patiently and prayerfully reflect upon the Scripture you are studying. Each method provides questions to answer, charts to fill out, and a variety of other ideas on how to draw the most from your time in God's Word.

Learn more at www.LearnToStudyTheBible.com

I serve as an associate pastor at Calvary Chapel Old Bridge in central New Jersey where I oversee a vibrant junior high ministry. In 2009 I published my first book, "Learn to Study the Bible: Forty Different Step-By-Step Methods to Help You Discover, Apply and Enjoy God's Word".