The Bible is the greatest treasure given by God to all people. You can find the all the answers and guidance you need for life if you approach with sincere openness and humility. We cannot correctly understand or interpret the Bible without the help of the Holy Spirit. Fortunately, all we have to do is ask. James 1:5 says, "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him." Effective Bible study begins with prayer.

Bible study is the duty of every Christian so that we are not at the mercy of popular teachings and charismatic leaders who may or may not be based in biblical truth and principles. The writer of Acts commends a group of believers that go to the scriptures on their own to double-check Paul's teachings. Acts 17:11 "Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true."

Bible study is different from devotional reading. It requires discipline and asking questions of the text and looking deeper than the surface meaning. Finding an organized Bible study group in a local church is one of the best ways to begin studying the Bible. Even after many years, the fellowship and structure of a Bible study group is an excellent way to keep learning and maintain focus and discipline.

Even so, you may not always be able to participate in a Bible study class. You may also find yourself in the position of organizing or leading a Bible study in your church or neighborhood. It is good to be familiar with resources that can enrich your private Bible study and be helpful in leading and teaching others. Collected here are some of the best resources and Bible study aids.

The final and most important step in Bible study is application. The purpose of searching the scriptures is to change your life. It is not just an intellectual exercise. If you stop there it is a complete waste of time. James 1:23-25 says, "Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-he will be blessed in what he does."

Ask yourself some questions after scouring the verses you study. Is there a command to obey? Is there a new truth that will change my way of thinking? Is there something to be thankful for or praise God for? Is there a warning I need to be alert to? Is there an attitude that I need to change? Is there a promise from God that I can hold on to?

Please understand that I have not successfully applied all that I've learned or followed every command. That is impossible for any person to do in this earthly life. It is a process of renewing your mind and transforming yourself day by day to conform more closely to the example of Jesus and the will of God. This process of change is only possible with the help and strength of the Holy Spirit. It is not human determination that will build the character of Christ inside. You can clean up your act on the outside and in public, but on the inside you will still have selfishness, hatred, bitterness, anger, unforgiveness and all the same old problems.

These Bible study tools will help you open up the wonderful treasure God has for you.

Bible Gateway is a great reference for searching for topical keywords or specific phrases. There are many languages and translations available. You can easily print a chapter or group of verses on a topic to read and make notes on. You can find a verse and quickly change translations to compare. It is easy to use.

The Online Parallel Bible lets you select a passage and view two different versions or the scripture and a commentary side by side. There are 9 different English translations available and three different commentaries.

Personalize your own online study bible. There are many English translations, a few Spanish translations, and the Latin Vulgate. Other resources include study guides, daily devotionals, and articles. There is a Bible reading plan with an individual progress chart to keep track online. There are video demonstrations to help you use all the features that this extensive site offers. Everything is free, but you must register and login to use the site.

The Blue Letter Bible site has a Bible search function with fourteen English translations available. It provides many resources like maps, charts, outlines and study guides. There are also online courses that you can enroll in.

e-Sword is free software with multiple translations of the bible, maps, and other reference helps. It is fully searchable and there are lots of flexible features. There is even a version made for pocket pc's. e-Sword is comparable to the popular Bible software Quickverse.

My Devotion is a Bible study community. You can participate in online Bible study groups. There are also helpful resources like Bible reading plans, commentaries, and topical study lists. There are other community aspects like prayer requests. You can read comments and insights or add your own to share what you've learned from studying the Bible.

Bible Study Fellowship is an international organization that teaches weekly bible study classes around the world. There is a cycle of seven courses. Each course runs 9 months with a summer break. This year's study is "The Life of Moses". There are daily homework questions to prepare for discussion and lecture during the weekly class. BSF is not sponsored by or affiliated with any specific church denomination and seeks to unite Christians of all denominations in the essentials of Christian faith. At their website you can search to see if there is a class located near you.

Heartlight has several different plans to choose from that will guide you through reading the Bible. You could read through the whole Bible in one year by going straight through or in a chronological story. You can also choose to read selections from the Old Testament and the New Testament every day. There is even a topical reading plan.

Audio Treasure has several English translations as well as some other languages.

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