What do you think of when I say “Bible Study?”
Do you think of studying like in the classroom?
Do you imagine a desk with highlighters, notepads, and post-its?
What kind of emotions do you have when you think about spending an hour or so with the Bible reading, researching, thinking about, and praying about the stories and lessons of the Bible?
I know in many cases; you feel guilty because you would rather spend that time watching YouTube or socializing with friends on SNS.
I may be wrong; you may not feel that way at all and that’s really great!
But for the others, we have to look deeper into this feeling and attitude.
Why?
Because, as I said on the show Bible study shouldn’t come with negative thoughts or feelings.
Studying the Bible is one of the most important ways we can build our Faith.
The Bible is not there to confuse you or make you feel like reading it is like doing work.
The Bible is one of our connections with God and the time that He spent with us.
The Bible is there to help guide us and teach us so that we are better able to serve Him and His children.
In my case, I struggled with reading and studying the Bible because of the version of the Bible that I was using. ‘The King James’ version I felt sounded more “Authentic” and that the easier to understand and read versions ‘New International Version and the New Living Translation’ was not as “Spiritual.”
I know now that the message is what is important and not the way that it sounded.
Being able to understand what I was reading right away, made things easier for me to follow and appreciate.
I do still read my ‘King James’ Bible, but I do that when I attend church. I now have and use the ‘New Living Translation’ when I do my Bible study.
I will include the Bible that I use at the bottom.
So, besides the translation, some other things to consider when thinking about Bible study is what is involved with Bible study.
Finding Your Focus For Studying
I asked earlier if you imagined a school classroom when I mentioned Bible study. But, does it have to be like that? Do you have to take the word ‘study’ and make it into such a formal situation?
I think and would recommend that you do this as well, that you take the word ‘study’ and consider it as a task.
That task being: read the Bible with a specific topic in mind, focus on what you are reading, think about what you have read, and pray about it.
That in my opinion is what Bible study is all about and how I approach it.
It works out well, especially now when we aren’t able to gather in groups to study together.
I recommend that you find some topics of interest by finding a good study Bible that has a list of topics, notes on different passages, and study plans.
Keeping things simple, organized, and with as little thought as possible will better ensure success. Having to do a lot of research and searching to find one specific topic can often lead to discouragement and will take away from the actual Bible study time.
Below are some study Bibles that I have found.
I hope that they will help you get started with your Bible study plan and that you can find joy in what you learn!
In evaluating these study Bibles, I used these requirements:
1.) Clear and easy to follow.
2.) Something to make it personal to me (stories, feedback, pictures, questions)
3.) No fillers (unnecessary information to make the Bible bigger)
Every Man’s Bible: New Living Translation: This is the Bible that I am personally using now. I really value its insights into daily life and relationships. It also has a lot of value when it comes to ease of reading.
The Bible in 52 Weeks: A Yearlong Bible Study for Women This Bible I don’t have any personal experience with; however, I did spend time going through it and really liked how organized and well planned out it is. I especially saw a lot of value in the Action and Contemplation sections where you can really reflect on what you have read.
CSB Tony Evans Study Bible Tony Evans: is by far my most favorite spiritual leader. I really appreciate his messages and how he can move me with his passion. I chose to share this study Bible with you because it also includes his perspective and it helped me to clarify some passages. The Bible is BIG so it may be a little much for some people.
Study Bibles for Younger Readers
CSB Essential Teen Study Bible: Every teen needs a good Bible and this one is definitely that! This Bible is great for any teen because it explains the stories and lessons in easy-to-understand messages. The design will also suit your teen’s style (maybe a little more boyish though). I looked through this Bible and found it to be pretty entertaining, especially the modern-day pictures that helped to take the story and bring it to reality.
The Bible Made Easy – for Kids: I am usually skeptical when it comes to younger children’s Bibles. In my opinion, I think things are made a little too silly and it can distort the child’s perspective on the messages that we want to be conveyed. With that in mind, I thought this Bible did a pretty good job without getting carried away. The messages are simplified and there are many pictures, but as I read through them, I felt they were a good guide to help connect the message with understanding.
The NIV, Action Study Bible: The cover of this Bible put me off at first and I almost didn’t pick it up because I didn’t want to recommend a comic book. However, when I looked inside, I thought it was a good balance of message and images. I still would prefer the Bible Made Easy, but as an alternative, this might be more interesting to your children.
Please be aware that we take part in various affiliate programs such as Amazon. I would never recommend something that I didn’t believe in and support. Thank you!