Bible Studies - Learn from The Bible

Andy Deane asked:

Too many young people think that Bible study is boring and that they have plenty of time to learn and follow the word of God once they are an adult. This is not true, and a lie that Satan uses to stop young people from knowing and loving God. Bible study is exciting because learning and following the word of God. A person is never too young to understand the word of the Lord and apply its message to their life.

Young people can find many rewards from the Bible. God has promised many rewards to those who find him through His words and prayer. He has promised Strength (Isaiah 40:29-31), Peace (Psalm 119:165), Joy (Psalm 16:11), Success (Joshua 1:8), Stability (Psalm 16:8-9), Answered prayer (John 15:7), Personal testimony (Acts 4:13).

Youth Bible study does not have to be complicated. There are three important steps that a youth Bible study group should follow to understand the Lord’s word. They should observe God’s word and see the message in the passage. Then they should then interpret the meaning of the text as it applies to their life and finally apply the message to themselves by asking what the passage wants them to do.

When you observe the passage ask who is in the story, who is writing and who is being written to. Look for what is being communicated, the cause, affects and meaning in the words. Put yourself in the passage and think about your reactions to what is being said and what the words mean to you.

In order to interpret the Bible’s message ask why the writer said the words, why they are significant, and what is important about the words. Finding the importance of the words as they are written will help you to find the importance of the words in your own life.

To figure out how a passage can be applied a student Bible study group should focus on taking the message and working it in to their actions at home, at school, and everywhere else. They should think about the changes they should make or actions they should take to embrace the message.

The goal of teen and youth group Bible study should be to develop a love and understanding of God’s word. He messages of His word will help young people to navigate the confusing world of today with lessons that will teach them how to love and revere God. Young people can show their love of God by following John 5:3 and joyfully obeying his commands.

Mathew

Bible Studies Online asked:

We have seen the holy book ‘Bible’ in so many houses and even in the pocket of a many people regardless of religions and nations. But, I wonder if they truly abide with the divine words of holy Bible. Anyways! The immense significance of the holy book Bible lies in its precise commentary which helps us in determining the standards whichever are required by the God for mankind.

Nowadays, time for us is wildly wrapped up into office works, commuting, and other daily activities. We are hardly getting time for reading books. But still we can not neglect the necessity of being grounded disciple of the Christ. Now with the accessibility of online edition of the Bible, we have advantage to have a look upon its pages whenever we get the time. For instance ‘biblestudieson-line.com’ is a perfect place to access holy quotes of Bible. There are four options available on the site,

• King James

• American Standard Bible

• New Living Translation

• Young Literal Translation

Holy Bible is an ultimate standard for all true Christians. There must be a strong yearning towards studying this Holy Scripture in every Christian. So, there are a many international organizations that offer online Bible study courses to all age group men and women. The best one part of online Bible courses is its availability free of cost.

It depends upon individual how they do take this holy epic either religious or with literary angle. Even, from literary point of view, it has been recognized and honored as one of the best pieces of work. Professional writers believe that the intense study of Bible enrich one’s imagination and the power of vocabulary as well.

Online Bible can be downloaded and easily listened in the convenient or leisure hours. There are websites which offer special chatrooms exclusively devoted to Christianity and Bible based discussion. So, online Bible sources are the best place to find like minded people.

Presence of Holy Bible on the internet has helped every common man and woman to be close to the almighty and all its wishes and desires. Recent days, it is being realized that the World Wide Web has become the place of dirty porn world. But, the divine holy contents of Bible certainly establish the ray of good hope.

Todd

Paula Marolewski asked:

Discussion is vital to Bible studies, small groups, and Sunday school classes. It keeps people attentive and involved, adds insights and wisdom, and helps people turn head knowledge into heart knowledge.

So why does discussion sometimes falter or fail? Why does it sometimes result in more problems than solutions? Here are five of the biggest reasons discussion can take a nosedive:

1. Pooled ignorance. People have to have a reasonable understanding about the topic at hand in order for discussion to flourish. That is why teaching and discussion have to work hand in hand - you shouldn’t have one without the other. Take the time to teach the truth of the Word of God, then open up the floor for discussion about what you have learned. Failure to teach the truth results in unfounded opinions, random stories, and pooled ignorance … and that is not effective discussion!

2. Random tangents. It is easy to fall into the trap of believing that if people are talking, good discussion is happening. But an effective Bible study or Sunday School class is goal-oriented: in each class, a specific truth, principle, or application is the focus of attention. Therefore, since random tangents and directionless talk don’t further that goal, they are a waste of time and are impeding the progress and purpose of the class. And remember: a person can be saying something good and true, but if it is not on topic, it has no place in the discussion time … it is still a tangent.

3. Uncorrected error. Sometimes, people say something that is untrue, incorrect, or invalid. Our postmodern society says that everyone is entitled to their opinion or interpretation - but God doesn’t. Christianity teaches absolute truth, and the apostles consistently demonstrated their willingness and responsibility to correct error wherever it appeared. It is the leader’s responsibility to lovingly correct error during discussion in order to communicate and uphold the truth.

4. Power struggle. Unfortunately, some people view times of discussion as opportunities to wrestle the leadership of the class away from the teacher. This creates an ugly atmosphere in the group and derails the purpose the class is trying to achieve.  

5. Gripe sessions. Depending on the topic at hand, discussion periods can easily turn into gripe sessions. Classes that focus on relationship issues are especially prone to this snare. In order for discussion to be productive, certain rules need to be established, and one of them is that complaining does not equal contributing.   

Leaders have to watch constantly for these five discussion-killers. Fortunately, they are all under his or her control. It is the leader’s responsibility to communicate good information so that discussion does not become a time of pooled ignorance. It is the teacher who can take a firm  hand to control tangents, correct error, assert appropriate authority, and quell complainers.

With that in mind, be confident that discussion can always be what it is designed to be: a source of wisdom and insight, an opportunity for sharing and accountability, and a wellspring of friendship and love in the house of God.

© 2008 Paula Marolewski

You have my permission to reprint and distribute this article as long as it is distributed in its entirety, including all links and copyright information. This article is not to be sold or included with anything that is sold.

Chad

Rolf Zimmerli asked:

The Bible is certainly one of the books with most influence. Many Christians own a well-worn dog-eared bible which they’ve taken with them for many years. The improvements in technology led to dramtized audio Bibles. These bibles in audio format have made this document much more accessible to a larger audience. It doesn’t matter if you have reading issues or if you can’t hold a heavy book, or if you simply don’t have enough spare time to sit and read. With an audio Bible dramtized the word of God is getting much more accessible. Even if you belong to the group of people who regularly consult their written Bible and don’t want to miss the feeling of holding a paper book, you can benefit from listening to an audio Bible.

Audio Bibles help you read the entire Bible from front to back.

The aspiration of many people is to read the entire Bible from cover to cover. Knowing how many pages the Bible holds, this is quite a major task and you need to make a major time commitment. Reading the entire Bible can take you years. Here is one of the strong characteristics of a dramtized audio Bible: Listening to an MP3 audio Bible will tremendously shorten the number of days required to make it through the Holy Book. If you have 30 minutes per day in which you can’t read, but basically would be able to listen to somebody reading the Bible out to you, here is just one example: In these thirty minutes every day you can listen to entire New Testament in approximately one month and half. Also, these new MP3 audio Bibles make it possible for you to easily return to any important sections of the Bible as many times as you wish, just the same way you go back to paper pages in a conventional Bible..

Audio Bibles make it possible to listen to the Bible at times you can not read.

An audio Bible allows you to listen to the word of God - anytime and anywhere - it doesn’t matter what you are doing. This can be a very good use of your time you spend commuting, or waiting in line, or cleaning your house, or working out and exercising. To be able to be listening to the Good Book certainly makes everyday mundane tasks and activities more enjoyable and spiritually uplifting. Because the MP3 format reduces a large book like the Bible into such a small space, a MP3 Bible is much lighter and much more portable than a paper Bible. You can carry it with you everywhere - even to the gym. Having an audio Bible dramatized with you at all times lets you i.e. study the passages for your next Bible study group or for the next sermon at church. You can do this whilst you go through your daily routine.

Compare Bible versions with your MP3 player

The Bible exists in a large number of different translations and versions. There is the King James Bible or the New International Version and these are just two examples. There are many hundred different versions of the Bible available. And if you count the Bibles in different languages it’s easy to reach thousands. If you are studying the Bible, it can be an important investment of space and time to review all of them. With MP3 audio Bibles you can easily study many of the different Bible versions. With these audios it is possible and easy to listen to the same verse from several different versions and to compare them. Audio Bibles can bring new angles to your study group as everyone can listen to a variety of passages from different versions and discuss them.

Dramatized Audio Bibles make the Scripture available to more people still.

One thing will stay the same, whatever technological advances we experience: The Bible is a dynamic book that has withstood the test of time. New technology has always made the Bible accessible to more people. The Gutenberg printing press made Bibles more affordable and for the first time available for the masses. Now the MP3 player does the same for the new audio Bibles. Some oranizations now even offer free audio Bibles. If you want to improve your daily life by listening to the Scripture or if you want to review the difference between versions, an audio Bible is an excellent tool.

Moises

Paula Marolewski asked:

Why include discussion in a Bible study, small group, or Sunday School class? Why not just lecture, or watch a great preacher or teacher on DVD, then call it quits for the day?

Discussion is an essential part of every Bible study or teaching time for six important reasons:

1. Discussion keeps people attentive. It’s easy for listening to become a passive activity. If a class is composed of pure lecture (including DVDs or videos), people can tune out at any time. Discussion encourages people to listen actively because they don’t know when you might ask a question and request their input on the topic at hand.

2. Discussion lets people actively participate. People want to be involved. Discussion opens the floor to let people share their wisdom, talk about themselves and their experiences, and help others.

3. Discussion helps people make principles their own. By talking about a topic, discussion helps people make the movement from hearing facts (head knowledge), to understanding truth (heart knowledge).

4. Discussion brings additional insights. Teachers are not magically gifted with all knowledge. The participants in the group or class will often be able to add examples, insights, and encouragement that the teacher simply doesn’t possess. By giving people a chance to speak, leaders allow God to get across everything he might want to say.

5. Discussion keeps balance in the group. Sometimes people are tempted to put a teacher or leader on a pedestal as “the keeper of all knowledge.” Discussion helps level the playing field: by inviting discussion, leaders affirm that they are also students of the Word, and that each person can learn from everyone else.

6. Discussion fosters relationships among members. When people talk and share, they build bridges between one another. Especially in a small group setting, discussion is critical for developing true relationships with one another.

© 2008 Paula Marolewski

You have my permission to reprint and distribute this article as long as it is distributed in its entirety, including all links and copyright information. This article is not to be sold or included with anything that is sold.

 

Glenn

Bible Studies Online asked:

It is not applicable only with the Bible. In fact holy epics in every religion have certain difficulties and these are parts of original text. It may be true that entire holy scriptures are perfectly inerrant but it can be adhered only with the original writings. Though, all of us claim to have the holy copies on our bookshelf but those are just duplicate copies and all those have ample chances of spelling errors, repetition, omission and many more.

King James Version of the Bible is one of the most popular versions of Bible but it is translated version and hence we find here some errors as well. Language is really the biggest one problem. The prime reason is differences between writing style of ancient Hebrews and modern man. For instance; ancient Hebrew have used only capital letters, did not use vowel and words are not separated from each other. So, the word structure is like jumbled puzzle and quite tough to unlock.

Translation of idiomatic expressions is quite tricky. Sometimes, exact translation might not be possible and its representation in speech pattern may convey bit differ messages.

Difficulties in the interpretation of Bible do not end here. Hebrews have used alphabets instead of numbers. So, sometimes words suggest numerical meaning and it becomes a riddle for us. Apart from all these difficulties, there is an interesting fact that most of the copyist’ errors do not affect original messages of the Bible.

The Hebrew of the Old Testament and the Greek of the New Testament uses hundreds of different figures of speech which are quite tough to identify. Somehow, if it could be possible to recognize then it does not be possible to covey full meaning in other language.

For instance: “Hitting the bull’s eye” is a very common term in English but the literally translation in other language leaves funny meaning.

A non English speaker translator may use “God’s sheep’s child” for the term “the lamb of God”. Uses of the word like “sister” for lover in songs of Solomon 4:9 is simply the mistake of translator because in Hebrew there are a many identical words which have different meaning and the word sister is just a sample.

Carl

Paula Marolewski asked:

When I taught a class on how to lead Bible studies and teach in a group, the biggest push-back I received was when I promoted writing out - in full - your lesson for the week. People objected that writing out a lesson would squelch the Spirit of God and would make the lesson mechanical.

After having led adult Sunday School classes and small group Bible studies for over fifteen years, I disagree. Instead, I have found that thorough preparation - including writing out as completely as possible everything you want to say - brings only benefits to the group or class you are leading. And that holds true regardless of whether the class is more lecture-oriented or more discussion-oriented. Here are three areas that benefit significantly from taking the time to write out your lesson:

1. Content

Writing helps you focus your lesson and achieve your goals. It requires you to define your main point and decide how to explain it, support it, illustrate it, and apply it.

   

Writing out your lesson ensures that you have enough content to fill the allotted time. You won’t have to suffer the embarrassment of being done with your material and still have 15 minutes of dead time to fill, nor will you find that the bell has rung and you have 15 minutes of material still to cover.

Teaching is about expounding on points, not just stating points. It’s one thing to say “God calls us to forgive others.” It’s another to talk about the reasons we resist forgiving others, the process of forgiveness, and the benefits of forgiveness. When you write out your lesson, you can carefully develop all aspects of your main focus.

Since you know the points you want to cover when you write out your lesson, you can also prepare effective handouts and note-taking sheets to help the participants engage with the material and remember it.

2. Presentation

By writing out your lesson, you can learn how to pace yourself. You will see in black-and-white where you are spending most of your time, and what points need to be strengthened.

You will not find yourself groping for words, forgetting your points or sub-points, or faltering to make transitions between sections.

If you find that some portion of your lesson has taken longer than you planned and you are running short on time, a written lesson will help you evaluate faster what to eliminate and still achieve your goals for the session since you can literally scan the remainder of your content in a few seconds.

3. Discussion

Written lessons help you determine where to intersperse discussion to keep people involved and engaged.

By writing your lessons out, you are also able to guide discussion more effectively. Instead of asking “What do you think? Does anyone have any input?” - which can open the door to absolutely anything - you can ask targeted, well-crafted questions that lead the discussion in order to support the focus and goal of your class.

When you develop a written lesson, you are more likely to realize ahead of time where people might have questions - and prepare for them.

A written lesson will also help you recognize and derail tangents as soon as they happen - whether it’s you who are tempted to go off on a rabbit trail, or whether someone else is veering off during a discussion time.

When you consider the benefits, the time and effort it takes to write out a lesson becomes an investment that you can’t afford to be without. Rather than squelching the Spirit of God, God is able to move more powerfully in the hearts, minds, and lives of others because of your thorough preparation. And rather than make the lesson mechanical, your preparation sets you free to be at ease during the class - to lead and teach with confidence.  

© 2008 Paula Marolewski

You have my permission to reprint and distribute this article as long as it is distributed in its entirety, including all links and copyright information. This article is not to be sold or included with anything that is sold.

Madeleine

Aleena Denison asked:

With the popularity of the internet today, and the vast resources that are poured into it, it’s a prime place for doing research. One can look up just about anything and find huge amounts of information! But for Christians, there is a need for caution, and not just in general research. If you’re looking for information on spiritual matters, it’s important to be careful and know your stuff!

What “stuff” do you need to know?

? According to the Bible, who is God? (Psalm 90:2; Jeremiah 10:6)

? According to the Bible, who is man? (Genesis 1:26-27; Isaiah 59:2; Romans 5:12)

? According to the Bible, what is sin? (Ephesians 5:6; Revelation 21:8)

? According to the Bible, who is Jesus? (Micah 5:2; Matthew 3:16-17; John 1:29-30)

? According to the Bible, what is salvation? (Acts 6:31; Colossians 2:13-14)

? According to the Bible, how do God, man, sin, Jesus and salvation relate? (Read an overview of the Bible to see how they all tie together)

This is just the beginning of what you need to know and understand. As you grow as a believer and seek to delve deeper into understanding the Word of God there are many more topics for Bible study, and there are many who want to give their own interpretation of the Scriptures. Here are some “hot topics” that are often misconstrued:

? Baptism- Is it necessary or just optional? Does the Bible talk about sprinkling and immersion? Is it wrong for infants to be baptized?

? Prayer- How important is it in the life of a believer? Does God hear everyone’s prayers? How should one pray?

? Faith- Is amount of faith important for salvation and sanctification? How does it relate to salvation?

? Good works- Must one do good works as a part of obtaining salvation? How important are they?

Why are these things so important to know? Isn’t it okay for some to believe one thing and others another? Whatever you choose as your study guide must be in line with what the Bible says. If the materials you’re researching don’t clearly follow the Bible, discard those materials. It’s not a matter of what one thinks about the topics that determines its truth, it’s what the Bible says is the truth, and that is what you must study.

The Bible specifically talks about those who will twist the Word of God, “Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves.” (Matthew 7:15) Just because they claim the “Christian” label doesn’t mean that they intend to teach the Bible clearly, as it is written. Be careful!

If you’ve never before studied the Bible and are looking for studies to teach you about it, look for materials that begin with answering the first list of questions. Be sure it’s the Bible being clearly explained, and not someone’s personal interpretation. I recommend finding something that will give you an overview of the Bible. Then you will have a solid understanding of what God is saying and a foundation on which to build.

Lewis

Chris Jensen asked:


Leading small group Bible studies can be challenging. Leaders must figure out how to keep sessions running without burn-out and how to have the right expectations. Also, they have to build a feeling of community and encourage active participation in every group meeting.

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They say that in order for worship in a small group setting to be effective, these three expectations must be embraced:

First is that it takes time for good things to happen. Allow time for the people to ready their hearts for praising God. Next is that people need clear direction and guidance. Provide verbal or vocal cues about what you want them to do. The last one is that you do not have to entertain the people with new material. Constant use and repetition are two important elements in conducting small group Bible studies. It may be difficult to grasp something with our hearts by hearing or reading something just once.

Building a sense of unity and encouraging active participation, on the other hand, may be achieved by doing these things: First, practicing spontaneity to create a relaxed feeling in your small group. Encourage sharing of insights and interpretations of Bible verses. Next, be aware of language limitations. Remember that many words in older Bible translations have changed their meaning since they were first translated. Third, do not exclude other versions of the Bible, and fourth, do not get too far away from the Word.

Leading small group Bible studies can indeed be very challenging. Like a shepherd leading a small flock, you are directing your members into listening to the Word of God and ultimately changing the course of their lives.



Ivan

John Savage asked:


As South Africans turn their hearts towards Christ, communities are being changed, and major societal problems are diminishing in Gods hands.

Color blind

Racial tensions, for example, have been extreme in this country that was formerly run by an all white government. Though the black population now has equal rights under the post apartheid leadership, they are frequently treated as outcasts by the white minority. As black citizens move into communities, white residents generally move out.

However, one pastor has challenged his all white congregation to be different. He has begun several Bible studies where citizens of both races come together for the study of Gods Word. As a result, his church is growing, and tensions are diminishing. Other trained leaders are also following his example in beginning bi racial studies.

Combating AIDS with purity

As is the case with most of the continent, AIDS has also been wreaking havoc throughout South Africa. According to Operation World, it is the primary cause of death in South Africa, with more than a thousand victims buried daily. This devastating trend is due, in large part, to lifestyles of promiscuity.

Yet through Bible studies, South Africans are learning that God intended something much different. One Bible study graduate says, My life is now completely changed. I started knowing how special I am before God. I even know that my body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.

One by one, South Africans are dedicating themselves to purity, in thought and in deed. And as their behavior changes, their risk of contracting this deadly disease decreases dramatically.

Fire in the Church

It was by Gods grace that the Bible League was able to begin ministry in South Africa during the late 90s. And since then, trained Christians have been working faithfully to place Scriptures, in seven different languages, into the hands of many South Africans whose hearts have been prepared by the Holy Spirit. What is more, since each Bible recipient has graduated from a Bible study, he or she has at least a basic understanding of the salvation message it holds.

One pastor reports, My people have started to read their Bibles and share the Gospel with their friends and neighbors. And I never stop receiving new members for classes and baptism. We are a church on fire!

On our knees

We thank God for the tremendous work that He is doing throughout South Africa. And we know as we continue to place His Word throughout this country, the healing is sure to continue.



Raquel