Replenish: Studying God's Word.

Replenish: Habits for the soul

The goal over the next couple of weeks is not just to say you need to do these thing to replenish your soul.

So many of us are aware of the need.

We want to provide helpful tips on how to replenish our souls

Today is going to sound a little bit different.

It will sound a little bit more like a seminar

3 Bible study methods Studying God’s Word is so important for the believer.

It is impossible to live out the Christian life without having an active knowledge of God’s Word.

Point 1

God’s Word leads us to be prepared for every situation

2 Timothy 3:14-17

14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom1 you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 dAll Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God2 may be complete, equipped for every good work.

Scripture is not a human construct it

It was written by man

It was breathed out by God

God’s Word Prepares us

Prepares us to be wise for salvation through Christ

Teach others

By correcting us

The more we study scripture the more we align our lives with God’s heart.

Helps us to understand what is righteous.

It prepares us for every good work

Have you ever experienced the difference between being prepared and unprepared…

Have you ever gone into a test unprepared?

Being prepared affects our attitude.

In the same way God’s Word helps us to be prepared

Spending time in God’s Word prepares us

Decision making

Unexpected

Reminds us that we have a God that is bigger than our problem

Great Method that helps us be prepared.

Method 1:

Summary Method

Has to do with gaining a general understanding of a chapter within the bible

Imagine being able to go through books of the bible and you have a summary phrase for every chapter of a book in the bible.

Imagine being able to communicate with someone what a chapter of the bible is about in 2-5words

Memorizing scripture is helpful but…

Being able to summarize a chapter gives us the ability to have and provide context.

Steps to the summary method

Read, read and re-read the chapter

Tips to help with reading

Use different translations

Literal

Paraphrased

Paraphrases are helpful for understanding when it’s difficult to understand what is exactly going on in the chapter.

Move to literal translations and contemplate the details of the text.

Reading aloud helps with drowsiness.

5 C’s

1. Give a caption for the chapter

3-5 Words that describe what you just read

2. Compile content about the chapter

Do a little report

2-3 sentences about what the chapter is about

Or Outline it

3. Choose a verse that summarizes the chapter

There has to be a verse that summarizes the chapter

If there isn’t one, pick your favorite verse in the text.

4. Look for Christ

Old or New Testament all roads lead to Jesus

This will take a little bit of time

How is what I am reading right now lead to Jesus

5. Write the central lesson you learned

I love this study method

All I need is my bible

It provides structure

It gives us something to work through

It can take 15-30 minutes

Point 2

Be Devoted to God’s Word

Being devote to God’s Word

Brings us into fellowship with other believers

Unites us with believers

Compels us to be generous

It creates a desire within us to worship

Acts 2:42-47

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe5 came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

Method 2:

Thematic Method

Theme vs. Topic

A topic is…

Prayer

A Theme is..

Jesus’s Prayers

A topic is…

Church

The theme is…

Worship in the church

Tools

Strongs concordance

Study bible

Bible dictionary

Google:

Free online bible study tools

Biblestudytools.com

Blueletterbible.com

Thebibleproject.com

Biblehub.com

Biblegateway.com

4 Steps

1. Select a Theme

What theme do I want to know more about in scripture

Concordance

It’s a reference books

It will give you partial passages that have to do with the theme you selected

Maybe your theme is God’s Will

look for God’s Will (will of God, will of the Lord, God’s Will)

Read and select the passages that help answer the questions you may have about your theme.

Pull about 3-5 verses

2. List all the verses you intend to study

Write those verses and go and look them up

3. Create Questions.  Decide on your questions

Ie.  what specific things are God’s Will?

Why am I to do God’s Will

How and am I to do God’s Will

Read through the verses and write down the answers to the questions

4. Write out your conclusion and summarize

It gives us the ability to study a broad theme and see what scripture says about as a whole.

It’s a very systematic way of studying God’s Word

Point 3

We Need To be Nourished By God’s Word

Psalm 1:1-3

1 Blessed is the man1

who walks not in the counsel of the wicked,

nor stands in the way of sinners,

nor sits in the seat of scoffers;

2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord,

and on his law he meditates day and night.

3 He is like a tree

planted by streams of water

that yields its fruit in its season,

and its leaf does not wither.

lIn all that he does, he prospers.

Study Method 3:

Devotional Method

A lot of us already practice this method

Prayerfully meditating on scripture

3 Steps

1. Read through passage

2. Pray through passages

3. Continue until the Holy Spirit brings you an ideas on how to apply

Application

Pick your study method

Circle

Take time this week to practice that method.

Everything we just talked about does not matter if we do not do this

Point 4

Apply God’s Word

Not just meant to inform us it is meant to transform us

Application is hard

Think and process

Attention span is short

Causes us to sit and think

We have a real enemy that does not want to know and apply God’s Word to our life

We naturally resist change - We think about others

Applying God’s Word

Should be personal (I need to)

Should be practical (I need to ____Pray, be kind, serve, love others,)

Should be possible (I need to pray more at home)

Should be provable (Everyday this week I will lead my family in prayer at the dinner table.)

I don’t want to give you another thing to do

When it comes to studying God’s Word this is the thing that gives us the ability to do everything else.

Jesus says, Man should not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.

When we truly know how to study God’s Word we are ready for anything that comes our way.