When Matt & Andrew were younger, I helped coach their Soccer & Baseball teams. One of the things that always stood out to me is that parents would drop their kids off for practice, but never invested in practicing with their kids at home.
The result was that the child couldn’t perform on game day to the parents’ expectation, and the parent(s) would get ripped out of the frame because “we” haven’t taught the child to shoot from the 3 point line.
What about bible study? I would guess that not many of us have been taught very specifically how to study the bible. I want to share a few tips with you in this blog update
Reading Old Testament
Read the complete Old Testament at least once a year. As you read, note in the margins any truths that you want to remember, and write down separately anything that you don’t immediately understand. Questions that you can not find answers to, become starting points for more in-depth study, using commentaries and other reference tools.
Reading New Testament
Read one book at a time repeatedly for 30 days or more. This will help you to retain what is in the New Testament and not always have to depend on the concordance to find things. Try this with 1 John. Write on index cards the major theme of each chapter, and use those as you re read. This will help you develop a visual perception of the book in your mind.
One of the things that has me so hyped up about our Life Groups, is the new bible study curriculum from http://www.lifebiblestudy.com/ . I hope that if you are not part of a Life Group, you will contact me, and I will get you into a group. We still have space available for you!
Pastors Blogs
Lastly, I want to refer you to (Dying Church) Pastor Jeff’s & (Missional Church) Pastor Brian’s blog for this week, just incase you don’t go to them on a regular basis. http://www.jeffhickman.blogspot.com/ / http://www.briangeorge.blogspot.com/
1 John 2:5-6
But whoever keeps His word, truly the love of God is perfected in him. By this we know that we are in Him. 6 He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.
Gather, Grow, & Go
Pastor Tim