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  • Bible Study Methods: Day 2

    Bible Study Methods: Day 2

    Introduction

    We have a few days “off” before we start the book of Philippians next week. To help us all grow in reading the Word on a daily basis and to help us better study and apply the Bible, we’re taking the next three days to share a few tools for reading, understanding, and applying the Bible more effectively. For each of the next three days, we’ve picked three different Bible study methods and three key passages from Hebrews to help be more effective in studying and living out God’s Word.

    Day Two

    It’s important to remember that there’s no one “right” way to study scripture. The most important thing is that you are studying it. God’s Word doesn’t return void (Isaiah 55:11), so just by engaging with Scripture, you are going to grow and benefit from it. Today’s method, similar to yesterday’s, involves another set of questions for us to ask ourselves after reading the passage. With a journal nearby, these five questions can help us explore each passage on a deeper level: 

    1. What do you like about this passage? What emotions does this passage stir up in you? What jumps off the page at you?
    2. What surprises you about this passage? Did you read anything you’d never thought about before? What makes you go, “huh” as you read it?
    3. What do you learn about God? What does this passage teach you about the character of God? Any attributes of God that this passage highlights?
    4. What do you learn about humanity? What does this passage teach you about human nature? Any patterns you see that are still repeated today?
    5. How do you apply these truths to your life? What can you take from this passage and apply to your life right now? How are these truths the same today as they were thousands of years ago?

    These questions give us a little bit of everything. They can help you categorize your thoughts, feelings, and convictions after reading a passage. It also gives you an opportunity to apply what you read and live out what it means. Take some time today and practice this method with the passage below.

    Practice

    “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

    Hebrews 10:24-25

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  • Bible Study Methods: Day 1

    Bible Study Methods: Day 1

    Introduction

    We have a few days “off” before we start the book of Philippians next week. To help us all grow in reading the Word on a daily basis and to help us better study and apply the Bible, we’re taking the next three days to share a few tools for reading, understanding, and applying the Bible more effectively. For each of the next three days, we’ve picked three different Bible study methods and three key passages from Hebrews to help be more effective in studying and living out God’s Word.

    Day One

    Today’s method we’re sharing involves a three-step process. As we study a passage using this method, we’re like investigators doing a deep dive asking three sets of questions. We’ll share the three steps and some key questions and encourage you to study one verse.

    “But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”

    Hebrews 3:13

    1. Observation: “What does it say?” or ”What do I see?”

    As you look at the verse, what words stick out? Are any words repeated? Look at the context of the verse and passage, specifically looking at the verse prior and following. Is the passage/verse a question, statement, or command? Is the writer describing something or recounting a story or narrative? What did the author see when they wrote the passage? Try to put yourself in their shoes and make some observations. Practically, you can mark anything you observe in your bible or in a journal.

    1. Interpretation: “What does it mean?”

    What do you think the author intends in this passage? This is where you can ask a bunch of questions of the text and where you seek to find answers to those questions. For example, if you studied John 11:35 (“Jesus wept”) you could ask: Why is Jesus crying? What led Him to start crying? Are there any other times Jesus wept? As you study the passage and its context, you put your questions and answers together as you attempt to interpret the verse/passage.

    1. Application: “How does it work?” or “What do I do?”

    Now that we’ve made some observations and made efforts to understand what the Scripture means, we need to figure out what we do with it. How does this passage apply to me? What do I do about it? How will this passage impact my life or the lives of those around me? James 1:22-25 describes a man who looks in the mirror and sees what he looks like and then turns around and forgets what he saw in the mirror. We don’t want to be people who look into God’s Word and forget what it says. Rather, we want to be people who allow God’s Word to change and transform us, so that we might become more and more like Jesus Christ.

    Practice

    Quick summary: The first method we’re sharing with you this week is to take three steps with every passage you study.

    1. Observation: “What does it say?” or ”What do I see?”
    2. Interpretation: “What does it mean?”
    3. Application: “How does it work?” or “What do I do?”

    What do you observe, interpret, and apply from Hebrews 3:13?

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  • Exodus 40

    Exodus 40

    Read Exodus 40

    Setting Up the Tabernacle

    1 Then the Lord said to Moses: 2 “Set up the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, on the first day of the first month. 3 Place the ark of the covenant law in it and shield the ark with the curtain. 4 Bring in the table and set out what belongs on it. Then bring in the lampstand and set up its lamps. 5 Place the gold altar of incense in front of the ark of the covenant law and put the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle.

    6 “Place the altar of burnt offering in front of the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting; 7 place the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it. 8 Set up the courtyard around it and put the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard.

    9 “Take the anointing oil and anoint the tabernacle and everything in it; consecrate it and all its furnishings, and it will be holy. 10 Then anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its utensils; consecrate the altar, and it will be most holy. 11 Anoint the basin and its stand and consecrate them.

    12 “Bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water. 13 Then dress Aaron in the sacred garments, anoint him and consecrate him so he may serve me as priest. 14 Bring his sons and dress them in tunics. 15 Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so they may serve me as priests. Their anointing will be to a priesthood that will continue throughout their generations.” 16 Moses did everything just as the Lord commanded him.

    17 So the tabernacle was set up on the first day of the first month in the second year. 18 When Moses set up the tabernacle, he put the bases in place, erected the frames, inserted the crossbars and set up the posts.19 Then he spread the tent over the tabernacle and put the covering over the tent, as the Lord commanded him.

    20 He took the tablets of the covenant law and placed them in the ark, attached the poles to the ark and put the atonement cover over it. 21 Then he brought the ark into the tabernacle and hung the shielding curtain and shielded the ark of the covenant law, as the Lord commanded him.

    22 Moses placed the table in the tent of meeting on the north side of the tabernacle outside the curtain 23 and set out the bread on it before the Lord, as the Lord commanded him.

    24 He placed the lampstand in the tent of meeting opposite the table on the south side of the tabernacle 25 and set up the lamps before the Lord, as the Lord commanded him.

    26 Moses placed the gold altar in the tent of meeting in front of the curtain27 and burned fragrant incense on it, as the Lord commanded him.

    28 Then he put up the curtain at the entrance to the tabernacle. 29 He set the altar of burnt offering near the entrance to the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, and offered on it burnt offerings and grain offerings, as the Lord commanded him.

    30 He placed the basin between the tent of meeting and the altar and put water in it for washing, 31 and Moses and Aaron and his sons used it to wash their hands and feet. 32 They washed whenever they entered the tent of meeting or approached the altar, as the Lord commanded Moses.

    33 Then Moses set up the courtyard around the tabernacle and altar and put up the curtain at the entrance to the courtyard. And so Moses finished the work.

    The Glory of the Lord

    34 Then the cloud covered the tent of meeting, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle. 35 Moses could not enter the tent of meeting because the cloud had settled on it, and the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle.

    36 In all the travels of the Israelites, whenever the cloud lifted from above the tabernacle, they would set out; 37 but if the cloud did not lift, they did not set out—until the day it lifted. 38 So the cloud of the Lord was over the tabernacle by day, and fire was in the cloud by night, in the sight of all the Israelites during all their travels.

    Editor’s note

    You did it–you made it all the way to Exodus 40! Come back tomorrow for a recap of the book and for a few reflective questions for you to think about as you look back at all you’ve read over the last seven weeks. On Monday we’re going back to the New Testament and reading through Hebrews, a book that builds on a lot of what we’ve read in Genesis and Exodus. Invite your Life Group or a friend to read alongside you. We’re so excited to continue this journey through scripture with you. 

    – The BRP Team

    Go Deeper

    What an ending to Exodus! Almost exactly a year from their freedom from Egypt, the tabernacle is ready. But, before we jump to the end, let’s sit with anticipation for a few moments. 

    Remember where we started? A group of slaves without a way out. A people with no leader. Darkness, misery, and oppression. Enter, a reluctant leader who asks for another to be sent in his place. Then, a story ensues of supernatural deliverance, disobedience, forgiveness, provision, instructions, obedience, faithfulness, and ultimately the preparation of the tabernacle for God’s presence. 

    God commanded every detail about the tabernacle’s construction and purpose. Moses had delivered every word to the Israelites. All instructions had been given and carried out and now… the anticipation of glory. Not any glory, no. Shekinah glory. The glory of the One and only God, His divine presence.

    Imagine the emotions of the Hebrews. Awe and wonder. Accomplishment and purpose. They worked diligently to finish the work God commanded them to do. The Israelites had moments of failure and disobedience over the course of their year of freedom, but God is faithful to His Word, not ours. And since He deemed the tabernacle as acceptable and holy, He did what He promised. He filled the dwelling place with His glory. 

    Exodus doesn’t end with a description of how beautiful the tabernacle is or the materials in it. We couldn’t comprehend it if it did. Exodus ends with a description of how its purpose was fulfilled. The tabernacle was built so that God could dwell among the Israelites. God in their midst. The only God of His kind. The only religion where God comes down to the people. 

    Because God can’t stay away from His people. He is with us. He loves us with an everlasting love—a never stopping, unbreaking, never giving up, always and forever love. Let’s be people who are beautiful dwelling places of the Holy Spirit. People who fulfill the purpose for which we were made—to love God and love others. 

    Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. 

    John 14:23

    Questions
    1. What do you think the first year of freedom was like for the Israelites? For Moses? 
    2. What do you learn from the Israelites? From Moses?
    3. How do others know you are set apart for God?
    Did You Know?

    Exodus 40:35 tells us that Moses couldn’t enter the tabernacle because the glory cloud had settled on it. More provisions needed to be made, which is where the book of Leviticus (the next book in the Pentateuch) comes into play. 

    Listen to this.
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  • Rest Day

    Rest Day

    Rest Day

    Today is a Rest Day. There is no new Bible reading to do. Today, the goal is simple: rest in the presence of God. Maybe you need to use today to get caught up on the reading plan if you’re behind, maybe you want to journal what you’re learning so you don’t forget what God is teaching you, or maybe you want to spend time in concentrated prayer–do that. Above all, just spend time in God’s presence. Each Rest Day, we will also introduce a memory verse for the week. Meditate on this week’s verse and begin to memorize it.

    Memory Verse

    “The Lord replied, “My Presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” Then Moses said to him, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here.”

    ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭33:14-15‬ ‭NIV‬‬



    Memorization Tip

    One thing that helps in Scripture memorization is hearing the scripture repeated over and over again. That’s why songs are so easy for us to memorize; we hear them repeatedly and then they just start to stick in our brain. Apply that same principle to Scripture memory. Use an audio Bible, or even record yourself saying the verse, and then listen to it repeatedly throughout the day–while you’re driving, making dinner, on your lunch break. You’ll have it memorized in no time!

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  • Rest Day

    Rest Day

    Rest Day

    Today is a Rest Day. There is no new Bible reading to do. Today, the goal is simple: rest in the presence of God. Maybe you need to use today to get caught up on the reading plan if you’re behind, maybe you want to journal what you’re learning so you don’t forget what God is teaching you, or maybe you want to spend time in concentrated prayer–do that. Above all, just spend time in God’s presence. Each Rest Day, we will also introduce a memory verse for the week. Meditate on this week’s verse and begin to memorize it.

    Memory Verse

    “They will know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them out of Egypt so that I might dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.”

    ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭29:46‬ ‭NIV‬‬

    Memorization Tip

    One thing that helps in Scripture memorization is hearing the scripture repeated over and over again. That’s why songs are so easy for us to memorize; we hear them repeatedly and then they just start to stick in our brain. Apply that same principle to Scripture memory. Use an audio Bible, or even record yourself saying the verse, and then listen to it repeatedly throughout the day–while you’re driving, making dinner, on your lunch break. You’ll have it memorized in no time!

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  • Rest Day

    Rest Day

    Rest Day

    Today is a Rest Day. There is no new Bible reading to do. Today, the goal is simple: rest in the presence of God. Maybe you need to use today to get caught up on the reading plan if you’re behind, maybe you want to journal what you’re learning so you don’t forget what God is teaching you, or maybe you want to spend time in concentrated prayer–do that. Above all, just spend time in God’s presence. Each Rest Day, we will also introduce a memory verse for the week. Meditate on this week’s verse and begin to memorize it.

    Memory Verse

    “When Moses went and told the people all the Lord’s words and laws, they responded with one voice, ‘Everything the Lord has said we will do.’”

    ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭24:3‬ ‭NIV‬‬

    Memorization Tip

    Who says Scripture memorization has to be boring? Make it a game! Write the verse out on notecards, a different word for each card. Then, shuffle them around and place them back in the correct order from memory.

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  • Rest Day

    Rest Day

    Rest Day

    Today is a Rest Day. There is no new Bible reading to do. Today, the goal is simple: rest in the presence of God. Maybe you need to use today to get caught up on the reading plan if you’re behind, maybe you want to journal what you’re learning so you don’t forget what God is teaching you, or maybe you want to spend time in concentrated prayer–do that. Above all, just spend time in God’s presence. Each Rest Day, we will also introduce a memory verse for the week. Meditate on this week’s verse and begin to memorize it.

    Memory Verse

    “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

    Exodus 14:14 NIV

    Memorization Tip

    Use community as a tool to help you in your Scripture memorization journey! Pick a few friends, or your Life Group, with whom to memorize Scripture. Practice together, hold each other accountable, and encourage one another as you work together. Remember that the best way to stick with a challenge is not to go at it alone!

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  • Rest Day

    Rest Day

    Rest Day

    Today is a Rest Day. There is no new Bible reading to do. Today, the goal is simple: rest in the presence of God. Maybe you need to use today to get caught up on the reading plan if you’re behind, maybe you want to journal what you’re learning so you don’t forget what God is teaching you, or maybe you want to spend time in concentrated prayer–do that. Above all, just spend time in God’s presence. Each Rest Day, we will also introduce a memory verse for the week. Meditate on this week’s verse and begin to memorize it.

    Memory Verse

    “But I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” ‭‭Exodus‬ ‭9:16‬

    Memorization Tip

    Take the verse with you throughout your day. Write it on a post-it note and put it on your fridge, or your mirror, or your steering wheel–anywhere that you’ll see it and be reminded of what you’re memorizing throughout the day. Set it as the lock screen on your phone. And when you see it during the day, say it out loud, meditate on it, and work on memorizing it.

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  • Sunday Set-Up: The Plagues

    Sunday Set-Up: The Plagues

    This week, we’re changing up our format, and instead of our normal Sunday Rest Day, we’re setting the scene for what’s going to unfold this week. Over the next six chapters, we’ll see exactly what happens when God uses any means necessary to get us to the end of ourselves.

    Beginning with Exodus 7, we’ll read the story of ten different plagues that descended on Egypt. What we didn’t want was for you to read each day and think, “Oh, another day, another plague,” without really examining what God was doing and why. We not only want to understand what’s happening, but also why it’s happening. The plagues we’ll read about Monday through Friday set up the story of Passover–another example of God’s deliverance of His people. 

    While you’re reading, you’ll find yourself shaking your head at Pharoah, asking, “What’s it going to take for him to finally pay attention?” It’s a fair question. God uses these plagues to expose Pharaoh’s pride, but also gives him chance after chance to turn from evil. Too often, we act in a similar manner. We fall subject to our own pride and desires, yet God gives us chance after chance to repent. 

    As you read this week, think of this as a case study of Pharaoh and the danger of pride. Let’s not simply treat this like a history book, but let’s learn from this story ourselves and ask God to speak to us through His word this week.

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  • Rest Day

    Rest Day

    Rest Day

    Today is a Rest Day. There is no new Bible reading to do. Today, the goal is simple: rest in the presence of God. Maybe you need to use today to get caught up on the reading plan if you’re behind, maybe you want to journal what you’re learning so you don’t forget what God is teaching you, or maybe you want to spend time in concentrated prayer–do that. Above all, just spend time in God’s presence. Each Rest Day, we will also introduce a memory verse for the week. Meditate on this week’s verse and begin to memorize it.

    Memory Verse

    “The Lord had said to Abram, ‘Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse, and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.’” Genesis 12:1-3

    Memorization tip

    Use technology to your advantage. There are many Scripture Memory Apps available on the app store, such as The Bible Memory App, Bible Memory, Fighter Verses, Remember Me, Verses, and more! Some use games, memorization tools and methods, employ different translations, and help you track your progress. Simply download the app, load the verses you want to memorize, and get to work!