How to Study the Bible: Beginner Level - Impact Workshops

Is reading the Bible

something you want to do more regularly? Is it something you want to improve on? In the past, many people have verbalized

their guilt to me. I haven't been reading the way I should

or it's really hard to read. I believe that one reason why it can be difficult at times

is because we can read incorrectly. Sometimes we'll reread a single sentence

over and over again because we can't focus or we read an entire chapter,

but we have no idea what we read. So in an effort to encourage Christians

to read their Bibles, we are beginning a three part series, a class where we cover the topic

How to Read the Bible. Part one We'll cover the beginner level. Part two will cover the intermediate level and part

three will cover the advanced level. In this video,

we will address the beginner level and in it we will provide an assessment

that will tell you if you belong. At this level

we will address materials needed, how much time

that you'll need to set aside each time that you read different

starting points that you can start in when reading the Bible,

how much you should read each setting, what to do and what steps you need to take

while you read. How to know when you're done. Reading some helpful tips to keep in mind

as you read and then list some goals that I suggest for those who desire

to go to the immediate level. So first, the assessment. How do you know if you're at the beginner

level, you would be a beginner if you don't really have experience

reading the Bible on your own? Most of your Bible knowledge probably comes from your pastor

or the Bible studies you attend, but reading the Bible by yourself

is probably pretty foreign to you. You'd also be considered a beginner

if you're not sure what to do, if no one ever taught you, if you're

generally confused after you read, or if you don't know where to start to begin,

you need some materials. You'll need a Bible,

a quiet place, and a pencil. Regarding the Bible, there are multiple

translations and for the beginner level I would suggest either

the Nivi or the multi. These translations are easy to understand

and for now that's all you need to know. They're great translations

and I highly recommend them. It would also be advantageous

for you to use a Bible that you're willing to write,

and I would recommend that you purchase a Bible

that has some margins so you can underline, circle

and take notes in the pages after you have your Bible designate

a place where you can read maybe at your desk, dining table,

in your car, or somewhere in the backyard. This place should be devoid

of distraction. So choose a place and time that is quiet

and leave your phone somewhere else. As a side note, while having an electronic version of the Bible

is incredibly beneficial at times at the beginner level,

I suggest using a hard copy of the Bible. So with this Bible, have a pencil on hand,

not a pen you may need to erase. Next,

how much time should you spend reading for the beginner level

of reading the Bible? You should expect to spend 5

to 15 minutes at a time. Now some of you may have attention issues

and that's okay. Think of reading the Bible,

like exercising for people not accustomed to working out

a regular workout routine of someone who always goes to the gym would be daunting

and overwhelming for them. So if you're not used to reading

the Bible, don't give yourself huge goals just yet. Your goal for now is to give God your

undivided attention for five full minutes. Will it be tough at times? Yeah. But to read the Bible will take sacrifice. Jesus states in Matthew 1038 to 39,

and he who does not take his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. He who finds his life will lose it,

and he who loses his life for my sake will find it. If you find it difficult to read, pray

for reading endurance. Learn to read, practice it,

make it a habit. And regardless of your reading level,

now, God will bless you with the strength to read more

and for longer periods of time. All right, so we have your materials

and you know how much time it'll take. Now you need a starting point. So where should you begin?

Quick lesson of the Bible. If you had your Bible on hand, turned to the table of contents

and get ready to take some notes. Once you've turned there

you will see the Old Testament and the New Testament clearly labeled, and you should know how each section

is categorized. The first five books of the Old Testament

are known as the law. That's Genesis to Deuteronomy. Mark your Bible right now

and label those books The Law. It's called the Law

because these books were written by Moses and they contain the laws

and the commands given to Him by God. Next label the books from Joshua

to Esther, the historical books. These contain the history of Israel

and how they became a nation, and it includes how they flourished

and fell. Next label Joe to Song of Solomon

Poetry and Wisdom Books. Song of Solomon can also

be the song of songs in some translations. The literature in these books

sound flowery, more poetic, and they emphasize wisdom

and knowledge for life. After the Wisdom Books label Isaiah

two Daniel Major Prophets, and then label Hosanna

to Malachi as the Minor Prophets. The Major Prophet books are bigger

and length. Thus they're called The Major Prophets notes that a prophet

is someone who speaks on behalf of God. So all these people are all God's

spokesperson sons. Next we have the New Testament

label Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. The Gospels. These four books are all biographies

about Jesus, his life written from the perspective

of these four individuals. After the Gospels is the Book of Acts,

which is a standalone book label it historical book. This book is the one historical account

of the Church and its history of how it began

and how it grew. Label Romans to find Lehman. Paul's Letters Paul was a man

greatly used by God, and he wrote all of these letters either

addressed to churches or individuals, next to label Hebrews

two Jude General Letters. These are all letters not written by Paul. Instead, they were written by James,

Peter, John and Jude. Note that

the authorship of Hebrews is unknown, and while many people do think

that Paul wrote it, it's a debated topic. So draw your own conclusion later. For now, put it under the general letters. All you need to know is that God

is the one who wrote it. And finally, label revelation

as prophecy book. This book covers the divine revelation

given to John from Jesus himself. This revelation is in regards

to the future and focuses on the events leading up to the second coming of Christ

and what will happen after that. Okay, now

that you know how the Bible is organized for your starting point, begin

with one of these sections. If you're completely new,

I suggest choosing one of the gospels. After reading one of the Gospels, I would

then have you read all of Paul's letters and the general letters

as you finish the letters bit by bit, go back and read another gospel

and keep on doing this until you've read the entire New Testament. Once you've read an entire book,

every verse of every chapter, go to the table of contents

and X or check off the book. You eventually want to check off

every book of the Bible for the beginner. Once you've read the entire New Testament

journey to the Old Testament and begin reading the law. If you're more advanced than this and

have already read some books of the Bible, go to the table of contents

and check off all the books you know you've read for sure,

and then read one that you haven't read. Do this until you can confidently say

that you've read the entire New Testament and then jump into the Old Testament. If you've already read the entire Bible

already, consider watching the intermediate

and advanced level reading. So once you pick a book

that you're going to start in, the next thing the cover would be

how much you should read. And at this level I would suggest that you either

read one or two chapters per sitting. You could read more,

but sometimes it's good to read and then to think about what you read

and then to reread what you read. When it comes to reading the Bible,

quantity does not always equal quality. So when you read Learn to focus,

get your mind right. Yes. Make it your resolve

to read through the entire Bible. But don't rush to the point

where you can't retain its truths. Take your time. There's a lot of chapters in the Bible,

so you want to build endurance. If you decide to read more than one chapter sitting, you can be planted

in two different sections. You can read one chapter in a gospel

and one chapter in Paul's letters, or one chapter in the general letters

and one chapter in the law. So you get to choose,

have fun with it, and please know that I don't know what level you're at

or what you're learning style is. So if you just want to read one chapter,

that's completely fine. If you want to read two

or even three or four chapters, you choose what you think is best. And you can also try changing things up. Try reading

one chapter a day for one week, and if that's manageable,

I'll try two chapters a day the next week. Also, you may find that some books are

more difficult to get through than others, so maybe you do

one chapter a day on difficult books. Again, it's up to you. Next, we have the meat of the lesson. What do you do when you read? There are two specific steps

that you must learn. Understand and keep

at the forefront of your mind as you read. Also, bear in mind that I'll add

to these steps in the intermediate and advanced levels for now,

learn these two steps, the observation step

and the application step. In the observation step, you ask yourself,

What do I see? And in the application step, you ask

yourself, How can I apply this to my life? Let's go into detail about the observation

step. This step asks What do I see as you read,

you should attempt to see two things. You should see the setting

and specific words. Here are some acronyms to help you

remember what you should be looking for. For setting. You should remember the Five WS,

which actually is an acronym sorry, and four specific words

you should remember tact. The five W's are who,

what, where, when, and why. As you read, you should pay attention

to the characters, the who to what actions the characters are taking

or what's happening, the what you should be paying attention

to the locations mentioned, the where

you should look to see the time of day or any time expressions, the when

and you should look for the why. Or in other words, you should ask

yourself, why was this passage recorded? Or You should be looking for a purpose. You won't always be able to answer

all of these questions as you read. These are all just things you should be

looking for whenever you read. Next, you have tacked to a c, t,

which stands for terms. Adjectives are adverbs,

connective and tenses of verbs. A term is a word that serves as a subject. Some examples of terms would be love,

hope, joy, servant or fruit. They tend to be nouns

and nouns are persons, places or things. Next you have adjectives are adverbs. Adjectives are adverbs are descriptive

words, examples, eternal life. The descriptive word here

is eternal loving father descriptive word here

loving incredibly long YouTube video descriptive words incredibly long get up quickly describing word quickly. Adjectives normally describe

a noun and adverbs are normally attached to a verb and end in l y gently, slowly, seriously. As you read, pay close attention

to the describing words. For example, Jesus wasn't just a son. He was the only begotten Son. And He doesn't just offer us life,

but eternal life. The C stands for connectiveness. These are words

that connect to other words together. When you read these kinds of words,

they force you to look at the words around them examples,

and therefore, because then afterwards. But for however or if again

these words cannot stand alone, the word and connects two words together

grace and mercy. Therefore, because and for tell us something in response

to what was previously said. What and however changes the direction of the sentence

and if is a conditional word. If you do this, this will be the result. Pay attention

to words that connect other words. Finally, you have the last T, which is tenses of verbs

we have past, present and future tense. John 316 For God so loved the world. That's a past tense that whosoever

believes in Him, that's the future. Tense verbs are action, words. So pay attention

to the tense of these verbs. Are they past, present or future? For the beginner level,

that's all I'm going to cover. For the observation step, there's more. But for now, as you read,

think to yourself, What do I see? The two things to look for are setting

and the specific words that are being used for setting. Think five W's who,

what, where, when, why? Who are the characters?

What actions are taking place? Where is this taking place? When is this taking place

and why is this taking place? For specific words, think tact. What are the terms? Adjectives,

adverbs, connective sentences of verbs. What's the subject?

What's being described? Are these words connected in any way

and what are the tenses now? If you've never read like this before,

please note that this can feel overwhelming. At first, it's kind of like driving a car

for the first time. You think of all the steps individually,

put your foot on the brake, put on your seatbelt,

adjust your mirrors, start the car, check your mirror,

check your other mirror. Put the car in, reverse

these off the brake. You get it? It can be a lot, but over time,

pretty soon you don't think of all the steps

individually, you just do it. And the same is true

when you read the Bible. You may have to look at these steps over

and over again, but over time you will develop an eye for terms,

adjectives, connective, intense. You won't look for them,

they'll just pop out at you. So develop your reading and get to the place where

you automatically make these observations. After the observation step,

you have the application step which asks the question,

How do I apply this passage to my life? Luke 1128 In the multi reads,

Jesus replied, but even more blessed are all who hear the Word of God

and put it into practice. You see, it's

not enough to make observations. To read correctly

is not only an exercise of the mind to see,

but also an exercise of the heart to obey. What God's Word says notes

that finding a practical life application in a chapter may be easier

in some books and harder in others. And the reason for this is because there are multiple ways

to apply a single passage. The answer to finding applications

is time and practice. As the days go by and as you read, ask

yourself, How can I apply this to my life? In an effort to help you

more, here is another acronym Spectrum. The Essence Spectrum asks the question

Is there a sin to avoid? Look at a passage and ask yourself, Is there a sin that's mentioned that

you should make it a point to avoid the p? Ask the question Is there a promise

to hold on to in the Bible? There are many promises

and one application is to hold on to that promise

as a source of hope. The E asks the question,

Is there an example to follow? There's a lot of characters in the Bible,

and as you read, you may want to look at someone who's a great example to follow,

and it'd be wise to imitate what they do. See, ask the question

Is there a command to obey? As you read through

the different books of the Bible, you'll find that

God makes a lot of different commands. Be holy as I am holy. Be anxious for nothing. Love your enemies.

Don't quench the spirit. There are many explicit commands

and we as Christians would be wise

to take note of them and obey them. The tea asks, Is there a truth to know? You see, there are many truths

that we ought to take heart. Pay attention to. John 1011. Jesus says, I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd sacrifices his life

for the sheep. One application of this passage is owning

the truth that Jesus is a good shepherd,

meaning that He's a leader. But He doesn't just lead in this passage. He also gives his life for the sheep. So for me, as a follower of Jesus,

I can grasp the truth that Jesus is responsible for leading me

and for taking care of me. This one truth can alleviate

a lot of worry, and it's a solid application of Scripture. The Hour asks the question

Is there room for repentance in my life? We aren't perfect people, and as we read, we may see

that we're doing something wrong. And if we're practicing sin,

then we need to change. We need to turn and repent from that sin. The you asks,

is there an upside to embrace? You see, the Bible

has many things for us to be joyful of. We have an all powerful, all knowing God who is completely holy, loving and just. And we as His followers,

have access to his depth of joy, immeasurable love,

and the hope of a future with God Himself. And we as Christians

can look at these reasons for joy and be there as we go to work. So try to smile, my friends,

if you were not a joyous Christian, then you must consider Galatians 522

for a fruits of the spirit is not only love but joy. Lastly, the M asks

Is there a moment of Thanksgiving? This connects with you and focuses

more on gratitude. The you says,

Look at what I have in Jesus. The M says, Thank you so much for what

I have and Jesus. So as you read, ask yourself if there's

anything you should be thankful for. To review as you read and observe. Remember to ask yourself,

How can I apply this to my life? And asking these questions may help

you find more applications. Is there a sin to avoid? Is there a promise to hold on to? Is there an example to follow?

Is there a command to obey? Is there a truth to know?

Is there room for repentance? Is there an upside to embrace? And is there a moment of Thanksgiving? Now, again,

if you feel overwhelmed, don't worry. This is a process that you must take

your time in and master. Once you read through

some books of the Bible, pretty soon you won't need

to think of these questions. Instead,

you'll think, Oh, wow, there's a command. Oh, look, there's a promise. David did that. I should do that, too. Again, as you read the Bible,

you have two main jobs. Observe and apply. What do you see

and how can you apply it to your life? All right. So we covered what to do when you read. Now we're going to cover

how you know when you're done. When you read,

you should have an end goal in mind. So here's a to do list

that I would suggest you accomplish every time you sit down

and read your Bible. One You should have read at least one. Chapter two. You should have reread that one. Chapter. Three. You should understand

parts of that chapter. Note You don't need to understand

everything that you read. In fact, if you read a passage

and you have no idea what's going on, read slowly

and focus on what you do understand. It's common when you read the Bible

to ask, What in the world did I just read? But don't get frustrated. Focus on the parts that you do understand. We will address what to do when you don't understand

something in the intermediate level. But for now, place greater

attention on what you do understand. And four, you should be able to recall

from memory one verse and its application. How do you know you've done this? Close your Bible and see if you can paraphrase one verse

and an application of that verse. Try to remember

what you read throughout the day. So if you read your Bible in the morning,

try to recall what you read during lunch or dinner. Learn to exercise

your powers of recollection. If you for some reason, finish

all four of these steps in less than 5 minutes, continue to reread that chapter or look for more applications. Learn to take things slowly. Sometimes effective learning

cannot be rushed. To conclude, I will leave you some helpful tips

for you to bear in mind as you read. Tip number one An important key to reading the Bible is to remember your motivation

for reading, and your motivation for reading

must be tethered by two things. Love and discipline. We should read the Bible because we love

God and we want to learn more about Him. And love looks like discipline

and true love looks like hard work. So there will be times

when we won't feel like reading. But we need to force ourselves. We need to carry our cross, deny

our flesh, and follow Jesus. You see, God's word is our weapon. So we can't be caught without it. But remember, our discipline

must focus on our love for God. Discipline and genuine

love, results and spiritual strength. But discipline without love turns into repetitive and lifeless obligation. This will take time to exercise.

So as you read. Be patient,

grow in love and grow and discipline. You need both to follow Christ. Tip number two Play your strengths. If you're an audio learner

or you learn better by hearing, try listening to an audio

recording of the Bible. The Bible Gateway app has free audio

versions, so if you easily get distracted, you can follow along as the app reads

the text to you. Also, try reading at a time

when you're most alert. Some of you might read

better in the morning or at night. Some of you might have more energy

after workout. Some of you enjoy coffee or tea, or

you may have some free time during lunch. Be creative

and make time in your schedule. Regardless of how busy you are. I would also make the suggestion, though,

that the earlier, the better. Life has some crazy demands,

but there will always be busy days and a lesson in the Bible

may actually provide some very useful knowledge that may guide

you amidst to your busyness. So try not to put off your reading. Find a time. Plan the time, and then make it happen. Sometimes you just got to do it. Tip number three read every day just

because it's Sunday and you go to church. Don't skip your personal reading. Learn to read every day. Build this habit. And it will be a source of strength

and life for you. This lesson is worth repeating. God's word is a weapon

and your connection to God. You need it every day. Tip number four Pray before you read,

while you read and after you read. They don't need to be elaborate prayers. They can be as simple as. Lord, please help me to read. I really don't want to. Or God, I don't understand this passage. How do I apply this? Or Jesus,

please help me to love my enemies. I can't stand this person at work. Help me to love them. Amen. So again, pray before, during and after. Tip number five. Ask for help if you need it. If you need additional help. Or if you really need help.

Understanding a passage. Don't be afraid to ask for help. Talk to a pastor, a Bible teacher,

an elder, a church, a missionary, or someone who's been a Christian

a long time. Reach out, ask questions and get help. You can also leave your comments here

and we'll do our best to get to them. But I highly suggest

that you talk to someone in person. We will also address

how to understand a difficult passage in our intermediate level video to close. I will provide some recommended goals

regarding your reading of the Bible. I would recommend that you master

the steps mentioned in this video before

proceeding to the intermediate level. Some goals I would give to someone before

advancing them are one. Read one of the Gospels in its entirety to read all of the New Testament letters

from Romans to Jude. And three. Read the first two books of the law. Genesis and Exodus. Every chapter. Every verse. If you read all these books

while trying to apply the observation and application

steps covered in this video, I believe you would be more than ready

to proceed to the intermediate level. But again, that's a suggestion. If you want more, I won't stop you. So there you have it.

How to read the Bible. The Beginner Level Master. This level of reading and God

will speak to you, bless you, correct you and encourage you. Learn to enjoy your reading,

build the habit, and soon you will have a wealth of knowledge

and depth of love that's more valuable than any amount of money. Second, Timothy Chapter

three versus 16 to 17. All Scripture is inspired

by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize

what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong

and teaches us to do what is right. God uses it to prepare and equip

His people to do every good work. So have fun guys and work hard. May God bless you.

As you dove into his word and in your learning,

never forget this important truth. Jesus loves you. Thank you so much for watching. Please feel free to like and subscribe and share these videos

if administered to you. We're also now on Tik Tok,

so give us a follow over there. We'd really appreciate it. Until next time.

My name is Joseph. This is Impact. God bless.