Which study should we do next? This is always the question that nags as we end each session of Bible Study. There are so many (glorious!) options, it can be overwhelming to choose. Should we do a Beth Moore video study? A topical book-study? A book-of-the-Bible Navigator’s study? Since I love to teach, I also enjoy creating and studying my own book-of-the-book study, then teaching each week and writing homework. This is very, very, very labor-intensive for me and while I love it, I have noticed that it requires MUCH of me and not much of those who attend. *smile*
But this spring we went an entirely different direction, and now I’m asking myself: Why have we never done this before?!!! I’m amazed how learning in community so powerfully draws out the richness of the biblical text, how each person’s perspective widens my own, how just studying Scripture is rekindling that lost love for the Word of God like nothing else has.
I feel silly “sharing” this “new” way to study the Bible because it’s not new at all. It’s ancient. Old. Simple. But somehow over the years I feel as though we‘ve been drunk on books and parched for the Word. [bctt tweet=”We’ve been drunk on books and parched for the Word.”]
Sure, I read my Bible through every year. I even write Bible studies and do study it on my own. But in terms of our corporate Bible studies, growing together, I feel like we’ve become so glutted with books about the Bible we’ve become starved for the actual Bible itself.
It’s a little scary to say those words, seeing how I write books about the Bible. *smile*
But I’d rather you read your Bible than read my books about the Bible.
So here’s what we’ve been doing: studying the Bible. Tada! Aren’t you impressed? Ok, all jokes aside, two groups of us gals have been gathering to study through the New Testament. Like, all of it. At our current rate it will take us 5 years, but hey–what else is there to do?! So we began in Matthew, and we covered 4 chapters a week. Matthew is 28 chapters long, so we covered it in 7 weeks. We added an introductory week at the beginning and the total was an 8-week study.
What I love is that you dear friend could easily gather a handful of gals this summer and use this same method on your own. No materials, no videos, no cost. Nothing. Just you and your Bible and a handful of friends in your living room.
Here’s briefly how it works: Let’s say there’s 8 of you and 28 chapters in the book. Two of you study one of the first 4 chapters (i.e. Two study chapter 1, two study chapter 2, two study chapter 3, two study chapter 4). A shorter book you could study slower (i.e. Philippians, with 4 chapters, you ALL could study each chapter, or even half a chapter, and cover the book in 5 weeks or 9 weeks, allowing for an intro week.) You use the same method (below) and all agree to devote just ONE HOUR each week, broken into 4 15-minute chunks. Anybody can find an hour a week—we easily waste that much time gawking at stuff on Facebook. Right?
Then, when we gather, each duo shares their process and discoveries from that week–their outline, cross-references and Aha! moments, insights and ways they want to see God work in their lives as a result of what they’ve learned. The entire group has read all 4 chapters, so discussion can take place, questions asked, insights shared. Everyone is involved, and if someone is having an off-week and struggled to finish the chapter (or can’t come for some reason), the others can cover for her, offer their insights. We learn in community.
The Word of God and the people of God. We need both. Perhaps this might be a simple way to wed the two and discover all over again the greatness of God’s holy Word.
{Happy studying! Thanks for reading.}
*Here are PDFs outlining the process and giving an example of what a week’s study might look like. Enjoy!