Deeper Life: James – Day 1

Prayer God, here we go starting a new study of your word. These are YOUR WORDS. Please speak to me as I read. Open my eyes. Soften my heart. I need you, God, and I want to know you more. 1:1-4 From James, a slave of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve […]

Specifics for Bible Study

Okay, so imagine with me you’re on a first date. The conversation goes like this: “So where do you work?” “McDonalds.” “Do you have family in town?” “No.” “What do you like to do for fun?” “Read.” Et cetera. No added information from them. No follow-up questions from you asking for more details. No reciprocating […]

So, Why Read it?

No joke. I’m sitting in the public library typing away about Bible study and an older gentleman walks by, stops and says incredulously, “I just saw this book title, ‘How to Read the Bible.’ Have you ever heard anything so ridiculous? You open it up and you start at Genesis!” We laughed together, and talked […]

Context. Context. Context.

Why Bible Study – Part V Ever had an awkward moment where someone overheard you say something and mistook your meaning because they only heard part of what you said? They took it out of context, making you look bad. Because the Bible contains so much, we can easily bend what it actually says to […]

The Language Difference

Why Bible Study Part IV While studying Spanish, I quickly discovered that whereas in today’s English we say “Sorry” when we mean “I apologize,” or “Excuse me,” or “Oops, my bad,” or “I feel bad for you,” there wasn’t one Spanish word that covered all the same bases. I had to hunt down all the […]

Culture Here vs. There

Why Bible Study Part III Imagine walking into church Sunday morning. When you step inside, everyone welcomes you with a big, “Hey! How are you?” and a kiss on both cheeks. Be a little weirded out? On the other hand, in Latin America, a warm greeting similar to this welcomes you everywhere you go. It’s […]

The Depth of the Bible

Why Bible Study? Part II One nippy October night on a hayride, I shared the story of Jesus’ love with a curly-headed first-grader. Her eyes lit up with understanding. “That’s the nicest thing anyone has every done for me!” The message of the Bible is simple enough for someone hearing it the first time to […]

The Bible as a Story

Why Bible Study? Part I When I turned eleven, my parents gave me the Anne of Green Gables books. I connected with those stories on a level I never had before. I laughed with my mom late at night reading how Anne cracked her slate over Gilbert’s head. When her friend Ruby died I cried […]