Modern Christianity emphasizes emotionally-charged worship sessions, sharing and caring small groups, and praying for each other. But the practice of studying the Bible has fallen by the wayside. Many times, a group of Christians meeting together to discuss anything related to faith is considered a Bible study. How sad that the actual studying of the Bible is left primarily to seminary students and pastors.
But there's hope. Studying the Bible is not as esoteric as it might seem. In the same way that students examine a text closely, you can study the Bible. You can do it on your own or with others. The inductive method is invaluable for helping you to form convictions about what a text means. There are three steps to inductive: observe, interpret, apply. Rather than reading preconceived notions into a text, inductive is the method of tracing the author's argument through a passage.
There are plenty of free materials and guides available. I can highly recommend the 10 minute video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VKdea7L6II as an introduction. You can also check out its paper form http://t.co/OUbIAH3f7i (automatic download). Don't give up before you've even started!
No real student of the Scriptures ever
said this is easy. Proverbs 2:1-5 says:
My son, if you receive my words, and
treasure my commands within you, so that you incline your ear to
wisdom and apply your heart to understanding; yes, if you cry out for
discernment, and lift up your voice for understanding, if you seek
for her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasures, then
you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of
God.
God does not want us to stumble around in the dark. As the Master Communicator, He has made His Truth understandable to us, but it does requires some effort. How else can you defend why you believe what you believe?
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