How-to Study and Stand on Truth

Recently I have felt such a burden to teach my kids how to study the Bible. Not just read the Bible, not just know their way around the Bible, but to study and meditate on the Bible. I long for them to crave God’s Word, to know how to go to God’s Word to find help and strength, and to be utterly transformed by God’s Word.
Teaching my kids how to study the Bible has become so important to me that I have started working on what I hope to turn into an e-book about a powerful yet simple way I have learned to study the Bible. While my job as a curriculum writer has been to teach kids about the Bible, I realized that my own children do not know how to go to God’s Word themselves to find the comfort, hope and strength that lies on its pages.
In a day when the world tries to define truth as relative and subjective, and so called Christian leaders preach a watered-down politically acceptable gospel, teaching our kids The Truth is more important than ever. And not just our kids, but ourselves as well.
Without knowing The Truth, it is so easy to believe a lie, or to gladly accept a half-truth as being the real thing. A watered-down gospel, is no Gospel at all. God’s truth mixed with a lie is a lie. But how will we know a counterfeit truth unless we know the real thing?
I believe one of satan’s most powerful weapons is a closed or only glanced at Bible. Having a Bible on a nightstand is not enough. Opening the Bible once a week on Sunday is not enough. Reading the Bible as if marking an item off a to-do list is not enough.
The Creator of the Universe, God Almighty, has written us a letter! He has placed Truth on pages for us to hold, read, and learn. He tells us His Word is alive and active. Jesus Himself is called the Word of God. The words which make up our Bible are life changing, heart transforming and soul saving.
The only way to overcome lies, fear, and hopelessness is to read, study and meditate on God’s Word.
This is why I am going to spend the next several blog posts walking through Psalm 37 with you and teaching you the method of Bible study that has completely transformed my walk with the LORD. Many of you will probably already know how to do this method, while it will be new to many others. It is called the 3 Point Inductive Method.
I first learned it from Ann Graham Lotz, and we use this in our weekly Bible study. The concept is very straightforward:
1. Read a verse
2. Write down a lesson you learn from the verse
3. Write down a personal application from the lesson you learn.
I could go into great detail about each one, and I do in the e-book I am working on, but I think it is also very helpful just to see examples, which is what the next several blog posts will be. My main focus for this week will be teaching you how to use this Bible study method, then at the end of the week I will give you some tips on modifying it to help your children use it too.
I have chosen Psalm 37 because it spoke to my heart so powerfully this morning. It was written by David and is about the fate of the wicked. In light of the evil that seems so prevalent as of late, my heart was greatly encouraged by this Psalm, and so it seemed a great choice to study.
I would be honored if you would join me in this Bible study endeavor. We will only do a few verses at a time as we look for lessons and applications. I will post a short post each day this week with new verses for that day.
Good will overcome evil. God will destroy satan. Light will penetrate the darkness. And Truth will prevail! Let’s hold fast to these truths as we dig deeply into Psalm 37.
Go ahead and read the entire Psalm today (it is a little long) and we will get started verse by verse tomorrow. Looking forward to exploring God’s Word with you!
Much love,
Jen