Bonus Episode: Tips for Studying Scripture

Bonus Episode – Tips for Studying Scripture

Show Notes

We’re back! Join Sebra as she kicks off Season Two with this bonus episode that closes the loop on something frequently shared in Season One, and that was to study Scripture for yourself.  Take a listen to some of the tips Sebra has learned along the way!      

In this episode:

• Intro
• Welcome back for Season Two and episode highlights (00:44)
• Difference between reading and studying Scripture (03:29)
• What to study (04:16)
  • Scriptures from church (04:16)
  • Scriptures from devotionals (04:31)
  • What the Holy Spirit impresses upon your heart (04:56)
• Suggestions for how to study (05:42)
  • Keep Scripture in context (05:59)
  • Learn Scripture and not just memorize (06:44)
  • Seek your daily bread (07:18)
  • Consider keeping a journal (08:23)
  • Use additional resources (08:40)
• Ways to implement the suggestions 
  • Invest in a good study Bible (09:22)
  • Jot down Scripture (09:59)
  • Ask questions while you read (10:12)
• Benefits of studying (11:03)
• When to study (11:18)
• Ways to connect with God in the morning (12:00)
• What to do if you get sidetracked (14:01)
• What to do if your study time is no longer working (14:25)
• Three encouragements (16:18)
  • Use one of the study tips to study the Parable of the Sower and the Seed (16:18) 
  • Share your study tip with us on social media (16:51) 
  • Consider taking notes this season (17:03)
• Sebra’s pearl of wisdom (18:00)
• Thank you for listening (18:16)

 Scriptures references:

• The Parable of the Sower and the Seed:
  • Matthew 13:1-23
  •  Mark 4:1-20
  • Luke 8:1-15
• Additional Scriptures
  • 2 Timothy 2:15 (Amplified Translation)

  Website:  https://raisinggodlywomen.buzzsprout.com/    

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Transcript

Season 02 - Bonus Episode - Tips for Studying Scripture

[00:00:00] Khara Welcome to Season Two of the Raising Godly Women podcast, where we are here to empower a generation of women in their relationship with Christ, so that they can empower the generation behind them. In Season One, we explored the Parable of the Sower and the Seed, which is all about the soil of our hearts.

[00:00:17] We personified each of the soils and shared our experiences as we journeyed with these women. So, if you are new to the podcast, we wanna thank you and check out Season One, because it lays the foundation for the path ahead. We are to take time and dress for the journey God has before us. So please join our host Sebra Ferrell for Season Two, as she and her guests take a fresh look and put on the Armor of God. 

[00:00:44] Sebra Thank you everyone for coming back for Season Two of Raising Godly Women. I'm your host, Sebra Ferrell, and I know it’s been a while since we've been together, but that's because a lot of life has been happening since our last episode and now. 

[00:01:02] We will be covering the armor of God this year. And if you think about it, anytime you are trying to put on armor or anytime you are trying to go deeper in your faith walk with the Lord, there are going to be challenges that come your way, and I've had a few. The good news is we’re back for Season Two. However, before we start to look at the armor of God, we would like to close the loop on something that we kept saying in Season One.

[00:01:38] We frequently encouraged everyone to study the Parable of the Sower and the Seed for yourself, but we kind of forgot to do one thing, and that was to give you some tips for how to do that. We probably have a lot of more mature Christians out there who are already well versed in how they like to approach studying Scripture. But we also recognize that we may have some people who are newer to the Bible, who are newer to how to approach Scripture in their study time, who may not even understand the benefits of studying Scripture.

[00:02:18] So that's what this episode is dedicated to. I would like to share with you some of the study tips that I've picked up over the course of my walk with God. I don't use all of them all of the time, but at some point, I have used each of these, so I hope that in sharing them with you, you will also benefit.

[00:02:39] The reason why I believe this is important is because Second Timothy, the second chapter, verse 15, and I'm sharing it from the Amplified translation of the Bible. It says, study and do your best to present yourself to God approved, a workman tested by trial who has no reason to be ashamed, accurately handling and skillfully teaching the word of truth. 

[00:03:06] First thing I wanna do is share with you what to study. I know that may seem like an odd thing to say, but if you think about it, how many times have you, early in your walk with God, or if you're new in your walk with God, wondered, where do I start when it comes to studying Scripture, when it comes to reading the Bible? 

[00:03:29] There really is a difference between reading the Bible and studying the Bible. When you're reading the Bible, you're really not looking for application. All you're looking for is information. And I do encourage Bible reading because the more you read the Bible, the more you learn about what's in the Bible and what's not in the Bible.

[00:03:52] However, when it comes to studying, now you're looking for application. This is where you're looking to find something in Scripture that you can put in your tool belt for everyday living. And once we start discussing the armor, these are things you can put in your belt of truth, which will be the very first piece of armor that we cover.

[00:04:16] When it comes to what to study, if you go to church and you either take notes or you receive a handout, there should be some Scriptures in there. Once you go home, maybe take those verses and it can be what you study for the week.

[00:04:31] If you finish and you still need something else to study, if you go to Bible study, there should be some Scripture that you take away from that. What about those devotionals that you receive? They come to you via email or someone gives you a devotional book. Again, there should be some Scripture in there that you can take and write down what that Scripture is and then just begin to study what it actually means. 

[00:04:56] And let's not ever leave out what the Holy Spirit impresses upon your heart. I know there's some mornings I wake up with this random Scripture in my mind, and sometimes I don't even know if that Scripture exists in the Bible or not. So, I'll get up, I'll look it up, and then I'll see what is God speaking to me from this Scripture?

[00:05:18] If you use any of these recommendations for what to study, you should have plenty to keep you busy. But the bottom-line is, don't just depend on what someone else tells you. Study it for yourself so it can become a part of you of your journey, it can become something that will help you as you walk out your everyday life with God. 

[00:05:42] Now that we know what to study, let's take a look at some suggestions for how to study. One, ask God to be your teacher. That's the most important thing you can ever do because the Holy Spirit teaches us what Scripture is actually saying. 

[00:05:59] The next thing is keep Scripture in context. Don't just look at a Scripture, read it, and then think that that's all there is to that verse. That verse was written in context. So, at a minimum, read the Scripture above it and the Scripture below it. If you find that you need to read more, then maybe find where that subject matter starts and read that. Because a lot of times in the Bible you'll have topical headings, so read whatever is in that section, if necessary, read the whole chapter. A lot of times we will take a verse and we'll make it mean something, but then when you put it back in context, it means something totally different. So always keep Scripture in context. 

[00:06:44] I encourage you to learn Scripture and not just memorize it. Memorizing Scripture is great because it gives you a resource, it gives you something to pull from when you're in a situation, and that Scripture will pop back in your mind and remind you, okay, this is what God says about this specific situation that you're in. But when you take time to learn it, now you can actually apply it in that situation. It's not just information in your head, but it's actually application for your everyday life. 

[00:07:18] I encourage you to seek your daily bread. When you sit down to study, seek what is going to nourish you in that particular day, don't feel like you have to spend five hours studying just to understand something. Sometimes you may sit down and it might only take God 5, 10, 15 minutes to nourish you based on what the Scripture that you're looking at is telling you. Sometimes it may take a little longer, but the most important thing is walk away with something. That's what I like to call, takeaway. 

[00:07:55] You've heard us do it all last Season. What is our takeaway from an episode? So, when you walk away from Scripture, take something away that is going to edify you, that is going to encourage you, that is going to strengthen you. Don't just walk away without having something. Even if your takeaway is just, okay, Father, I don't really understand what this is telling me, so I need your help. That's a takeaway. 

[00:08:23] Also, consider keeping a journal because it gives you an opportunity to go back and review. It gives you an opportunity to write your prayers. It gives you an opportunity to write down everything that you learn about this Scripture that you're studying.

[00:08:40] I also recommend that you use additional resources like Bible apps, Bible gateway, Biblehub, and whatever other Bible app that you might find that might benefit you. You can also use the internet to research things. And you can also use handbooks and commentaries. Because those can give you an insight into a Scripture that you may not have gained by yourself, especially when you're new to studying the Bible, they are really, really helpful. I use them a lot myself, and I have found when I get stuck, if I go to a commentary on that particular Scripture, it will open my eyes to things that I may not have seen. 

[00:09:22] Now let's look at some ways that you might want to implement these suggestions. One, invest in a good study Bible. I can't stress that enough. Find one that you can relate to. If you want historical information, find a study Bible that has that. If you want, how to apply the Scripture to your everyday life. Find a Bible that does that. But I strongly suggest if you want to study Scripture, get a good study Bible one that works for you and how you learn.

[00:09:59] I suggest jotting down Scriptures while you're reading. Write it out, because there's a connection between writing something and seeing it while we're writing it and how well our brain retains it. 

[00:10:12] I also suggest ask questions while you're reading. Take the time to ask, who is it talking about? What is it talking about? Those are some things that will help you actually get a better understanding of what the Scripture is saying and it will also help you keep the Scripture in context.

[00:10:33] One of the ways I do this is I will break down the Scripture into its simplest parts. For instance, what is the noun? What is the verb? What is the action that's being taken? Sometimes I'll use bullet points because bullet points help me break out, okay, here's the noun. Here's the verb. Here's the who, what, when, where, and why. All of those questions can be answered by breaking the Scripture down into its simplest parts. 

[00:11:03] One of main benefits of studying this way is, it increases your study time because now you're not just reading through, you're actually taking time to absorb and analyze, and it gives you improved understanding. 

[00:11:18] Next on our list is when to study. If you are not a morning person trying to get up first thing in the morning and just really delve into Scripture, may not be the best time for you. You can read anytime, but study when you are alert. If you wake up wide alert in the morning, that may be the best time for you. So, the most important thing about when to study is do it when you are most alert. If it's early in the morning, great. But if you're not an early morning person, it’s still important to connect with God in some way early in the morning.

[00:11:58] So here are a few thoughts for that.

[00:12:00] One of the ways is to just turn your thoughts to God before you open your mouth and before your feet hit the floor. Five minutes, 10 minutes just lying in the bed, thanking God for waking you up that morning. Ask God to direct your day. Take a moment to just say a quick prayer for someone, or to release any kind of anxiety that you may be feeling even that early in the morning. Just take that time to get your mind and your heart focused on God. 

[00:12:29] Another thing you can do, you can prepare yourself the night before by writing down a Scripture. Use an index card. Use a sticky note, write it in your journal, but write down a Scripture that when you get up that morning, you can look at that Scripture and spend the day meditating on what it means Rehearse that Scripture in your mind. Ask yourself those questions about what it means and get it deep into your heart. That way, your mind, your focus, your heart is all turned towards God first thing in the morning. 

[00:12:59] If I find myself stuck and I'm not really getting anything in my study time, I'll go back and I'll review a journal, and what I find is sometimes God will answer questions I had outstanding, and that helps me to be able to say, thank you, Lord, for answering this question. Sometimes I'll find he's answered a prayer that I didn't even take time to thank him for, but journal reviews can be very edifying and they can also help you to connect in the morning without having to do a lot of deep thought. 

[00:13:32] The overall goal is to find a way that you can connect with your Heavenly Father first thing in the morning to set the tone for your day. The key, just start somewhere because once you get started, the more consistent you are with whatever you do, you'll find that you desire more and more of learning what God is saying. You'll find that you want to know more. You want to experience Him more. You want to gain more information and more knowledge. 

[00:14:01] If by chance you get sidetracked. Don't give up. Consider every morning or every day that you study as you're putting a brick in a wall, especially if you journal, because each time you write that thing down that you learned, you've put a brick in the wall, you've put something in your daily tool belt, and it's still there when you come back for it. So don't get discouraged. 

[00:14:25] If your study time is not working for you, start by asking God, why. Reevaluate what you're doing. The approach that you're taking may not be the approach for you. Try something else. It may be a time you need to harvest what you've already planted. What that means is maybe you've learned some things that you haven't put into practice yet. In order to be able to receive something new, you need to put into practice what you already know. One of the best things to do that is not only walking it out in your daily life, but also taking time to share it with someone else. You really know what you know when you can explain it to somebody else. 

[00:15:11] Another thing you can do, make sure you've done the last thing that God told you to do. I like to say, why should the teacher keep talking if you've not done the last thing that the teacher told you to do. So, if you're finding that your study time with God isn't producing for you the way it was, ask God, what is it that you've told me to do that I haven't done and then go back and do that.

[00:15:33] Next, you might just be in a season of rest to allow the roots of what you've already planted to go deeper. If you've listened to Season One, then you know we talked about the Parable of the Sower and the Seed. So, when you've planted all that seed in your heart, it's got to go down deep into the soil of your heart, and that requires rest. Just like the earth rests in the winter and the roots start to go deep. Sometimes you won't be able to have those intense times of study, but you can still do something early in the morning to connect with God. 

[00:16:06] And last but not least, do not get stressed. Don't get on a guilt trip; get on a grace trip and ask God to help you get started again. 

[00:16:18] Now, before I close, I wanna encourage you to do three things. If there's a study tip in here that really resonated with you, I encourage you to take that study tip and study the Parable of the Sower and the Seed. You can find it in Matthew chapter 13, in Mark chapter 4, and in Luke chapter 8, because as we go through Season Two, understanding the Parable of the Sower and the Seed is really going to help you better understand the armor. 

[00:16:51] The second thing I wanna ask you to do is share your study tips with us. We would love for you to engage with us on social media and let us know, this is what works for me. 

[00:17:03] And last but not least, I encourage you this season to consider taking notes. Maybe sit down with that episode. Take the show notes and pull out things that really speak to you because the armor of God is going to really challenge you. 

[00:17:23] If you go back and you think about that seed is going to fall in one of four places. A Wendy moment where you don't understand it. A Rocky moment where you don't wanna obey it. A Thorny Teresa moment where you get faith weary, or you’re going to have a Good Ground Gabrielle, a GiGi moment, where you are going to produce fruit off of the seeds that are sown in this season. We're praying that the seeds that are sown in your heart will fall on good ground in the soil of your heart.

[00:18:00] And on that note, no matter how old we are, no matter how long we've walked with God, there is always something new that we can learn from each other. Be blessed to be a blessing, and that's something to ponder.

[00:18:16] Khara Thank you for listening to the Raising Godly Women podcast and taking this journey with us to be Titus Two women. We pray that the seeds of God's Word shared today fell on good soil. That soil is in your heart. Now we hope that through today's pearls of wisdom, you have gained the tools to help you become stronger, to help you become more confident in your everyday life, most especially as it relates to your walk with Christ. 

[00:18:37] We also hope that you will share your tools with those who are younger in age, or even maybe younger in faith and help them become stronger and confident, so that they can share with other women passing on the baton to the generation behind them. Just imagine the ripple effect our sharing can have, not only in our generation, but also in the generations to come to build and strengthen the body of Christ as we all come together to empower each other. 

[00:19:02] So until we meet again, feel free to join the Raising Godly Women community. Let's talk about your connection with this episode on social media. You can find us on Facebook and Instagram at Raising Godly Women dot RGW. Be sure to tag us because we love to have you connect and be a part of the family. And on that note, may you prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers, Shalom daughters of God. Shalom.