I’m super excited to share this post by Michele, one of my new contributors and long-time friend!!  It’s a little different from what you would normally find here and I hope you enjoy it as much as I have!

I’m going to be honest. This blog post is for my own sake as much as it is yours. I struggle with consistently staying on track when it comes to Bible study. I attend church regularly and I participate in Bible studies at my church, but as far as my daily personal Bible study I’m lacking. I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels inadequate when it comes to this topic.

That’s why I’ve come up with what I’ll call “The Bible Study Challenge”. Here’s the purpose of this challenge:  It was something I knew I needed when I saw a quote on Facebook that said “Satan’s greatest weapon is man’s ignorance of God’s word.” Wow! When I read that, I knew I was guilty. I realized I shouldn’t let me lack of knowledge about God’s word ever be used against me. I have the power to take that weapon away from Satan and I should. God’s given us his will through the Bible and with it we can know what we should do. We just have to study it.

2 Timothy 2:15

Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be

ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Romans 12:2

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that

by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and

perfect.

Another purpose of the Bible study challenge is to encourage others to take charge of their faith. It’s easy to read a short devotional or allow a Christian book to take the place of God’s word. I’m not saying those things are bad because they can be a great source of encouragement, but if we allow them to replace personal study, then we have failed. Be cautious in letting others interpret the Bible for you. If you feel overwhelmed when starting your Bible study refer back to these 7 tips I shared in my post How to Study the Bible.

Things to keep in mind when studying the Bible:

#1 Consider context

#2 Have a plan

#3 Be dedicated

#4 Use common sense, reasoning and good judgment

#5 Be open to what it says.

#6 It’s okay to have questions, keep searching the Bible for the answers.

#7 Remember the Bible doesn’t contradict itself so if something is confusing keep studying.  It will make sense.

Read the Bible with a purpose. Start with a book, maybe The Old Testament book of Genesis or the New Testament book of Mark. Please don’t randomly open it and take a verse out of its context and expect to understand it all. It’s okay that the Bible Study Challenge is a challenge. It’s okay that it might take some work on my part. My goal is to gain more knowledge of God’s word, and I hope you do, too. Remember that God’s word makes us complete and ready to do His will.

2 Timothy 3:16-17

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof,

for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17

complete, equipped for every good work.

If you are already studying the Bible regularly, then you can take the challenge a step further. My preacher recently challenged us to continue daily Bible study, but add to that the study of a specific topic. For example, I might be reading the book of Matthew, but also studying specific scripture with the focus on faith. If that’s too much, then just pick a book and read it through. I promise you will gain so much knowledge. Currently I’m reading through 1 and 2 Corinthians. Since I came up with the challenge, I thought I should let you know where I started.

Psalm 119:105

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.