How can a believer consistently internalize the word of God on a day to day basis?How does one cultivate a balanced bible diet? Most mature Christians I meet have two fundamental realities they face each day:
They want to spend time with the Lord in His Word to grow in godliness
Each day’s schedule is incredibly busy and packed with activities and tasks that have to get done
What is the best way to daily put yourself before the word of God in the midst of all the normal, everyday things that need to get done? I have asked myself this in every stage of life so far and with my family newly expanding, I find myself thinking through this issue again.
I have already written about the book “The Practice of Godliness” by Jerry Bridges. As I have been working through the book, it continues to prove itself an excellent read. I want to analyze a quote I recently read which helps answer some of the questions posed above. Bridges gives 5 staples of a balanced bible diet to work into your day.
A prominent part of our practice of godliness, therefore, will be our time in the Word of God. How we spend that time varies according to the method of intake…hearing, reading, studying, memorizing, and meditating.
The Practice of Godliness by Jerry Bridges
What the quote means
This quote appears in a chapter which discusses training yourself for godliness. Bridges rightly argues that one of the primary means by which a believer becomes more godly is through diligent and disciplined exposure to the word of God. Bridges then cites the Navigators five different methods of Scripture intake: hearing, reading, studying, memorizing, and meditating.
These five different categories of Scripture intake are incredibly helpful to keep in your mind. Hearing has to do with listening to the exposition of the Word of God from your Pastor or a teacher. Bridges describes “reading” as a structured Bible reading plan you go through in a year. The basic idea is getting a broad look at Scripture. Studying has to do with going deep into a text using analytical tools and then organizing your information afterwards.
The last two, memorizing and meditating, are closely related. Memorizing is internalizing Scripture to the point you can recall it easily to your mind. Meditating means “murmuring to yourself” the words of Scripture so you are constantly mulling a text over in your mind. Personally, I think meditating is the highest form of Scripture intake and all the other four support the goal of meditating on the Word of God “day and night.”
Why it is important
There is an old adage that goes “variety is the spice of life.” Similarly, I would say “variety keeps you engaged with Scripture.” If you want a balanced Bible diet, you need to think about all five different methods of Scripture intake, not just one or two. In our flesh, you and I are lazy thinkers, readers, and “remember-ers”.
If you want to retain and live out what you read in the Bible, you need to have times of hearing, reading, studying, memorizing, and meditating on God’s Word.
Varying how you engage with Scripture does two things:
It allows you to fit time in the Word into the various contexts you find yourself in each day
You will keep you mind from becoming bored with one passage or mode of Scripture intake
Oftentimes, one quiet time is not enough in a day. You will need several times throughout the day and oftentimes each session in God’s word will have to look different than the last one. Rarely can you do an in-depth study of Scripture 20 times a day. Instead, you can vary the modes of Scripture intake so that you can stay engaged with God’s word whether you are at work, at home, at the store or wherever you find yourself.
Create as many avenues to Scripture in your day as you can.
Takeaways
1. Look at your schedule to see where you can work in each type of Bible engagement
You might not be able to study Scripture in depth on your commute to work. But you can definitely listen to a sermon on the drive. Or you can listen to someone reading through the Bible. Perhaps during your lunch break, you can’t listen to sermon but you can take a walk and meditate on what God taught you in your morning quiet time. Your mind might be wandering during your Bible reading; why not force your mind to focus by memorizing a couple verses?
There is an opportunity for you to be growing in your knowledge of the word of God no matter where you are or what you are doing.
Why else would the Psalmist talk about meditating on God’s law “day and night” if it wasn’t possible? If this doesn’t describe your current life, you are going to need to work on building the habit of exposing yourself to the Word throughout your entire day. As you look at your schedule this week or for an individual day, think through times in which you could read Scripture. Hear Scripture. Meditate on Scripture.
I am confident God has given you time throughout the day for each of the five parts of a balanced Bible diet. You just have to look and plan. Your goal shouldn’t be to have one quiet time of good Bible study a day. That certainly is great and you make time for it. But your goal should be more than that: fixing your life around God’s truth day in and day out. Easier said than done, I know. But it is a goal worth working towards.
2. Shift between the different Bible diet types if you aren’t able to do one
Are you tired and exhausted? Then maybe you shouldn’t do a full inductive Bible study on the book of Romans. What I love about the five different modes of Bible intake that Bridges lays out is you have options depending on how you are feeling. A lot of times, you might want to read your Bible but there is some external barrier keeping you from it. But as Bridges describes, you actually have five options of Bible intake.
Even if there is a barrier keeping you from deep Bible study, that same barrier might not keep you from listening to a sermon. And, of course, Bible meditation can always be done as long as you have a verse in your mind to think through. As I have had to stay awake with a new born, I now understand the wisdom of the Psalmist who meditates on God’s word during the “watches of the night.”
Regardless of how you are feeling or what your schedule is, there is a way for you to engage with God’s word
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”Got Questions” defines a “quiet time” as when a believer goes to “comfortable and rather secluded place in (usually) his own home, where he can draw close to God with no distractions.” Put another way, “A quiet time is a set-aside part of each day for a meeting between a believer and God. It consists of reading a part of the Bible of the believer’s own choosing, and praying.” And I firmly believe most Christians need a second quiet time. Or a third. Or as many as needed.
Certainly one quiet time is better than none. I personally wake up before work to get undistracted time with the Lord. However, as I have continued in my working life, I have become more and more convinced that merely having a morning quiet time is not enough. I find myself longing for a second quiet time in the middle of the day or even another one in the evening. And I think there are some good reasons for this.
A helpful metaphor: coffee
I love coffee. Aero press, V60, espresso, you name it. Every morning I start with making myself a delicious cup to both enjoy and energize me for the day ahead. Now, this enjoyment and energy carries me through the morning and into the afternoon. But something happens after about 1:00 in the afternoon:
The effect of the coffee wears off.
I feel tired again. And if continue the day without making myself another cup, I won’t perform as well at my job. One cup is important and essential in the morning. But to truly get through my day effectively, I might need a second cup. Sometimes, when sleep is lacking and the day is particularly grueling, I might even make a third cup.
I think this is a helpful metaphor for thinking about Bible study and prayer throughout the day.
You might have an amazing morning quiet time with the Lord. But oftentimes, the burdens and distractions of the day cause the sweet effect of communion with the Lord to diminish. The answer: a second quiet time.
If I recognize the importance of multiple cups of coffee to get me through a day physically, how much more do I need multiple times with the Lord to get me through the day spiritually?
Distracted minds that forget easily
I don’t know about you, but it always seems like I have a hundred things going on in my mind. What that practically means is I am a task-driven person. I complete a task. Then I move on to the next. This can be a helpful skill at work and at home, but it often makes me lose sight of the Lord even a few hours after my morning quiet time.
You and I live in a world full of distractions. Email. Social media. An endless list of things to do. And distracted minds tend to forget things. It could be responding to an email or an appointment you made with a friend. But for me, it can become easy to read the Word, have a good time of prayer with the Lord, and then to almost immediately switch into a different mindset when I get to work.
Rather than focusing my mind on the Lord, I immediately go to all the tasks I need to get done at work. As the day goes on, the spiritual encouragement I received from the Lord in the morning becomes further and further away. What is the answer? A second quiet time in the middle of the day can refocus your mind spiritually when you most need it.
Effect of a second quiet time
Work is my “war zone” so to speak. I am among both believers and unbelievers. The temptation to be motivated by wealth or fame or success comes to the forefront of my heart. Fear of man and their opinion of me threatens any boldness I might have to share Christ. It is in the middle of this context that a time with God and in His word refreshes me most deeply.
You don’t just need to start your day with the Lord. You need Him to sustain you wherever you go. Pausing at lunch or for a quick break in the middle of the day gives you that spiritual “boost” you need exactly when you need it. Just like that second cup of coffee allows me to continue to do my work effectively, a second focused time with the Lord can give you the encouragement you need to fight subtle temptations around you and keep your mind fixed on Jesus.
What does a second quiet time at work look like?
1. Pull out your Bible, read it, and think about it
I posted about this last week. Honestly, if you pause for 15 minutes in the middle of your work day, you can read a text for 5 minutes and then let it sit in your mind for the remaining 10. You will be amazed what effects come out of simply stopping at lunch to remind yourself of Jesus, the gospel, and God’s plan for the world. Don’t think a second quiet time needs to be an hour long. Just start with 15 minutes and see what God teaches you.
2. Pause and take 10 minutes (Or more or less) to pray
Sometimes, you won’t get a chance to read and meditate on a Scripture. But I bet during the course of a work day, you walk from one place to another. Why not use that walk to pray to the Lord? Thank Him for the day so far. Ask Him to strengthen you. Remind yourself of His rule over all your affairs. Ask specifically for Christ-honoring responses in the situations you find yourself in. Taking a walk is a great way to give your mind a rest from work, and to give yourself space to pray and re-center yourself on spiritual things.
3. Bring a good Christian book to work to read through
I have a couple books at my desk to pick up and read when I get a chance. Currently, I have one by Piper, one Church history book, a set of Puritan sermons, and a book on manhood. When I get a brief lull from work, I can normally read through a section or a chapter of these books in 15 minutes or so. Choose books that have small, consumable chapters and you have yourself a perfect, bite-sized bit of theology to keep you sustained. Give yourself as many avenues to get to spiritual things as possible. Good Christian books at your desk are great tools to give yourself a second time with the Lord in your workday.
4. Take a walk with another believer and talk about the Lord
I already mentioned walking and praying, but another very sweet and wonderful way to remind yourself of Christ in the middle of your day is to simply take a walk with another believer. I have written before about the amazing potential every interaction with a fellow Christian has. So why not schedule a time to meet up with a Christian in your office? Ask them how their quiet time went, what they are reading, what the Lord is teaching them. Share Scripture. Talk about a Sunday sermon. Simply talking with another Christian can get your mind back on “things above”.
Conclusion: take as many quiet times as you need
On long, tired days, I might have many cups of coffee to get me through. In a similar way, getting through the day spiritually almost certainly will take more than one quiet time. Jesus called Himself the bread of life, living water, the vine in which we abide. In other words, you and I need to stay connected with our savior. Daily. Hourly. Moment by moment.
I highly recommend scheduling a second time in the day to seek the Lord in Scripture and in prayer. If you are like me and brew a couple cups of coffee a day, take some time while drinking that afternoon coffee to read the Bible. Or pray. Read a good book. Find a believer to chat with. You and I need more time with the Lord, not less. I’ll let Paul close this post:
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.
Romans 12:2 ESV
An easy way to keep your mind renewed and separate from the world at work is to set aside a second quiet time.
Follow The Average Churchman on Instagram or subscribe below so you don’t miss a post. Check out the “Tools” page to get some helpful resources to aid in your quiet times whenever they occur.
One of the reasons The Average Churchman exists is to provide you with tools, methods, and ideas to help you better understand and live out Scripture. Today, I want to give you the easiest, most practical tip to improve your Bible reading that I could think of. It isn’t complicated. No master’s of Divinity is required. Simply applying this to your daily Bible reading will have profound effects on your life long-term. And the best part: you can start it today without any difficulty.
The simple process to improve your Bible reading
Let’s say you just picked up your Bible for your daily “read through the Bible in a year” plan. Here is a simple and profound method to use:
Read the passage
Pause and stop reading
Think about the passage for 10 minutes straight
That’s it. It could not get simpler. Read your passage and then stop to think about what you just read for 10 minutes. Not 5 minutes. 10 whole, uninterrupted minutes of pure reflection. It might be tempting to let your mind wander or to keep reading. Don’t: read a section of Scripture and then let it sit.
Why does this simple method work? To use a metaphor, America is a fast-food culture. We want things right away and then it is on to the next task. Sitting down and savoring a meal takes time. Fast-food might not taste all that great, but at least it is convenient and saves us time.
I fear that this mentality of “cheap, fast, and mediocre” has affected how you and I read our Bibles. Sure you want to hear from God’s word, but only if it is quick, easily applicable, and done in time for you to move on to your next task. If you want to improve your Bible reading, the first step is to savor Scripture.
The Bible is a feast of profound truth. So take some time to savor and enjoy what God has prepared for you in His word.
Taking just 10 focused minutes to think about a Scripture you read helps counteract this fast-food mentality. Rather then reading as much as you can before moving on with your day, taking a reflective pause allows you to engage with the truths you just read. So, when planning out your Bible reading time, plan for 10 minutes of reflection and non-reading. Taking this pause every time you read Scripture will allow you to remember and apply more of what you read in Scripture.
The question is, what kinds of things should you think about as you take your 10 minute pause? Here are a couple ideas
Think about other Scriptures that connect with your passage
A lot of times, improving your Bible reading is about seeing how your text fits in with the rest of Scripture. Taking a 10 minute reflective pause gives you time to think about other Scriptures that relate to that passage you just read. What passages deal with the same topic? Where does this passage fit in with God’s plan of redemption? Are there any passages alluded to in your text?
10 minutes of reflection lets you “connect the dots” and think about how your passage relates to other parts of Scripture.
A lot of times, the Holy Spirit will bring to mind several passages you read earlier that week or heard in a sermon or another believer talked about. Taking a 10 minute pause can give you the time and space to make those connections. One of the benefits is you might see a common theme the Lord is trying to teach you.
Think about situations in your own life which relate to your passage
The 10 minute pause not only gives you time to connect your passage to the rest of the Bible, it also gives you time to examine your own life. What events in your life illustrate the truths in this passage? When have you experienced something similar to what is discussed in the passage? What is going on in your life currently that the Lord might want you to change based on your passage?
Comparing your current life to Scripture is a great way of starting to apply a text. Rather than simply jumping to “what do I need to do”, you start by simply comparing yourself, your character, your life to the realities in your passage. Taking a 10 minute pause gives you enough time to think about your own life in light of truth. Don’t just run to the next passage: let a truth permeate your life.
Parts of Scripture can seem impractical until you pause and examine your own life in light of a passage.
If God is sovereign, then even the passage you read for your daily Bible reading was chosen by Him. Improve your Bible reading by stopping to think about why God might have led you to a particular passage today.What is going on in your life that God might be speaking to?
Think about the ways a passage drives you to prayer
Finally, taking a 10 minute pause gives you space to respond to a text with prayer. What is there to thank the Lord for? Are there any requests that should be made based on your passage? Perhaps a sin needs to be confessed, a promise pleaded, or a song of praise sung. Don’t let your 10 minute pause end without praying your passage back to the Lord.
Scripture should drive you to worship. And one of the simplest acts of worship that you can do “without ceasing” is praying in response to the Word.
Don’t make the mistake of disconnecting your prayer life with your Bible reading. They are integrally related. If you can’t think of anything else, end your 10 minute reflection thanking the Lord for providing you His word. For sustaining you “not by bread alone” but by “every word that comes from the mouth of God.”
Improve your Bible reading by setting aside 10 minutes for reflection
Taking 10 minutes to reflect on your Bible reading is not complicated or difficult to understand. You can start doing it today. The biggest barrier is often time and focus: you feel like 10 minutes might be too much time or you don’t think you can spend 10 minutes straight thinking solely about a text of Scripture. But here is the good news: the Bible was meant to be meditated on.
In taking 10 minutes to simply pause and reflect, you are reading the Bible the way it is meant to be read. Not as a box to check or a “quick read.” But as God’s life-changing, eternal truth that has countless connections and infinite implications for your life. Start today. Discipline yourself to slow down and savor God’s word. Through daily 10 minute pauses, you will train your mind to meditate on God’s word. And this in turn will make you like “a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season and whose leaf does not wither.”
I am convinced many people have the wrong view of Bible study. They think Bible study is simply a matter of sitting down, looking at a text, and understanding it almost immediately. This mentality works for certain texts that are clear in interpretation and application. But when confronted with more difficult texts, an “understand this text in the first read through” mentality can become very discouraging. The solution? Something I like to call “Iterative Bible Study.”
How I came up with this concept
What is an “iteration”?
There are three sources I used to come up with this concept: my engineering background, the Feynman technique, and a quote I read on non-fiction writing. I am personally surprised the word “iteration” is not used more often in Christian circles. It is a word used all the time in STEM fields, and it is a helpful concept to apply to other aspects of life. What does the word “iteration” mean?
Iteration is the repetition of a process in order to generate an outcome. The sequence will approach some end point or end value. Each repetition of the process is a single iteration, and the outcome of each iteration is then the starting point of the next iteration.
This concept is used in mathematics and computer programming all the time. But once you take this definition and apply it to Bible study, it becomes a powerful tool to understand a difficult text of Scripture. Iteration is a sort of incremental action you repeat until you reach the goal. Each time you repeat, you learn a little more.
Feynman’s method for learning
Where the idea of Iterative Bible Study really started formulating in my mind, however, came after reading about Richard Feynman. Feynman was an incredibly interesting person, but what stuck out to me was his method for learning new things. He learned by following a simple cycle (or you could call it, an iterative process).
Visual representation of Feynman Technique
Essentially, Feynman would start with a topic and try to explain it at a child’s level. Why a child’s level? Because if you can’t explain something clearly and briefly without resorting to too many complicated words, you probably don’t understand the concept that well yourself. After trying to explain a concept or topic at a child’s level, Feynman would make a note of where his knowledge was lacking. Then, Feynman would go to try to acquire the knowledge he lacked.
This process was then repeated until he could clearly articulate a complex concept clearly. Now, Feynman used this technique as a physicist. But as I read about his method, I couldn’t help but think this is a perfect way of approaching Bible study. The best part of this technique is helps you clearly see what you know and what you don’t know. Once you see what you don’t know, you have the starting point for the next round of study. Feynman used an iterative process to learn and it is a powerful tool that needs to be applied to Bible study.
A quote on non-fiction writing which also helped me
A final source which helped me formulate this idea of “iterative bible study” is a quote found in the book Tools of Titans (I don’t particularly recommend this book. Some parts were helpful but on the whole I would suggest Christians not spend their time reading through this volume.”
You don’t have writer’s block when writing non-fiction. It is you not having enough research to write with power and knowledge on that topic.
Tools of Titans
The quote comes from an interview with a non-fiction writer. Essentially, anytime you start struggling to write something in non-fiction, that is evidence you need to cycle back and do more research. Not being able to communicate a concept indicates you yourself do not understand it fully. That sounds almost exactly like what Feynman said.
How does this quote apply to Bible study? Gaps in communication are caused by gaps in understanding. As you work through a Bible passage, if you cannot clearly communicate what a part of that Bible passage says, you likely have more study to do. Iterative Bible Study is about cycling back through to fill those gaps in understanding.
You don’t need to have all the answers write away when studying Scripture. But you do need to note those places where you don’t understand a text. Then, you need to cycle through to answer those questions.
A Visual Aid
Before actually going through a step by step walk through of Iterative Bible Study, I want to provide an easy visual reference. Seeing the concept is easier than reading it described.
Now I will walk through each step one by one. It is important to note there is a number of ways you can use the concept of “iterations” in your personal Bible study. I have designed this tool to mainly focus on studying the text from the get go. In other words, these steps are for when you just start looking at a text of Scripture.
Step 1: Read through the text
This is an obvious first step but a necessary one to state. Whether you are studying a verse or a longer passage, the first step is to read through the text. Start noting any clues you find that the author has left for you. Particularly focus on the flow and structure of the passage. What are the repeated phrases? Where are the changes in tone?
I personally find it helpful to underline and circle any key components of the passage as I go. I draw arrows in between connections and note any important textual features directly in my Bible. If you prefer not to write in your Bible, I recommend using a notebook or computer to write out the important things you see as you go through.
Step 2: Write out a rough outline
Now that you have some initial insight into what the passage says, it is time to start writing an outline. I give an example of how to do this later on in this post. Essentially, you are looking at the passage and organizing the pieces of it under heading. Oftentimes, an outline takes the following form:
Main point 1
Sub-point 1a
Sub-point 1b
Main point 2
Sub-point 2a
Sub-point 2b
Etc.
Let the structure of the text determine the structure of your outline. Don’t stress too much about getting everything right immediately. This is only a rough outline. You have to see what you know before you can see what you don’t know.
Step 3: Write questions you want answered into the rough outline
This is truly where Iterative Bible Study begins. Now that you have your rough outline, you start injecting questions you have into the outline itself. If you don’t understand a certain part of a passage or the passage brings out a question you have, write that underneath the corresponding heading. It will look something like this:
Main point 1
Sub-point 1a
Question 1 about Sub-point 1a
Question 2 about Sub-point 1a
Sub-point 1b
Question 1 about Sub-point 1b
Main point 2
Question 1 about Main point 2
Sub-point 2a
Sub-point 2b
Question 1 about Sub-point 2b
Etc.
As you can see, you can have questions about main points, and sub-points. You can have several questions about one point or no questions about a point. Putting your questions in bold is probably a good idea so you can distinguish between what is from the text and what is a question you have.
It is also important to note, you don’t just have to put questions into the outline. You can also note key terms you need to define, metaphors you need to study to understand, or other passages you think are relevant to the text at hand.
This is the most crucial part of Iterative Bible Study. If you don’t figure out what questions you have or what the gaps are in your understanding of a passage, you will not make progress.
A good rule of thumb is if you cannot explain a certain point of a Bible passage to a 1st grader, you probably have some gaps in your understanding of that point.
Step 4: Go back to the text and other Scripture to answer those questions
Now you get back to work. By writing the questions and knowledge gaps you have, you have revealed the next steps you must take for your Bible study. Go back to the text you are studying or search other parts of the Bible to answer the questions you have. If you singled out terms you need to define, using a software such as Blue Letter Bible is helpful.
You might have noticed you are now approaching the text a second time. This is your first iteration. You are using your first look at the text as a way to see what else you need to study to understand God’s Word. As you work to answer the questions you wrote out in Step 3, I find it helpful to put the answers right back into the outline.
Main point 1
Sub-point 1a
Question 1 about Sub-point 1a
Answer 1
Answer 2
Question 2 about Sub-point 1a
Answer
Sub-point 1b
Question 1 about Sub-point 1b
Answer
Main point 2
Question 1 about Main point 2
Answer 1
Answer 2
Sub-point 2a
Sub-point 2b
Question 1 about Sub-point 2b
Answer
Etc.
You can see that your outline is now filling up. Even in a single iteration, you should have a much better understanding of the passage you started studying. Simply by identifying questions you have and gaps in your knowledge of a passage, you were able to direct your Bible study. Iterative Bible Study is all about making little steps forward in your understanding of a text.
Step 5: Repeat Steps 3-4 until satisfied with your study
Now, the reality is your further study could have revealed more questions you have. That is perfectly fine. The whole point of Iterative Bible Study is to keep asking questions and getting them answered. If after your first round of study you still have questions, repeat Steps 3-4 until you are satisfied. If you go this route, your outline might start looking like this:
Main point 1
Sub-point 1a
Question 1 about Sub-point 1a
Answer 1
Follow-up question for Answer 1
Answer 2
Question 2 about Sub-point 1a
Answer
Sub-point 1b
Question 1 about Sub-point 1b
Answer
New Question about Sub-point 1b
Main point 2
Question 1 about Main point 2
Answer 1
Answer 2
Follow-up question for Answer 2
Sub-point 2a
Sub-point 2b
Question 1 about Sub-point 2b
Answer
Etc.
The hope is that in your second round of going through Steps 3-4 you have less questions and gaps in your knowledge. You can repeat this process until you are out of time to study, until you understand the passage, or until you are satisfied with the current depth of your Bible study.
Why is Iterative Bible Study helpful?
Now that you have seen how to do Iterative Bible Study, the question remains of why you would choose to approach a text this way. Certainly this method of Bible Study is one of many. I believe, however, that Iterative Bible Study is one of the best tools you can have in your toolbox when seeking to understand a text. Three benefits come to mind of adopting this method:
You don’t have to get everything completely right the first time
I have met many Christians who freeze at certain passages of Scripture. Whether because the passage is long and difficult or they are afraid of misinterpreting a text, I believe a lot of Bible Study is quenched because of fear. And somewhat rightfully so: God’s word is powerful and must be interpreted properly.
However, I think such a fear also comes from not knowing how to start. Even more than this, a lot of Bible Study doesn’t happen because people don’t know where and how to start.
Iterative Bible Study helps because there is not a pressure to get the passage completely right the first time. The whole point of starting your study is to see what parts of a passage you understand and which parts you do not understand. This method gives you a clear, easy way to start studying a text. And from there, it gives you a path forward to progressively seeing what God’s word is saying.
Helps you distinguish between what you know and what you don’t know
Clear thinking is important for Bible Study. And nothing helps you think clearer than distinguishing between what you know and what you don’t know. Iterative Bible Study gives you a powerful method to seeing what things you know and what parts of a passage you need to work at further to understand.
If you don’t know what is missing from your understanding, you won’t know where to look. By putting questions directly into your outline, you not only see what you need to answer, you also see what parts of the passage are causing you the most difficulty. Simply putting questions into a rough outline helps you think more clearly.
Gives you more questions to answer with each iteration
A lot of Bible Study is simply asking the right questions of a text. Not all your questions will be relevant, not all your questions will get answered in the ways you expect. Iterative Bible Study forces you to constantly ask questions of the text and then seek for answers from Scripture. This process allows Scripture to interpret Scripture because you are seeking answers to your questions by going to the Bible.
The more questions you have, the more Bible you will read. The more Bible you read, the more it shapes your thinking. That process is built into Iterative Bible Study and once you get in the habit of asking good questions of Scripture, the more rich your study will become.
An example of Iterative Bible Study
Before closing this post, I think a brief example of this method is helpful. I am actually currently using this method to prepare a sermon on Romans 1:11-12.
For I long to see you, that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you—that is, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other’s faith, both yours and mine.
Romans 1:11-12, ESV
So after reading the text, the first step is to create a rough outline.
Paul long’s to see the Church in Rome
Why? To impart some spiritual gift to strengthen the Church
Paul wants to be encouraged by the Church in Rome
The source of this encouragement is each other’s faith
The outline pretty basic, but it breaks down the two verses a bit. Now, I start adding the main questions I have into the outline.
Paul long’s to see the Church in Rome
Why? To impart some spiritual gift to strengthen the Church
What is the definition of “strengthen”?
What is the definition of “spiritual gift?”
Why is encouragement called a “spiritual gift?”
How does mutual encouragement of faith strengthen a Church?
Paul wants to be encouraged by the Church in Rome
Why is mutual encouragement important to Paul?
What do Paul and the Church in Rome have in common?
The source of this encouragement is each other’s faith
How can someone’s faith be an encouragement?
What is the definition of “encouragement”?
You see that even from a short outline, questions cause the study to build outward. Some of the questions are a little redundant, but that is okay at this stage. This outline is not the outline for the sermon yet, it is simply a tool to aid my Bible Study.
The next step is answering these questions by studying Romans 1:11-12, other passages of Scripture, and using a tool to help me define the words I need defined. I would then start adding those answers to the outline.
Paul long’s to see the Church in Rome
Why? To impart some spiritual gift to strengthen the Church
What is the definition of “strengthen”?
What is the definition of “spiritual gift?”
“Charisma” -“a divine gift” points to the origin of the gift
Why is encouragement called a “spiritual gift?”
The encouragement of other believers is a gift from God
How does mutual encouragement of faith strengthen a Church?
Strong faith sets an example (Abraham)
Strong faith points us back to God (Hebrews 11)
Seeing faith in action in someone’s life encourages us to stay the course
Paul wants to be encouraged by the Church in Rome
Why is mutual encouragement important to Paul?
Paul’s letters are full of encouragement to local Churches (1 Thess 5:11, Phil 2:1, 2 Corinthians 1:3-4)
Scripture contains a number of “tools” to help Christians grow…one of those is encouragement
Church in Rome was a minority, persecution was coming
What do Paul and the Church in Rome have in common?
Same fundamental need
Need righteousness from Christ
Same ethical implications from Gospel
The source of this encouragement is each other’s faith
How can someone’s faith be an encouragement?
Strong faith sets an example (Abraham)
Strong faith points us back to God (Hebrews 11)
Seeing faith in action in someone’s life encourages us to stay the course
What is the definition of “encouragement”?
I didn’t bother answering all the questions for this example, but you get the point. Now I could go back through and ask further questions of the text. With each iteration, my outline fills out and my understanding grows. But you see that even after one iteration, the depth of my understanding of Romans 1:11-12 has grown by leaps and bounds.
In conclusion, Iterative Bible Study is a powerful tool to add to your personal Bible study. It gives you a place to start even when studying the most difficult of texts. You can slowing understand a text and then move on to meditating on how it applies to your life.
Are you happy? Is happiness possible in this world?
The world promises dozens of paths to happiness. Some are easy. Some require a whole life’s investment.
The question is: which path will actually lead to happiness?
In my last post, we found in Psalm 1 that your happiness is highly dependent on who you spend your time with and who you listen to.
God has declared happiness is possible, just not in the ways you would expect.
Today, I will walk you through what Psalm 2 has to say about your happiness. Psalm 1 opened with “how happy is the man…” and Psalm 2 ends with “All who take refuge in Him are happy.”
Read Psalm 2. There is a lot here. When I was asked to preach my first sermon at my Church, I chose this Psalm to preach. It is that important.
Psalm 2 is not only central to understanding the book of Psalms, but is central to understand God’s plan for the world.
If God has a plan for the world, knowing that plan and living in light of it will help your happiness. Rebelling against that plan will lead you to misery.
Base your expectations for your life on what God has revealed about the world in the Bible.
There are three crucial insights about the world Psalm 2 makes. Understanding each one is crucial for your happiness
Insight 1: The world is in rebellion against the Lord
The Psalm starts with a picture of the world. It is a relevant picture. A contemporary picture. Verses 1 to 3 lay it out clear as crystal.
Rebellion.
Plotting.
Conspiring against the Lord.
From Genesis to Revelation, the Bible lays out that sin is rebellion against God.
Instead of submitting, obeying, joyfully living under God’s loving care and direction, humans do what they want. Decide for themselves what is right. Do what is right in their own eyes.
Verse 3 in particular helps you see what rebellion against God is like.
Humans view God’s rule as chains, as restraining, as limiting.
And so, you and I do what is expected: we try to break free. Free from God, free from His standard, free from His truth. And we substitute our own wisdom. “Man is the measure of all things.” “There is no absolute truth.” “God is dead.”
This is the world you live in.
A world created by a loving, good, perfect God. But a world who hates that God.
Until you see this fundamental truth about the world, you will look for happiness in all the wrong places.
That self help book you read, that social media influencer who has 7 proven tips for success, that movie you watched as a kid that told you to follow your dreams…
…all of these were made by a culture hatefully rebelling against the God who made them.
Once you understand what this world is like, you start to be wary about quick fixes. “Proven” paths to success.
The reason why is found in the next insight the Psalm gives us.
Insight 2: The world’s rebellion is doomed to fail
God’s thoughts on humanity’s rebellion are given in verses 4 to 6.
God finds it laughable. Ridiculous.
You may think you are the master of your own fate, that you can ignore God’s rule, that God’s plan for the world has no bearing on your life. But that doesn’t matter to God.
An all powerful God. A sovereign God.
Our rebellion is worthy of nothing but God’s anger and amusement.
In the face of our rebellion, God declares His plan for the world. Verses 6 through 9 lays it out.
You want to live without God’s rule? God will establish His king anyway.
You want to be free of God? God will give the nations to His king.
You want to break the commands God has given you? God’s King will have the power to break you. Like a pot.
Your plans and goals and dreams are not ultimate in the world. God’s plans are.
And God’s plans involve establishing an eternal rule. Humanity’s rebellion won’t get the final say.
In the face of our culture’s rejection of God, God simply responds with a laugh and a declaration of what will certainly happen.
Which brings us to the central decision which will determine your eternal happiness.
Insight 3: Your happiness depends on what side you take
Amazingly the Psalm doesn’t end there. Rather than crushing rebellious humanity immediately, God ends with an offer.
A life changing offer.
A merciful offer.
An offer which will determine your happiness now and forever.
You either submit to God’s anointed king. Or you will be destroyed with those who rebel.
The Psalm tells you what the wise choice is. Serve the Lord, not yourself. Fear the Lord instead of ignoring Him. Join the kingdom of the Son.
You will only find happiness in the safety of the Lord’s loving rule.
The only other option is just punishment.
Look at those who break the law in your country. Does it go well for them? When they are caught and punished, are they happy? Are their lives happy?
How much more will you be unhappy if you are breaking the laws of the God of the entire universe?
God is and has been exceedingly merciful and loving towards His creation. This Psalm gives you an opportunity to leave the rebellion and join in relationship with the God who created you.
Here are two questions to ask yourself in light of this passage:
Do you see the danger you are in?
If your house was on fire and you didn’t realize it, the fire would do more damage than if you noticed it early.
God has graciously warned you in this Psalm about the trajectory of the world. About the rebellion of our culture. The world tells you to follow its paths to happiness. But God tells you that path is based in rebellion.
Do you live as if you were ruler of your life? Have you forgotten God?
If you have been, stop! Stop your rebellion! Stop listening to the world! As we learned in Psalm 1, start reading God’s word and aligning yourself to His plan!
The Psalm offers you a place to flee. A safe refuge that also contains the happiness you seek.
Have you submitted to Jesus?
Psalm 2 doesn’t identify who the anointed King is. The King who God calls a Son. The King who will rule the nations. But the rest of scripture reveals who this King is: Jesus.
In Acts 4:23-30, the early Church identified Jesus as the one who God anointed, as the promised Messiah and King of the Old Testament.
And in Revelation 2:26-27, Jesus declares God the Father gave Him the authority to rule the nations. The same authority promised here in Psalm 2.
If you are interested in how Psalm 2 relates to God’s plan in Jesus, this book has several helpful chapters.
But for today, recognize Jesus is the King God has raised up.
Jesus is the King you must submit to. You must run to. The King who has the happiness you seek.
Why?
Jesus didn’t crush the nations. He was crushed for the happiness of the nations.
When Jesus first came, He didn’t come to punish the humans who rebelled. Jesus came to bear the punishment for everyone who would believe in Him.
He didn’t just die as an example. As an illustration of God’s love.
He died to bear God’s wrath. The wrath the rebellious nations deserve.
The wrath you and I deserve.
The reality laid out in this Psalm is if you don’t kiss the son, you yourself will bear that wrath.
So, the most important question for your happiness is simply
Have you submitted to Jesus? Or are you still living in rebellion against God?
There is a reason the book of Psalms opens with this Psalm. It is the single most important thing related to your happiness.
God has declared happiness is possible. Just not in the ways you would expect.
This post, I will start working through the Psalms to see what they tell us about happiness. Interestingly, the very first two Psalms open with giving us truths about happiness. Let’s start with Psalm 1.
Read through it once. Then again. If you don’t have a Bible handy, find the Psalm here.
There are a couple truths this Psalm makes about happiness.
Truth 1: Your happiness is dependent on your company
Interestingly, the Psalm starts out with the wrong place to look for happiness.
Happiness doesn’t come from following the advice of the wicked, taking the path of sinners, or joining in a group of mockers. The alternative to these false paths to happiness is to delight in the Lord’s instruction.
What does this mean?
Your happiness is affected by the company you keep. If the people around you, if the books you read, if the media you consume turns you away from the Lord and towards sin, your happiness is in jeopardy.
If you make the word of God your company, your counselor, your source of truth, then this Psalm says you are on the path to happiness.
Why is this the case?
The Bible explains it like this: everything and everyone was created by God and for His glory. That simply means God created everything to display how magnificent and wonderful He is.
Sin, on the other hand, is not giving God the glory and honor due Him.
So, since God set up this world so lasting happiness only comes from Him and since sin is rebellion against God, sinning will only lead you further and further away from happiness.
There is an old saying “bad company corrupts good morals.” From this Psalm, you could make the further point “sinful company leads to spiritual death”.
That is where the image of “chaff” blown away in the wind comes from. Chaff is useless. Garbage. Something to discard.
And that is the end of sin. Death.
Often times in scripture, God warns about the company you keep. Most people don’t intend for their friends to lead them into sin.
Keep a watch over people you are around. They are the ones influencing you, for good or for evil.
If you take your happiness seriously, heed the Psalmist’s warning. Hanging around with those who are rebelling against God will only encourage you to do the same.
And where rebellion against God exists, you will not find true, lasting happiness.
Truth 2: Happiness starts with loving God’s word
What is the alternative to keeping company with sinners? What is the way to avoid becoming like chaff?
Delight in God’s instruction instead. Internalize it. Meditate on it.
If you aren’t saturating yourself with God’s word, don’t be surprised if happiness eludes you.
This is a shockingly bold claim the Psalm makes! Happiness comes from a book? From a collection of ancient texts?
The point is, you have to answer the question of who is the authority of in your life before you can even begin to pursue happiness.
In other words, you can’t get happiness by aiming at happiness. You must aim at something greater than your own personal joy.
This Psalm presents God’s word as that aim. Why? Because even though there is much you can know about the Lord through creation, it is only in the Bible that you know who He is.
You find out why God created you.
You find out why there is so much suffering in the world.
You find out why there is still so much good in the world.
You find out what your fundamental problem is.
Once you know all of these, your life changes. Your values change. Your perspective shifts.
How can you find happiness if you don’t even know who you are?
“Start with the word of God”, the Psalm exclaims!
And look at the effect the word of God has: you won’t be like chaff. You will be like a tree.
What a beautiful picture and contrast! Picture a tree by a river with lush fruit hanging off its branches.
The tree is always growing. Always healthy. Always bringing forth fruit.
That is your life when it is centered on God’s word. The water is the word. The tree is you. The fruit is the virtues God produces in your life.
So do you want to find happiness? Here are three practical things to reorient your life:
STOP living your life contrary to God’s word
The Psalm ends with judgement. With separation.
The wicked will not stand. The wicked will not dwell with the righteous.
How do you know what group you belong to? Better take heed to God’s word!
Read the great story of redemption. How humanity rebelled against God, but out of His love, the Lord sent Jesus. Truly man. Truly God.
Jesus bore the wrath your sin and my sin deserved. The punishment for everyone who believes in Him.
Read the call of the gospels and the NT epistles “The kingdom of God is at hand! Repent and believe in the gospel!”
Want to be happy? You are going to need to go to war. War against anything inside you that is contrary to the word of God.
You can’t have happiness without the gospel. You can’t have happiness without repentance. You can’t have happiness without obedience.
And you only know these things from the word of God. Therefore,
START reading God’s word
There is no better investment in your present and eternal happiness then opening the Bible and starting to read it.
Nothing else could be better. As soon as you drop the list of excuses and reasons for why you can’t read God’s word, you will find there is no other power to change the trajectory of your life apart from the Bible.
Read the last verse from Psalm 1 again.
God knows the way of the righteous. You learn about this way in the Bible.
The way of the wicked leads to ruin. You learn what wickedness is in the Bible.
You can try to figure out which way leads to God and happiness, and which way leads to ruin without the Bible.
But you won’t figure it out.
God has graciously and lovingly told us all we need to know. You and I don’t have to guess how to live our lives. We can know for sure.
And it starts with a simple choice: Pick up the Bible and start reading.
And once you do,
CONTINUE diligently internalizing God’s word
Now, here is where it gets important: if a plant is only watered every so often, what happens to it?
It dies.
Withers.
Doesn’t produce fruit.
The blessing of lasting happiness doesn’t come from occasional Bible reading. It comes from Bible meditation.
The word “meditate” literally means to “murmur” something to yourself.
Meditating on God’s word does not mean reading your morning devotions and going on with your day. It doesn’t even mean reading through the Bible in a year.
Meditating on God’s word means repeating it over and over again in your mind until you internalize it, believe it, and live it out.
One reason I developed the sermon meditation book is to help myself and fellow Church members repeat again and again the truths we hear.
When you learn a truth and look at it from different angles and “murmur” it to yourself throughout the day, something amazing happens.
Your focus changes.
You gain more insights into the text.
And you start seeing times throughout the day when you can either share that truth with someone else or live out that truth.
That is the key to this Psalm. Lasting happiness doesn’t just come from merely reading God’s word and checking the box.
It comes from God transforming you through His word.
So keep reading. Keep studying. Keep thinking about what you read throughout the day. And pray that God would produce fruit in your life.
Interested in digging deeper into Psalm 1? One of the best sermon series on the Psalm can be found here.
