A beginner guide for new or established believers
How many times have you picked up the bible super pumped to get started, only to find out that you have no idea where to even start? I remember when I first had the desire to learn more about God and of all the stories I had heard during my childhood. Sometimes I would even get past Leviticus but let’s be honest, by then you’re just skimming over chapters and chapters of laws, feasts and who oversaw what in the tabernacle. I get it, as a new bible student, going over dozens of rules and regulations is, frankly, boring.
Part of the reason is that the bible is not written in chronological order. And that’s because what good story is ever told simply from the beginning without a good hook to grab your attention? I bet if you thought of the last good movie you saw, you’d most likely agree the movie didn’t start off at the beginning but maybe at another point in time.
So, here is a quick guideline of how I would approach the bible as a new student of Christ.
Study guideline:
- A. To really get know the gospel and why you believe Jesus is the Son of God, head straight for the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Here you’ll get to know who Jesus was, what He did, and the amazing sacrifice He made for you and me. Here you get to meet Jesus.
- B. Now that you’ve met Jesus, get to know His Father by going back to Genesis and learning where it all started, who made us and why he made us. Gods steadfast love is from the literal beginning of…well EVERYTHING!
- C. Next, Psalms and Proverbs are a great way to show you how to pray. Word of caution though, there are, in my opinion two ways to go about these books since they are poems. Unless you love them, they can be hard to digest in big chunks. One option while reading is to sprinkle in smaller stories like Jonah, Ruth, or Ester. However, if you can handle it, go for it! Theres no right or wrong way here.
- D. Finally, we get to the more present-day stuff. GEPC. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians. Here are letters sent to the early churches teaching us instructions in how to live life after Jesus died and rose again. These letters are the easier ones to just pick up and read and understand what it means to live a Christian life.
Okay, so now what? One thing I have learned throughout my bible studies is to acknowledge that the bible wasn’t written to us, but it is for us. These books had an original audience and so many things at times just don’t make sense today in our political, social and moral standards and that can sometimes hinder our studies. So, take note of the person, place, time and thing.
Tools and Resources:
Three helpful website sources for my studies:
Online Bible Commentary | BibleRef.com, Bible Questions Answered | GotQuestions.org, and Bible Hub: Search, Read, Study the Bible in Many Languages.
Biblical Dictionary:
The Student Bible Dictionary: Helping You Understand the Words, People, Places, and Events https://amzn.to/4iIfDaQ
Bible I use:
ESV Journaling Bible, Interleaved Edition https://amzn.to/4lVuZve
Recommend YouTube videos with credible resources:
The Bible Project, Heart Dive 365, How to faith a life
These are easy beginner study tools that will set you on the right path towards getting to know your faith, your Jesus and your God. Eventually you will grow in confidence and rhythm while God leads the rest of the way.
Study format:
Lastly with any new book there are four main topics I always start off with.
ADPS. Author, Date, Purpose, Summary.
These are self-explanatory but it sets you up with a better understanding about what you’re going to read, when it was written, by who and for why it was written. Context is everything!!!
My hope is that this guideline helps encourage you and strengthen your studies of the greatest God there ever was and will be. I congratulate you and give thanks to God that He guided you here and put that desire in your heart to seek Him in His Word.
“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” Philippians 1:6 NLT
You might also like:
4 Biblical Truths to get out of a spiritual rut: Jumpstart your faith again – LR
Searching for a group of girls that love Jesus? Send an email to [email protected] or follow me @lovedndredeemed
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