Studying Your Bible: Where to Start & What to Do Next

Studying the Bible isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Our faith encourages us to seek a deeper relationship with God, but what does that look like in terms of reading the Bible? That’s the big question that needs to be answered.

It’s easy to become confused and frustrated when flipping through the 3,000-year-old writings—not because of the words themselves, but because nobody knows where to start let alone what do to after they start.

Here are some tips to help you become familiar with Bible study:

1. Start in the New Testament

The New Testament is a good place to start for anyone new to the Bible. Not only will the New Testament provide a great overview of who Jesus is, but also what he did on our behalf. Start with one of the four Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John). All of these books tell the same story, but are written by four different people with four different perspectives.

2. Journal, journal, journal

If you’re planning on retaining any of the information you will be reading, I recommend you write down all notes and questions in a journal or smartphone app. The Faithlife Study Bible provides a notes feature within the app that will be most helpful while you’re reading. Having these notes not only allows you to look back at previous readings, but also comes in handy if you ever want to review the passage with friends or family.

3. Uncover, relate, and apply

This is my secret sauce. I have used this tactic for all my Bible studies the last seven years. I’m sure there are plenty of other ways to do it, but this is one that I’d recommend due to its simplicity. First, you will begin to uncover the Scripture—in other words, read it. After reading the Scripture, make comparisons relating the text to your own life. The final step is to apply what you’ve just read to your current life situations and write down the points and realities that you felt were important.

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Serious Bible study is easier with serious Bible study software. The Faithlife Study Bible is a great place to start, but if you’d like to study in greater detail, Logos is for you. Its powerful, intuitive tools and vast libraries are the perfect way to expand your understanding of the Scriptures. Visit logos.com to learn more.

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Written by
Logos Staff

Logos is the largest developer of tools that empower Christians to go deeper in the Bible.

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Written by Logos Staff
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