Resources For Being Biblically Centered
One of Grace Church’s 4 CORE VALUES is being Biblically Centered. We believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God and that we should adjust our lives to fit the Bible and not adjust the Bible to fit our lives.
To help you take your next step in living a biblically centered life we have gathered some resources for you. Enjoy!
Bible Study Methods
S.O.A.P. in this method stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. Here’s how it works:
- Scripture: Pick out ONE verse/scripture that you want to focus on for your Bible study time. The idea here is to keep it hyper-focused on one verse, so don’t pick an entire chapter, but rather just one verse. First, read it at least a couple times (out loud here would be good). Then write it down in a notebook word-for-word. Then read it over out loud once again, really trying to think about each word as you read.
- Observation: Here is where you ask yourself some questions about the verse. What stands out about the verse to you? What do you feel like God is telling you in this verse? What lesson or message is being portrayed? There are no set-in-stone questions you have to ask for this method, but just try to challenge yourself to dig deeper into the context and meaning of the verse.
- Application: Next you’ll determine how you can apply this verse to your own life. Ask yourself how this verse applies to you and your own situation or something you’re going through. What is it personally saying to you?
- Prayer: Ask God for wisdom and guidance to understand this scripture better. If the piece of scripture applies deeply to your life, consider turning it into a personalized prayer. Pray for God to open up your eyes and ears to what He has to tell you about this scripture and what you need to take away from it.
More methods can be found here. 11 Bible Study Methods
READING PLANS
We recommend using THE BIBLE APP to find and track your reading through the Bible. They have tons of different reading plans and a huge selection of topics. Here are a few that we think might be helpful!
1. Life Application Study Bible ® Devotion. The most often-read plan on the Bible App will help you learn to apply God’s Word more fully to your life each day. Each day’s reading includes a Scripture verse and a brief devotional taken from the Life Application Study Bible. Thanks to Tyndale House Publishers for providing this plan.
2. The One Year ® Bible. The second plan is the world’s most popular annual reading Bible. Daily readings of less than 15 minutes provide you with excerpts from the Old Testament, New Testament, Psalms, and Proverbs – guiding you through God’s Word in one year. Thanks to Tyndale House Publishers for providing this plan.
3. Bible in 90 Days. This next plan leads you through the entire Bible…in just 90 days! While it’s certainly an intense commitment, reading this much in such a compressed time will help you understand the big picture of God’s story in ways you may have never experienced before. Thanks to Bible Gateway for providing this plan.
4. Chronological. Taking into account the order of historical events and the latest research, this plan takes you through the Bible in chronological order in one year. This is a great plan if you want to add historical context to your study. Thanks to Blue Letter Bible for this plan.
5. First Steps Reading Plan. Plan number five is ideal for those new to reading the Bible. Based on the Life Journal Plan, this plan includes just a few, brief readings each day to build your consistency and confidence, both in reading the Bible and in your faith. Thanks to Wayne Cordeiro for this plan.
Reading Plans by Topic
THE BIBLE PROJECT
The Bible Project is a really fun and easy way to learn more about the Bible. They create short animated videos to help you learn more and go deeper into the Bible. Here are a few playlists to get you started!