We either overthink reading the Bible or we don’t really think about it at all. Neither is good to start a habit of reading the Bible, right? My friends and I talk about, well–a lot of different things, but we had a great conversation about reading the Bible. There’s a lot of different opinions about how to read the Bible, but it’s mainly a story. A lot of people go find something in the Bible to address the topic they want or need to learn about, which isn’t wrong but if that’s the only way we try to read or use the Bible, we will miss out on the big story being told in the scriptures.
As I got older I realized that all the people in the Bible stories we heard as kids weren’t meant to be models for us but mirrors! We only get bits and pieces of the stories as children and so we miss out on the full purpose of the stories. We learned about David and Goliath, but the adults are definitely uncomfortable saying that David cut off Goliath’s head, too. We don’t see that part in the children’s cartoons, do we?
Reading the Bible in its entirety is crucial even if it’s kind of boring at times. I’m sorry, was that too honest? Yes, sometimes there are parts of the Bible that can put you to sleep, but if you keep reading you’ll find some weird stuff, interesting stuff, and even things that minister to you. It’s a story to lead you to Jesus because it’s all about Him.
Content notes
3:12 Question of the day: “What is a common myth about your job?”
9:35 “Invisible Statue” article
http://t.ly/97hz
12:14 Main Topic: How to study the Bible
16:15 Wrong ways to approach the Bible
21:06 What are you studying? What are you studying for?
22:03 The importance of simply reading scripture vs. studying
26:35 Teaching the Bible to teenagers
35:57 Was Samson a superhero? Where the bible cartoons get it wrong.
51:26 Being familiar with God’s Word is not just for spiritual leaders, but all disciples.
55:52 As a normal Christian, what do I do when I’m reading through the Bible and nothing makes sense? Where is the starting point?
Recommended Resources
This podcast is NOT sponsored. Some product links are affiliate links which means if you buy something we may receive a small commission. Here are some books we’d recommend to dive deeper on the topic of Grace.
54:36 The King Jesus Gospel: The Original Good News Revisited – Scot McKnight
https://amzn.to/3mcH4OS
58:36 The Message Bible: The Bible in contemporary language – Eugene Peterson
https://amzn.to/3uj8Xbq
1:07:30 Thompson Chain-Reference Bible ESV
https://amzn.to/3zPp8yc
1:08:35 YouVersion Bible App
http://t.ly/0aLC
1:09:34 Blue Letter Bible
https://www.blueletterbible.org
1:10:14 The Bible Project
https://bibleproject.com/
1:11:47 How to Read the Bible for All Its Worth – Gordon D. Fee
https://amzn.to/3ihetqd
1:12:02 How to Read the Bible Book by Book: A Guided Tour – Gordon D. Fee
https://amzn.to/3kLdCzI
1:14:14 Letters from a Skeptic: A Son Wrestles with His Father’s Questions about Christianity – Dr. Greg Boyd
https://amzn.to/39NaBc6
1:15:43 ESV Bible Journals
https://amzn.to/39Oa1L7
1:16:36 Spoken Gospel Youtube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/c/SpokenGospel
