Steps to Effective Bible Study (Part 2)

Current Teaching Series 40 Days in the Word

Steps to Effective Bible Study (Part 2) By Rick Warren — Feb 20, 2017 “Jesus answered, ‘It is written: “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God”’” (Matthew 4:4 NIV). God wants us to apply his Word and let it change our lives, but it starts with studying God’s Word. How do you do it? Yesterday I gave you two general principles for Bible study that apply to any Bible study method. Ask the right questions. Write down your observations. Today, I’ll share three more. Apply God’s Word. You move from the “what” to the “so what” and do what the Bible says. The ultimate goal of all Bible study is application. In other words, how will this Scripture change my life? We never settle for understanding alone. We want to apply the biblical principles to our daily living. All of our Bible study efforts really don’t have any value if, in the final analysis, we don’t become more like Christ. In fact, you only believe the part of the Bible you apply. Do you believe in sharing Christ with others? Do you believe in tithing? Do you do those activities? If you don’t do them, then you don’t really believe what the Bible teaches about them. The problem that most of us have with the Bible isn’t what we don’t understand; it’s applying what we do understand! Study the Bible systematically. Don’t just study the Bible haphazardly. You can study it systematically by studying it verse-by-verse, book-by-book, topic-by-topic, or theme-by-theme. The opposite of that is the old dip-and-skip method, where you just open up the Bible and put a finger down where you want to study. That won’t produce the kind of results God wants in your life. Read the Bible over and over again. This simple tool will change your life. It’s amazing how much you can get out of a passage if you study the same passage over and over again and then come back to the same passage a few months later. The more you read a passage, the more you’ll get out of it. There’s no better time than today to start studying the Bible for yourself. No matter how you choose to study, apply these five principles, and you’ll get more out of whatever you study. PLAY today’s audio teaching from Pastor Rick >> Talk It Over In what specific areas of your life do you believe God wants you to apply his Word today? Do you have an accountability partner? If not, do you think having one would help you study the Bible more diligently? Do you have a systematic approach or haphazard approach to what you study in the Bible? What will you do to be more intentional in what you are studying?

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Series Summary Message 1: Building My Life On The Bible Message 2: Why Can I Trust The Bible Message 3: How The Bible Changes Us Message 4: Seeing What God Wants Me To See Message 5: How To Study a Bible Passage Message 6: Understanding the Meaning of a Text Message 7: Integrating God's Word In My Life PLAY TODAY'S BROADCAST

Pastor Rick Warren

Enjoy today's Devotional? Listen instantly to the full radio message at Daily Hope Radio. Did someone forward this devotional to you? Subscribe to Pastor Rick Warren's Daily Devotional. This devotional is based on the current Daily Hope radio series at pastorrick.com. Rick Warren has helped people live with hope and on purpose for more than 40 years. He’s the founding pastor of Saddleback Church in Southern California and author of several books, including "The Purpose Driven Church" and "The Purpose Driven Life," read by more than 100 million people in 137 languages. He created the PEACE Plan (plant churches of reconciliation, equip servant leaders, assist the poor, care for the sick, educate the next generation), which is used by churches in 196 countries. His radio teaching and daily devotional, Daily Hope, is offered across America. This devotional © 2017 by Rick Warren. All rights reserved. Used by permission. You can unsubscribe at any time by changing your e-mail preferences. Update your preferences  |  Unsubscribe