Bible study is worth every effort we once gave school work. It's certainly more worthwhile than reading Shakespeare. Yet many of us don't approach the Bible as we did Shakespeare. So the questions remains: Should we study the Bible like a textbook? Here is my answer.

Here, in the Scripture Confident Living community, we love digging deep into Scripture and studying the Bible independently. There are so many resources roaming the blogosphere these days, but what I really want for you is this: To study the Bible effectively and skillfully... because that will lead to Scripture confidence.

To study the Bible effectively, you need to build a strong Bible study foundation. Learn some key Bible study methods that are tried and true and know what the Bible is all about. 

Above all, we have to invite the Holy Spirit into our Bible study. Let's acknowledge Him as the greatest Bible Teacher we will ever experience. It is the Holy Spirit who blesses us understanding, conviction, and peace. So invite Him in!

You've heard the warning: Do not read the Bible out of context!!

Yes, indeed, we want to make sure we always consider the context of any verse or passage we stumble upon. Failing to look at the context is probably the number 1 reason for misinterpreting Scripture!

The Bible contains books in various genres. This knowledge greatly impacts how we interpret a given Bible passage. For example, we want to take narratives literally, believing they actually happened as described, while we will more carefully interpret poetry, which - like modern poetry - often describes true observations with figurative language. 

Let's consider each of the genres of the Bible and how they flex our interpretation muscle.

So many beautiful Bible journaling images are floating around the world wide web and likely finding their way onto one of your screens daily. Your Pinterest wall alone probably shows an abundance of Bible journal pages. If you are anything like me, they make you at least pause and admire the Word of God written out beautifully, and you wish you could just stop and make your own art from Scripture.

Maybe another side of you is itching to put all that drawing business aside and fill the margins of your Bible with notes and insight instead, as you study each passage in depth and dig deep. Oh, you know I am all about that!

What's the point of a regular quiet time anyway? Is it to check something off a list, to earn God's favor, or is it to connect with Him?

I hope you spend time in God's Word to learn about your Creator and connect with the King of your life! In fact, I hope not a day goes by without a time of worshipping your Savior whole-heartedly and allowing God to fill your cup.

There are so many compelling reasons to NOT skip over the first 39 books of the Bible but rather study the Old Testament for all its worth. Check out this quick list of 77 benefits to studying the Old Testament… and find out why there has never been a better time to start than NOW!

Before long, any believer will come across the phrase “in Christ” either while studying the Bible or hearing another believer talk about matters of the faith. Who is “in Christ”, and what does that phrase mean? Let me help you better understand Bible passages that use the phrase “in Christ”.

The Old Testament is intimidating to many believers. It seems long, confusing, out-dated, and maybe even irrelevant. However, the storyline of the Old Testament is an amazing account of God’s love and interaction with His people. It helps us understand the arrival of Jesus, our Savior, and our need for His sacrifice on our behalf. Don’t miss this essential portion of the Bible.