Fall 2023 Bible Study Recommendations

Summer has sadly coming to an end. Fall is here and I am looking forward to our local church Bible studies starting up again. Since we spent the spring studying 1, 2, and 3 John, we will be diving into Jonah this fall. Your church may have already been advertising their upcoming study options and all you have to do is sign up! We hope you will take advantage of what they offer as we believe discipleship should happen primarily in the context of the local church. If you are not able to attend a study at your local church, here are a few suggestions for you to study God’s Word.

Definitions:

Bible studies are designed to help you dig deeper into the Bible.
A topical study is written to help you learn more about a specific topic such as the image of God, church history, the story of Scripture, etc.
Book studies are simply that; reading a book to learn more about God. For example, None Like You by Jen Wilkin helps the reader understand 10 ways God is different from people and why that is a good thing.

Bible Study Tip: What should be studied next?

We love these Bible Study tips from Colleen Searcy. If you have not signed up for her newsletter, you should! “When I’m deciding which book of the Bible to study for the Bible studies I lead, I carefully and prayerfully consider the following questions:

Who is my audience?
Although I lead a Bible study every semester at my church, the audience shifts a bit each time. Since God knows exactly who will be in the study, I ask him for his counsel and leading as I consider what to study next.

What is happening in the world?
Bible study should shape us, informing how we live. An important way to equip the saints is to apply the Scriptures to what is happening in the world so that we can image the Lord Jesus.

What are my specific goals for this Bible study?
In other words, when Bible study wraps up next fall, what do I hope the results will be? Begin with the end in mind! Be specific. I’ve listed a few examples below:

I want women in my neighborhood to be introduced to God and to the Bible. I want them to hear the gospel and have a safe place to ask questions about God.
I want to equip five high school seniors how to read their Bibles. My hope is for each to teach others to do the same during their freshman year in college.
My desire is to equip women in our church with a better understanding of how God sees women and how women image him in their spheres of influence. I also hope to see mentoring relationships form as we study our Bibles together.“

Suggestions are listed in order of time required for the study (from the least amount of time to the most involved study)