Summer has sadly coming to an end.  College students are back on campus. Schools are back in session. Fall is here and I am looking forward to our local church Bible studies starting up again. 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!

Here are a few things to consider when planning your summer study:

Adapted from Colleen Searcy, Meet Me in the Bible

1. Take time to reflect about your spring Bible study. What did God reveal about Himself as you read His Word?  Write down two or three takeaways from your study that you don’t want to forget. 
2. Take time to rejoice in what was accomplished during your spring Bible study, whether you studied alone or with a group. Did God revive your soul, give you wisdom, enlighten your eyes, or warn you as you studied? Rejoice in this! 
3. Take time to pray. Ask God for wisdom as you plan. Ask Him if he wants you to try something new, then listen. Ask Him to bless your study. Ask him to reveal Himself.
4. Take time to record your goals for your next study. Here are a few prompts to get you started: 
   • When your Bible study wraps up, what do you want the results to be?
   • What excites you most when you visualize Bible study?

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

Old Testament

• Habakkuk: Learning to Live by Faith (Flourish Bible Study) by Lydia Brownback
• 2 Samuel: The Fall and Rise of the King by Tim Chester
• The Way of Wisdom – Bible Study Book with Video Access: A Study of the Book of Proverbs by Jen Wilkin, etc.

New Testament

• The Gospel of Luke with JD Greear (RightNow Media)
• Hebrews: An Anchor for the Soul: 8-Session Bible Study by Michael Kruger
• Titus – Bible Study Book with Video Access: Displaying the Gospel of Grace by Courtney Doctor

Book Studies

• Witness: Loving Your Church by Sharing the Gospel by Jonathan Dodson
• How to Read the Bible: A Simple Guide to Deeper Intimacy with God by David Platt
• Formed for Fellowship: Becoming What You Behold by Kyle Worley