Be a Berean!

In Paul’s journey’s he found that the people of Berea (a city on the Greek peninsula) were noble. That’s a pretty amazing way to describe someone! What made the Berean’s noble? They “received the word with all eagerness, examining the scriptures daily…” God is still looking for noble souls who will be eager for his word and study it daily. 

They say practice makes perfect.

So, let’s get you set up to put daily reading into practice!

Your Field Guide (or any notebook for now) will be a great help. Your mission, should you choose to accept it, is to read the gospel of Luke, one chapter a day, using the SOAP method of study.

Wait, what does SOAP have to do with bible study? 

Good Question! SOAP is an acronym to help you remember 4 important parts of bible study. In your Field Guide there is a page for each chapter of Luke with SOAP headings. Here’s how it works:

S: Scripture

• This is the most important part! Read the bible. For the next 24 days (give or take a few – give yourself a little grace already!), you will read 1 chapter from Luke each day. The great thing about reading the gospel of Luke while going through these bible studies is that you will get to know Jesus (relationship!) and not just the teachings of a certain (totally awesome) church. It might feel like a lot in the coming weeks but it’s so worth it!

O: Observe

• Observation takes your reading to the next level. Remember, the Bereans examined the scriptures. This can be as simple as taking notes. Write down anything interesting, any questions that are sparked, anything that impacts you or that you don’t understand. These don’t have to be professional notes. You can draw a picture! Observe the scriptures in any way that helps you truly engage with God’s word.

A: Apply

• This is where it really gets good! Look at your notes and think about how what you read can be applied to your day, your life, your relationships, and your heart. The bible is so amazing because it’s this ancient book but it still totally applies to our lives, even on a daily basis! Here’s a great application question: What will you do today because of what you read?

P: Pray

• I bet you saw this one coming! Remember this is about communication and relationship. God has just spoken to you through his word and you listened carefully, taking notes and applying his words to your life. Now it’s time to talk to God about what you read. The coolest thing about praying about what we read is that it makes every prayer time unique. God is leading us into prayer and we are GOING WITH GOD!

There you go! There are many ways to effectively read the bible and this is just one, but it should get you learning about Jesus from the gospel like never before. Find the Daily Reading section in your Field Guid and get started right away!