Replicate: Growing in the Lord

Replicating.

That is how God made our church.  He made it organic: an organism capable of a-sexual reproduction.  We can, should, must spawn new churches.

Replicating.

That is how God made Christians.  He made us organic. Like a virus eager to replicate the new DNA of the Spirit into the old man of our friends’ and neighbors’ and see them become new.

Replicating.

That’s just what we are terrible at doing.

The Word Study Method of Bible Study

Redeemed. Gospel. Saved. Grace. I like to call these “churchy words.” They are words that we use so often at church that we sometimes forget exactly what we are saying. They are in the Bible, but rarely used out in the world. We also forget that to those “uninitiated,” these terms sound like jargon at best, babble at worst.  We need to be able to explain these church words to our lost friends who may be studying the Bible or going to church with us, but to do that, we need to know what they mean first. That’s what the Word Study method of Bible study is all about.  

The Topical Method of Bible Study

If you’ve been following along with our series on methods of Bible study, then you’ve gotten your feet wet on five different ways to learn about the Bible.  So far, our methods have been fairly focused, studying one person or chapter in the Scriptures.  This next method is much broader, and will take much longer.  The results are well worth the effort, however, as the topical method of Bible study will help you to learn all there is to know about a particular subject.

Biographical Bible Study Method

I remember thinking when I was a kid that all the characters in the Bible were just too good.  Noah was so righteous he wasn't killed in the flood, Moses led the people out of Egypt, and David was a man after God's own heart.  How could I relate to these good people?   

I Want to Know More About...

I want to know more about...

Have you ever thought that about some Biblical theme?  Maybe you had a discussion with a sister about giving, and she said something you never thought of before. Or perhaps you are teaching a class on the work women do in the church, and you need to study up on what the Bible says.  You aren't looking for a deep exhaustive study, just a general idea of the way the Bible addresses a specific theme.  I've been in similar situations countless times; if you have too, then this Bible study method is for you.

Character Quality Method of Bible Study

A year or so back on Maidservants of Christ, Helene and I went through the Fruits of the Spirit.  We found it to be a challenging study in more than one way.  Studying about patience right after you've blown up in anger, for instance, gives not just sore toes, but a sore heart that is ready to repent.  It was also challenging tackling such big topics as "love" or "joy." If I had known about the character quality method of Bible study, that part might have been a little easier.

The Chapter Summary Method of Bible Study

In November, we took a look at the devotional method of Bible study, a method you can do when you have little time but you still want to apply the Scriptures to your life.  This month, we are going to be flexing our scholarly muscles to really dig into the Bible.  The Chapter Summary method of Bible study will give you a good chance to really soak in the Word of God.

The Devotional Method: Not a Soft Option

I was really excited to take a class about 12 methods of Bible study.  My nerdly heart was imagining stacks of references, scads of highlighters, and a whole new world of knowledge.  So when we started the class with the Devotional Method of Bible study, I felt a little deflated.  What, no Greek lexicon?  Not even a sniff of highlighter?  I blew it off as a soft option.  What I didn't understand is that this most introspective method is what you make it, and if done properly, can be life-changing.

A New Tool

Do you find Bible study hard?  I do.  I just get overwhelmed with the sheer volume of Scripture and study aids. Simply picking a single book to study out of the 66 is hard for me, not to mention the hundreds of thousands of commentaries, dictionaries, concordances, and websites that are out there.  I'm always afraid that one of the study aids will lead me astray.  False teaching exists, and I'm a very gullible woman; I'm always interested in new Bible study tools that don't rely on extra-Biblical material.

Black Thumb

I have a black thumb.  The list of plants I have killed is so long, it's almost comical.  My cactus withered up and died.  I've planted basil at least four times, and it always shrivels.  I'd like to say that I just don't have the knack for being a gardener, but that would be dodging the truth.  The real reason I'm a plant killer is that I don't give them the nourishment they need.  If they had adequate water and soil nutrients, I'm sure my plants would still be alive today.