Spring sprung a leak in Happy Valley this year, and a snowstorm was our reward. No joke. But by faith, I trust new life is on its way. “All the days of my service I would wait, till my renewal should come” (Job 14:14).
I’m trying to figure out what to blog about next, and I’d like your help. What sorts of posts have you found most helpful? What would you like to see more of? What would help you learn to study the Bible better?
I’ve done longer series on the following topics:
I’ve written some shorter series as well:
- Teaching Bible study to children
- Comprehensive analysis of Old Testament quotes in the New Testament
- Big Bible words made simple
- Finding the unique main points in each account of the feeding of the 5,000.
I have some more ideas, but I’d like to know what would be most useful to you:
- Sample Bible studies through another book of the Bible
- Big Bible concepts made simple (tracing major themes through the Scripture)
- How to train others to lead Bible studies
- How to use commentaries and other resources well
- Recommended commentaries that promote OIA (observe, interpret, apply) Bible study
Do any of these ideas resonate with you? Do you have any others? What would you like to see on the blog that would help ordinary people learn to study the Bible?
Feel free to comment below or on the Facebook page. Your ideas may trigger further ideas for others. If you’d prefer to keep your suggestions private, however, please use the contact form.
Thank you for your help!
I really like “equipping others to lead a study ” a much needed task to be done.
How about some examples of short OIA Bible studies we can do with someone new to the method over a cup of coffee or during a one-time small group (in 30-60 minutes)?
1) If you do the Bible Themes series maybe also include some posts on how to go about studying a larger theme through the Bible.
2) On a related note, how would I personally study / develop and lead a Bible study on a topic (how do I find the proper passages to study, especially if it is a modern topic that I can not simply look up a word in a concordance for, how do I still use OIA to study a set of un-connected verses on the topic, and how do I organize and present a study on that topic, including how would I make it an interactive study not a sermon or report on the topic).
3) Personally I really liked and benefited from your comparison between the 4 accounts of the feeding of the 5,000. Maybe do that for one or two other Gospel passages, or for Kings and Chronicles, or even for an OT passage that is quoted elsewhere in OT or NT but used differently.
4) Finally, how can I use OIA on larger sections … for example, how could I use OIA to study / summarize the message of an entire book, like one of the minor prophets, or to go through a more complex book like Revelation in larger chunks leading a several week study looking at the themes rather than dissecting every verse (helping people see the forrest and a path through the forrest rather than getting lost in the many trees).
I like Mark’s idea of how to make the study more interactive than lecture-like. And Ellen’s idea of how to lead a study is good too. I’ll be teaching a group of kids ages 9 and up (to about 13 maybe) at my local church and this is a first for me. Needless to say I could use all the guidance possible. Your site has been a wonderful resource. Thank you.
Thank you all for your comments. “Training others to lead Bible studies” has received the most comments so far, so I think I’ll go that route with my next major series. But I’ll also keep these other ideas in mind for occasional topics here and there. Thanks for helping me to understand how I can be helpful!