Peter Krol | Knowable Word

Bible Reading Contest

December 28, 2015 By Peter Krol

I believe it’s worth it to read the entire Bible quickly, and I’m willing to stand behind that belief. So I invite you to join me in my annual Bible blitz. The first 3 people to finish before me will win both a copy of Knowable Word and the study Bible of their choice from my buying guide. Note: If I decide international shipping costs are prohibitive, I reserve the right to email you a gift certificate or ebook instead of a physical book.

Rules:

You must read (not scan or skim) all 66 books of the Protestant Bible. You may choose the translation and reading plan (canonical, chronological, etc.). You don’t have to stop and meditate on every detail, but I’m trusting you to be honest about reading and not skimming. Listening to an unabridged audio Bible is acceptable.
You may not begin until January 1, 2016.
As soon as you finish, you must email me at peter.krol@knowableword.com (or contact me through the web form) with the date you finished and what you thought of the speed-reading process.
The first 3 people to finish before I do may select a study Bible for their prize package. If you request physical books instead of ebooks, I reserve the right to send you a gift card if I determine shipping costs are excessive.
When I finish my speed-read, or when 3 others have contacted me (whichever comes first), I will update this post and close the contest.

To give you a sense of scope, here are the dates I finished my speed-reads over the last 5 years.

2011 – March 20

2012 – March 12

2013 – March 11

2014 – March 8

2015 – February 6

[2016 – February 5 — UPDATE: the contest is now over.]

The speed jumped in 2015 because I began supplementing my reading time with an audio Bible.

I’ll look forward to hearing from you. I hope you have as much fun with it as I do, and may the Lord draw us all nearer to him through it!

A Bible Reading Plan for Readers

December 26, 2015 By Peter Krol

This is a great time to consider a new reading plan. While it requires discipline, it can also be great fun. I just reposted an article about the speed-reading Bible plan I’ve followed for the last 5 years. This article first appeared at The Gospel Coalition. In a few days, I’ll post a new contest to encourage you to try this delightful plan in the coming year.

Check it out!

An Example of Seeing Jesus on Every Page

December 23, 2015 By Peter Krol

In “How the Bible Came Alive,” Rebecca Davis describes her experience reading Psalm 22 and learning to take her eyes off herself to see Christ. I appreciate her account of learning to follow the text wherever it would lead her.

What happened to me over the course of those two weeks — studying sounds far too academic. Meditating these days can have New-Age overtones. Pondering the Scriptures? Soaking in the Scriptures? But really the point isn’t what I did with the Scriptures. It’s what God did in me through them, as he held them up as a magnifying glass to see the Lord Jesus Christ more and more clearly.

Check it out!

5 Signs They’re Ready to Help

December 18, 2015 By Peter Krol

As you train a new Bible study leader, how do you know when the person is ready to begin helping? When should you move an apprentice from the “I do, you watch” to the “I do, you help” stage of training? If we advance people too quickly, they may burn out and give up. If we move them too slowly, the training could become stagnant and lifeless. What are the signs of a good balance?

Loving Earth (2008), Creative Commons

1. When they ask for more

Don’t miss this critical sign on account of your grand master planning. Though there are times for challenging people to step up to something new and scary, it’s generally not a good idea to heap burdens of responsibility on unwilling victims. High commitment + low motivation = small chance of long-term perseverance. “If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task” (1 Tim 3:1). A Bible study leader is not the same as a church elder, but I don’t think it’s a stretch to apply the same leadership principle.

2. When they develop proficiency in basic Bible study skills

They don’t have to be top scholars, but they do need to grasp the rudiments of OIA Bible study (Observe, interpret, apply). If not, I would begin by teaching those rudiments. You are, after all, training this person to lead a Bible study. Best to make sure this person knows how to study the Bible and doesn’t merely seek a platform for greater control over people’s lives or propagation of personal opinions.

3. When they’re aware of group dynamics

I’ve tried to train leaders who were clueless about how to read people, respond to social cues, or adjust their approach to the need of the moment. It hasn’t gone well. Before giving people more responsibility, make sure they know how to listen actively and carry on a conversation. Especially make sure they generally know when to talk and when to let others talk.

4. When they get your vision for the group

You don’t want to train apprentices up to multiply your group, only to have them take the new groups where you don’t think they should go. And you’ll all be frustrated if you can’t eventually trust your apprentices to lead their own groups. Some painful splits can be prevented by making sure the vision for Bible study, heart-oriented discipleship, and pastoral care are clear up front.

5. When they serve more than they seek to be served

Of course, a new apprentice often brings a fresh perspective and helps us to see things we wouldn’t otherwise see. If apprentices look more to the needs of others than to their own needs, this can be a great blessing. You can teach someone to study the Bible. You can teach someone to lead a Bible study. You can challenge apprentices to put the needs of others first. But you can’t actually make them put others first. Such disciples are gifts from the Lord. Don’t squander them. Set them loose, and let them help.

Study Bible Buying Guide

December 11, 2015 By Peter Krol

I’ve recently reviewed many study Bibles, and I’ve now also evaluated and compared each one according to how it helps or hinders OIA Bible study (observe, interpret, apply). I’ve given each Bible a score based on the blessings and curses of study Bibles I’ve written about before. Because some study Bibles get much more hype than others, I find it helpful to know which study Bibles will actually help people to study the Bible.

If you’re ready to see my evaluation:

Check it Out

I still recommend Tim Challies’s infographic if you’re interested in just the facts and stats for some of these study Bibles. My buying guide provides more detailed evaluation of OIA principles (and of ways the study Bibles help or hinder OIA study).

I’ve also added this buying guide to the resources page so you don’t have to navigate back to this blog post to find the buying guide in the future.

50% Off ESV Journaling Bibles

December 10, 2015 By Peter Krol

From now until Dec 31, 2015, Westminster Bookstore has all ESV journaling Bibles at 50% off. Perhaps this would be a good time to consider getting a new markup Bible.

Check it out at Westminster Books!

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Dear Journal: If people click the Westminster link, this blog will receive a small commission. How should we notify them of this fact?

Three Ways to Help Bible Beginners

December 9, 2015 By Peter Krol

In this 2-minute video from Desiring God, Ben Stuart gives a few pointers for helping others get started with the Bible.

https://vimeo.com/111033779

In summary, Stuart suggests:

Start with John
Move to Ephesians
Survey the entire Bible

Check it out!

Let Them See You Do It

December 4, 2015 By Peter Krol

My grandfather used to do a magic trick for children where he would remove half of his finger and make it float in mid-air. I thought he was a wizard, until he showed me how to do it. His revelation inspired me to perform the same trick whenever I’m around young children, and I now think I’m destined to become like my Pop-pop: a crazy old feller who gets his kicks off making children laugh at him.

Did you catch the turning point in my tale? He showed me how to do it. Training a new Bible study leader works the same way.

Following Jesus’ Example

Jesus got his first disciples on John the Baptist’s recommendation. John’s men trusted him when he told them to behold the Lamb of God (John 1:35-36). They went to check Jesus out, and Jesus didn’t commit too quickly. He merely invited them to “Come and see” (John 1:38-39). (Presumably, it was sometime after this that Jesus called them to make a clean break with their life direction and follow him – Mark 1:16-20.)

Jesus took these disciples along when he performed his first miracle (John 1:2) and cleared out the temple (John 1:22). He had them watch for a little while (Mark 3:13-6:6) before he gave them much to do themselves (Mark 6:7-8:30).

Jesus knew they wouldn’t know what to do unless they first saw him do it.

What to Show Them

As you begin training new Bible study leaders, first let them in and then let them see you do it. But what should we show them?

Show them how you study the Bible. Practice Bible study together. Work through the observation, interpretation, and application as a team. Label things as you go so they can see why you’re doing what you’re doing.
Show them how you prepare to lead a Bible study. Doing it and leading it are different skills. The former begins with a blank notebook and a clean text, the latter begins with a main point and suggested applications. Some people will intuit the difference; others need to be shown.
Show them how you think about caring for the Bible study’s members. Meet with your apprentice and discuss how people are doing. Share your insights about how to encourage and challenge these folks.
Show them how you set up the meeting. Talk about the schedule, room set up, greetings, and dismissal. Don’t just make these decisions yourself or feel your way through it. Let your apprentice know why you’ve made the choices you’ve made.
Show them how you pray. If you need the Lord’s mercy for the Bible study to succeed (and you do), your apprentice should see you begging for this mercy. Don’t be too respectable to beg.

If you had a mentor who showed you these things, you understand how helpful it was. If you didn’t have such a mentor, you can help others avoid the mistakes you made. This will get them farther faster.

The first phase of training apprentices is “I do, you watch.” This involves letting them in and letting them see you do it. Don’t just tell them how to do it; show them.

Basic Facts About the Bible

December 2, 2015 By Peter Krol

At the Gospel Coalition, Joe Carter writes of some basic Bible facts we all should know. This background information helps us to understand better as we read and study. Carter briefly covers issues such as: