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Reading the Bible for the Ten Thousandth Time

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bible glasses

Lilian Dibbern (2018), public domain

We’re good at learning our surroundings, aren’t we? After living in one place for many years, we know every last detail. We know which noises are normal and which drips and knocks require a phone call. We know the cold spots of each room, the number of stairs between floors, and which floorboards squeak the loudest. If necessary, we could find our bed in the deepest darkness, because we know our place. It’s home.

For some people, this familiarity is comforting. They like the warmth and security that comes from knowing a place inside and out. But for others, the comfort makes them uneasy. It seems boring and dry, like a mouth full of uncooked oats. They start to look for something new.

Some might think of the Bible as predictable and stuffy, especially those who have been reading it for years. They know every beat of every story. There are no more surprises; the excitement is gone.

By instinct we know that first-time readers of the Bible need guidance. But long-time readers need help too. In this article we’ll explore some of the ways to combat boredom and lethargy for experienced Bible readers.

Five Ways to Fight Bible Weariness

There are many ways to guard against the boredom that can come with age and familiarity. Here are five of the best.

Remember why you’re reading. The Bible is not boring because it has a grand, explosive, eternal purpose. We read the Bible in order to know the God of the universe! We wouldn’t know him, or know how to approach him, if he didn’t tell us. And because God is infinite, we cannot exhaust our understanding of him. So, while you might know all the stories in the Bible, you can always know and worship the God behind those stories better. And here’s a glorious follow-up: This is exactly what God wants!

Adjust your routine. There are lots of different ways to take in the Bible. If you’ve been reading a lot, try listening. Read through the Bible as quickly as you can. Or take six months, read one book as many times as possible, and let it sink into your bones. Study the Bible, memorize it, sing it. A different translation or a different physical Bible might offer the fresh perspective you need.

Teach the Bible. Most Bible teachers will tell you they learn far more during their teaching than any of their students. Most churches and ministries often need Sunday school teachers, Bible study leaders, and volunteers at the local nursing home. Don’t shy away from children’s ministries either—you really have to know and believe the Bible to explain it to kids! If your Bible intake is not just for yourself, you may find it more challenging, comforting, and life-giving.

Apply the Bible. Though the Bible’s text and truths don’t change, we do. This means that the same accurate interpretation of a passage at age 25 has massively different implications when we’re 55. Application is the most difficult step of Bible study, so we often skip it, but application is precisely where we are forced to trust in God. Our faith grows the most when we take steps of obedience and witness God supporting our feet. To fight disinterest in the Bible, push your Bible study from observation and interpretation all the way to application.

Share the gospel. It’s tempting to think the Bible is dusty and anemic when we never witness the power of God through its words. In addition to applying the Bible to ourselves, we can see this power as we tell others about Jesus. The Holy Spirit most often uses the words of the Bible to awaken the dead and grant faith in Christ, and we can be a part of this! If you want to see just how powerful the Bible is, pray for opportunities to talk to others about Jesus, and then rejoice and obey when those opportunities arise. (God loves to answer this prayer!)

Ask and You Shall Receive

When we feel fatigue with the Bible, the problem is not with the book. The problem is with us.

But remember—God is a compassionate father who loves his children. At the bottom of every strategy given above is this encouragement: Talk honestly with God about your struggles. Confess your sin, your apathy, your lack of love. Ask him to be merciful, to change you from the inside out.

Don’t let your boredom with the Bible lead you away from God. Take it to him; he already knows and is eager and able to help.

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Let’s Develop Bible Reflexes to Hot-Button Topics

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Erik Raymond wants Christlike, Bible reflexes. Do you?

Jesus directs them to the authority on the matter. Amid the swirling debate about divorce in the community around them, Jesus cuts through the fog and points to the Word of God. Jesus pointed people to the Bible, not because the cultural voices did not exist but because they were inferior. Jesus understands the authority of the Scriptures to settle matters of debate. He doesn’t salute the wisdom of the age; he dusts off the wisdom of God.

Check it out!

What Value is the Old Testament to the Christian Life?

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On the Ask Pastor John podcast, John Piper fields this question: “What are the best uses of the Old Testament for giving shape to our Christian lives today?” After all, we clearly don’t keep many of the instructions in the Old Testament anymore (offering sacrifices, pursuing ceremonial purification, etc.).

After a brief but thorough explanation, Piper concludes with two glorious suggestions:

First, meeting God for who he really is so that we can know him and worship him since his character was revealed as truly in the Old Testament as in the New Testament.

Second, letting the hundreds of promises in the Old Testament wash over you as your blood-bought birthright in Christ Jesus so that every day, you set yourself free from sin by the superior pleasures of the promises of God.

Piper gives a skillful and clear answer to an important question. Check it out!

Another Way to Think About Application

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Matthew Harmon has a helpful article with help for Bible interpretation and application. Beginning with Jesus’ explanation of the two greatest commandments to love God and love neighbor (Matt 22:37-39), Harmon then uses these two commands to shape his advice for both interpretation and application.

Harmon gives four interpretation questions to ask of any Bible passage:

  1. What do I learn about God?
  2. What do I learn about people?
  3. What do I learn about relating to God?
  4. What do I learn about relating to others?

Then he gives four application questions:

  1. What does God want me to understand/think?
  2. What does God want me to believe?
  3. What does God want me to desire?
  4. What does God want me to do?

Unfortunately, in the realm of interpretation, I find Harmon’s list a bit reductionist. Though they are great questions that certainly come from the two great commandments, they may in fact lead you to read such questions back into the text and thus miss the author’s main point. You might end up with a list of glorious theological truths that are sub-points alongside the main thing the author intends to communicate. So as you interpret, don’t neglect the structure and train of thought so you can arrive at the author’s true main point (which may or may not be easily categorized into one of the two great commandments).

But in the realm of application, this categorization works marvelously. Since the two great commandments summarize all the obedience God wants from his people, these categories fit more naturally here. And Harmon does a great job showing that “application” has to do with much more than simply “doing” (though, of course, it includes “doing” as the fourth question).

Harmon’s four questions put in different words the model we propose here of head, heart, and hands. Those questions could gain a dimension by considering the two great commands (which we call the two “directions” for application). Thus, we can ask not only “What does God want me to understand/think?” but also “How can I help others to understand/think this truth as well?” And so on, into the application matrix.

So if you’d like a more visual approach, check out our application matrix. If you’d benefit more from a list of questions, Harmon’s article does a nice job explaining them.

Check it out!

The Twist in the Sermon on the Mount You Probably Missed

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In “The Twist in the Sermon on the Mount You Probably Missed,” Mark Ward shows how to observe connector words, how to ask interpretive questions, and how to follow the author’s train of thought. His study leads into rich application dealing with anger and reconciliation. This is great Bible study.

I’m about to make the greatest understatement of all time: Jesus is brilliant. By focusing my attention on my own sins, he not only helps me defuse others’ anger against me, he also defuses my anger against others. It is in remembering that I am a sinner, and a sometimes mean one, that I can have pity on others. It is in remembering that I am a forgiven sinner that I can find the strength to forgive other sinners—just like the parable of the unforgiving servant.

Check it out!

How to Discuss the Sermon in Your Small Group

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Jon Flobrant (2015), public domain

Sometimes the best solution is the obvious one.

My small group at church was between books. We finished Isaiah and were about to begin Luke, but we needed a topic to fill a gap. Since we meet on Sunday nights and attend the same worship service on Sunday mornings, I realized the answer was staring me in the face. We could discuss the sermon!

A few people in my group had experience with sermon discussions. They knew this wasn’t just a repetition of the preacher’s outline. This was good, hard work. Like strong hands kneading dough, God can use discussions like this to press the application of his word deep into the lives of his people.

Why Discuss the Sermon?

The preacher isn’t the only one with sermon work to do. He studies, prays, and prepares, but the folks in the pews have a job too.

We need to listen carefully and weigh the sermon against Scripture. We’re also called to apply the Bible, and this is where a small group discussion can be helpful.

Consider the benefits of having a conversation about the sermon.

People who anticipate a discussion like this are more likely to pay close attention during the sermon. This greater engagement naturally leads to greater spiritual blessing.

The small group will focus on application, and when several people work hard to apply the sermon together, powerful things can happen. You might see connections or sense conviction you hadn’t noticed on your own. A friend might mention needs in the church or the community that would be an ideal outlet of application.

Think of the benefits to your church if your small group members were diligently discussing the sermon and applying the Word preached! It would mean quite a transformation.

How to Lead a Sermon Discussion

It doesn’t take much to lead a sermon discussion in your small group or Sunday school class. With a little preparation and some good questions, you’ll be ready to go.

  1. Announce it. Let your group know your plans to discuss the sermon. This will encourage them to listen carefully and take notes in preparation.
  2. Apply the sermon yourself. To lead a good discussion, be sure to prepare yourself. Listen to the sermon, think about the connections and implications, and pray for insight and conviction from the Spirit. Bring some personal applications to share in case the group discussion slows down.
  3. Read the Bible passage. If your group meets directly after the worship service, this might not be necessary. But if your group meets hours or days later, reading the Bible passage will start your discussion with the proper focus.
  4. Ask open-ended questions. Begin the discussion by asking for broad takeaways from the passage or sermon. This gives an opportunity for people to share what God is teaching them. Conversations that drift into criticism of the preacher aren’t usually productive, so be prepared to steer the conversation back to the Bible.
  5. Ask application questions. Here is the heart of the discussion. Most of the work of observation and interpretation should be completed by the preacher during the sermon. Your small group provides a great setting to go deep on application. Ask your preacher to write two or three application questions for the congregation to consider; these can be printed in the bulletin along with the sermon outline. Use these questions as starters, but follow the conversation naturally into other areas of application. (You might need to remind your group about the two directions and three spheres of application.)
  6. Ask about obstacles to application. We can dream up all the applications we wish—putting them into practice is the difficult part. Once the group discusses a few concrete applications of the passage, ask what might get in the way of the changes you’re proposing.
  7. Pray! Real change in our lives doesn’t happen because of a sermon, an insight, or a small group discussion. We need the Holy Spirit’s powerful, transforming work to help us glorify God. Before your small group adjourns, be sure to commit your applications to God.

If you use your church’s sermon to propel your small group into the Bible, you’ll have lots of time to wrestle through applications. As you’re confronted with ways you need to change and encourage others to change, it won’t be easy, but it will be worthwhile.

Thanks to Peter for his help in preparing this article.

Four Reasons Why Jesus Rose From the Dead

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anonymous (2015), public domain

There’s hardly a more important question: Why did Jesus rise from the dead?

Over the past six weeks, we’ve studied this question in each of the Gospels. Each writer had an audience and a purpose in mind. In four separate articles, we’ve explored what each writer was trying to communicate.

Key Ingredients

We tried to observe the text carefully. We noticed the titles given to Jesus, the reactions of those who saw the empty tomb, the descriptions of those at the grave site, and even the time of day. All of these details are in the Bible intentionally, and they help direct us to the main point of the passage.

We leaned heavily on the context of each resurrection account. What was said about Jesus and what was done to Jesus in his trial and crucifixion matters when the writer turns to the resurrection. Even more, the writer’s purpose in penning the book drives the entire narrative. A book overview is crucial, even when studying a short passage near the end.

What Does the Resurrection Mean?

Though each gospel is slightly different, in all four passages this much is clear: the resurrection is massively important. It changed the women, it changed the disciples, and it should change us as well.

As we look back over the main point of each account of the resurrection, let’s do the hard work of application. I’ll pose some questions; let’s give ourselves to prayerful consideration, that we might be doers of the word and not merely hearers (James 1:22–25). Let’s pray that God would use the resurrection to change us, our churches, and our communities.

Matthew’s main point: The risen Jesus is the gracious king of the Jews, the Messiah.

  • Do you worship Jesus as the risen king (as the women did)? Or are you content with religious-looking activities?
  • How can you bring the message of the risen Jesus to comfort and restore others? How will you use the resurrection to remind yourself and others of the forgiveness God offers?
  • Do you know the grace of Jesus? Are you becoming a more gracious person as you follow this gracious king?

Mark’s main point: The King has come, but he is not here; so everything must change.

  • In your personal worship, do you tremble in God’s presence? In what ways have you turned away from a proper sense of awe?
  • Jesus is the king who rules the world—what are the implications for your work? How will this influence your attempts to get to know your neighbors? How does this affect your views on politics?
  • In what ways should you be seeking Jesus in his word? How can you help your closest friends trust in Jesus instead of wealth, pleasure, or safety?

Luke’s main point: Jesus is the innocent Son of Man, raised from the dead for the whole world.

  • How does Jesus’s innocence change the way you think about your sin?
  • Jesus was raised for the world—how does this affect your giving? How does this influence your church’s budget?
  • The message of Jesus’s resurrection is for everyone inside and outside of the church. How can you help your Christian friends remember Jesus’s work? How can you introduce your non-Christian friends to Jesus’s work?

John’s main point: Jesus truly is the Son of God, the Messiah who makes all things new, the source and essence of life. You can trust him with your life.

  • How are you listening to what Jesus says to you? How are you announcing this to those around you?
  • As Jesus makes all things new, what are the “old ways” that need to be replaced in your life? How is Jesus making your church community new?
  • What do you look to for life? What excites your church the most—is it the good news of Jesus, or the health of its programs, budget, attendance, building, or reputation?

God’s Rich Word

All four Gospel writers want us to know that Jesus rose from the dead. This is the revolutionary truth that changed the world.

But in the context of each Gospel, the resurrection points to a slightly different face of the diamond. We see Jesus the King, Jesus the innocent, Jesus the Messiah, Jesus the gracious.

God’s word is wonderfully rich. By studying carefully, we can learn what each inspired account has to say.

More on How to Apply Old Testament Promises Today

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As a follow-up to my “check it out” post a few weeks ago, here’s a brief interview with John Piper addressing how to apply Old Testament promises today. Piper starts with 2 Cor 1:20 to show that all the promises belong to us through Christ. Then he explains how the meaning of some promises changes in light of Christ’s work on the cross.

You can listen to the 9-minute recording or read the transcript. Check it out!

How to Apply the Bible’s Promises

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Context matters! Many Bible readers read promises such as Jeremiah 29:11 or Exodus 14:14 and memorize them as personal promises to us today. But this is not a helpful way to read the Bible.

Stand to Reason recently published a great post about how to know whether a certain Bible promise applies to us. In this post, Amy Hall explains how to consider the context of the original text and audience, and she suggests we figure out what that promise in that context revealed about God’s character. Then we can consider how we can rest in that aspect of God’s character today. This doesn’t mean the exact promise still applies, but that God’s character is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

The post demonstrates how to consider the context to discover the main point so we may apply the main point and not all the details. Here is a taste:

Always look for what you can learn about God through His dealings with human beings throughout the Bible. When God makes promises about who He is, that always applies. When God promises to give something specific, look more closely at the context to see if He’s promising it in a unique situation (or under the terms of the Mosaic Covenant).

Here’s how I would apply that approach in the case of Jeremiah 29:11. In Jeremiah 29:11, we learn that God cares for His people and doesn’t abandon them, and that He hasn’t abandoned them even if it seems everything has gone wrong in their lives. We see that His good purposes are still moving forward, even when everything looks grim. This, we can cling to, because it’s an understanding of God’s character, which doesn’t change. What we can’t cling to is the specific outworking of God’s character in that unique biblical situation. That is, in that particular situation, God’s goodness and wisdom decreed that He would bring back those who were exiled to Babylon, saying, “I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations.” But in a different situation, God’s goodness and wisdom may decree something different. John the Baptist was beheaded, not released from jail (Matthew 14:1–12). Stephen was stoned, not saved (Acts 7:54–60).

For the rest of the article, check it out!

Don’t Resist the Bible’s Repetition

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I like oatmeal. It’s a quick, healthy breakfast that’s reliably tasty. On a cool, fall morning, there aren’t many better ways to start the day.

anonymous (2014), public domain

anonymous (2014), public domain

But I can only eat so much oatmeal. After four or five days of the stuff, I long for variety. Eggs, toast, cereal—anything but the oatmeal.

You have probably experienced something similar outside the kitchen. You take an alternate route to work, embrace “casual Friday,” or ask your hair stylist for a change. Routines and patterns are helpful, but we occasionally long for a break.

Repetition in the Bible

Reading through certain books of the Bible can produce a similar effect. We see the same themes, the same lessons, the same exhortations. We wonder why God keeps hammering this one nail. Aren’t there other parts of the house that need work?

We’ve been studying Isaiah in my small group, and near the middle of the book I felt we were in a rut. Through Isaiah, God rebuked his people for their misplaced trust again and again. (Judah sought alliances with other nations instead of relying on God.) Just when I thought we’d move on, the same themes returned.

Isaiah isn’t the only Biblical book with repetition. How should we handle it? Should we skip ahead, or does God really want us discussing the same ideas and applications over and over?

How to Handle Repetition

God doesn’t make mistakes, so if you’re interpreting the Bible correctly and finding recurring themes, they are there on purpose. Here are some principles to consider when you find yourself in a repetitive section of Scripture.

Resist the pull toward novelty. Though we crave variety and newness, we shouldn’t avoid what is familiar and reliable. Consider the folly in adjusting our interpretation of the Bible simply because we’re tired of what it says! As we submit to God, we must submit to what he says in his word, even if we think we’ve heard it before.

Revisit the lesson. God may have you in this section of the Bible because there are lessons you still haven’t learned. You may think you’ve graduated, but you don’t have your diploma. As you walk this familiar territory, remember that God is your loving father. Your growth as a Christian is good for you, and he’s working to bring it about.

Explore all possible applications. If you find your applications of the Bible to be similar, they may need to be more specific. There are scores of ways to apply the main point of a passage. Consider the inward and outward directions along with the spheres of head, heart, and hands. Pray and ask God to connect this familiar lesson to areas of your life and influence that need correction.

Press on. If you find yourself facing recurring main points and applications, don’t give up. The fact that God is bringing the same issues to you again is evidence of his love (Rom 2:4). Persevere in the walk and fight of faith. (See Gal 6:9 and 2 Thess 3:13.)

Better Than Oatmeal

Unlike oatmeal, studying the Bible is glorious. It’s one of the ways we “behold the glory of the Lord” and are transformed from one degree of glory to another (2 Cor 3:18). God shows us our need for a savior and his provision, in Jesus, of exactly what we need. He teaches us to rely on him and on nothing else.

We may be slow to learn, but God is patient. He doesn’t mind repeating himself, and we should thank him for it.