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4 Bible Studies for Lent

By

Rod Long (2017), public domain

The calendar just turned to 2018. We’ve barely cleared January. You’re probably not thinking of Easter.

But Lent will be upon us soon! Lent is the season of the church calendar that comes before Easter and, like Advent, it is a season of prepartion.

What is Lent?

Lent is more commonly observed in the Catholic and Orthodox churches, but all Christians can benefit from the season. Lent begins on Ash Wednesday (February 14 this year) and ends just before Easter Sunday (April 1).

Lent lasts approximately 40 days, mirroring the 40 days Jesus spent fasting in the desert before his temptation (Matthew 4:1–2). In this respect, Lent differs from Advent in its length. These two seasons also differ in emphasis.

While Advent is a season of excited anticipation, Lent is traditionally a season of contemplation and fasting. During Lent, Christians focus on the death and resurrection of Jesus, along with the sin that made this sacrifice necessary. As a result, Christians who observe Lent spend time in confession, mourning, prayer, and fasting. Some identify a pleasurable gift of God (like meat or chocolate or coffee) from which to abstain during Lent.

There is, of course, no Biblical command to observe Lent. But if you’d like to take advantage of this spot in the church calendar, you may see great spiritual gain.

Lenten Bible Study

If you decide to observe Lent you may want to adjust your devotional life accordingly. In this spirit, many reach for Lenten devotionals at this time of the year. These guides usually consist of daily Bible readings, some commentary, and a suggested prayer. These can be wonderful tools.

However, let me urge you not to rely on these devotionals. Feel free to use them, but don’t neglect the study of the Bible yourself.

When you read and study the Bible on your own, you hear the words of God directly. The interpretation and meaning of the text doesn’t come from a well-meaning author, it comes from the Holy Spirit working in you. And while we can benefit greatly from devotional writers, nothing should replace our personal communion with God through his word.

God has written his word to be read, studied, and understood by all of his children. You are smart enough to study the Bible on your own.

Four Bible Studies

As I did for Advent, I’m providing four Bible study plans for Lent. There is nothing earth-shattering in these suggestions, but some might find the structure and organization helpful. Pick one and go for it.

If you’re new to Bible study or you’d like a refresher, please see our overview of the OIA Bible study method as well as a more detailed explanation. We have some OIA worksheets too; you can find them on our Resources page.

You should also feel free to improvise! If you find a better division to these chapters than what I’ve listed, don’t hesitate to adjust your study.

I’ve planned each of these studies to take six and a half weeks, from Ash Wednesday through Easter Saturday. In each study I’ve focused on the last week of Jesus’s life, from his entry into Jerusalem through his resurrection.

A Study in Matthew

  • Week 0 (February 14 through February 17): Read Matthew 21–25.
  • Week 1 (February 18 through February 24): Study Matthew 26:1–29.
  • Week 2 (February 25 through March 3): Study Matthew 26:30–58.
  • Week 3 (March 4 through March 10): Study Matthew 26:59–27:14.
  • Week 4 (March 11 through March 17): Study Matthew 27:15–44.
  • Week 5 (March 18 through March 24): Study Matthew 27:45–66.
  • Week 6 (March 25 through March 31): Study Matthew 28:1–20.

A Study in Mark

  • Week 0 (February 14 through February 17): Read Mark 11–13.
  • Week 1 (February 18 through February 24): Study Mark 14:1–25.
  • Week 2 (February 25 through March 3): Study Mark 14:26–50.
  • Week 3 (March 4 through March 10): Study Mark 14:51–72.
  • Week 4 (March 11 through March 17): Study Mark 15:1–21.
  • Week 5 (March 18 through March 24): Study Mark 15:22–47.
  • Week 6 (March 25 through March 31): Study Mark 16:1–20.

A Study in Luke

  • Week 0 (February 14 through February 17): Read Luke 19:28–21:38.
  • Week 1 (February 18 through February 24): Study Luke 22:1–38.
  • Week 2 (February 25 through March 3): Study Luke 22:39–62.
  • Week 3 (March 4 through March 10): Study Luke 22:63–23:25.
  • Week 4 (March 11 through March 17): Study Luke 23:26–56.
  • Week 5 (March 18 through March 24): Study Luke 24:1–27.
  • Week 6 (March 25 through March 31): Study Luke 24:28–53.

A Study in John

  • Week 0 (February 14 through February 17): Read John 12–17.
  • Week 1 (February 18 through February 24): Study John 18:1–24.
  • Week 2 (February 25 through March 3): Study John 18:25–19:12.
  • Week 3 (March 4 through March 10): Study John 19:13–37.
  • Week 4 (March 11 through March 17): Study John 19:38–20:18.
  • Week 5 (March 18 through March 24): Study John 20:19–31.
  • Week 6 (March 25 through March 31): Study John 21:1–25.

Lent for Your Soul

Depending on the tradition in which you were raised, you might not be thrilled about Lent. The season may invoke for you gloominess, deprivation, and asceticism that doesn’t seem rooted in the Bible.

Instead, Lent can be glorious! During the whole of his ministry, Jesus was focused on the cross, and if you follow one of these study plans, you’ll have that same focus. You can witness Jesus’s devotion, his love for his people, his power, and the supernatural explosion of the resurrection. Lean in during Lent, and you’ll be ready for a jubilant Easter celebration!

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4 Bible Studies for Advent

By

Rod Long (2017), public domain

Advent is right around the corner. It begins on December 3, and it will be here before you know it.

If you’ve thought of shifting your devotional life for the Christmas season, read on. Like many churches that put their sermon series aside, individual Christians can find great blessing in focusing on Jesus’s birth.

Bible Studies, Not Devotionals

There are no shortage of Advent devotional offerings, with scores of new volumes published each year. Some of these are excellent. (Some, of course are not.) But even good devotional books are no substitute for personal Bible study.

When you study the Bible on your own, you encounter God’s word directly. You’re not relying on an author or teacher to tell you what the Bible means; you’re reading and thinking and searching and praying yourself. Will that take longer? Of course! But wrestling with difficult and glorious truths on your own is worth it. The commands and promises and works of God will sink down more deeply into your soul—taking root both to form and strengthen you—if you uncover them yourself.

This is not a screed against devotional books, just a plea not to rely on them.

Four Bible Studies

If you’d like to mix up your Scripture study for Advent, I have four plans listed below. There’s nothing monumental in the plans themselves; I’ve simply listed some relevant sections of the Bible that could be covered in the listed time period.

If you’ve never studied the Bible before, let me suggest some resources before you begin. It’s our aim at Knowable Word to help ordinary people learn to study the Bible, so we’ve written much about the three primary areas of Bible study: Observation, Interpretation, and Application. Start here to see an overview of this OIA method, and read the details here. We’ve collected some worksheets that you may want to use on our Resources page.

I’ve planned each of these studies to take four weeks. (So even though Advent is not technically four weeks, these plans take you from November 27 through Christmas Eve.)

A Study in Matthew

Matthew gives two chapters to the birth and early days of Jesus.

  • Week 1 (November 27 through December 3): Matthew 1:1–17
  • Week 2 (December 4 through December 10): Matthew 1:18–25
  • Week 3 (December 11 through December 17): Matthew 2:1–12
  • Week 4 (December 18 through December 24): Matthew 2:13–23

A Study in Luke

This study takes you from the beginning of Luke’s gospel through the second chapter, when Jesus is twelve years old.

  • Week 1 (November 27 through December 3): Luke 1:1–38
  • Week 2 (December 4 through December 10): Luke 1:39–80
  • Week 3 (December 11 through December 17): Luke 2:1–24
  • Week 4 (December 18 through December 24): Luke 2:25–52

Compare the Gospels

Each gospel writer begins his book differently. Matthew and Luke include narrative about Jesus’s birth, but Mark and John do not. In this study, you’ll compare how each of the gospels begin.

  • Week 1 (November 27 through December 3): Matthew 1–2
  • Week 2 (December 4 through December 10): Mark 1
  • Week 3 (December 11 through December 17): Luke 1:1–2:20
  • Week 4 (December 18 through December 24): John 1

Read Isaiah and Luke

Here is an option to read long portions of the Bible instead of studying small portions. Isaiah is full of messages about how the coming king/servant/anointed one will redeem Israel and the world. Luke writes about how Jesus was rejected by Israel and is offered to the Gentiles. They make a great Advent pairing.

  • Week 1 (November 27 through December 3): Isaiah 1–17, Luke 1–6
  • Week 2 (December 4 through December 10): Isaiah 18–33, Luke 7–12
  • Week 3 (December 11 through December 17): Isaiah 34–50, Luke 13–18
  • Week 4 (December 18 through December 24): Isaiah 51–66, Luke 19–24

Behold, Jesus!

Whether or not you use one of these plans—whether or not you change your devotions for Advent at all—I hope your celebration of the Savior’s birth is full of joy and wonder. As you ponder the One who gave his life to bring sinners to God, give yourself to reading and studying the Bible. This is how we see the magnitude of our need and the fullness of God’s provision. This is how we fight against sin, how we repent and believe. This is the revelation of God, and this is life.

A Surprising Barrier to Personal Bible Study

By

Benjamin Balazs (2015), public domain

This article may be keeping you from studying the Bible. That’s not my goal, but it might be happening.

I should explain.

Like Productivity Advice

There’s a well-known paradox in the realm of organization and productivity advice. Some people spend so much time reading and thinking about productivity that they are less productive than they would have been otherwise. The very quest to be more productive has made them less so.

These folks can discuss organizational systems with anyone. They love setting up planners and talking about to-do apps. But they haven’t used the advice for its intended purpose. Productivity tips are only helpful if you eventually stop reading the suggestions and start implementing them. At some point, you need to stop fiddling and get to work.

Some people use Bible study articles the same way. Let’s face it—it’s much easier to read about Bible study than to study the Bible. Not only is Bible study a difficult mental task, but when we apply the Bible regularly, it is humbling and challenging.

Bible study articles are only useful if you turn away from the articles and spend time with your Bible.

Here at Knowable Word, we exist to teach ordinary people how to study the Bible. But we don’t want you to spend all your time on our web site. Our articles and resources are designed to be used.

How to Get Started

There are two general types of people reading this article: those who don’t know how to study the Bible, and those who do.

If you’re in that first category, we’d love to help you get started! I suggest you begin here and then here. After reading some of our foundational articles, print out some worksheets, grab your Bible, and dig in. Richness awaits.

If you already know how to study the Bible, we’re glad you’re here too. If you’ve come to our blog for a refresher, for help on a particular aspect of Bible study, or as part of your daily internet reading, welcome!

But there might be a few of you who are reading this in your devotional time. You’re putting off something difficult (prayer or Bible study) for a lighter read. This enterprise feels spiritual, because you’re learning about Bible study, but you’re just avoiding the more important task.

Please take this as a loving nudge: Turn away from your computer, tablet, or phone. Pick up your Bible. Listen to what God has to say about himself and his plan for the world. What God gives you in his word is much, much better than what we can give you here.

Go ahead, we don’t mind. Come back later. We’ll still be here.

The Real Reason We Don’t Read Our Bibles

By

I’ve heard many reasons why people struggle to read their Bibles. My co-blogger Ryan has written about many of them:

Of course, in our most lucid moments, we’ll acknowledge these reasons are lame. But they continue to ensnare us on almost a daily basis.

So I appreciated Brandon Smith’s recent article, “The Real Reason We Don’t Read Our Bibles.” Smith suggests that the underlying excuse behind all the other excuses is that we forget that God’s word is living and active. That the living God is still speaking to us today and meeting with us in the pages of his word.

Want to know what God thinks? Not just what he thought, but what he thinks? Open your Bible. The Spirit lives within you to help you understand God’s will and character, to help you taste and see something fresh and new that you’ve never seen before. A passage you read five years ago might speak to you differently today, because the living God speaks to you through his living Word, right here and right now.

If only this truth would get under our skin, the rest of our excuses might evaporate into the vaporous void of nothingness they are.

Smith gets this just right. Check it out!

How to Discuss the Sermon in Your Small Group

By

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.

The Limits of John Piper’s Ideas

By

John Piper answers a question from a listener about why he’s churned out two recent books focused on the Bible. He tells of a third book on its way, and he gives three reasons for this focus in his remaining years:

[First,] I don’t expect any of John Piper’s ideas to survive me or be useful when I’m gone if they are not faithful extensions of the meaning of God’s word into life. My authority is zero; God’s authority is everything. Whatever I have said that accords with his truth shares in his authority.

[Second,] I desperately don’t want people to substitute my books or my insights for their own inquiry into the Scriptures.

[Third,] generations to come, until Jesus returns, are going to face new crises, new challenges, new issues that I have not faced and others have not faced. Therefore, if people depend on what I’ve written or what others have written, they’re going to be swept away when the challenges come that we never addressed. But I have total confidence in the Bible for meeting those future challenges.

I have not yet read his latest books, but I can heartily recommend his motivations. Check it out!

The Summer of the Bible

By

Paolo Rosa (2015), public domain

Today marks the unofficial start of summer in the U.S. The next three months promise sunshine and thunderstorms, lightning bugs and mosquitoes, picnics and sunburn. Summer is here, whether you’ve gathered your frisbees and watermelon or not.

Summer has a rhythm of its own. The children are out of school, we’re anxious to travel, and the longer hours of daylight call us outside for yard work and play.

Though it seems we should have more time in the summer for spiritual pursuits, for many the opposite is true. We float into the fall like a dry leaf, wondering why we feel so distant from the Lord.

Let’s make this summer different. Let’s fill this summer with the Bible.

Seven Reasons to Read the Bible

As I urge you to pick up your Bible this summer, I realize some will consider this a stuffy burden. But if you think the Bible is boring, you’ve got the wrong book.

The Bible is the word of God! It is our light in the dark, it is our way back to our Father, it is the food we need for life. There are millions of reasons to read and study the Bible. Consider these seven.

  1. We read the Bible to know Christ.
  2. We study the Bible because knowing Jesus is eternal life.
  3. The Bible gives us wisdom (Proverbs 1:1–7).
  4. The Bible makes us fruitful (Psalm 1:1–3).
  5. The Bible warns us about sin and folly (Psalm 19:11).
  6. The Bible gives us hope (Romans 15:4).
  7. The Bible gives us the truth, and there is freedom in knowing the truth (John 8:31–32).

Five Suggestions for a Bible-filled Summer

There’s no need to wait until January 1 to make a life change. If you’ve been neglecting God’s word or if you’d just like to make the most of the summer, here are five ways to get started.

Read and study the Bible yourself. You’ll never regret focusing on the Bible. If you’ve never studied the Bible before, don’t be intimidated! We’ve got you covered. If you need the refreshment of simply reading the Bible, three months is plenty of time to read the whole thing. Really!

Join a Bible study group. A small group study can be just the thing to get you out of the house and into God’s word. Ask around at church to see what’s available this summer, and if you don’t find anything that works, start your own group!

Read the Bible with a friend or spouse. Groups can be great, but the simple practice of reading the Bible with one other person is powerful too. This really is as easy as it sounds: find a friend, find a time, and dive into the Bible together.

Read the Bible with your family. Pick a book in the Bible and start reading out loud. Once you finish, start again with a different book. Keep going. A family reading time will be fruitful for everyone (especially if the children ask questions).

Point your children to the Bible. School-age children invariably have more free time in the summer, and they can’t spend the whole time blowing bubbles. Whether your children can read or not, the summer is a great time to help them develop a daily devotional habit. Follow up and show them how the whole Bible fits together.

Three months of summer stretch out before us; let’s use them to immerse ourselves in the Bible!

Defining and Refining the Main Point

By

This is a guest post by Brian Stenson and Lincoln Fitch, who serve with DiscipleMakers in eastern Pennsylvania. They share a love for good coffee, good books, and good Bible study.  Listen to their talk on Bible study from the DiscipleMakers Fall Conference here.

After a long, hard-fought battle, you have captured the main point of your passage. You have made many observations. You’ve asked and answered key interpretive questions. You’ve resisted the five misconceptions. Now you sit atop the glorious truth you’ve discovered, basking in the glory of victory.

In this grand moment, you may be tempted toward overconfidence. We’ve been there. We’ve felt like strutting across the local coffee shop like decorated Olympians, hands punching the air, spectators lavishing accolade upon accolade. This part of your Bible study is dangerous because, in your overconfidence, you might fail to take an honest, humble look at your work.

So before taking your victory lap, humbly filter your proposed main point through a defining and refining process, especially if you plan to teach or preach this passage. This will ensure you have an accurate main point, ready to communicate with clarity and potency.

Five Misconceptions About Finding the Main Point

By

This is a guest post by Brian Stenson and Lincoln Fitch, who serve with DiscipleMakers in eastern Pennsylvania. They share a love for good coffee, good books, and good Bible study.  Listen to their talk on Bible study from the DiscipleMakers Fall Conference here.

Finding the main point tends to be one of the most difficult skills to master when learning to study the Bible, in part because of believing one or more of the following five misconceptions.

1. Your Bible study is solely dependent on the quality of your main point

Perhaps you think your Bible study is not worthwhile without a solid main point. And certainly, understanding the main point of a passage is crucial to understanding God’s word.

Yet God’s words are living and active, sharper than a two-edged sword. The words that come from his mouth will not return to him empty.

This means that the God-breathed words in this book are not dependent on us. We definitely want to be careful and handle them faithfully, but the power in them is not from us but from God. This fact frees us from needing to have perfect main points.

If you’re tempted to cancel your Bible study because you’re not sure you’ve understood the main point, don’t! Trust in the power of God’s words.

2. The main point is a summary of the passage

A summary of the passage simply retells the facts. In contrast, the main point interprets what those facts mean.

For example, a summary of John 1:1-18 might be “Jesus is the Word, the life, the light, and the glory of God made flesh.” This statement communicates (summarizes) what the passage says. But to get the main point, we must ask what these things mean, and we’ll come up with something like, “God is making himself known through Jesus.”

Summaries of the passage can lead you to the main point. But don’t settle for a summary. Dig further to understand what the passage teaches about God.The Main point must answer the question: Why did the author write this?

3. Finding the main point is more of a science than an art

Finding the main point is not an exact science. There’s no formula that guarantees you a main point if you follow certain steps or ask certain questions.

Finding the main point is more of an art, where you use different tools to discover the author’s intentions. You put yourself in the author’s shoes.

And when we call Bible study an art, we’re speaking less of the art of creation and creativity, and more of the art of fine arts criticism. Or more specifically, the art of literary analysis. We’re not creating meaning, but simply uncovering the meaning already present in the text.

So don’t expect any series of steps to drop the main point into your lap. Rather, acquire the careful discernment required to understand the author’s intentions.

4. The main point is a precise phrase you’re looking to find

Don’t think of it as a treasure hunt for the right answer, nor as an encryption key to break a code.

James St. John (2015), Creative Commons

Think of it like a gem—one beautiful idea with many facets. You can come at the main point from different angles. Don’t put pressure on yourself to get the wording exactly right. There is no secret answer key of main points for the Bible.

And note: While there usually is no single, “right” main point for a passage, there can certainly be many wrong answers. For example, possible main point statements for John 1:1-18 could be:

  • God is making himself known through Jesus.
  • Jesus reveals God to the world.
  • Jesus is the God who created the world and now brings life to it.

But it would be incorrect to say the main point of John 1:1-18 is that “Jesus is the first created being” (poor observation) or that “Jesus was rejected by those who should have received him” (focusing on a sub-point of the passage’s argument).

5. Wise teachers should always agree about a passage’s main point

Because finding the main point is more art than science, and because the main point can have many facets from which to view it, we should expect some disagreement or differences in stating the main points. Commentators can state the main point differently, and yet still have a good understanding of the passage. Pastors can preach different sermons from the same passage and yet still be faithfully representing the passage.

So if you and your Bible study co-leader come up with similar main points, but you phrase them differently, don’t be surprised! As long as you’re looking at the same gem, it’s OK if you don’t frame the main point the same way.

Conclusion

The main point is not an observational summary but an interpretive statement. We’re looking in the text, not for a specific phrase, but for the author’s intention, which, like the facets of a gem, can be looked at from multiple directions.

Picture a miner digging down 20 feet and hitting copper. Though he isn’t thrilled, he figures it’s the best he can do. So he packs up and leaves, ignorant of the gold just a few feet further down. We’re like this when we study the Bible but don’t quite get to the author’s main point. And how much more valuable is the Lord’s word than gold?

So don’t give up! Keep digging to understand God’s word.