Elemental Season 1 - Day 26

Once you have sorted out what you believe scripture to be in your life, then it is time to come up with a plan on how you are going to approach this confusing and creative, and calculating series of books. Without a plan, you will probably flounder rather than flourish in your study. Here are a few practical ways that you can begin to make a plan.

1. Find space. If you are anything like me, I love having a space to do my work that is clean, that is quiet, and that is not cluttered with too many other things, and without too many distractions. Find a desk because you will need to have reference materials when you study, but make sure it is not a desk full of papers, receipts, and other detritus of the rest of your life. If you only have one desk, then make sure that you clean the one that you have.
2. Find the time. You may be a morning person, or you may be a night owl. You may love carving out time in the middle of the day, or you may want to exercise and then study. Whatever your flow looks like, try to incorporate your study time into a place that makes the most sense for you. Just because someone you know likes to get up at 4 am to study does not mean that will work for you, so do what makes you happy and will keep you on the path. 
3. Find resources. You will not simply be studying from your bible alone. Remember, this is not to be a reading exercise, instead, it is to be an exercise in studying scripture. So you need to begin to learn what resources are available to you. Obviously, the internet is a great place to start. As well, by the time you are reading this, there should be a few of the new Crosswalk Classroom lessons released to help you learn how to study and to learn from some great minds within our denomination. Or a great place to start is thebibleproject.com as well. Logos is an excellent piece of software but a little pricey. Net.bible.org is a good resource, as well as many more. 
4. Take it slow. You are relearning how to study scripture, but you are also not taking all those assumptions that you were given when you were growing up into this learning. You will never be a blank slate, but you can be someone who approaches scripture again for the first time. I know that doesn’t make sense, but you are trying to get a new look, a new perspective, and a new take on this book that is so old and that you may be familiar with. 

 

1. What is your current process of studying scripture? 
2. How can the church help? 
3. What do you think is the biggest piece of baggage you might have with scripture that you may want to let go of as you approach your study this time?