wordpress-seo domain was triggered too early. This is usually an indicator for some code in the plugin or theme running too early. Translations should be loaded at the init action or later. Please see Debugging in WordPress for more information. (This message was added in version 6.7.0.) in /home1/shanewebguy/public_html/dev/discipleshipdna/wp-includes/functions.php on line 6114When a new believer is introduced to the Bible, a whole new world opens up to them. And we want to encourage the exploration of that world. We want them to learn how to read and study the Bible so they mature in knowledge, faith, and most importantly, Christlikeness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
So below are some ways you can encourage mature in their Bible reading. Oh \u2013 and these would also be great ways for YOU to mature in your reading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two things very quickly: (a.) I\u2019m not going to discuss how to STUDY the Bible, just ways to enhance and deepen their reading of it; and (b) I\u2019m also not going to discuss praying about what\u2019s being read, because I\u2019m just gonna go ahead and assume that (1) YOU are praying about what you are reading, and (2) you\u2019ve taught THEM to pray about what they are reading. (Right? Tell me I\u2019m right about this\u2026)<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Here are 10 ways to help someone mature in their Bible reading:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Why is this important? Because the Bible can be intimidating, especially for a new believer. If they see the Bible as a book, they\u2019re logically going to want to start at the beginning \u2013 which can be intimidating for even seasoned believers. And since the Bible is not put together chronologically, it can be confusing, especially when getting into the prophets.<\/p>
You don\u2019t walk into a library and grab the book closest to the door and work your way to the back. You go to the section that has the information you need at the time, allowing you to by-pass the sections you don\u2019t need yet (or ever \u2013 for instance, you\u2019ll never see me in the home improvement section\u2026).<\/p>
In the same way, get them started in the section that is most relevant for the new believer, which leads me to suggest that you\u2026<\/p> <\/li>
Start with the historical biographies of Jesus. These were written by eyewitnesses and investigators, so they are the place for every believer to start.<\/p>
It doesn\u2019t really matter which one they start with, although I generally start with Mark, because it is shorter, is more \u201caction-based,\u201d and doesn\u2019t deal with genealogies, which a new believer might get lost in. Yes, the genealogies are important, and in truth, I enjoy reading them \u2013 but I suggest getting into Matthew and Luke after Mark. Again, how you do it is up to you. Many disciplers have their people start with John, and that\u2019s awesome, too.<\/p>
The point is, start with JESUS, not Paul, Peter, Moses, or David.<\/p>
This will provide the best foundation for a new believer, right? After all, learning about the One they\u2019ve recently put their trust in would be a good place to begin\u2026<\/p>
After that, have them\u2026<\/p> <\/li>
The NT is where all the foundational theology, doctrine, and application for the new believer is found. They need to start there. Since the whole NT is about Jesus, and the idea is to help new believers become devoted followers of his, it\u2019s vitally important that the new believer be grounded there before trying to tackle the Old Testament.<\/p>
Expose them to the great teachings and promises of God for the Church. Help them appreciate how practical and relevant Jesus\u2019 teachings (and the rest of the teachings of the NT) are for our everyday living here in the 21st century. Let them gain some foundational growth by getting rooted in Jesus first of all, then getting fed through the rest of the NT as they mature a bit in Christ.<\/p>
When they\u2019ve read through the NT, reading through the OT becomes a bit more feasible and the get a better grasp of the flow of Scripture.<\/p>
Speaking of the OT\u2026<\/p>
Since the OT is put together in \u201ctypes\u201d of literature, it\u2019s okay to skip around a bit in terms of what books to read.<\/p>
For newer believers, I suggest they begin their OT journey in the Psalms and then Proverbs, because they give great theology about God and His care for His people as well as great practical advice for daily living.<\/p>
You might have them start in Genesis and work through the first 5 books, since those obviously set the foundation of the rest of the OT. That\u2019s up to you. However, be ready to discuss the issues of stoning rebellious children, tattoos, homosexual relationships, and mixing fabrics, not to mention eating pork.<\/p>
As a \u201cpre-believer\u201d reading the OT, I was racked with guilt each time I ate a grilled ham and cheese sandwich, because I had no one to explain that Jesus had taken care of that when declared all foods clean in the NT. This is another reason for a new believer to start in the NT instead the OT. <\/p> <\/li>
I\u2019m not against devotional books. I\u2019ve used a couple myself over the years.<\/p>
But too often they are used to REPLACE reading Scripture instead of SUPPLEMENTING the Scripture reading. And often they use a snippet of a verse without any context whatsoever, which can lead to misunderstanding and misapplication.<\/p>
Also, if they are leaning too much on the writings of the devotional writer, they might never develop the habit of meditating on the Scriptures for themselves, almost guaranteeing a \u201cdevotion\u201d to Christ that rarely goes below surface level. This can lead to a very nominal life and casual commitment to Jesus.<\/p>
Obviously, some are better than others, and some of the classic devotional books never lose their punch over time. But I\u2019m willing to bet my sister-in-law\u2019s cat that even these authors would caution against using their books to replace actually reading the Scriptures.<\/p>
After developing a healthy Bible reading habit and exhibiting a solid walk with Jesus through the Scriptures, then maybe the occasional devotional can be a beneficial addition to their time in Scripture \u2013 but only as a supplement, never as the main dish.<\/p> <\/li>
Encourage them to write these things down. Invite them to ask you the questions that come up. Let them know that these things are great to look back on as they mature and see how God worked in their lives. And I have found in my own relationships with new believers that hearing what God is teaching them is a great encouragement to me. Why? Because new believers haven\u2019t yet lost that \u201cpure and simple devotion\u201d to Jesus that can often get pushed aside in more mature believers if we\u2019re not careful.<\/p> <\/li>
Maybe you know people who think that the best way to read the Scriptures is to just open the Bible at random, throw their finger on the page, and read that \u2013 believing that God will direct them to what they need for that day. Let me point out two problems with that:<\/p>
There is a humorous story of someone who used this method to read the Scriptures. One day, his finger landed on, \u201c\u2026and Judas hanged himself.\u201d Puzzled, he tried it again, and his finger landed on, \u201cGo and do likewise.\u201d<\/p>
Obviously, that wasn\u2019t the Lord leading his reading!<\/p>
To me, this is one of dangers of devotional books. As I mentioned a little bit ago, they often take a single verse (or FRAGMENT) of a verse and make a lesson from it. But there is little or no context given, and very little or no encouragement to read the material surrounding the verse of the day.<\/p>
Simply put, reading through BOOKS of the Bible instead of mere verses or passages gives the best foundation for understanding and applying the Scripture (with the illumination of the Holy Spirit, of course!)<\/p>
Another way to help this is to make sure the Bible your new believer is reading is printed in paragraph form rather than each verse on a separate line. Seeing a verse or phrase in a paragraph will automatically alert them that there is a context to consider when reading.<\/p>
A sign of a person maturing in their Bible reading will be recognizing context as they pray over the passage and look for application.<\/p> <\/li><\/ul><\/li>
Have them start with baby steps of 5-10 minutes reading. New believers don\u2019t need to spend 30-60 minutes per day reading, or even get through a whole chapter each time they sit down to read.<\/p>
The important thing is to read in a way that allows them to think, ask questions, meditate on what they are reading and pray about what they are reading so they can apply it to their lives.<\/p>
As their love for Jesus and the Scriptures grow, they will naturally want to spend more time in the Word.<\/p> <\/li>
There are TONS of great Bible reading programs (Ok \u2013 I don\u2019t know how much they actually weigh\u2026). My favorite place to look for them is www.Youversion.com. You can find reading programs that will help a person read through the New or Old Testament, books of the Bible, or even topical programs.<\/p>
If you are helping someone establish a habit of daily reading, you might choose one of these to help them. Many of them have reading calendars to help keep track and let them see their progress, which can be very encouraging. These are especially helpful if you do them together.<\/p>
But choose one that starts with gospels if they haven\u2019t read through them yet.<\/p> <\/li>
This one is for the more mature and advanced Bible reader, but it is one of my favorite ways to read through the Scriptures when I read through the Bible.<\/p>
This arranges the passages in the chronological order of the events as they happened. This way, you see what was going on when David wrote that particular psalm or when Haggai wrote his prophecies. It really puts these things into perspective and enhances the understanding of those passages.<\/p>
This may seem to go against my earlier admonition to read books, not mere portions lifted from here or there. However, reading through the Scriptures this way takes you through the entire Bible and the arrangement actually FOCUSES on the context of the verses. This also helps in avoiding errors from not recognizing the context of a particular passage.<\/p>