How can we effectively study the Bible and be in the Word?

In this blog series, we will aim not only to tell you to study the Bible, but also to explain how to do it!

The Revolution in my Life:

Where the revolution in my life began was with some friends, and we had finished another night of partying. The stench of stale beer and cigar smoke filled the air in the early morning hours as I reflected on a conversation I had with Todd earlier in the evening. Todd was one of my best friends. He told me I was the only person in his life who had ever told him about Christ. I thought to myself, “If I'm the only person in his life who has ever told him about Christ, he is in trouble” because I was acting like a complete hypocrite. I wondered to myself, “How did I get to this point? Engaging in the same things as the people around me, yet claiming to be a Christian?” I was frustrated, empty, and miserable. I could see I needed to change, but I was losing hope. My life was a pattern of recommitting myself to the Lord only to end up living a lifestyle that was the opposite of my intentions. The more hypocritical I acted, the less interested I was in sharing my faith. Why would I share my faith when I was embarrassed by my own actions? But all of this was about to change.

I took a job at a summer camp a few hours away from home. I thought if I got out of the environment I was in and away from the people I was around, I could get on the straight and narrow; the opposite happened. I realized the problem was not the bad influences I put myself around. The problem was ME! I was at a crossroads. I needed to make a choice. I was either going to serve God wholeheartedly and be all in, or I was going to serve myself and give up trying to live for God.

One Sunday morning, as I was waiting in the church lobby for my ride, I began browsing a rack of Christian books. I stumbled across a book called "How to Study the Bible for Yourself" by Tim LaHaye. Intrigued, I took the book with me. That evening, I opened it up. The introduction said that if a person spent fifteen minutes a day in the Word of God consistently for one year, their life would be transformed. They could be a new person, and their life would be changed forever. They could have all the characteristics I didn’t have, like peace, joy, assurance of my salvation, confidence in their witness for Christ, and many other things I knew I didn’t have in my life. This was exactly what I needed. I had heard about God for so long, but I didn’t really know Him myself. I needed a firsthand knowledge of Him. I needed to own my own faith.

Shortly after this, I re-committed my life to Christ again. The difference this time was that I also committed myself to spending at least fifteen minutes a day with Him consistently in His Word. I can honestly tell you it was at this point when the spiritual revolution began in my life.

It is my hope that as you continue in this series, you will see a revolution and transformation taking place in the areas of your life that you want it to happen!