Author Topic: Bible Study/Reading  (Read 2002 times)

browarod

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Bible Study/Reading
« on: April 02, 2014, 10:14:41 PM »
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Life has gotten to a weird point for me, though I'd rather not get into the details. Because of some of it, I've realized that my faith is one of the only things that's been there through my whole life and consistently something that I feel is real and tangible in the tumultuous ocean of life. It's been weighing heavily on me recently that I haven't even touched my Bible in many months, let alone read it (I don't count using an online Bible to keyword search for Redemption card idea references because, frankly, that doesn't count).

I want to get back in the habit of that but I'm not sure where to start. Does anybody have or recommend a good Bible study book/guide or a read-the-Bible-in-a-year plan or something like that which I could use as a jumping off point? Eventually I want to be reading it daily, but at this point I think even just every couple days will help, so a go-at-your-own-pace one might be better but I'm not opposed to daily ones (I just won't necessarily be able to keep up with it at first, haha).

I don't have a lot of free cash right now (saving up for moving at the end of May, prayers for that would be welcome as I don't currently have a new place to go yet) but if there's a book or something that's decently cheap I'd be willing to look into acquiring it, otherwise free, online sources are more than welcome.

Otherwise I guess I could just start with Genesis and go from there. :P

tl;dr - Recommendations for Bible study/reading guides/plans?
« Last Edit: April 02, 2014, 10:21:19 PM by browarod »

TheMarti

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Re: Bible Study/Reading
« Reply #1 on: April 02, 2014, 10:29:40 PM »
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Admittedly, my faith has been struggling due to a number of life circumstances, but I've actually found a really good resource that has helped me start getting back into God's Word again. If you have a mobile device, I've found that YouVersion's version of the Bible has a countless number of free resources, including reading plans. I've been using a Lent one right now, and I absolutely love it - it even reminds you to read every day, if you choose for it to do so. Gretel (Brad's wife/my best friend) has been using it too, and I know she's getting a lot out of it).

They have all sorts of plans, and all of them are free. They also use dozens of translations of the Bible, too. So like I said, if you have a mobile device (I use my tablet), you should try out the resources that they offer. Link - https://www.bible.com/app

Chris

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Re: Bible Study/Reading
« Reply #2 on: April 02, 2014, 10:37:42 PM »
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As a new Christian who has been deeply into theology for several years, my approach has been to begin in books in areas that specifically deal with my weaknesses. Thus, I'm beginning with Romans, because something I want to begin to grasp is the concept of I am a sinner and need a savior, and I believe that Romans captures that (and many other things) perfectly. Next, I'll be going through John, because I want to tackle a Gospel, and from what I can recall, John is likely the Gospel that best captures that same notion. My advice would be to pick something specific you're struggling with, and start with a book that deals with that.

Offline EmJayBee83

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Re: Bible Study/Reading
« Reply #3 on: April 02, 2014, 11:27:21 PM »
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I plus-oned TM's post above because YouVersion's Bible app is excellent.

Offline _JM_

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Re: Bible Study/Reading
« Reply #4 on: April 03, 2014, 08:13:10 AM »
+1
Agreed with YouVersion being awesome.  I'm doing my first read through the Bible in a year specifically because of that app - getting a notification every day does wonders for your motivation to read!  They have a good variety of plans to pick through.

Chris' advice is also solid - I wouldn't really recommend picking up and reading straight through from Genesis, because you're going to get bogged down in the Pentateuch pretty quick.  Start with John, or Romans, or Colossians.  Essentially, read the Gospels and Paul's letters.  In the OT, I'd suggest the Psalms, or Jeremiah, or Hosea, and supplement with Proverbs.

I'd recommend some accompanying guides, but I don't really know what's out there for something like that.

browarod

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Re: Bible Study/Reading
« Reply #5 on: April 03, 2014, 10:03:20 AM »
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Thanks for the replies everyone! I checked out the link Marti provided and was delighted to see a version specifically for the Kindle Fire on Amazon's store. I frequently am unable to use popular apps because Amazon locked down the Kindle to only their store but they don't always have everything, so it was a blessing to see that it was available on that platform. I have added it to my apps and will be checking it out in the next couple days.

I'll also try out the suggestions of specific books. I'm not as versed in what books might help my specific situation, but I'll give the ones people have suggested a looksee and go from there.

TheMarti

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Re: Bible Study/Reading
« Reply #6 on: April 03, 2014, 11:37:43 AM »
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Excellent! I'm glad they had a version for your Kindle! Enjoy it - like I said, I know it's helped me a lot and it sounds like it's helped others too. The reading plans have different categories as well, I think one of them is about spiritual growth in general. Let us know how it goes!

 


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