A Simple Method of Bible Study

1
A Simple Method of Bible Study

• Progress to Success

2
Reading

• Read a passage of Scripture slowly for 3-5
  minutes.
• Circle key words
• Underline thoughts that leap out at you.
• Make little question marks, exclamation points.
• Write questions in the margins.
•  

3
Observation (five minutes)

• Give paragraph titles to all that youve just
  read.
• The paragraph titles should be no longer than
  four words.
• Link smaller paragraphs together so that you
  dont have too many, e.g., a lot of dialogue will
  be shown as separate paragraphs, but the dialogue
  is all one thought.

4
Cant praise for divisions

• 17But now when I mention this next issue, I
  cannot praise you. For it sounds as if more harm
  than good is done when you meet together. 18First
  of all, I hear that there are divisions among you
  when you meet as a church, and to some extent I
  believe it. 19But, of course, there must be
  divisions among you so that those of you who are
  right will be recognized!

5
Hungry and Drunk! What?

• 20Its not the Lords Supper you are concerned
  about when you come together. 21For I am told
  that some of you hurry to eat your own meal
  without sharing with others. As a result, some go
  hungry while others get drunk. 22What? Is this
  really true? Dont you have your own homes for
  eating and drinking? Or do you really want to
  disgrace the church of God and shame the poor?
  What am I supposed to say about these things? Do
  you want me to praise you? Well, I certainly do
  not!

6
Body given, blood shed

• 23For this is what the Lord himself said, and I
  pass it on to you just as I received it. On the
  night when he was betrayed, the Lord Jesus took a
  loaf of bread, 24and when he had given thanks, he
  broke it and said, This is my body, which is
  given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.
  25In the same way, he took the cup of wine after
  supper, saying, This cup is the new covenant
  between God and you, sealed by the shedding of my
  blood. Do this in remembrance of me as often as
  you drink it. 26For every time you eat this
  bread and drink this cup, you are announcing the
  Lords death until he comes again.

7
Unworthy weak and sick

• 27So if anyone eats this bread or drinks this
  cup of the Lord unworthily, that person is guilty
  of sinning against the body and the blood of the
  Lord. 28That is why you should examine yourself
  before eating the bread and drinking from the
  cup. 29For if you eat the bread or drink the cup
  unworthily, not honoring the body of Christ, you
  are eating and drinking Gods judgment upon
  yourself. 30That is why many of you are weak and
  sick and some have even died.

8
Care about each other

• 31But if we examine ourselves, we will not be
  examined by God and judged in this way. 32But
  when we are judged and disciplined by the Lord,
  we will not be condemned with the world. 33So,
  dear brothers and sisters, when you gather for
  the Lords Supper, wait for each other. 34If you
  are really hungry, eat at home so you wont bring
  judgment upon yourselves when you meet together.
  Ill give you instructions about the other
  matters after I arrive.

9
Meditation (five minutes)

• Write what you are thinking short phrases may be
  appropriate.
• Choose one main idea and ask what it means to
  you.

10
Example

• Lord, I need to come to communion services more
  aware of my oneness with other believers. I
  should not only come thinking of myself and my
  problems and sins, but I should be concerned
  about the people around mesome of whom I dont
  even know. There will be people in the
  congregation who have BIG needs, and I should
  bring them before Your throne of grace BEFORE I
  bring my needs and sins.

11

• Maybe as the pastor, I should give people an
  opportunity to let their fellow believers know
  that they are requesting prayer. They wont have
  to talk, but maybe they could stand, and by
  standing theyre saying, Pray for me. I need a
  special touch of Gods grace today. We wouldnt
  have to do it the same way every time, but maybe
  it would be good to find different ways to
  acknowledge that people around us need Gods
  special touch.

12
Application (five minutes)

• Determine what you are going to do TODAY (or
  soon) about the main idea God brought to your
  mind. Be specific.

13
Example

• Lord, this morning I will ask people to stand to
  indicate that they would appreciate prayer for
  some special need. If we have time, I can even
  let some of them say in one sentence what their
  need is. If no one stands, we can each pray for
  the person to the right or left of us, whether we
  know them or not.

14

• Then we can examines ourselves as the Lord
  instructs us to do. Communion means with union
  so that should be a prominent part of our
  observance each time we take the LORDS supper. I
  believe well all feel closer to each other and
  closer to the Lord if we do this.

15
Prayer (five minutes)

• Write out brief prayers.
• Develop a prayer list.
• Use the prayer list developed on Wednesday
  nights.
• Vary your approach to prayer regularly so prayer
  doesnt become stale.

16
Memorization (five minutes)

• Memorize no more than one or two verses per week.
  
• Even one verse per week would be 52 a year.
• One verse every other week would be 26.

17
A Simple Method of Bible Study

• Progress to Success