A new system for Bible study

C was freezing today (it's 31 degrees!) so we're taking a break from lessons so she can take a bath and warm up. I thought I'd add some posts while she was upstairs. If you noticed my reading list on the right of the blog you'll see that I've been reading through How to Study the Bible for Yourself by Tim LaHaye. We are blessed with wonderful, godly pastors at our church, and thankfully these wonderful, godly pastors also make a point of showing us that we need to read the Bible for ourselves, learn for ourselves, and verify everything for ourselves. Because I've had a few conversations on this topic lately with a few of my friends I thought I'd share what we're doing now. (Plus, C wanted me to share her first journal entry!) We surround our learning by the Word because of my belief that if you have beliefs they need not be compartmentalized to one space or one day of the week. Just like morals, beliefs are of no use if you don't use them. :) Our educational model just goes along with this. But, I think that we need personal study as well. I didn't want to simply use a devotional that had this reading for this day, but rather something that I could dig into. I never learned how to use reference materials or do word studies, so the fact that my kid loves Bible reference material means that I now have an interest in it and really want to dig in. I was telling my MIL the other day (in other words I'm sure since my memory isn't THAT good!) that I don't want my kid to simply parrot my beliefs. I want her to form her beliefs through her own personal study. Plus, I truly believe that God comes to you at different times in different ways based on our needs, so whatever I get out of a study isn't going to have the same application in the life of a 9 year old! So, we're starting a routine that will have the same look but an individual feel.

Granted, we're starting slow and I'm still reading the book, but we started using the first principle that Mr. LaHaye teaches... devotional reading (as in being devoted to actually doing it!) He teaches to read the Bible a minimum of 15 minutes every day followed work in a spiritual journal where the daily format is the same. You also go into an additional minimum of 15 minutes in study beyond that involving concentrated study of, for example, a chapter, a specific book, a theme or principle, etc. We'll add that in next week. If I've learned one thing about me and my kid it is that we need to start a different routine in bites not chunks. :) We're following his three-year reading plan because I like the order and theory behind that order, plus he says that it's good for a new Christian which can only be a benefit to my kid.

We'll read: First John seven times; Gospel of John twice; Gospel of Mark twice; the epistles of Paul - Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians, 1 & 2 Timothy, Titus, and Philemon (typed while I sing the tune to the song that C used to memorize the order for Sunday School!); Gospel of Luke; Book of Acts; Book of Romans; the entire New Testament twice (taking approximately 87 days to read it each time); the wisdom books of the Old Testament (Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and the Song of Solomon); and a review of specific books to tie it all together. If you want the specifics on how many days per book, etc let me know. I didn't want to bore or overload anyone. :) I really like this order because we're so steeped in Old Testament in association with our history so it balances it with New Testament reading. And, as we head toward New Testament reading/times in our history our focus will turn to Old Testament reading in our Bible study. It dovetails well for me.

Today we read 1 John once quietly in our own Bibles but in the same room so that we could discuss it. I found two blank journals on the shelf so we were all set! Despite a few groans over how long the explanation of what we would be doing was taking, it ended with C being very excited about what the new way we'll study in the morning. The plan is to meet up and do our reading before breakfast (or maybe over toast and tea.) The journal took a little longer than I think it normally will simply because we had to make sure we included the basic information as well as talking about what type of information we were looking for when we listed something like "A promise from God." All in all I think it will be a great way to think through what we're reading and work on an application to our lives.

Read on for C's journal entry. :)