Simple Ways to Study the Bible in 2022

Years ago, I was a mess. I had severe anxiety and depression and had seen several counselors for therapy. I’d purchased at least a dozen self-help books, journaled and done my best to get better. I made some progress, but I was still often debilitated by my emotions. 

It wasn’t until one morning when I was watching a Christian TV show that I began to do something that became a breakthrough. The host of the TV show was praying for the audience and said, “There is someone listening to this broadcast who needs to get into the Word of God. You need to put aside everything else you’re trying to do and read your Bible.” I knew that her prayer was for me. I shelved the self-help books and started reading the Bible in earnest for the first time.

I started with the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John), reading a chapter a day and highlighting the scriptures that spoke to me. During that time, I was led by the Holy Spirit to read Philippians 4:8, “Whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.” (NIV) In verse 9, Paul continues, “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me or seen in me – put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” This was the first scripture I ever memorized. I wrote it on index cards and placed them all over my house and in my purse and inside my bible. After about two weeks I realized that the deep depression and anxiety was gone! I was free! Since that time, I read God’s Word daily because it heals me, guides me, teaches me and gives me peace. 

How do you study the BIble? My first piece of advice is to change the word “study” to experience.” How do you experience the bible? If you’re slogging through a Bible study, the task can become a chore and another item on your ‘to do’ list. Instead, when you spend time in the Word, try to experience it. Take your time. Use resources like the internet and a concordance to help with passages that are confusing. A terrific resource is the free YouVersion Bible app which has several dozen Bible translations. It also has hundreds of reading plans and devotionals, including one titled, “Why Read the Bible?”

Another good way to study the bible is to use the S.O.A.P. method. This is an acronym that stands for Scripture, Observation, Application and Prayer.

S – Scripture. Starting with the scripture you’re studying, write it down in your journal.

O – Observation. Take some time to observe some things about it: Who is the audience? Which words are repeated? Do any of the words or phrases stand out to you?

A – Application. After you’ve made your observations, consider how God wants you to apply the Word to your daily life. What is He saying to you? How can I apply this teaching? Do I need to take action?

P – Prayer. And finally, pray. Pray the verses out loud. Thank God for them and for His Word. Ask God to give you inspiration and revelation. Then ask Him for strength and guidance to carry out any actions that you need to take.

Why should you study and experience God’s Word? Because Jesus said, “And the very words I have spoken to you are spirit and life.” (John 6:63b NLT) Proverbs 4:20-22 says, “My child, pay attention to what I say. Listen carefully to my words. Don’t lose sight of them. Let them penetrate deep into your heart, for they bring life to those who find them, and healing to their whole body.” (NLT) The author of the Book of Hebrews wrote, “For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword. Cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow.” (Hebrews 4:12 NLT) My favorite verse about God’s Word is, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.” (Psalm 119:105 KJV)

A few years after I started reading the Bible, I volunteered to minister at one of Billy Graham’s last crusades before he retired. To be a volunteer, I had to attend some special training given by the Billy Graham organization. Our teacher was a man that was as old as Methuselah and just as wise. He asked the class, “If you are thrown in jail right now because of your faith, and everything was taken away from you, how big would your Bible be?” In other words, how much of God’s Word have you memorized and planted deep in your heart?

“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” Colossians 3:16 ESV

“Study this Book of Instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do.” 

Joshua 1:8 NLT

Paula Aiton is a member of the Koinonia Church worship team and a freelance writer, musician and artist. Her blog, God’s Glory Girl, can be found at godsglorygirl.com

 

Know Your Tools

 In the past couple of months, I’ve been working on our vehicles. One of our vehicles in particular has been a little bit of a project. I had to replace the front wheel assembly on both sides (if you know, you know) and replace the motor mounts. I did this by hand, at home, with common house tools. It was a rough couple of days. In conversation with a friend of mine, he lent me his socket set, and - oh boy - it was so much easier with that set of tools!

Who would’ve known that there were certain tools needed for certain jobs? I guess I should have, but I live and learn every day. I feel like God speaks to me through the labor of my hands,

and this occasion was no exception. I kept thinking to myself, “wow, this job was so much easier once I had the right tools in my hands”. I believe that life is the same way.  

One thing that we need to realize is that God has ALREADY given us some tools that we need

for our everyday life. You have a certain set of tools at your disposal every day. These tools

have been shaped by your experiences, history, and upbringing. The tools I’m talking about are within your testimony. Your testimony is your set of tools.

What I mean by testimony is simply this: what has God done through your life? You may think

“He hasn’t done anything, I’m just a _______” (enter your position / title here). But the thing is

– if you are still breathing today – God is not done with you yet. Every high, low, success, and

disappointment you have had, God has been there through it all and He is able to use if for our

good. He wants to use these experiences, or your testimony, to be a light to others around you;

to be the voice across the river that says, “the waters are rough, but you can make it!”.

I’m reminded of 2 Corinthians 1:4, where Paul explains that God “comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (ESV). If you are a Christ follower, you are able to be a comfort to someone because we know that God comforts us. If you are not a Christ follower, you can make that decision today and know that God wants to comfort you! He wants to use that time that you failed your math test in order to convey to another person the importance of studying. He wants to use that time that you experienced healing and peace in your life to be there for somebody who needs those gifts. He wants to use the tools you have, your testimony, in order to speak to others around you.

The beauty here is that experience is very diverse, and everyone has a testimony to share.

Don’t write yourself off as a lost cause. Don’t underestimate the path that God has chosen for

you. It doesn’t do us any good to compare our backstage rehearsals to another person’s front

stage performance. God wants you to grow from your decisions, ask Him for wisdom for future

decisions, and to be a comfort to those who do not have any comfort to rely on.

Whenever I have a rough day, I remind myself that God has gotten me through worse. I sometimes let my fears sink in for a few seconds before reminding myself that God has not

forsaken me yet. I pause when I experience failure to remind myself that my God still loves me,

and He wants me to learn and grow from my mistakes. I’ve been through a lot with God, and my testimony is that He has never left me. So, I can safely say – as long as you repent and get back up from your stumble – He will never leave you either.

These are just some of the tools that God has given me, and I use them every day. What tools has God given you?

Mauricio Paredes

Junior High Pastor

Tough Times? Keep the Faith.

This week found our family, like so many others, concerned over a hospitalized loved one. As we gathered and prayed, news swirled around us of widespread sickness and severe shortages of people to help. In the smallish town hospital where our loved one is being treated, 98 nurses are absent due to illness. Everyone is struggling.

While we monitor the day-to-day medical details from a distance, we find ourselves having to press in harder and harder as the news goes from good  great  good  no-so-good. We’re on the roller coaster of progress and regress of our loved one’s health. As I encourage those around me, a phrase keeps swirling in my head . . . “Keep the faith.” I’ve heard this phrase since I was a child. I just learned that it was most likely originally intended to remind us to stay strong in our Christian beliefs but was coined publicly in 1967 by a civil rights leader.

It is so very easy to fall victim to the emotions that come with up and down news, up and down situations, up and down life. It is during those times that we have to remember who we are and to Whom we belong. It is in those midnight moments, when all seems bleak, that we need to dig really deep to keep our faith.

What does that mean for you? How do you keep your faith and remind yourself Who is

really in control?

I remember years ago, I was in one of the deepest crises of my life which seemed endless. I did what I knew to do. I prayed to God and listened for Him to guide me. He kept saying to my spirit, “Be still” (Proverbs 46:10) and “Wait on me”. So,I did for a really long time. I cried out to Him, “How much longer, Lord?” Again, His words spoke to my spirit, “I have equipped you for this. You have all that you need.”

The God of the universe reminded me that I knew how to keep my faith strong. I was to read His Word, to pray to Him in gratitude and trust, knowing that He was working things out for my good – in His timing, not mine. I listened for His voice more than I ever had and I heard from Him more than I ever had before.

In our deepest despair, it is hard to remember that God has equipped you for the struggle and that you have all you need. That is the time when you need to remember it the most and put it into action. We are to turn our fear into faith, our worry into worship, and to NOT trust what we see around us, but what God is doing in the heavenly realms. In the book of Romans (8:28), the Apostle Paul tells us, “And we know that all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into his plans.” (TLB)

If you don’t need this advice right now, file it away for future use. Don’t crumble, don’t

collapse, don’t give up! Almighty God has equipped you to keep the faith until He, in His perfect

timing, “turns beauty from ashes”. (Isaiah 61:3)

Sylvia Gaston
Family Ministry Pastor

 

It’s Time To Pray

 I am convinced that we are at a crucial time in history; a time when we will look back and notice that this is when our world really changed.

I hope to look back and see that, despite the uncertainty of the times, I was not swayed, I replaced fear with faith, and was emboldened to a greater awareness and witness for Jesus.

2 Chronicles 16:9 says, “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him.”

I want Him to find my heart loyal to Him.

I am inviting and praying for other Christians to join me to pray like we’ve never prayed before - for ourselves, our community and our world. Here are some ideas and areas of prayer to inspire you.

We should pray humbly; in need of grace and for forgiveness in all the ways we’ve wandered. We should ask forgiveness for allowing other things in the world to become more important to us than Him.

We should approach God, our King, in gratitude for His faithfulness, forgiveness, love and mercy.

We should declare confidently that His mighty power acts on behalf of His children and that nothing is impossible for Him; that His amazing power is still at work today.

We should pray prayers of thankfulness for His reminders that He is always with us and that His plans and purposes will prevail no matter how things look.

We should ask Him for the power of His Holy Spirit to fill us afresh. We should ask that His power will cover every broken place and renew our hearts in Him.

Lastly, we should ask for His help to live aware, to choose wisely, to stay close to Him, anchored in His truth. We should ask for His help to be faithful to proclaim His name and to see an awakening in our own lives and in the world around us, as never seen before.

Can you pray that blind eyes would open and that many would come to know Him as Savior and Lord? Can you pray that He would shine His light, pushing back the forces of darkness that surround us? Can we strive to be light and love in a world so desperately in need of hope?

Let’s pray for comfort and healing in our world. Let’s pray that the enemy’s plans to silence the name of Jesus would be crushed.

Let’s fight for the unity of His people that all believers, not individual churches - one Church, would stand together in His power and peace.

Remember, Jesus is everything and people matter!

Wake us up, Lord! Remind us to live aware, to be wise to redeem the time, to listen to Your words, and to be willing to make a difference in the places you’ve called us to be.

Amen

Sylvia Gaston

Family Ministry Pastor

Shaped by 2020

I am the first to admit that I am no history buff. Even so, I am not exempt from the responsibility of learning from our past. One thing we can notice, is how certain events mark a generation and its evident in their lifestyle or thought process the impact of that event. For example, the generation that survived, and was raised during, the Great Depression are noted by signs of frugality, hard work, and the desire to have resources stored in multiple avenues (money both in the bank and under the mattress, and huge stores of food in the pantry). Going through a universally-impacting historical event gave a certain dose of personality to a generation. This leads me to wonder, and pray, what the impact of the events of 2020 will have on this current generation?

Here’s what I know. The enemy of our souls is seeking to destroy us. He will use any means necessary to do this. He does not let off the gas of his onslaught. What an arsenal a global pandemic, political and social unrest, and general heightened anxiety has been for him to harm this generation. I have recently read reports of how young people have the highest levels of suicidal ideation ever recorded. I have witnessed fathers and sons not speak to each other over political differences. I have talked with people who have become generally unimpressed or disappointed by the church and have decided that a life of faith is no longer for them. 

While these things are evident, I also know that God is still on the move! 

As a believer in the power of prayer, I am making it my mission to pray for this generation, who are still being pressed by the events of the day. I believe that we can seek God and move out of this season with different outcomes than the ones reported. The markers impressed upon our generation by 2020 do not have to be fear, anxiety and division. Will you consider praying in 2022 for this generation alongside me? Here’s how I’ll be praying: 

• We are a generation of Unity. We learned how quickly and easily opposing groups can be formed of even the closest of people. But many of us also learned how to apologize, forgive, and reconcile. My prayer is that learned acts of reconciliation would be the defining trait of this generation. Lord, guide us to be a people who are resistant to offense, and quick to forgive. Help us to see how You have made us each uniquely, but wonderfully, and how those differences are actually for the benefit of the whole! 

• We are a generation of Action. There have been many movements this past 24 months. We were able to see what changes can be made when people work together towards a common goal. The Lord has not created us to do His work alone. In unity, Lord, help us to do Your work. Help us to not be swept up by any cause, but help us to be people of action, seeking to build Your kingdom in the myriad of ways that You have gifted and inspired us to do so!

• We are a generation of Truth. The truth has been a slippery item to grasp. Many people have felt the disappointment of what has been presented versus what was discovered as reality. What is projected may just be from one person’s perspective, but does not always equate to what is actually truth. Lord, help us to be a people who seek to stand on truth, and not a second-hand distortion of the truth. Help us to not be deceived by the schemes of the enemy of our hearts. 

• We are a generation of Love. What a year for creatively loving your neighbor! While loving your neighbor has looked different, depending on where you may stand on certain issues, I have seen an increase in a focus on doing just that - loving the people around you. While I understand the call can be distorted to benefit selfish desires, my prayer is that the goodness of the heart behind it settles in and the rest fades away. Lord, may we be a generation that cares for the helpless, lost, and vulnerable. Help us to love sacrificially and selflessly the way You did. Help us to not be a generation of fear, but of compassion and love. 

These are some of my prayers for this generation in 2022! I do not believe every plan of the enemy has to succeed. Scripture teaches us that the days will grow increasingly challenging. But we can take heart! The one who has overcome the world is on our side! Let’s stay diligent to be engaged in what God is doing, even today!  

Candace Cortez

Executive Pastor 

For God So Loved The World

 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” - John 3:16

In this season of great joy and cheer, there is something that is always overlooked. After the presents, music, laughter, and treats, there is something that we need to realize; possibly the greatest thing that we can ever ponder: God loves us. To fully understand this, let me rephrase it and say:

God loves You

I’m sure you’ve heard this before but consider this - He, God, our heavenly Father, whom creation bows down and sings to; He, who made and formed you; He, who has a name for all the stars in Heaven; He, God, who is Christ Jesus; He loved YOU first.

Our relationship with God is not one of a normal nature. It is not a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship where it can flourish one week and die the next. It is not a marriage relationship, where we will remain faithful and love our partner only if they remain faithful to us. There is no love quite like this. God loved you first, meaning, that He will love you no matter what. In our highs and our lows, He has always been there and will continue to do so. Even as we forget the promises we made to Him, address our spouse and kids out of anger, or say things in traffic that would make others blush, His love remains. There is nothing we can do to make God stop loving us. 

I believe that our first mission in life is not to love God, but to accept that He loves us. Our primary objective is not to devote time to God and to put Him first in all we do, but to acknowledge the fact and believe that He loves us. As we believe this truth, I believe that a natural response of adoration, reverence, and devotion will ensue.  

We love him, because He FIRST loved us - 1 John 4:19

Instead of attempting to measure up to God’s standards or trying to match His love (which we will NEVER be able to do), I encourage you - in this season - to focus on the love that God has for you. He started love; He is love; He gave love first; we need to accept Him.

If we turn our eyes to Jesus and the love that He has for us, every problem will fade away in the light of His glory and grace. If we focus on His love FIRST, keeping our love for Him second, everything else will fall into place. 

God loves you like you can’t imagine. He looks at you and smiles. He laughs with you, cries with you, and helps you every step of the way. It’s my prayer and hope that you believe that God loves you, no matter what you’ve done. There are no lost causes with God (the apostle Paul comes to mind). He will always be beside you, welcoming you with open arms. He loves you so much that He sent His Son to die for you, not because He had to, but because He didn’t want to see you lost in your transgressions and sins. God loves you.

Happy 2022!

Here is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins - 1 John 4:10

Mauricio Paredes

Junior High Pastor