As a follower of Christ, reading the Bible and learning God’s truth is something we each should be doing daily. The “how you do this” and “when you do this” maybe the biggest challenge for some. I’m encouraging you to dig into the word of God and discover how he communicates to you. How to learn and grow in your faith.
You may not have a great plan. You may be just grabbing the word here and there like fast food for your body. We all need to start somewhere and get into the habit of the Word.
If you have a great plan and it works for you, then share your plan with the rest of us in the comments.
Start Small
If you are not doing anything to grow, then start small.
- Plan to read one chapter of the bible a week or read one verse in Psalm and Proverbs a day and chew on it and pray it all day.
- Better yet, take out a journal and write a prayer or what God is teaching you.
- Proverbs has 31 verses in it so you can get through it in one month with a verse a day. The psalms have 150 chapters so you can read a chapter a day for about 5 months. Now that is a Plan and a Start.
Learning More/Dig in
Next Step. You’ve accomplished the small step. Consider joining a dig into the word bible study like Bible Study Fellowship. They study a book of the bible in depth each year. This fall we are digging into the book of Matthew. You learn your bible when it takes 9 months to study a book of the bible and discuss it.
The years I have spent in BSF have helped me understand the bible in a way I have never understood before. It’s like I went to bible school. BSF now offers an app called WordGo so you can study along on your own.
Set Goals
Finally Set a goal to accomplish some growth. Start a yearly bible plan or consider reading 3 chapters of Matthew, Mark, Luke each day for 30 days and then start over the next month in a different version. Annie F Downs started doing this last year and has a plan she shared on Instagram. You will be learning about Jesus and his life and every month, something new will stand out.
Devotional Books
Finally, those little Devo books are great to read before bed and getting up but consider them as icing on the cake to your growth and learning the word of God. They will make you think in perspectives you may have not thought of before. The whole idea is you will grow when you have a variety of ways to dig into the word of God.
Read through the Bible in a Year
Find a read the bible in a year plan. Here is a link to one plan that worked for someone because you read it 5x per week instead of 7x per week. If you have not read the bible from cover to cover you may want to consider it. Bible Reading Schedule 2021.pdf (fivedaybiblereading.com)
I used the Chronological bible when I did this so the books and chapters were in a different order. For example, when reading about David in Samuel you were also reading the Psalms. While reading about Solomon in Kings you were also reading Proverbs and the Song of Solomon.
Join a Bible Study to Learn and Grow
- Another way to get into the word is to join a bible study at your church. It is a great way to meet people and to talk about what you have learned in the bible. Just make sure your study digs into the bible and you do your lessons each week.
- Finally, you can buy a bible study book and do it on your own. Work your way through the study looking up the scriptures and reading the commentary. Ask God to show you what he wants you to learn in his word. The study may even have videos to go with it.
Tips to Grow in your faith
- Make a plan
- Start Small
- Set Goals
- Keep learning
- Be accountable to someone
- Get into the Word
I hope I motivated you mid-year to not neglect your spiritual growth. If we all learned something this past year, it’s we need to set goals and not count on others to grow us. We need to stick our necks out there and roll up our sleeves and grow our faith. The results of our faith growth only help us be our best for our families, others, and God.
Study Ideas to Learn and Grow in your Faith
Here are some studies I have done this year related to videos and books.
Flooded by Nicki Koziarz is a study I did online this winter. I have also done the Taste and See Study with my family and hope to lead a small group of it in the future. Trustworthy is another study I hope to do in the future. So many bible studies, so little time. How to Learn and Grow in your Faith.
