Kelsey M Ferguson. Write the Word. your guide to studying Scripture through writing

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1 Kelsey M Ferguson Write the Word your guide to studying Scripture through writing

2 Copyright All contents copyright 2016 by Kelsey M Ferguson. All rights reserved. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. No part of this document or the related links may be reproduced or redistributed in any form, by any means (electronic, photocopying, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the author. Although in electronic form, this ebook is meant to be the personal property of the purchaser. It is in violation of copyright and purchase agreement to forward the entire book to another person or share any portion of this content without prior consent of the author. By: Kelsey M Ferguson The Unabashed Life

3 Table of Contents 1. Copyright 2. Introduction 3. How to Use This Guide 4. Benefits of Writing the Word 5. Important Definitions 6. How to Write the Word 7. Awesome (Bonus!) Tips 8. Super Helpful Resources 9. About the Author

4 Introduction Hey, you! I m so glad you are reading this little guide. Writing the Word has become quite the passion of mine in the past couple of years. It all started when I lost a friend over theology. Yes, theology. You see it went down like this: Friend A was extremely passionate about her views, and Friend B was as equally convinced of her own. And, truthfully, I had no idea which one was right. They both made great arguments and cited Scripture, and yet they were on opposite sides of the spectrum. How could that possibly be? Isn t there only one Truth? I had a choice to make in that moment. I could walk away from this confusing text or I could begin looking for answers. After a little sadness that my friendship bubble had burst, I decided to venture out and into God s Word with, of course, some useful resources. And this little guide is the smushed down version of what I ve learned so far. No, it s not a prescriptive theology. Instead, it s my favorite process and most helpful tips to you get started on your own Bible study journey. In this guide you will find: How to Get Started The Benefits of Writing the Word Important Definitions Defined My Process for Writing the Word Helpful (bonus!) Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Study Resource Page With Free Studies and Bible Study Tools About Me & Where to Find Me

5 How to Use This Guide Write the Word is intended to be a starting point to inductive Bible study. Inductive simply means that we are using the Bible as our main source of study. On top of studying inductively, I choose to write out and mark up the passage I m learning about. Some of my personal quirks might not work for you. Maybe you re an underliner or a doodler or you can t stand colored pens. The how we write and mark up the Word is less important than the how we study it. The most vital parts of this guide are the ones that direct you to dig deeper into Scripture. All that to say this: Don t get so consumed with what color you will use or finding the perfect notebook that you don t get started studying Truth. To get started you simply need: a Bible (either online or in print) a pen a notebook the internet (optional if you have a study Bible or a concordance) (See the resource page in the back of this guide for a list of free bible study tools. Or check out my favorite Bible study resources at The Unabashed Life.) All right! Let s get started! Heavenly Father, Give us eyes to see, minds to focus, and hearts to be open to the beautiful wisdom found in Your Word. Thank you. - Amen. -

6 Benefits of Writing the Word So you may be wondering why you should write the Word when you can simply read it. You re busy. I get it. There s nothing wrong with only reading the Word, but I ve found these 6 benefits to be worth my time to write it out. 1. Gratitude - It reminds us what an honor it is to be given these holy words words that were entrusted to another to record and then painstakingly copied by scribes. 2. Focus - Writing the Word forces us to slow down and focus solely on our task reducing the chance of a wandering mind. 3. Knowledge - While we all have different learning styles, many of us retain more information when we write it down and/or have to find the information for ourselves. 4. Discipline - It requires discipline to take the time not to rush whether we are reading or writing. Frequently, writing the Word convicts me of areas I need to repent and pray over. And self-control (discipline) is a reoccurring theme. 5. Flexibility - If you are constantly getting interrupted while studying your Bible, you will appreciate the flexibility of writing the Word. You ll know exactly where you left off when you were interrupted, so you can easily stop where you are to pick it up later in the day 6. Record - When we write it down, we can see our growth from study to study. We can review and make connections between passages and themes. And by having a written copy of your studies, you have a physical legacy to pass down to your children or loved ones.

7 Important Definitions Before we dig in, let s define two words that seem to trip up many wellintentioned Bible studiers: inductive study and cross-references. I promise they are not as scary as they sound or have been made out to be. Inductive Study - a study in which the Bible is used as the main text of study. It answers three main questions: What does the text say? What does the text mean? And how does that apply to me? (Observation, Interpretation, Application) This guide will lead you through each of these questions. Cross-reference - identifies similarities between Bible verses. (themes, events, people, places) For example, if you are studying James 1:19, My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, you ll find a cross-reference to Proverbs 10:19. Sin is not ended by multiplying words, but the prudent hold their tongues. Cross-references help us let Scripture interpret Scripture. While James 1:19 is pretty clear, Proverbs 10:19 expounds on it and teaches us

8 more about what God s Word says as a whole. When you are confused by a text, the best place to look for clarity is within the Bible through cross-references. If the verse you are studying has a cross-reference, it usually will be marked with a superscript (a) with a corresponding superscript (a) in the margin or at the bottom of the page. (If your Bible doesn t mark cross-references, check out the resource page at the back for a list of free online Bible study tools.)

9 How to Write the Word Step One: Read the entire passage. Take your time. (It doesn t have to be read in one sitting.) Jot down any confusing parts or questions you have. Answer the following questions: 1. Who wrote this passage? 2. To whom were they writing? 3. What was the purpose of this text? 4. How was it written? (poetry, song, law, a letter) 5. When was it written? (before or after Christ?) (If you have a study Bible, the answers to these questions are usually found on the page before each chapter begins. If not, use one of the free Bible study tools listed in the back.) Step Two: Write the Passage Write as many verses from the passage as you have time to. As you write, mark confusing words. Note places with cross references. Mark commands, promises, if/then statements, or anything you want to come back to. (There is no right or wrong way to mark your text. It s all about figuring out what works for you. Personally, I love to use colored pens to circle confusing words in one color circle the number of the verse with a cross-reference underline any major points

10 Step Three: Discover what the passage means. Look up words you don t understand in both the original text and in an English dictionary. (If you want to dive deep into a word, check out this post by Arabah Joy on How to do a Bible Word Study.) Find and write out the cross-references. (I usually jot these down in a different color underneath the main text.) Read other translations for clarity. (If you don t own multiple translations, you can find almost every translation online.) Here s example of my study on James. The black in the main text, the blue is the cross-references, and the purple is the application (step 4).

11 Step Four: Compile Your Findings Considering the questions you answered in step one and the information you found in steps two and three, what does this text tell you about God? 1. who He is? 2. what He commands? 3. what He promises? 2. the Bible characters? 1. what lessons did they learn? 2. where did they struggle? 3. what did they get right? 3. And then, how does that change your heart? 2. your actions? 3. your prayers? Finally, journal your insights, answers, and prayers.

12 Awesome (Bonus!) Tips 1. Take your time. Unless you have an hour of uninterrupted study time and if you do, I m jealous you many not be able to go through all four steps in one sitting. That s okay. Inductive study is not meant to be rushed. We want to dig deep instead of wide. And the great part of writing and marking up the Word in your journal is you ll know exactly where you left off when you come back. 2. Create an index. When you are ready to start a new notebook, leave the first few pages blank to turn into an index. It would look something like this: Page Number Topic 1-42 Study on James 2 temptation and joy 15 taming the tongue 27 boasting 40 final thoughts on James Now you have an easy way to connect your studies together. Remember one of the benefits of writing the Word is that we can come back to it over and over, again.

13 3. Create bullet points and numbered lists. When a passage is a long string of commands, steps or if/then statements, list them out to better grasp and understand each section. For example, check out James 4:7-10. This is part of the list I made to help digest all of the commands. Submit yourself to God. Resist the devil --> he will flee from you. Come near to god --> He will come near to you. Wash your hands. Purify your hearts. Grieve, mourn, and wail. Turn your laughter to mourning. Joy to gloom. Humble yourself before the Lord --> He will lift you up! Our brains have a much easier job processing this information when we write it in a way that makes sense to us. 4. Let the Bible define the text, first. Before looking into another s commentary, do your own investigative work. (And when you do look for commentary, be super-selective. Ask a trusted pastor or friend for references.) Cross-references are your best friend when trying to untangle a confusing text. But don t forget to read the cross-references within the context of its own passage, too! (Ask the questions from step one if it isn t clear.) 5. Seek growth over perfection. It can be tempting to want and expect perfection right off the bat. We don t ever want to feel like we aren t getting it right when it comes to Bible study. Don t forget that you have the Holy Spirit on your side helping you discern and apply Truth. Pray and ask God for wisdom. And keep going. Don t give up because it s hard! No one is 100% Bible literate except Jesus.

14 Super Helpful Resources Online Bible Study Tools BibleStudyTools.com - Side-by-side translation comparison, concordances, dictionaries, and Bible studies. BlueLetterBible.org - Lexicon search with original Hebrew and Greek origins. Free Online Bible Studies She Reads Truth - This is my go-to Bible study. While they usually have a live study you can do with them, you always have access to all of their past studies. (They also have GORGEOUS study books that you can purchase.) HelloMornings - Small group based study that focuses on starting your mornings off right. Each study is 6 weeks, and you study alongside other women. Whole Magazine - Each month Whole Magazine puts out a free Scripture writing study. You can join their free Facebook group for discussion, too! (These studies are perfect for Write the Word!) My Favorite Resources You can find a list of all my favorite resources (including pens, Bible, journals, etc...) on my blog, The Unabashed Life.

15 About the Author Kelsey is a recovering worrier, a former social worker, a forever wife, and a currently exhausted mama to two. When she s not chasing after her kids or watching the West Wing with her husband, you can find her researching personality theory, digging deep into God s Word, and sharing her thoughts on her blog, The Unabashed Life. Kelsey is passionate about Bible literacy, loving others well, mental health awareness, and drinking her coffee before anyone talks to her. Follow Kelsey on social media Facebook Pinterest Twitter Instagram