Bible Reading
Of this I am convinced: This side of heaven there is nothing more wonderful we could ever hold in our hands or engage with our minds than God’s Word as given to us in the Bible.
The author describes 25 ways of engaging with Scripture:
Survey the Word, Listen to the Word, Read the Word Silently, Read the Word Aloud (Privately), Read the Word Publicly, Discuss the Word, Hand-copy the Word, Study the Word, Cross-reference the Word, Stress the Word, Highlight the Word, Read the Word Responsively, Paraphrase the Word, Dramatize the Word, Sketch the Word, Read the Word Interpretively, Memorize the Word, Recite the Word Interpretively, Personalize the Word, Sing the Word, Hum the Word, Display the Word, Share the Word, Teach (or Preach) the Word, Do the Word! [more...]
These 5 bookmarks are free to download and contain easy to follow directions for five Scripture Engagement methods:
Lectio Divina
Reading, Meditation, Prayer, Contemplation, Action
S.O.A.P. Method
Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer
Ignatian Method
Prepare, Picture, Ponder, Pray, Practice
The PR3 Method
Pray, Read, Reflect, Respond
Inductive Bible Study
Pray, Observation, Interpretation, Application [more...]
"Our tendency is to “tame” Scripture and make it safe. While we desire to encounter Scripture on its own terms and allow it to speak its liberating word in into our lives, very often we (consciously or unconsciously) work to control it. Because of our fears (real or imagined) we “de-claw” it and domesticate it."
How can we read Scripture in ways that prevent us from encountering God in his Word? This article describes some common pitfalls: hyper-personalism, domestification, reductionism, isolationism, heroism, moralism and dualism. They are best demonstrated when a group practices reading the Scriptures in ways that make these barriers clear AND when they offer fresh readings that demonstrate alternatives. [more...]
Manual and worksheets for training writers of Bible Guides.
SU International has helped with workshops for writers of Bible guides in Africa (francophone and anglophone), the Americas, South Asia, East Asia, Europe and the Former Soviet Republics. These workshops have given opportunities to develop resources for training, and to test them in different contexts.
This brief manual aims to bring these resources together and make them available on the for Bible ministries staff around the world to make use of and adapt for their own context. [more...]
A new resource for leaders of small groups of young people. Designed to let the Bible speak to young people, and to allow you to train yourself to be a Bible Mentor. For use in school SU groups, primary or secondary, SU holiday group-times, Bible class groups, seeker groups.
[more...]"I believe we should re-commit ourselves to relational ministry with open bibles, and I want to invite all who are involved with young people to live by the Book and to open it with young people throughout our Land... I want to offer this simple tool to encourage volunteers and “professionals” alike to spend good quality time mentoring regularly with groups of children and young people, by simply opening the bible, reading it together, and asking one another some good questions.” (Kenny McKie)
For those who would like a plan to read through the Bible but are often discouraged by failing to keep up with 'Read the Bible in a Year' schemes, the 'Bible Reading Plan for Slackers and Shirkers' allows you to read at the pace you choose and varies the Biblical genres each day of the week. Here's how it works:
- Sundays: Poetry
- Mondays: Penteteuch (Genesis through Deuteronomy)
- Tuesdays: Old Testament history
- Wednesdays: Old Testament history
- Thursdays: Old Testament prophets
- Fridays: New Testament history
- Saturdays: New Testament epistles
The plan is available as a PDF for free download. [more...]
Too often, we take a purely intellectual approach to the Bible. We think that studying more and more will somehow make God’s Word come alive. Of course, it’s valuable to gain Bible knowledge and to learn biblical truth. But the most exciting thing about reading the Bible is that by doing so we can gain a deeper relationship with the Person behind it. I call it "relational Bible reading" and I believe it’s the active ingredient in a healthy devotional life.
The goal of this inspiring booklet is "to provide the practical help you need to begin enjoying God’s Word every day, whether you’re new to the Bible or have been reading it for years."
The author, who is president of Scripture Union/USA, gives practical tips for regular Bible reading, shares personal experiences and motivates the reader to engage with Scripture. He explains the Scripture Union Bible reading method - Pray-Read-Reflect-Apply-Pray - and lists seven habits of effective Bible readers. [more...]
This is the Brazilian Portuguese version of the book Translating the Bible into Action by Harriet Hill and Margaret Hill.
A tried and tested resource that encourages meaningful Bible use in multi-lingual contexts through both written and oral media. Includes activities, assignments, further reading resources and links to useful websites.
This version has two extra chapters in addition to those found in the English version - "Addressing human concerns: Alcohol abuse", and "Sharing your faith with animists". [more...]
"The Bible reading plan people love to complete"
The Essential 100 Challenge (The E100) is an effective Bible reading program built around 100 carefully selected short Bible passages — 50 from the Old Testament and 50 from the New Testament. It enables people to get the big picture of God's Word and in the process develop a daily Bible reading habit.
The passages are usually one to two chapters in length and can easily be read in 10 minutes or less. The E100 Challenge takes a reader through all of the major types of biblical writing including Historical books, Poetry and Wisdom Literature, the Prophets, the Gospels, Acts, the Epistles and Revelation.
The programme was pioneered by Scripture Union in the USA where it is now a joint project with American Bible Society. Australia, New Zealand, UK, Germany and Argentina are implementing or planning nationwide E100 campaigns. [more...]
"I want to pull the Christian Scriptures back from the margins of the contemporary imagination where they have been so rudely elbowed by their glamorous competitors, and reestablish them at the center as the text for living the Christian life deeply and well."
Eugene Peterson encourages readers to feed on and live the Scriptures. He wants us to see the Bible as more than a book telling us how to think or behave. We must "eat this book"!
[more...]"Holy Scripture nurtures the holy community as food nurtures the human body. Christians don't simply learn or study or use Scripture; we assimilate it, take it into our lives in such a way that it gets metabolized into acts of love, cups of cold water, missions into all the world, healing and evangelism and justice in Jesus' name, hands raised in adoration of the Father, feet washed in company with the Son."