Read the Bible passage slowly.

Write down any words you don’t understand.

Find out what the words mean.

Read the Bible passage aloud.

Read it again.

Read the Bible passage.

Ask God to show you some stuff in the passage.

Read the passage again.

Write down anything that you think God is showing you.

Read a different translation of the Bible passage.

Write down any bits that strike you as being different.

Ask yourself,

“Is anything different?”

“How does this help our
understanding?”

Read the Bible passage.

Find out
Who wrote it?
When was it written?
Where does it come in the Bible story??

Read half of the passage and meditate on it.

“Meditate”…to read slowly,
chew it over by thinking
deeply about it.

Don’t forget to use your Journal to make notes.

Read the second half of the
passage and meditate on it, don’t rush!!

Write down notes in your Journal.

Think about the 3 questions ready to talk to your mentor.

Read the passage.

What parts of the passage are jumping out at you or have some special significance? Maybe you find them speaking to a situation in your life, or maybe you don’t know why but you keep coming back to that one phrase or word.

Write them down, or memorise them, and keep mulling them over in your mind.

What might God be saying to you?

Read the passage.

Do those significant words or phrases link to anywhere else you have read in your Bible? or to a sermon you’ve heard, or a song?

Or even, dare we suggest, to something you’ve done in school.

What connections can you make, what patterns can you see?

Some of the multi media resources we’ve suggested might help; or share your own on Facebook.

Use your imagination.

Put yourself in the story – as a bystander or a main or minor character, whoever you relate to.

What are you hearing, seeing, smelling, feeling?

Why did you choose that particular character, does this tell you anything about yourself?

Here is a little ditty learned from a bible teacher to help:

“Tell the story,
Fill in the gaps,
But whatever you do,
Don’t change the facts!”

So you’re not allowed to change the basic story – but you can embellish it any way you like in your imagination.

You might learn something about yourself – have fun!

Pray the passage.

Go back to some of those significant words or phrases that you wrote down and meditated on.

Use them as a prayer back to God. It might be praise or thanksgiving or a request. There is something very powerful about praying God’s own word back to Him.

Let GOD speak

Create space. Be quiet. Switch off the computer and put the phone on silent. Then say-

“What are you saying to me, Lord?”

And listen.

Formation and Thanksgiving.

Reading the Bible is not primarily about getting information. It is about formation. As we ‘dwell richly in the word of God’ it changes us.

Pray for God to change you through his word, and don’t forget to thank Him when he does so.