Bible Study Is Better When You Take Notes
- Date: 2007-05-17 - Word Count: 462
Share This!
One of the keys to Bible study, seriously trying to learn what the Bible teaches, is to take notes. This is a primary difference, for example, between reading the Bible and actually studying it. Taking notes isn't just so you'll remember it later. The very act of writing requires you to formulate your thoughts clearly. Writing forces you to recognize fuzzy thinking for what it is and push beyond it. Write down what you're learning because it helps you understand it better.
A Three-Ring Binder Approach
I recommend that you begin a notebook in which to record your observations or research. Forty years ago I began taking notes on 8-1/2" x 11" binder paper. In the left margin I would record the date. In the top right corner I would record the book, chapter, and verses of the passage I was studying. This made it easy to file my notes in scripture order. I began with a single 3-ring binder, but now my binders fill a five-foot bookshelf. I look back at some of my early insights and am reminded of how the Holy Spirit has taught me over the years. Start small, but take notes in a way that can be expanded easily.
Journaling
Another approach is to get a bound book that you can take notes in -- a kind of journal. (I've tried that, too.) Journaling has great value, but a bound notebook that contains many topics is difficult to organize or index in such a way that you can find your notes on a particular verse in the future. That's why I really like the binder paper approach.
Taking Notes on Your Computer
You could also take notes on a computer, naming the files in such a way that you can find them again or search an entire folder for a word or phrase. It's probably a good idea to print out your notes when you're finished and file them. Back them up, too, since computers have a way of crashing occasionally. You wouldn't your labor of years of study to be lost because your computer had a bad day..
I am so glad I began the habit of note-taking as part of my Bible study. Now when I study a passage again, I can go back to my notes. This way I can quickly review what I learned the last time I studied it and what I need to explore next.
For Bible teachers, small group leaders, and preachers, such a notebook of previous studies becomes especially valuable. But taking notes isn't important just because you might need them to carry out a ministry. Taking notes helps you as an individual probe the scriptures carefully and systematically. And in doing so, you are seeking more than spiritual understanding. You are seeking God himself.
A Three-Ring Binder Approach
I recommend that you begin a notebook in which to record your observations or research. Forty years ago I began taking notes on 8-1/2" x 11" binder paper. In the left margin I would record the date. In the top right corner I would record the book, chapter, and verses of the passage I was studying. This made it easy to file my notes in scripture order. I began with a single 3-ring binder, but now my binders fill a five-foot bookshelf. I look back at some of my early insights and am reminded of how the Holy Spirit has taught me over the years. Start small, but take notes in a way that can be expanded easily.
Journaling
Another approach is to get a bound book that you can take notes in -- a kind of journal. (I've tried that, too.) Journaling has great value, but a bound notebook that contains many topics is difficult to organize or index in such a way that you can find your notes on a particular verse in the future. That's why I really like the binder paper approach.
Taking Notes on Your Computer
You could also take notes on a computer, naming the files in such a way that you can find them again or search an entire folder for a word or phrase. It's probably a good idea to print out your notes when you're finished and file them. Back them up, too, since computers have a way of crashing occasionally. You wouldn't your labor of years of study to be lost because your computer had a bad day..
I am so glad I began the habit of note-taking as part of my Bible study. Now when I study a passage again, I can go back to my notes. This way I can quickly review what I learned the last time I studied it and what I need to explore next.
For Bible teachers, small group leaders, and preachers, such a notebook of previous studies becomes especially valuable. But taking notes isn't important just because you might need them to carry out a ministry. Taking notes helps you as an individual probe the scriptures carefully and systematically. And in doing so, you are seeking more than spiritual understanding. You are seeking God himself.
Related Tags: filing, taking notes, bible study, journaling, bible studies
Dr. Ralph F. Wilson has pioneered Bible study on the Internet since 1996 with his JesusWalk(r) Bible Study series (www.jesuswalk.com). The site offers more than a dozen no-cost online Bible studies, plus books and DVDs designed for personal and group study. Your Article Search Directory : Find in Articles
Recent articles in this category:
- Boating, Why not treat your staff to something special this Christmas
Everyone is working hard for you and it's challenging times. People are all feeling a bit down a - Verse No. 13 in the Bible Versus the Quran
This is a new series (1-13) of Verse No. in the Bible versus the Quran. Verse No. 13 in the Old Te - An Agreement With God For Spiritual Growth
Unique spirituality information tells us that before we entered this physical universe we all made a - Introduction To Jewish Mysticism And Kabbalah
When non-Jews ask about Judaism, they commonly ask questions like: What is the nature of God? Do you - Spirituality Information: You Are An Eternal Being
Has your spiritual growth taken you to a point where you encounter the spirituality information know - Some Questions And Answers For Your Spiritual Growth
Life's eternal questions lead you to the spirituality information that ultimately provides your spir - Spirituality Information: You Put The Meaning To Life
Your spiritual growth leads you to the idea the you are constantly making choices in life and inevit - A Thanksgiving Paraphrase
I am so thankful that we do not have the original manuscripts from the New Testament. Because there - Religious Invitations and Religious Announcements
Religious Invitations and Religious Announcements Throughout the life of a person, there are probab - Religious Wording, Verses and Sayings for All Religious Invitations
Religious Wording, Verses and Sayings for All Religious Invitations When you are sending out religi
Most viewed articles in this category:
- No Sign in the Prayer Test
The recent release of the Richard Dawkins book, "The God Delusion", has brought renewed accusations - Bible Versus Quran Versus Sciences Array (2) the Bees
Before dealing with the topic of the Bees in Quran versus Bible versus sciences, it is mandatory to - Understanding the Heart
(If you wish to more benefit from this article, please read first our "The Alems" titled article. - Christian Dating vs Courtship
Over the past decade, or so, It's become popular in modern churches to use the concept of courtship - Bible Versus Quran Versus Sciences, Array (19) the Birds
The issues concerning the Birds in the Bible are:1) The Birds are Detestable and intolerable, 2) The - Starting the Wealth Process
Luke 6:38 KJV Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken togethe - Dissolving the Illusion of Fear
Webster defines fear as unpleasant emotions cause by expectation or awareness of danger. However, - Crossing Paths with a Whistleblower
Mordechai Vanunu grew up in an Orthodox Jewish home but abandoned the faith by his mid teens. He bec - Conspiracy Madness
In connection with the WTC disaster there are conspiracy theories that have been proposed. Such as t - How You Dream Your World Into Existence
Reality is not real. It is a dream. This is not a metaphorical statement. On the quantum level of
