Beyond the Reading Plan
You did it! You made it through days 1-5 of this week’s Bible reading plan!
I hope and pray that the STAR method was helpful to you as you examined each passage of Scripture this week. No worries if you didn’t use the STAR method or any method at all. The point is that we open our Bibles and learn more about Jesus by reading His Word! So way to go for putting what you’ve learned into practice and joining us in reading.
I wanted to take a second and reiterate a few things when it comes to biblical literacy. When we open our Bible and study a specific chapter or verse we want to be sure we do so with the correct reading lenses. Here are a few things to remember:
1. Context is important. Knowing the physical, historical, and cultural context of the verse helps to understand what it means. Ask when it was written? Who wrote it? For what audience?
2. Seek to understand. Talk to other spiritually mature believers and ask what they think about the passage. We are the body of Christ for a reason! So start a conversation and gather insights from other trusted sources.
3. Take your time. It’s easy to rush through our reading and not think deeply about what the Text really means. Slow down and remember: we read the Bible to change, not to finish.
4. Pray for enlightenment. Ask the Holy Spirit for wisdom as you read to help you understand and apply the Scripture. He will give you spiritual eyes to see!
So what do we from here? We stay in the Word. This is not something we want start in the New Year and forget about by March. This is a lifelong habit that we are cultivating so that we can know draw close to God.
Since we’ve started in Colossians, I think a great next step is to keep going! Continue using the STAR method and asking these questions until you’ve read through the entire book of Colossians. Honestly, it’s one of my favorite books of the Bible. I truly believe that the Holy Spirit will reveal new truths to you as you read and apply God’s Word!
Keep it going, Church! It doesn’t matter if you read one verse or one chapter or even if you miss a day; the point is that you are following God in obedience to continually know Him better through God’s holy and inspired Word.
In Christ,
Pastor Ryan
Additional Resources
Consider purchasing a Study Bible that will help you break down passages and give you more insight and context for what you are reading.
Look up commentaries of pastors and theologians that you trust. My recommendations would be using Blue Letter Bible online. They have a ton of commentaries that you can choose from. I use David Guzik and Matthew Henry. Simply search for the passage you are looking for, then click the tab that says “commentaries.”
Download The Bible App on your phone or tablet. The Bible App has dozens of resources within the app itself to help you gain deeper knowledge and understanding, including specific guided reading plans on specific topics, books of the Bible and more.