March 5, 2025 • 17 mins
Did this episode bless you? Send a quick message—I may share it next episode!
Hey Mama!
Do you ever feel overwhelmed when it comes to reading the Bible? Maybe it's the sheer volume and the length that keeps you from reading it. Or perhaps you feel you need to be much further along in your journey to be able to finally understand what the Bible is saying.
Well, whatever it is, Mama, in today's episode, I'm going to share three life changing ways to help you let go of the stress and pressure when it comes to reading and understanding the Bible. Whether you have an hour or a few minutes to read God's holy words, you'll finally be able to gain a deeper understanding of what you're reading and most importantly it's going to help you grow in your faith.
🎉Key Takeaways:
1. Pray before you read
- This creates space for you to slow down
2. Study/read With a friend (or spouse)
- A great way to grow your friendship/relationship with your friend or spouse
3. Take the time to look up words
- Gives you a more in-depth understanding of what God is saying.
Ready to get started? Let's go!
Related Episode(s):
93 | Overcome The Overwhelm: 3 Easy Ways To Start Bible Reading Today
More FREE Resources:
FREE Community: https://bit.ly/buildingconfidenceforchristianmoms
Become a Restored Mind Insider: https://restoredmindllc.myflodesk.com/insider
Email: Hello@restoredmindllc.com
Work with me
Book your 1:1 call:- https://calendly.com/restoredmind
Ways You Can Give Back:
Leave A Review On Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-restored-mind-faith-building-self-doubt/id1654768629
I'm excited to connect with you! Remember, you can do hard things!
"I can do all things through Him who strengthens me"- Philippians 4:13
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Have you ever felt intimidatedwhen it comes to reading the
Bible?
Maybe it's the sheer volume andthe length that keeps you away
from reading it because, well,it just looks intimidating.
Perhaps you feel unqualified toread the Bible or to even
understand it because you're anew believer or you have this
assumption that you have to beat a certain level in your faith
(00:21):
journey to be able to finallyunderstand what the Bible is
saying.
Well, whatever it is, Mama, intoday's episode, I'm going to
share three life changing waysto help you let go of the stress
and pressure when it comes toreading and understanding the
Bible.
So no matter how long or shortyou sit down with God's holy
words, you'll finally be able togain a deeper understanding of
(00:43):
what you're reading and it'sgoing to help you grow.
We're talking about all of it ontoday's episode.
Hey mama, you're in the rightplace if you're ready to get God
centered confidence.
Having unshakable confidencecomes from an unshakable God.
(01:05):
So let's get to know himtogether, my friend.
My name is Caroline Thao, I'myour host for The Restored Mind,
and I'm also a BiblicalConfidence Coach where I teach
you how to get confidencethrough scripture.
Let's start building thatframework for you so that you
can begin to thrive.
Are you ready?
Grab your Bible, break out thatjournal, and get something to
(01:27):
write with.
Let's go! Let's go! Come hangout with me beyond the podcast
inside my free community whereother mamas just like you are
thriving while building Godcentered confidence.
Inside that group you get toconnect with other mamas.
(01:49):
We also have fun challenges inthere and it's just so fun.
I can't wait to meet you insidethat free community at Building
Confidence Through Scripture forChristian Moms.
I'll go ahead and leave thatlink in the show notes for you
mama.
So before we get started, I justwant to say thank you so much
for your genuine support and allof your sweet reviews on Apple
Podcasts.
(02:10):
I appreciate it so much morethan I could ever express.
So whether you are new orreturning listener, I just thank
you for your support.
Now, it might come as a shock tomany of you, but I was not
always a Christian, nor did Igrow up in a Christian home.
My first encounter with the nameJesus actually took place on a
school bus when I was inelementary school.
(02:33):
I remember it like it was justyesterday.
There was a young girl that cameand sat next to me and she asked
if I know about a man namedJesus.
So I looked up and I lookedaround because I thought maybe
there might be someone therenamed Jesus.
So I turned back around to herand I said, no, I don't know
about a guy named Jesus.
(02:53):
She reaches into her book bagand she pulls out the children's
Bible.
And she tells me that Jesus iscoming back and she didn't want
me to get left behind.
Now, I'll be honest with you, Ididn't read the Children's
Bible, but I did look at thepictures and I remember being so
fascinated by them.
Then that night, my dad saw thebook in my book bag, he pulled
it out and asked me veryangrily, why did I have this
(03:17):
book and who gave it to me?
I remember he threw that bookacross the living room and asked
me very angrily to return thatbook and to never bring anything
like that back into hishousehold.
Now, as you can imagine, as alittle girl, I had no idea what
was going on.
I didn't even know thesignificance of that book or why
(03:38):
he was so angry, looking back, Irealized how important this
whole situation is from theyoung girl who asked me if I
know about a guy named Jesus toher handing me the Bible to me,
honestly, not even reading it,but just looking at the pictures
and then to my dad who finds itand gets mad and then throws the
book across the room.
(03:59):
And I'm forever grateful forthat situation because
Admittingly.
I was not always a Bible readerclearly, as you could see,
especially since I didn't readthe Children's Bible when it was
handed to me.
As a matter of fact, throughoutthe majority of my Christian
life, once I converted, I onlyrelied on sermons to teach me
(04:20):
about the Bible or tell me whatthe Bible says because reading
it felt like a chore.
there was also this unspokenpressure and guilt that came
from not reading the Bible.
Especially the pastor wouldencourage that I read the Bible
and I just knew that I wasn'treading it.
And the reason why is becausemost of the time I felt
unqualified and silly for notunderstanding what I was
(04:42):
reading.
So for many years, I just backedoff because I didn't like to
feel inadequate orunintelligent.
Let's just be real, right?
Nobody likes to feel inadequateor unintelligent.
So maybe some part of my story,is speaking to you right now.
Because you know, maybe youshould be reading, but for
whatever reason, you're not.
(05:02):
My friend, I hope that today'sconversation is going to give
you the encouragement that youneed to pick up and read the
Bible for yourself.
God's words are living andbreathing and I know it's going
to breathe so much life into youthe more that you continue to
read and not give up when youdon't understand whatever it is
that you're reading.
(05:23):
So, the first life changing wayto understand the Bible is to
pray before you read.
Because it is going to be such abeautiful way to slow down and
come to God's word without theidea or the mindset of being in
a rush to do something else.
Oftentimes, we can look atreading the Bible as a something
to check off our to do list sothat we can move on to the next
(05:45):
thing.
But when you pray before youread, it prepares your heart,
your mind, and your eyes toreceive God's words.
Now, you might not understandall of what you're reading, but
there is going to be somethingthat sticks out to you.
And that's something is going tobe how you slowly start to
understand the Bible.
Now, I'm not going to teach youwhat kind of prayer to say or
(06:07):
share with you what kind ofprayer I say, because I think
that you already have such awonderful teacher who does this,
and that is Jesus.
He teaches his disciples to prayin Matthew chapter 6.
It's called the Lord's Prayer,and it's such a great go to, the
way that the framework is builtaround that is absolutely
beautiful because it pointseverything to God first.
(06:29):
And also, if you don't haveanything to say, if you're not
sure what to pray, just say theLord's Prayer.
So don't think that, you know,you have to come up with some
fancy prayer.
You can just pray the Lord'sPrayer.
it's going to be so good for youin that moment as you prepare
your heart to receive God'swords.
the second life changing way tounderstand the Bible is to read
(06:51):
or study with a friend.
This is perfect foraccountability purposes, my
friend.
Now, it's not about who knowsmore, who's studying better.
This is not a competition.
It is not about being perfect,but instead it gives you the
opportunity to grow together asfriends and build a stronger
relationship with one another.
(07:11):
Let me just pause here and saythat you don't have to
necessarily study with a friend.
It could be a family member likeyour sister or maybe your mom or
whomever, and it could also beyour spouse.
As long as you two are committedto studying together, Now you
might be thinking, well,Caroline, what happens if we're
(07:32):
both beginners and we don't knowwhat we're doing?
This would be a great time foryou to maybe pull someone in
that is a little bit furtheralong than you to study
alongside.
Side you.
That way you can observe howthey're studying and pick up
some things along the way.
if no one comes to mind in themoment, just start anyway there
are resources that can help youand I'm going to share that and
(07:54):
my next point.
but yes, there is a reason thatJesus sends his disciples out
two by two.
You can definitely read alone,but I think there's so much
value in conversation when youare studying with someone else.
What I want you to do also is toremove the pressure of thinking
that you have to fullyunderstand what you're reading
(08:15):
when you first read it.
read a passage.
Sometimes, to be really honestwith you, it takes more than one
time of reading to wrap yourmind around whatever it is that
you've read.
Other times, it takes youactually going through something
to see more clearly whatscripture is talking about.
Now, I'm a firm believer that nomatter where you are in life,
(08:36):
you can read the same passage ina different season and you'll
get a new nugget of wisdomanytime you go back to it.
So let go of the pressure ofthinking that you have to know
everything before you read theBible.
That's absolutely not true 2ndTimothy chapter 3 verse 16 and
17 says all scripture isbreathed out by God and
(08:57):
Profitable for teaching forreproof for correction and for
training in righteousness thatthe man of God which by the way
the footnote says That is amessenger of God.
Now, it continues to also say,May be complete.
So the whole verse reads, That'sthe man of God, may be complete.
Equipped for every good work.
(09:17):
I was reading from the EnglishStandard Version.
And this verse right here.
Tells me, my friend, that nomatter how seasoned you are,
you're still going to belearning, you're going to be
getting corrected, and you'regoing to still be trained.
This is a marathon, so buckle upand get ready because you're in
(09:38):
this for the long haul.
The best practices to take whenyou are studying with someone is
to decide if you want to do aBible study together that has
already been put together bysomeone else, or if you simply
just want to read straight fromthe Bible.
And if you decide that you wantto just read a book from the
Bible and a Bible study thatsomeone else put together,
(09:59):
that's completely fine too.
Just be sure that if you'repicking a book from the Bible,
whatever it is, you just read itfrom the beginning to the end,
word for word.
That way, you can get the fullunderstanding of what's
happening versus you jumpingaround in that particular book.
Also, set a time and date thatyou both can commit to on a
regular basis.
(10:20):
Yes, I get it.
Life happens and sometimes youmay not be able to meet on said
time and date, but the overallgoal here is to be consistent.
Just like with anything else inlife, being consistent is going
to make a difference.
The third thing I have here isvery optional, but I do highly
recommend that you get a journaland you write down thoughts or
(10:40):
questions as you're reading.
So that way you can bring itinto the conversation and it'll
help you stay organized andfocused as you are taking this
time to worship and tofellowship with one another
about God's good words.
Now, if you're already thinking,okay, this is way too advanced
for me.
I feel like it's going to be alot more work than I anticipated
(11:02):
when I clicked on this episodetitle.
Well, mama, don't worry.
I want you to go and listen toepisode 93, where I'll talk
about three very easy and simpleways you can begin to read the
Bible today.
They are very practical and alsothey're really fun.
Once you listen to that episode,come back and finish this one.
(11:22):
What I don't want you to do isto run away and put it off
because now it's sounding likeit's a lot of work.
Mama, I get it.
Hang in there.
I know that you can do this.
And the last life changing wayto understand the Bible is to
take the time to look up thewords.
Yes, I know, it probably soundsreally daunting, like it's an
extra thing to do on top ofreading.
(11:44):
But I promise you that the morethat you spend time looking up
words, understanding the Greekwords or the Hebrew meaning of
these words, it is going to helpyou understand what it is that's
being said.
And I personally believe You'llnever go back to simply glazing
over the words off the pages Youjust won't because you're going
to want to know what thatpassage means Think of looking
(12:08):
up the words in this way.
Picture a gardener.
That is tending the soil toplant whatever plant they're
putting into the soil.
In order for them to put theseeds in the soil, they have to
tend to the garden, right?
They have to plow the yard andmaybe remove some debris,
whatever it is that they have todo.
And that would be equivalent toyou opening up the Bible and
(12:30):
reading.
Now, the more that you take thetime to look up the words, the
more the words that you'rereading are going to take root.
So in order for this to happen,as you're studying, that's
equivalent to the gardenerplowing the land and watering
the seeds so that the seeds cantake root into the soil.
(12:51):
And that's the most importantthing you want to do.
You want the words that you'rereading to take root.
And that is why I personallybelieve that when you take the
time to look up the words, Itgives you a more in depth
understanding.
So I hope that that gardenanalogy makes sense.
A great way to begin to lookupwards is to read the Bible
(13:13):
footnotes if it's there.
Usually it's indicated by anumber and the number correlates
to the footnotes at the bottomof the pages in the Bible.
You can also take advantage ofthe Bible references that's
mostly on the side passage ofyour Bible.
Now if you have a Bible StudyBible, I would also recommend
that you read the commentaries.
Look at the maps and all ofthose to help you understand
(13:35):
what's going on in that time.
Usually, in the Bible StudyBible, at least the version that
I have, There's backgroundinformation that can help you
with that.
Again, I talk about all of thisin episode 93.
So if you are thinking aboutgetting a Bible Study Bible, go
listen to that episode.
It might be very helpful to you.
if you don't have a Bible studyBible, you can use resources
(13:56):
online..
I mentioned this website acouple of times on this podcast.
It is a blueletterbible.
org and I know that you'reprobably tired of me saying
that, but it's such a goodresource for you to use because
it helps you break down themeaning of the words and it's
free.
So why not take advantage ofthat?
And if you can, if your budgetallows, invest in a Strong's
(14:17):
Concordance book.
That's only if financially itmakes sense for you to do that.
If not, take advantage of theother resources that I've shared
with you and also your Bible.
again, remember that you don'thave to know everything before
you open up the Bible.
You don't have to be a seasonedfollower.
You can read the Bible at anypoint in your life.
You can go to God at any pointin your life.
(14:38):
So let go of the pressure thatis keeping you from going to
God's holy words, because it ismanna for your soul, my friend,
the more that you take the timeto spend on the passage that
you're reading, especially whenyou're taking the time to look
up these words, it is going tohelp it take root into your life
and in your mind.
I know we talked about a lot ontoday's episode, so to recap on
(15:02):
the three life changing ways tounderstand the Bible, the first
point we talked about is to praybefore you read.
It is going to help you slowdown, it is going to help
prepare your heart, your mind,and your eyes to receive.
See God's good in holy words.
And then you can study with afriend, a family member, or even
a spouse.
It's a great way for you to takeaccountability and also helps
(15:23):
you talk through the thoughtsand questions you may have.
And the good way to do that isto pick what kind of Bible study
that you want to do.
So whether it is a Bible studythat's already been put
together, you're just readingfrom the Bible.
Just stick with it and beconsistent in it, set up a start
and stop time, write down yourthoughts and questions in a
(15:44):
journal, and bring that into theconversation.
And then the last point is foryou to take the time to look up
words.
This is going to give you abetter understanding of what
you're reading.
It's going to help the wordstake root into your life, into
your mind, heart and soul.
There's lots of ways that youcould do this, like reading the
footnotes or the commentaries.
If you have a Bible study Bible,you can actually use resources
(16:05):
too.
I've mentioned theblueletterbible.
org.
It's very helpful.
And if your budget allows, studyalongside the Strong's
Concordance.
It's going to help youunderstand the Bible so much
more.
approaching the Bible can beincredibly intimidating, or even
thinking about reading it canfeel like a daunting task, but
if you're striving forsustainable, lasting confidence,
you have to put in the work.
(16:27):
And this is one of the work thatneeds to be done.
Get to know who God is byreading his word.
I know that this can be hard,but my friend, you can do hard
things.
Thank you so much for hangingout with me today.
I had such a wonderful time.
I cannot wait to meet you againnext Wednesday.
(16:50):
Right here on this podcast.
Mamma.
I hope that as you are inspiredand uplifted, that you would
show up at all the spaces andplaces ready to serve with a
joyful heart.
And yes, with confidence.
Please take a moment to leave areview on apple podcasts.
It would bring me so much joyhearing from you on top of that.
If you want to connect evenmore, join the insider's list.
(17:12):
I would love to continue helpingyou as you journey on in getting
God centered confidence.
The link to join the insider'slist is going to be posted in
the show notes..
All right, my friend, this iswhere we part ways.
I hope you have a wonderful day.
Go in peace.
Have you ever felt intimidatedwhen it comes to reading the
Bible?
Maybe it's the sheer volume andthe length that keeps you away
from reading it because, well,it just looks intimidating.
Perhaps you feel unqualified toread the Bible or to even
understand it because you're anew believer or you have this
assumption that you have to beat a certain level in your faith
(00:21):
journey to be able to finallyunderstand what the Bible is
saying.
Well, whatever it is, Mama, intoday's episode, I'm going to
share three life changing waysto help you let go of the stress
and pressure when it comes toreading and understanding the
Bible.
So no matter how long or shortyou sit down with God's holy
words, you'll finally be able togain a deeper understanding of
(00:43):
what you're reading and it'sgoing to help you grow.
We're talking about all of it ontoday's episode.
Hey mama, you're in the rightplace if you're ready to get God
centered confidence.
Having unshakable confidencecomes from an unshakable God.
(01:05):
So let's get to know himtogether, my friend.
My name is Caroline Thao, I'myour host for The Restored Mind,
and I'm also a BiblicalConfidence Coach where I teach
you how to get confidencethrough scripture.
Let's start building thatframework for you so that you
can begin to thrive.
Are you ready?
Grab your Bible, break out thatjournal, and get something to
(01:27):
write with.
Let's go! Let's go! Come hangout with me beyond the podcast
inside my free community whereother mamas just like you are
thriving while building Godcentered confidence.
Inside that group you get toconnect with other mamas.
(01:49):
We also have fun challenges inthere and it's just so fun.
I can't wait to meet you insidethat free community at Building
Confidence Through Scripture forChristian Moms.
I'll go ahead and leave thatlink in the show notes for you
mama.
So before we get started, I justwant to say thank you so much
for your genuine support and allof your sweet reviews on Apple
Podcasts.
(02:10):
I appreciate it so much morethan I could ever express.
So whether you are new orreturning listener, I just thank
you for your support.
Now, it might come as a shock tomany of you, but I was not
always a Christian, nor did Igrow up in a Christian home.
My first encounter with the nameJesus actually took place on a
school bus when I was inelementary school.
(02:33):
I remember it like it was justyesterday.
There was a young girl that cameand sat next to me and she asked
if I know about a man namedJesus.
So I looked up and I lookedaround because I thought maybe
there might be someone therenamed Jesus.
So I turned back around to herand I said, no, I don't know
about a guy named Jesus.
(02:53):
She reaches into her book bagand she pulls out the children's
Bible.
And she tells me that Jesus iscoming back and she didn't want
me to get left behind.
Now, I'll be honest with you, Ididn't read the Children's
Bible, but I did look at thepictures and I remember being so
fascinated by them.
Then that night, my dad saw thebook in my book bag, he pulled
it out and asked me veryangrily, why did I have this
(03:17):
book and who gave it to me?
I remember he threw that bookacross the living room and asked
me very angrily to return thatbook and to never bring anything
like that back into hishousehold.
Now, as you can imagine, as alittle girl, I had no idea what
was going on.
I didn't even know thesignificance of that book or why
(03:38):
he was so angry, looking back, Irealized how important this
whole situation is from theyoung girl who asked me if I
know about a guy named Jesus toher handing me the Bible to me,
honestly, not even reading it,but just looking at the pictures
and then to my dad who finds itand gets mad and then throws the
book across the room.
(03:59):
And I'm forever grateful forthat situation because
Admittingly.
I was not always a Bible readerclearly, as you could see,
especially since I didn't readthe Children's Bible when it was
handed to me.
As a matter of fact, throughoutthe majority of my Christian
life, once I converted, I onlyrelied on sermons to teach me
(04:20):
about the Bible or tell me whatthe Bible says because reading
it felt like a chore.
there was also this unspokenpressure and guilt that came
from not reading the Bible.
Especially the pastor wouldencourage that I read the Bible
and I just knew that I wasn'treading it.
And the reason why is becausemost of the time I felt
unqualified and silly for notunderstanding what I was
(04:42):
reading.
So for many years, I just backedoff because I didn't like to
feel inadequate orunintelligent.
Let's just be real, right?
Nobody likes to feel inadequateor unintelligent.
So maybe some part of my story,is speaking to you right now.
Because you know, maybe youshould be reading, but for
whatever reason, you're not.
(05:02):
My friend, I hope that today'sconversation is going to give
you the encouragement that youneed to pick up and read the
Bible for yourself.
God's words are living andbreathing and I know it's going
to breathe so much life into youthe more that you continue to
read and not give up when youdon't understand whatever it is
that you're reading.
(05:23):
So, the first life changing wayto understand the Bible is to
pray before you read.
Because it is going to be such abeautiful way to slow down and
come to God's word without theidea or the mindset of being in
a rush to do something else.
Oftentimes, we can look atreading the Bible as a something
to check off our to do list sothat we can move on to the next
(05:45):
thing.
But when you pray before youread, it prepares your heart,
your mind, and your eyes toreceive God's words.
Now, you might not understandall of what you're reading, but
there is going to be somethingthat sticks out to you.
And that's something is going tobe how you slowly start to
understand the Bible.
Now, I'm not going to teach youwhat kind of prayer to say or
(06:07):
share with you what kind ofprayer I say, because I think
that you already have such awonderful teacher who does this,
and that is Jesus.
He teaches his disciples to prayin Matthew chapter 6.
It's called the Lord's Prayer,and it's such a great go to, the
way that the framework is builtaround that is absolutely
beautiful because it pointseverything to God first.
(06:29):
And also, if you don't haveanything to say, if you're not
sure what to pray, just say theLord's Prayer.
So don't think that, you know,you have to come up with some
fancy prayer.
You can just pray the Lord'sPrayer.
it's going to be so good for youin that moment as you prepare
your heart to receive God'swords.
the second life changing way tounderstand the Bible is to read
(06:51):
or study with a friend.
This is perfect foraccountability purposes, my
friend.
Now, it's not about who knowsmore, who's studying better.
This is not a competition.
It is not about being perfect,but instead it gives you the
opportunity to grow together asfriends and build a stronger
relationship with one another.
(07:11):
Let me just pause here and saythat you don't have to
necessarily study with a friend.
It could be a family member likeyour sister or maybe your mom or
whomever, and it could also beyour spouse.
As long as you two are committedto studying together, Now you
might be thinking, well,Caroline, what happens if we're
(07:32):
both beginners and we don't knowwhat we're doing?
This would be a great time foryou to maybe pull someone in
that is a little bit furtheralong than you to study
alongside.
Side you.
That way you can observe howthey're studying and pick up
some things along the way.
if no one comes to mind in themoment, just start anyway there
are resources that can help youand I'm going to share that and
(07:54):
my next point.
but yes, there is a reason thatJesus sends his disciples out
two by two.
You can definitely read alone,but I think there's so much
value in conversation when youare studying with someone else.
What I want you to do also is toremove the pressure of thinking
that you have to fullyunderstand what you're reading
(08:15):
when you first read it.
read a passage.
Sometimes, to be really honestwith you, it takes more than one
time of reading to wrap yourmind around whatever it is that
you've read.
Other times, it takes youactually going through something
to see more clearly whatscripture is talking about.
Now, I'm a firm believer that nomatter where you are in life,
(08:36):
you can read the same passage ina different season and you'll
get a new nugget of wisdomanytime you go back to it.
So let go of the pressure ofthinking that you have to know
everything before you read theBible.
That's absolutely not true 2ndTimothy chapter 3 verse 16 and
17 says all scripture isbreathed out by God and
(08:57):
Profitable for teaching forreproof for correction and for
training in righteousness thatthe man of God which by the way
the footnote says That is amessenger of God.
Now, it continues to also say,May be complete.
So the whole verse reads, That'sthe man of God, may be complete.
Equipped for every good work.
(09:17):
I was reading from the EnglishStandard Version.
And this verse right here.
Tells me, my friend, that nomatter how seasoned you are,
you're still going to belearning, you're going to be
getting corrected, and you'regoing to still be trained.
This is a marathon, so buckle upand get ready because you're in
(09:38):
this for the long haul.
The best practices to take whenyou are studying with someone is
to decide if you want to do aBible study together that has
already been put together bysomeone else, or if you simply
just want to read straight fromthe Bible.
And if you decide that you wantto just read a book from the
Bible and a Bible study thatsomeone else put together,
(09:59):
that's completely fine too.
Just be sure that if you'repicking a book from the Bible,
whatever it is, you just read itfrom the beginning to the end,
word for word.
That way, you can get the fullunderstanding of what's
happening versus you jumpingaround in that particular book.
Also, set a time and date thatyou both can commit to on a
regular basis.
(10:20):
Yes, I get it.
Life happens and sometimes youmay not be able to meet on said
time and date, but the overallgoal here is to be consistent.
Just like with anything else inlife, being consistent is going
to make a difference.
The third thing I have here isvery optional, but I do highly
recommend that you get a journaland you write down thoughts or
(10:40):
questions as you're reading.
So that way you can bring itinto the conversation and it'll
help you stay organized andfocused as you are taking this
time to worship and tofellowship with one another
about God's good words.
Now, if you're already thinking,okay, this is way too advanced
for me.
I feel like it's going to be alot more work than I anticipated
(11:02):
when I clicked on this episodetitle.
Well, mama, don't worry.
I want you to go and listen toepisode 93, where I'll talk
about three very easy and simpleways you can begin to read the
Bible today.
They are very practical and alsothey're really fun.
Once you listen to that episode,come back and finish this one.
(11:22):
What I don't want you to do isto run away and put it off
because now it's sounding likeit's a lot of work.
Mama, I get it.
Hang in there.
I know that you can do this.
And the last life changing wayto understand the Bible is to
take the time to look up thewords.
Yes, I know, it probably soundsreally daunting, like it's an
extra thing to do on top ofreading.
(11:44):
But I promise you that the morethat you spend time looking up
words, understanding the Greekwords or the Hebrew meaning of
these words, it is going to helpyou understand what it is that's
being said.
And I personally believe You'llnever go back to simply glazing
over the words off the pages Youjust won't because you're going
to want to know what thatpassage means Think of looking
(12:08):
up the words in this way.
Picture a gardener.
That is tending the soil toplant whatever plant they're
putting into the soil.
In order for them to put theseeds in the soil, they have to
tend to the garden, right?
They have to plow the yard andmaybe remove some debris,
whatever it is that they have todo.
And that would be equivalent toyou opening up the Bible and
(12:30):
reading.
Now, the more that you take thetime to look up the words, the
more the words that you'rereading are going to take root.
So in order for this to happen,as you're studying, that's
equivalent to the gardenerplowing the land and watering
the seeds so that the seeds cantake root into the soil.
(12:51):
And that's the most importantthing you want to do.
You want the words that you'rereading to take root.
And that is why I personallybelieve that when you take the
time to look up the words, Itgives you a more in depth
understanding.
So I hope that that gardenanalogy makes sense.
A great way to begin to lookupwards is to read the Bible
(13:13):
footnotes if it's there.
Usually it's indicated by anumber and the number correlates
to the footnotes at the bottomof the pages in the Bible.
You can also take advantage ofthe Bible references that's
mostly on the side passage ofyour Bible.
Now if you have a Bible StudyBible, I would also recommend
that you read the commentaries.
Look at the maps and all ofthose to help you understand
(13:35):
what's going on in that time.
Usually, in the Bible StudyBible, at least the version that
I have, There's backgroundinformation that can help you
with that.
Again, I talk about all of thisin episode 93.
So if you are thinking aboutgetting a Bible Study Bible, go
listen to that episode.
It might be very helpful to you.
if you don't have a Bible studyBible, you can use resources
(13:56):
online..
I mentioned this website acouple of times on this podcast.
It is a blueletterbible.
org and I know that you'reprobably tired of me saying
that, but it's such a goodresource for you to use because
it helps you break down themeaning of the words and it's
free.
So why not take advantage ofthat?
And if you can, if your budgetallows, invest in a Strong's
(14:17):
Concordance book.
That's only if financially itmakes sense for you to do that.
If not, take advantage of theother resources that I've shared
with you and also your Bible.
again, remember that you don'thave to know everything before
you open up the Bible.
You don't have to be a seasonedfollower.
You can read the Bible at anypoint in your life.
You can go to God at any pointin your life.
(14:38):
So let go of the pressure thatis keeping you from going to
God's holy words, because it ismanna for your soul, my friend,
the more that you take the timeto spend on the passage that
you're reading, especially whenyou're taking the time to look
up these words, it is going tohelp it take root into your life
and in your mind.
I know we talked about a lot ontoday's episode, so to recap on
(15:02):
the three life changing ways tounderstand the Bible, the first
point we talked about is to praybefore you read.
It is going to help you slowdown, it is going to help
prepare your heart, your mind,and your eyes to receive.
See God's good in holy words.
And then you can study with afriend, a family member, or even
a spouse.
It's a great way for you to takeaccountability and also helps
(15:23):
you talk through the thoughtsand questions you may have.
And the good way to do that isto pick what kind of Bible study
that you want to do.
So whether it is a Bible studythat's already been put
together, you're just readingfrom the Bible.
Just stick with it and beconsistent in it, set up a start
and stop time, write down yourthoughts and questions in a
(15:44):
journal, and bring that into theconversation.
And then the last point is foryou to take the time to look up
words.
This is going to give you abetter understanding of what
you're reading.
It's going to help the wordstake root into your life, into
your mind, heart and soul.
There's lots of ways that youcould do this, like reading the
footnotes or the commentaries.
If you have a Bible study Bible,you can actually use resources
(16:05):
too.
I've mentioned theblueletterbible.
org.
It's very helpful.
And if your budget allows, studyalongside the Strong's
Concordance.
It's going to help youunderstand the Bible so much
more.
approaching the Bible can beincredibly intimidating, or even
thinking about reading it canfeel like a daunting task, but
if you're striving forsustainable, lasting confidence,
you have to put in the work.
(16:27):
And this is one of the work thatneeds to be done.
Get to know who God is byreading his word.
I know that this can be hard,but my friend, you can do hard
things.
Thank you so much for hangingout with me today.
I had such a wonderful time.
I cannot wait to meet you againnext Wednesday.
(16:50):
Right here on this podcast.
Mamma.
I hope that as you are inspiredand uplifted, that you would
show up at all the spaces andplaces ready to serve with a
joyful heart.
And yes, with confidence.
Please take a moment to leave areview on apple podcasts.
It would bring me so much joyhearing from you on top of that.
If you want to connect evenmore, join the insider's list.
(17:12):
I would love to continue helpingyou as you journey on in getting
God centered confidence.
The link to join the insider'slist is going to be posted in
the show notes..
All right, my friend, this iswhere we part ways.
I hope you have a wonderful day.
Go in peace.
Popular Podcasts
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.