*BIBLE STUDY* My Method & Some Resource Links

The Resource Links First:

I decided to rearrange this post & list the links first. My ramblings about my study methods and reasons will follow. Enjoy.

NOTE: I try to use free resources as often as I can and donate to the creators of the material. You can find almost everything I've mentioned (especially Chuck Missler's and Dr. Martin's videos on YouTube) through your local library and via their online resources. I did purchase my LTB24 via Amazon. My library has eBook and audiobook resources via Libby, Overdrive, and Hoopla Digital. Anyway, here you go:

• eSword for PC 
• eSword for Android
• eSword for iPhone
• eSword for Mac
• eSword for iPad
• Downloads for additional eSword content (note: there is additional free & paid content w/in the PC program. I suggest starting there until you get used to the program.)
• Blue Letter Bible is a great online resource for study and commentary. BLB also has courses for serious Bible study students.
• Study Bible has various Bible versions online - including Hebrew and Greek interlinear versions.
• Koinonia House is a wonderful ministry. They are also on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Vimeo.
• This is the Koinonia Online Bible Institute. You have to be seriously ready to study here!
• BOOK - Learn the Bible in 24 Hours (see my note below**)
• HANDBOOK - Learn the Bible in 24 Hours
• WORKBOOK - Learn the Bible in 24 Hours
• If you get only one of these, I suggest getting the Handbook to use along with the videos. I use the Handbook most out of the 3. Also, make sure that you look for used copies. All my copies are used and came in really good shape.

Now, because I know I have too many resource links to list here, I am going to fall back on past posts that list some. Keep in mind, some posts are old so some links may need replacing.

• The Great Big Bible Study Post (Part 1) Resources
• The Great Big Bible Study Post (Part 2) Resources
• Resources for the Learning Christian

 Intro to my study method:

In the past several weeks, I have gotten much deeper into Bible study. I am treating my time spent reading and studying God's Word as if it were a very important college course. I feel like I should know my Bible better than I know the storylines of TV shows or what's going on with the Kardashians.

Reading, studying, and knowing the Bible is, of course, the most important kind of intellectual pursuit for a Christian. Too often in the past, I have treated it as if it's a thing I do when I get around to it. These days, I am making time for it on a regular basis.

Because I have issues with memory and cognition, I was having a lot of trouble trying to study the Bible piecemeal or as an occasional thing. I can easily enjoy mindless and trivial things because they are not important. The Bible is very important to me so I wanted to find a way to grasp and retain as much of the study as I can.

I've talked before about how useful I find the eSword  Bible study program on my computer. It has so many (free) resources included (commentaries, dictionaries, various Bible versions, etc) that I have come to use all the time. However, one of the resources embedded into the program was difficult for me to use. The Notes and Journal tabs are fabulous for anyone with the average working brain. For me, I get tangled up in details and organization. It so happens that another resource I am using works perfectly in conjunction with eSword.

Most people who know me have heard me talk about my favorite Bible Study: Learn the Bible in 24 Hours from Koinonia House Ministries. Of course, you don't learn the Bible in that amount of time; the overall study is separated into 24 sections for small study groups (or solo students like myself) to easier digest. 

(By the way, this is a Google Books overview of the Learn the Bible in 24 Hours book.)

Materials used in my study routine:

I started the study (which I call LTB24) by watching a series of videos on YouTube. The late Chuck Missler has been a favorite Bible teacher of mine, along with Dr. Walter Martin. Missler doesn't skim through the lessons, he goes into detail, including a lot of scientific commentaries. Therefore, I ran into issues with my notetaking and organization again.

Finally, I managed to pull a personal study system together by using my Bible and Bible programs (like eSword) along with the YouTube videos and the LTB24 materials. Currently, this is what I have:

You can see how much room there is to write in notes in the books, by the way:

Get the workbook if you can (try to find it used) but it's not the most necessary of the set.

You can get a lined notebook 

This is what I use in my study to stay somewhat organized:

• Pilot Frixion erasable pens (buy once and get refills where they are cheapest) and erasable highlighters. I use these with my Rocketbook where I keep doctor's appts and appt notes. They tend to run out of ink quicker than other brands of erasable ink but they are the best.  You can find them cheaper if you shop at Jet Pens and Walmart. Shop around. 
• Re-stickable tabs like these. You can get them almost anywhere that has school supplies. I got a 500-piece set and have not had to buy anymore for over a year.
• I use cheap, thin newsprint paper to take notes because the sheets fit in my Bible and books without taking up a lot of room. They are also easy to safely glue into my Bible (using re-positional glue!) so I don't lose the notes or damage my Bible. It's much better than buying the crazily expensive Post-It Notes. I fold and tear the newsprint to the size I need and 1 ream is still lost untouched after 2 years.

Each day that I am physically and cognitively well enough, I spend an hour or so in study. This system works out wonderfully. Even if my brain acts up and I need to re-do a previous lesson, I have organized notes and information to rely on.

If you are trying to commit to a fairly rigorous Bible Study for yourself (or your small study group), I highly recommend LTB24.

About the teachers I like:

Chuck Missler, as I've said, is a teacher who goes deep when it comes to his study sessions. And, yes, there has been some minor controversy about Missler. One thing that bothers some people is that he talks about "codes" found in the Bible and often speaks about equidistant letter spacing (ELS).

In defense of Missler (because I was concerned about the ELS stuff), he only mentions ELS info as something of curiosity and interest. He was a data information guy so this was interesting to his mind. He never bases doctrine on it; he only mentions it as a point of interest and as a side note to his sessions.

As for the other "codes" he speaks of, I'm in agreement with him. He was of the mind that the Bible is of intelligent design and that there are some things that show that. One for instance is the genealogy given in Genesis *** He points out the roots of the names given and shows how, together, they spell out the basic plan of salvation. He is not adding to the Bible in this; he is showing students that God's fingerprints are all over the Holy Bible.

Missler never tries to lead anyone away from the authority of the Bible and God. I am intelligent enough to pray and think for myself. If I found such small items (as the mention of the code and ELS) I can discard that without throwing out my entire study.

The other teacher I always respected is the late Dr. Walter Martin. I would read and listen to his teachings on discernment regarding cults and false teachers and false teachings. I recommend looking up videos of his debates with the spokespeople of various sects and religions. His book (again, here is an overview from Google Books) Kingdom of the Cults is a great resource for anyone trying to understand the many, many cults and false religions. 

**Sorry if this post is a bit disjointed. I did tell you I did some rearranging! I sure hope this is helpful to anyone trying to start a serious study of the Bible from home.**

Peace

--Free

The Great Big Bible Study Post (Part 2) Resources

This continues the Great Big Bible Study Post series.

• 10 Commandments - listed & explained (from bibleinfo.com)
• Page of some Bible resources from AOC's Patreon (consider contributing)
• (STUDY COURSES) Bible courses from Blue Letter Bible
• Bible study resources from Blue Letter Bible
• (VIDEOS) Missler's Matthew to Revelation playlist
• Berean Call's Berean Bites (free downloads - consider a donation)
• Read the Orthodox Jewish Bible online (from Bible Study Tools)
• (AUDIOBOOK) The Seduction of Christianity (Dave Hunt/Berean Call)
• (STUDY COURSES) From the Koinonia Institute 
• Printable resources from the John Ankerberg Show

As always, please strongly consider making donations on any of these resources. Most, if not all, are free the last time I checked. Donating to them will help keep them online and available for more people to benefit from.

FUN STUFF

The Great Big Bible Study Post (Part 1) Resources

There are so many really good Bible study resources online that I wanted to share my list.  One good thing about being locked down is having the time and quiet to really focus on serious study. I decided a long time ago that I should know more about God's Word than I do about who was on which sitcom or what was going on in the life of some cute celebrity...

I don't have a lot of extra money so having these resources is awesome. I have access to all kinds of Bible versions and tools for studying the Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek origins. There are commentaries, audio (sermons and Bible reading), places to take notes, etc.

I keep a large bookmarked folder just for resources like this.

Before posting the study links, I think it would be good to point toward some resources for methods of and reasons for Bible study:

• This is a blog post of why and how
• This is a Wikihow on reading the KJV
• The COMA method (new to me!)
• 11 methods listed here
• Methods for regular study

I'd also like to add a personal suggestion. What helps me as a fairly new and growing reader of the Bible is having more than one version. That's why I use eSword. I like to be able to pull up a parallel of the KJV, ESV, and NASB. And reading commentaries is super helpful. My favorites in the eSword (some downloaded from user submissions for eSword):

• Utley, Bob - You Can Understand the Bible: Study Guide Commentary Series (OT/NT 23 vols) 2
• Johnson, B.W. - Collected Commentaries 1.0
• The People's New Testament (B.W. Johnson) I lost the link
• The Summarized Bible (by K.L. Brooks) 

If you can't find these on Amazon or free online, check the link below I list for eSword modules.

Here is Part One of my list. I will be adding If you use the sources, please try to donate whenever you can. I use eSword daily so I try donating at least 5 dollars every time I can. Enjoy!

• Bible reading plans from Blue Letter Bible (can keep track of your reading plan & even have this saved to your desktop)
• Study Bible online (read, search the Greek, Hebrew, English, and Latin)
• Simplified overview of the Jewish Holidays (Feasts of the Lord)
• Solar & Lunar Jewish calendar from My Jewish Learning
• Family Tree of the Bible - image (by Luke Mastin)
• Jewish Encyclopedia
• Classic Christian Books (by author listings) from Bible Study Tools
• The Layman's Bible Handbook
• The Bible for Dummies Cheat Sheet (from For Dummies)
• Jewish Virtual Library

I like adding the Jewish-centered resources because I think people tend to forget that our Lord is Jewish. Another interesting link is here where you can "tour" the Holy Land through a "Visual Israel Experience".

Once you land on these pages, you should definitely look around. There are many additional links on these pages where I have found some good information.

By the way, for anyone who took my advice about using eSword as a free desktop Bible study tool, I have great news. This is a page where you can find even more free resources that can be added into eSword as modules. CAUTION: as ever, be discerning. There are various items that I, personally. don't feel jibe with standard doctrine.

As always, please strongly consider making donations on any of these resources. Most, if not all, are free the last time I checked. Donating to them will help keep them online and available for more people to benefit from.

Peace

--Free

The First Sin (I had it wrong)

 Like many others, if someone had asked me what the first sin was, I would have thought of Eve's succumbing to the temptation to eat of the tree. 

Well. I had it wrong.

While doing my Bible study today, I was reading a summary (thank you, eSword).

Of course, I went to do a little more digging. I searched out whether "covetousness was the first sin" in the Bible. This was a result that made me sit back and go, "Huh!"

source: Answers in Genesis

Well, amen. This is why it's so important to not just read the Bible but to dig deeper. I have read Genesis more than I have any other book in the Bible. This is the first time I ever even considered Satan's rebellion as being the first sin.

So, folks, keep reading and re-reading and studying. 

Peace

--Free

Direct Links for Bible Study

 It dawned on me that sometimes it's hard to find your way back to a particular online resource. I use several things to help in my daily Bible reading and study but I had to save some links for myself because I couldn't always get to the right place when I needed to. I wanted to share these with any of you who are interested. 

Of course, all the links are courtesy of wonderful sites I have found useful so a big thanks to all of them. Here we go.

• To check various parallel Bibles here or...
• or here from Bible cc or...
• here at Bible Resources
• See a comprehensive list of online parallel Bibles
• Study the Hebrew Interlinear text or...
• ...the Greek Interlinear text
• Use Strong's Greek and Hebrew Concordance and Lexicon (either use the Lookup Strong's Number box at the center of the page above the Preface or go to top left of page to enter a Scripture reference or keyword and select the Bible version to view)
• Do an advanced Bible search on the Study Bible site
• Some Bible concordances
• Some very interesting resources for history relevant to believers.
• An ongoing list of Bible Q&As
• Ask questions at Got Questions. Just type in a question here. You can also ask from any search engine and just add "got questions" & it usually pulls up a link to the site. You can also check their New  Questions or click the Random button to... see a random question and answer. And don't forget that you can also donate to them. If just browsing, you can look at a category of their content.
• If you need to check the Thomas Chain Reference (by topic)
• See the Vine's Expository Dictionary of New Testament Words , Berry's New Testament Synonyms,  or Trench's New Testament Synonyms (don't ask me, it's the first I'm seeing these!)
• See a chart of the Bible books with brief descriptive headings for each. Also, the books are linked so you can navigate to them from the chart.
• Links to various Bible commentaries.
• Peruse various devotionals
• Check some Bible encyclopedias
• Additional resources, including Spanish language bibles.
• Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon
• New Testament Greek Lexicon
• Link list of classic Christian essays & other literature (including works by Bunyan). And a list of authors here.
• A site of lots of Bible history stuff - maps, timelines, etc.

Just wanted to say that I loved finding out the Dummies.com has a Bible page as a sort of cheat sheet reference.  I will be looking that over when I get the chance!

I added quite a few things to my original list. In doing so, I ran across some resources I am unfamiliar with. I will do a future post explaining (if I can) the usefulness of those resources. 

Also, I will be adding to this link list as I find more resources.

Peace

--Free

**UPDATE** The Amazing eSword Bible Resource

UPDATE: I am an idiot. I didn't think of showing the screens using the Gamebar recording feature on Windows. If you scroll to the bottom, I have included some video showing the app in action as I use some of the features.

Remember when I was trying to find a good NKJV study Bible? I still haven't found one but I might not need to. Long ago, I had downloaded the free eSword Bible Study Resource. And forgot about it when my old laptop died. 

The other week, I put eSword on the new laptop and, seriously, I can't even tell you what a great resource it is!

I know that a lot of people use the Blue Letter Bible resource and I use it a lot when I am online. The problem with BLB is that I can't find an easy or safe way to download it to my PC. I could order the disc - which I don't think is free - but I don't have a way to use a disc on this computer. eSword is everything I need. Would I still like to have an NKJV study Bible? Yep. But I'm not having a hard time without one for now. 

For those who aren't going to check the eSword link right now, here are some of my favorite features - and keep in mind that, though I will be donating asap, I haven't paid for anything yet:

• I currently am using 6 versions of the Bible and the Parallel and Compare features.
• There are so many commentaries I won't bother the count the ones I am using but here is a screenshot of what I was using recently:
• 
  
  
  
  
• I can adjust the screen colors (within limits), change the font settings (with a LOT of options), and more.
• I can easily set up verse lists and copy things right into the Notes feature.
• There are tools for doing searches by parameters such as just the O.T., N.T, specific book, or range of books.
• It is very easy to print. I print a lot of search results. 

Those are just the features I can name off the top of my head because I use them so much.

What I love, love, love are the commentaries. One of the reasons I am so picky about buying a Bible is because I like a lot of notes and commentary included to expand on or help explain certain passages. Now that I am using eSword, I have just about every kind of commentary right there on my PC. 

Here are some screenshots of 

toolbar offerings

I have really gotten a lot from reading the various commentaries. For instance, I happened to be doing my daily reading (in Exodus) and ran across a comment that was credited to Aben Ezra and something called "Targums of Jonathan, Jarchi, and R. Jeshua". What??? Right. I went online to figure out what that was about and was led to the Talmud and other writings and writers. So now I have on my Reading To-Do List Philo the Jew, Targums, the Talmud, and others. This is how a long time ago, I discovered Flavius Josephus and The Antiquities of the Jews (which, by the way, is free via most podcast players).

So, yes, I highly recommend using eSword. I also would encourage people to donate to the project. I was going to pay upwards of forty dollars for a Bible so I can surely scrape together money for eSword.

Now, are there some issues I have with eSword? Sure. Actually, I've only had one problem to date: I tried saving my Notes and they disappeared. I could find the files on my computer but not a program to read the files. I solved that problem by going back into the Notes feature and doing Control-Z and they reappeared. I now copy all notes to a Notepad doc just in case.

You can click on the screenshots I've scattered through this post to enlarge them and see some of the features I mention. Or you can check this page on the eSword site where there are plenty of visuals. In the meantime, here are some additional links I thought you might be interested in. These include some of the things I mentioned in this post and a couple of things I have run across lately:

• I will be visiting the Jewish Virtual Library when I can savor it. I think some of us tend to forget that our Savior was born a Jew.
• Overview Bible is a neat resource for catching some quick facts. I have not looked at a lot of the site but what I glanced through looks solid. As always, be discerning.
• Wikipedia on Philo
• You can read The Targums at Judea Christian Research (JCR). I had a link for a PDF copy but lost it. Got Questions helped me better understand what it is.
• I found this when trying to understand the Talmud and what exactly it is and what it means for Christians. Got Questions is the Google of Christians queries!

I hope this is all a blessing to you.

Peace

--Free

This is using the Graphics viewer. 

I can look at a variety of maps and timelines & control the size with the + and - buttons

This next one shows using the Bible to view commentaries, verse by verse & 

how to select the Editor (for Notes) and pin it to screen or 

move it off screen.

The same can be done with the dictionaries. 

I will add more screen captures when I have more time and brain function!

Bible Study for Beginners (Like Me)

Good evening, all. I'm Trudy - long-time Christian, first-time student...

Since I started my doing more Bible study, I am picking up on things like a baby picks up on learning to walk and talk. Now that I have started reading and studying, I can't seem to get enough. However, I really am like a child who is learning to take one wobbly step at a time. I want to keep sharing what I pick up on from day to day.

I recently talked about discovering the "Helps" at the front of my KJV Study Bible (Thomas Nelson 135BG). Let me tell you, those are truly helpful. Since I kind of went over those in that post, in this one, I wanted to cover a couple other things.

Now, I have the KJV Study Bible that I am talking about here and I have a NASB Study Bible that does not have nearly as many "Helps" as does the KJV.  Tomorrow, the Wiersbe NKJV Study Bible should be delivered. I will review that one in a separate post. What I want to point out is that not all Study Bibles have the same "Helps" and notes, of course. But by telling you about the ones I am seeing in different Bibles, you can at least go look up the information online. For instance, this next "Help" I am going to tell you about is something I never even thought to Google or ask about. So, here goes.

 Introduction to Doctrinal Footnotes

This is a screenshot from online of exactly what is shown in that section in my own Bible - down to the page numbers. You can find the text and read some of it here on Google Books so credit to them. 

I was almost ready to advise you to Google the various sections but too much information from questionable sources out there. I don't want to have an SDS or JW follower showing me anything about biblical doctrine. However, if you don't have a study Bible, you can use resources from:

1. Blue Letter Bible - there is a "Study" tab that leads to various free resources. 

They have free  Blue Letter Bible Institute courses in a range of categories that I can't wait to explore for myself. (That link might redirect you to the course page.)

2. Bible Study Tools has a place on the site where you can compare various translations. 

3. On Bible Gateway you can look up passages from a selection of translations for free and a paid membership gives you more access. The free resources are plentiful and I like that there is a selection of reading plans and Bible apps for reading and for audio.

4. Got Questions has a search engine where you can ask almost anything and get good results. Try it when you can't find a resource elsewhere. I love that, for almost every answer, they include other sources to check out.

5. YouTube - As mentioned, be discerning when searching for resources, but YouTube has so many useful videos and channels to choose from. I like John Ankerberg, John Kostik (who does a lot of Hebrew word studies) and, of course, the dear late Chuck Missler of Koinonia House. By the way, there is a channel that has many playlists of Missler's teaching videos. 

6. Speaking of Missler, Koinonia House has Bible Study arm called Koinonia Institute. Fair warning: The K.I. is for serious study. VERY serious. For those just wading in and want to get an idea of how intense these study lessons are, first check out some of the videos I just linked to.

 I would also like to mention that my blog post here points to a lot of resources.

When I was searching for a good study Bible, I came across the Foundation Bible. I am only going to provide the Amazon link because of their handy "Look Inside" feature. It comes in various translations and I found it online also at Walmart for a bit cheaper in price. One reviewer mentioned that he thought it was perfect for "beginners" because the notes are "very basic". This is a snippet of the way it's set up:

The one thing I look for in a Bible - whether for studying or just daily reading - is the font size. That's is so important. If you are like me and have "aging" eyes, look for something called "comfort print". I learned that Zondervan uses it too but I first noticed it on the Thomas Nelson site showing a comparison.

My KJV Study Bible is from Thomas Nelson and it must be comfort print because it's really easy on the eyes. I can't wait to see the Wiersbe Bible which is supposed to be in "Clear and readable 10.5-point NKJV Comfort Print®", thank heavens.

As I think I mentioned, I will try to review the Wiersbe Bible in a later post - with photos - but I hope that, for now, this post was helpful. The important thing about Bible study is to start somewhere. And always pray before reading or studying. That's key.

Peace

--Free

P.S.: Forgive any errors. I was trying to get this written and done with so I can explore the new study Bible when it comes tomorrow. Can't wait to review that one for you all!