Category: Draw Near

A Lifetime of Study

As this study comes to a close, I pray that it has reawakened in us a desire and an excitement to dig deep into God’s Word and grow in the knowledge of our Savior. We have been blessed with access to many free tools, including books, commentaries, and sermons, that

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The Why of Memorization

We memorize a lot of things in our lives; recipes, song lyrics, movie lines, directions, even computer programs. We are adding more information to our minds on a regular basis. One thing many Christians seem to struggle with is memorizing Scripture. I believe the main reason for this is because

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Praying God’s Word

The Bible is the most important book in the life of a Christian. It is where we find God and through Him, eternal life. We believe that prayer is very important. It is how we communicate with God. It is through prayer that we repent of our sins, praise who

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Reframing our Mindset around Application

This week we have been taking a deeper look at the application of God’s Word. Today I want us to look even more closely at theological concepts verses practical action. There are two things a text will show you. Either it will teach you something you should know, or it

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Applying God’s Commands

Today we continue taking a deeper look at the application process of Bible study. We are going to look at the topic of principles, what they are, and what their purpose is. What are Principles? A principle is a fundamental truth. It’s a law that should be followed or a

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On to Application!

For most of us, the application of our Bible study tends to be the favorite part of our quite time. We live in a world where we can have access to everything quickly. This mindset can creep into our Bible studies and cause us to want to skip the hard

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Relying on the Helper

Sometimes, Bible study can be a little daunting, especially when we stumble over confusing or difficult passages. Sometimes, the text isn’t as clear as we would like it to be. Sometimes, we doubt our ability to interpret the text correctly. Let me give you a few words of encouragement before

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Cultural and Historical Background

Each book of the Bible was written in a specific place, in a specific period of time, by a specific author, to a specific people or person who were a part of a specific culture, with a specific intention. The Bible, and everything in it, is a part of history.

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Dealing with Hard Passages

Have you ever become discouraged with your Bible study because you have encountered some confusing passages? You are not alone. Even Peter looked at Paul’s writings and said, “Some things in these letters are hard to understand” (2 Peter 3:16). If you study your Bible long enough you will encounter

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On to Interpretation

Well friends, give yourself a little pat on the back! We’ve made it through observation and are ready to move onto the next section, interpretation. Interpretation is the place where we seek to determine the original author’s intended meaning for the original audience. We should never ask the question, “What

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