Bible Application

Mature disciples connect with God’s Word and apply it to their lives in a meaningful way. Here are some resources to grow your reading and application of the Bible in our lives. 

The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church, states “We believe the Holy Bible, Old and New Testaments, reveals the Word of God so far as it is necessary for our salvation. It is to be received through the Holy Spirit as the true rule, and guide for faith and practice. Whatever is not revealed in or established by the Holy Scripture is not to be made an article of faith nor is it to be taught as essential to salvation.” (Article IV of the Confession of Faith)
 
Resources for why we should read the Bible:
 
Resources for how to read and apply scripture:
Here are some quick and practical tips for reading your Bible: 
  • Before you read the Bible, stop and pray for the Holy Spirit to help you understand it and for God to reveal what you need to hear.
  • Try reading the Bible in different versions to understand it better.
  • The best place to start reading your Bible is the book of John, new readers should start here. 
  • Study Bibles have helpful explanations and footnotes on each page. 
  • Read each passage of scripture in its context, reading what comes before and after the passage. At the start of each book within the Bible, most Bibles have a summary of why the book was written. Also check out the Bible Project above. 
  • Try reading through the Bible in a year to understand it’s broader story. You can do that by reading 3 chapters a day and seven on Sunday. Some people prefer a chronological Bible to do this, where the story of the Bible is laid out using a historical timeline verses the standard order. 
  • For a quick read, try reading a Psalm a day.