How to Study the Bible 101

Studying the Bible can be fun-but it can also be stuffy. (The choice is yours!)

Studying the Bible can be FUN

...but it can also be stuffy.

(The choice is yours!)

Have you ever been bored to tears while trying to study your Bible for yourself?

Ever felt really excited to study the Bible? But then all of a sudden hit a wall where you didn’t understand something? What did you do after that? A quick Google search? Glance at the notes in your gigantic study Bible or a commentary? How did it effect the level of excitement you started with? You are not alone. Trust me. Not only has this happened to me, but I’ve seen it happen to a whole buncha folks.

The other day a guy told me that whenever he hits a wall and can’t seem to understand something he’s trying to study in the Bible, he quickly loses concentration. But it doesn’t stop there. He said he gets so bored that sometimes he’ll fall a sleep while he’s trying to study. He told me that one time he had a drooling emergency and almost lost a small section of 1 Samuel.

The thing that makes—we’ll call him “Drooling Jimmy”—the thing that makes Drooling Jimmy’s story so heartbreaking is that I know he was super pumped to really “get into the word” this year. He’s tried to learn how to study the Bible for himself more than a few times. But each time he has trouble keeping up his level of excitement. Ultimately, he gets bored, loses interest, and ends up saying something like “Well, isn’t that what preachers are for?”

He says that, but I know deep down Drooling Jimmy really does want to learn how to study the Bible on his own. Otherwise he wouldn’t bring it up so often. If you were in Drooling Jimmy’s shoes, what would you do?

Instead of “strange,” here are some of the other words Bible translators to describe Job’s breath (some are funnier than others!!!):

repulsive (Amplified Bible)
offensive (Legacy Standard)
abhorrent (New American Bible)
my wife moves away from the smell of my breath (Easy English Bible)
my breath disgusts my wife (Contemporary English Version)

"My breath is strange to my wife..."

-Job 19:17

There is not a single story in the Bible that is more serious than the story of Job. The guy loses everything. His stuff. His kids. His health. Everything. On top of that there’s this super serious theological debate between Job and his friends as they try to solve the riddle that his sad life has become. But let me ask you something: Have you ever read the verse above out loud to a group of teenagers?

Let me ask you another question. What do you think these teenagers’ response was? Yep. I’m talking pure, unadulterated, fall-out-of-your-chair, laughter. This is smack dab in the middle of the most painful time in Job’s life. But they laughed their irreverent little hearts out.

Studying the Bible doesn’t have to be stuffy! Having a sense of humor as you study the Bible can go a long way.

Yes, it can keep you interested and engaged for longer periods of time. But it can ALSO make you a sharper Bible student! For example take look at all of the different words translators use to describe Job’s breath underneath the picture. This might be something interesting for “Drooling Jimmy” to investigate.

How to Study the Bible 101 believes that your sense of humor is one of your most underrated and underutilized tools in your Bible study toolkit. And one of the aims of this website is to show you how to start using it more effectively.

"But isn't studying the Bible supposed to be serious?"

Most people would say that studying the Bible should be a serious task. And I would agree with them. Not just because of someone’s “status” for the afterlife. But also because of the ways the Bible has been used as a weapon to harm and mistreat people. If history has taught us anything, it’s that the Bible is not something to take lightly.

But I believe that God has a sense of humor. And a good one. And that belief is the cornerstone of how I approach Bible study. This doesn’t mean that I don’t take the Bible seriously. Quite the opposite actually.

Stand up comedians often talk about THEE MOST serious issues of a society. What they do is force to do two things: (1) They force us to talk about what we are often too afraid to confront, and (2) They make us think again about what already THOUGHT you knew!

On the surface humor is meant to make us laugh and make us feel good. But what we often don’t realize is that humor also makes us THINK about old, familiar things in new ways! And that will keep our minds and heards engaged!

Always remember Ecclesiastes 3!

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens: a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.”

How to Study the Bible 101 believes that your Bible study time can be a time to LAUGH!

“Hey John. . .Just really wanted to let you know, YOU have inspired me to become a BIBLE ADVENTURER… how’s that? Glad you asked….You open up a WAY to LOOK at the Bible as an EPIC story, with adventure after adventure….Your approach is unique, but you have fired me up to STUDY the bible!”

-Steven K.

I have helped out with Vacation Bible Schools more times than I can remember. It’s one of my favorite times of year because the church essentially becomes a playground!

It took me a while to recognize it, but so many of the Bible study techniques we made the kids use in Vacation Bible School ACTUALLY WORK FOR ADULTS TOO! So much of the inspiration for How to Study the Bible 101 comes from being playful at VBS.

"Why should I listen to you and not someone else? What makes you so special?"

Well. . .I don’t know about “special.” But as Steven said in the quote above: the How to Study the Bible 101 approach is unique. If I had to sum it up in one word I would describe my approach as PLAYFUL.

To me, “fun” and “playful” do not mean unserious. But they are anti-stuffy. What do I mean by “stuffy”? Here are some interesting definitions I found: “lacking in vitality or interest: stodgy; dull.”

Most people I hear from would describe their Bible study experience this way. As stuffy, lifeless, uninteresting, boring. And they feel guilty about it because they seem to think this says something about the quality of their faith or their relationship with God. But *I* think this says more about the way people ARE TAUGHT to study the Bible.

Most Bible study method taught by Ye Olde Authorities are stuffy in a different sense: “narrowly inflexible in standards of conduct: self-righteous.”

I started How to Study the Bible 101 to defend your right to be playful.

I wanted to put an end to people feeling disconnected from the book they so desperately want to enjoy. How to Study the Bible 101 is will make you feel like a kid again. Here you’ll be given permission to explore, be curious and “become a BIBLE ADVENTURER!” Even when things get “deep” in the small, intimate workshops I offer, we will “keep it cute,” as the kids say.

Here's what you should do now

If studying the Bible is something you want to do more of. . .

If studying the Bible is something you want to look forward to and not dread. . .

If you’re brave enough to take one giant leap towards ENJOYING your Bible study time. . .

Then it's simple: the next thing you should do is put an email address that you actually check in the box below

I have so many things I want to share with you. For the longest time I wrote to all of my fellow Bible students once a day, every day—and sometimes twice-a-day around Christmas. (Between Mariah Carey and all of the Bible references that are jam-packed into Christmas songs. . .I simply couldn’t help myself!) I’m not doing that now, but I’d like to get back on a once a day rhythm.

It sounds like a lot, but my messages are usually very charming and informative, in my humble and very biased opinion. One of my delightful subscribers did write me back one day and told me as much:

“I have kept subscribing because I find your letters charming! I’m impressed how personal they sound, and that you send one each day.”

I do understand if you don’t want YET another email invading your inbox on a regular basis, but I’ll make you a deal. IF you decide you do want to hear more from me, I will share what I consider to be the most powerful Bible study technique known to earthlings. This technique results in what I call The 24K Magic Effect. I have never shared it outside of a course, workshop, or masterclass, but I’ll share it with you. In fact, I share it with you as soon as enter your email in the box and click the big orange button below.