The 5 Core Principles Bible Study Workshop
Does studying the Bible leave you confused?
Are you having trouble understanding the BIble?
Not sure what to make of some of the stories and characters?
Not sure what to do when you’re stumped by some of the confusing language?
Do you find yourself immediately dashing for a commentary or Google to look up what a Bible verse really means?
If so, pay very close attention to this critical message. Because I give Bible newbies the tools they need to help them understand the Bible without always having to rely on others!
I imagine you are probably a lot like the thousands of other people I’ve met over the years who go to the Bible to strengthen their connection with God or to nourish themselves spiritually. And I’ll bet you believe–as I do–that the Bible can help you do those things. You believe that the Bible should be an essential part of your spiritual growth.
And this is exactly what makes NOT being able to understand the Bible so frustrating.
You know the Bible is critical for learning more about God, yourself, and the world around you. You know the Bible can guide you and help you live the kind of life you want to live.
But for some strange reason, when you sit down to study it, you quickly get lost. And you start to feel like studying the Bible is not as easy and straightforward as the pastors, preachers, teachers, and “more seasoned” Bible students in your life make it seem.
The good news is you don’t have to feel lost. There IS, in fact, a way you can find your “inner Bible study compass” and finally start to understand the Bible and how it works.
You can finally, once and for all, break the very predictable cycle that most new Bible students go through again and again and again. I’ve witnessed this cycle unfold countless times. This cycle has four different stages.
The four stages all excited Bible beginners go through
Stage 1: Eager Beaver Bible Reader
First, you get really excited about studying the Bible.
Usually because it’s a very pivotal moment in your life.
Maybe you’re a brand new Christian who is eager to know everything. Or maybe you’re someone who has gone to church all of your life but you’ve recently realized that everyone around you seems to know the Bible like the back of their hand, but for whatever reason, the “Bible study angel” skipped over you and you want to change that.
Whatever the reason may be, you are ready to know everything there is to know about the Bible.
Stage 2: The Roadblock
There are certain themes and topics in the Bible that–on the surface–seem very easy to grasp: love, forgiveness, grace, compassion, sin, etc. But once you get into the nitty-gritty specifics of one of Paul’s letters or some mysterious event in the Old Testament, you start scratching your head and asking questions:
“Why would God do that to these people?”
“Why did that one guy offer up his daughters to people who wanted to harm them?”
“Why is Paul always talking about circumcision?”
“What in the world does ‘third heaven’ mean?”
Stage 3: Phone a friend
This is when you reach out to someone who knows the Bible well. It may be a friend who went to Bible school, Bible college, or seminary. It may be the notes section of your study Bible. It may be your Sunday school teacher or your priest. It may be a commentary on the Bible. Or as a last resort it may even be the wild, unpredictable world of the Google or YouTube search.
Whoever you call on, your efforts to know the Bible for yourself stall and you start to depend on other people to tell you what they think these strange passages and verses mean.
It’s at this point that you realize that there are a WHOLE LOTTA people who have a WHOLE LOTTA opinions about the Bible. And they all want you to agree with their views. They talk about how right their opinion is and how wrong everyone else’s is.
To put it mildly, it’s A LOT. And that brings you to Stage 4.
Stage 4: The Spiral
You started off as an Eager Beaver Bible Reader, ready to know everything there is to know about the Bible. When you hit that first roadblock you didn’t know where to go so you sought out SPBEs (smart pants Bible experts) to explain things to you. Only to realize that there are a lot of very dogmatic people who really want you to agree with them.
But this final stage is the one that stings the most.
It’s the stage when you realize just how much there is to know about the Bible. And it starts to dawn on you that you don’t know what you don’t know. This is the stage that kills your confidence. This is the stage where you stop trying to learn the Bible for yourself and start looking for a person you trust to explain everything about the Bible to you.
Now listen.
There is nothing wrong with finding a smarty pants Bible expert you trust and going along with them.
But you definitely don’t have to. There is a way you can understand the Bible without always having to “phone a friend.” There is a way you can understand and interpret the Bible for yourself without always having to rely on others!
The real reason you struggle to understand the Bible
This may seem counterintuitive, but The Roadblock (Stage 2) is actually NOT the issue.
The real issue is Stage 3 (“Phone a Friend”) and Stage 4 (The Spiral). These are the things that are actually preventing you from developing the skills you need to learn how to study and understand the Bible for yourself. They are the main reasons why you constantly feel stuck. They are the main reasons why you continue to feel stumped and confused by the Bible.
The Roadblock (Stage 2) is actually a “good and perfect gift from above.” The moment we come to something that confuses us in the Bible it is actually an OPPORTUNITY to learn how to study the Bible!
And this is precisely where most people go wrong.
Instead of taking this opportunity to develop their Bible study skills, they short circuit the process by running to an SPBE. This small decision may seem harmless, but it is actually working against you. It is setting you back. It is making you more dependent on what others think. It is preventing you from having a more direct connection to what you’re studying.
Most people don’t realize taking this shortcut is what prevents their growth. They think The Roadblock is the issue.
But the truth is, there will ALWAYS be more roadblocks. There will ALWAYS be moments of confusion. No matter how advanced you are!
The question is, what will you do the next time you encounter a roadblock? Will you be courageous enough to take a different approach the next time you hit The Roadblock stage? Or will you continue to depend on others?
If you’re ready to begin a brand new Bible study journey…if you are ready to adopt a different approach for that next time you run into a roadblock…if you’re finally ready to discover how to study the Bible for yourself WITHOUT always relying on other people, then I’m inviting you to join me and 11 other people just like you!
Introducing The 5 Core Principles Bible Study Workshop
On Saturday, February 24th at 1 PM Eastern Time I’ll be hosting a small (I’m talking TEENY TINY) live, virtual workshop over Zoom to help Bible newbies lay a firm foundation for their Bible study journey.
During this 90-minute, 12-person workshop, I will introduce you to the 5 Core Principles of fun, effective Bible study. The 5 Core Principles will give you a new way to approach studying the Bible. One that gives YOU confidence in YOUR ability to understand the Bible without running to Google the minute you don’t understand something.
The reason SPBEs are never afraid of confusing passages. . .the reason they don’t immediately run to someone else to explain a passage to them is because they understand the Bible study process. They have developed a particular set of skills. They have developed a strategy that works for them.
Behind all these Bible study skills, behind all these Bible study strategies. . .there are just a small handful of key principles. And once you are familiar with these principles, Bible study will no longer be the big bad scary monster that robs you of your confidence. You will start to welcome The Roadblock stage because you will know how to handle it. You will start to see it for the opportunity it actually is!
The 5 Core Principles of Bible Study Workshop is designed to break the cycle and put you on a path of learning how to study the Bible for yourself.
You will finally have a firm foundation that will empower you to take a different approach. You will finally have the confidence you need to confront The Roadblock stage head on!
A few questions and concerns you may have for me
“This sounds nice and all, but who are you exactly and how do I know you know what you’re talking about?”
My name is John and I’ve been studying the Bible for 20+ years. Most of that time I spent leading small group Bible studies with people of all ages: from young children to church elders! During that time, I spent three loooong years at Divinity School. And I did well. Graduated at the top of my class. I love studying the Bible and I love teaching. Besides eating crawfish and going to baseball games, I’d say those are my two favorite activities in the world.
“I really do want to learn how to study the Bible, but I’m nervous about learning from someone who doesn’t share my beliefs and convictions.”
I’ll shoot you straight. The chances that we have the exact same religious and denominational views and background are slim to none. And even if we did, there’s a really good chance that we disagree on some issue. If that’s something that would make it difficult for you to trust my guidance, I completely understand. I’m probably not the person you should be learning from.
But let me say this.
While in Div School, I had the opportunity to learn how to study the Bible alongside Methodists, Baptists, Orthodox Christians, Mennonites, Episcopalians, Catholics, Pentecostals, Presbyterians, and others who come from all sorts of social, class, racial, and ethnic backgrounds. That’s why I say my Divinity School experience was one of the BEST things that ever happened to me. Studying with people from all these different faith traditions challenged me to REALLY understand what I believed and why. More importantly, it helped me to see and understand Bible passages from multiple perspectives. It helped me to see things in certain passages that I had never seen before or even considered!
So, while I understand feeling a bit nervous about being “misled” by people who might not share your faith tradition or your theological convictions, I also know that studying with people who are coming from different places can actually help you understand your faith tradition better. Why? Because it helps you to really understand why you believe what you believe. It helps you to get clearer on what you believe.
“You’re right John. There are SO MANY Bible teachers who are saying so many things that sound correct. And I am new to all of this, I’m not sure who I can trust to give me the right information.”
This is where most people are. It’s tough to be in the position of a newbie. It can be difficult to know who to trust. On top of that everyone seems to be screaming at you about this and warning you about that. It’s hard to learn and discover in that kind of environment.
This is one of the reasons I’m all about being fun and playful. Not because I don’t take the Bible and its wisdom seriously, but because being fun and playful gives us room to make mistakes and LEARN from them. And sometimes mistakes can lead to new discoveries for EVERYONE. Including the teacher.
Other concerns you may have
“All of this sounds nice, but it might still be too advanced for me. I like to really take time learning the basics, and I don’t know if I know enough to participate right now. How do I know if I’m ready for this workshop?”
One of the reasons I call these 5 principles “CORE” principles is because no matter where you are in your Bible study journey–at the very, VERY beginning or you have decades of experience–these principles are foundational for studying the Bible. That means that if you are at the very beginning of your Bible study journey you are in luck! Because you will have a firm foundation to work from as you move forward. Nothing about these principles is obscure. Nothing about them requires previous knowledge. You can make use of these 5 Core Principles even if today was the very first day you’ve ever opened a Bible!
“I would love to start studying the Bible, but I don’t really have the time to dedicate to it.”
One of the great things about going through two decades of trial and error and experimentation with different Bible study strategies is that *I* have had time to boil everything down to the most ESSENTIAL elements. There is a reason there are just 5 core principles and not 17. These are the most critical and foundational principles for fun, effective Bible study.
And because there are only FIVE core principles, I am only asking for 90 minutes–2 hours, tops–of your time. In just 90 minutes you will have a solid foundation for how to approach studying the Bible. You won’t have to spend HOURS searching the internet, watching YouTube videos, reading blogs and message boards, or reading long books about how to study the Bible. You’ll have a solid, “battle-tested” strategy for how to study the Bible. That way, you can spend your time actually studying the Bible, instead of spinning your wheels and wasting time trying to figure out if you’re doing it the right way. Once you have these 5 Core Principles down, you will take on studying the Bible with confidence. Not fear.
Also, the VERY FIRST principle is going to transform the way you think about how much time you have to dedicate to learning how to study the Bible. It will be a perfect fit for someone who has a busy and unpredictable schedule. If you have kids, I think you will find this approach INCREDIBLY useful.
“I’d love to do this, but I’m not sure I can afford to.”
I have learned a lot of different Bible study strategies and techniques over the past 20 years. Some of them I paid a lot of money to learn. Like a lot. But I don’t think everyone should have to pay what I paid. This is why I’ve intentionally made this workshop very affordable. Simply put: I want people to know the things I know. And I don’t want the cost to be a barrier.
I am well aware that some people and schools are asking people to pay hundreds, even THOUSANDS of dollars to learn more about how to study the Bible. And to be honest, I don’t blame them. I’d pay that much again to learn some of these things. I’d pay it in a heartbeat.
But I don’t want the cost to get in the way of you having the tools you need to learn how to study the Bible in a fun and effective way.
“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.
My “Redeem the time” money-back guarantee!
If by the end of our 90-minute workshop you are thinking, “This was an epic waste of my time!” I will NOT ONLY give you every penny of your money back. . .
I will also send you a copy of one of my favorite “How to Study the Bible” books in the mail. Free of charge.
This means there is absolutely no risk for you whatsoever:
Either you walk away with a newfound sense of confidence in your ability to study the Bible or you walk away with a free book.
I’m taking on all the risk here. That’s how much I believe in and stand by every single word you’ve read so far.
What makes The 5 Core Principles Bible Study Workshop different
There are so many ways to think about Bible study. One of the things I’ve noticed in a lot of the books and courses that offer advice about studying the Bible is that they usually spend a long time explaining WHY you should study the Bible or they spend a long time reviewing WHAT is in the Bible.
This workshop will not do either of those things.
This workshop will focus on HOW to study the Bible. The 5 Core Principles of Bible Study explain the principles behind the strategies and skills SPBEs (smarty pants Bible experts) use to understand any Bible verse they encounter.
Instead of telling you WHY should study the Bible and instead of spending time reviewing WHAT is in the Bible, this workshop is laser-focused on the principles behind HOW you study the Bible. This workshop is about transferring a set of SKILLS to you so that you can understand the Bible without always having to rely on other people.
Instead of providing you with a set of instructions that tell you what to think, this workshop is designed to give you tools so that you know what to DO the next time you run into a Bible study roadblock.
To secure your spot in The 5 Core Principles Bible Study Workshop click the big orange button below!
See you soon!
Peace,
John
P.S. – If you there are no more spots available for this weekend’s workshop or if this Saturday at 1 PM doesn’t work for you, be sure to enter an e-mail address you actually check in the box below. By doing so you will be among the first to know when the next workshop will be!