You have questions.

Smiling Man Near Brick Wall

The Bible has answers.

See our selection of Message Bibles.

Throw Open the Door

"By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us--set us right with him, make us fit for him--we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that's not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already throw open his door to us."

--Romans 5:1-2, The Message


Find the Right Bible Study Method for You

Friends Reading Bible

There are many choices that are yours as you and your group decide what you would like to study. Consider one of the Bible study methods below.

1. Scripture memory. There are some wonderful topical memory systems, such as those produced by The Navigators, that allow a group to learn, meditate, and benefit from the Bible. They are broken down topically so that a small group can discuss each week's subject while sharing the weekly memorization verses.

2. Character study. Your group can locate each part of the Bible that tells a person's story and follow that character from beginning to end. One benefit of this type of study is that, although there are books that can guide the study of a particular individual, all that's really needed is a Bible concordance, some diligence, and a notebook.

3. Themes. Another type of study that utilizes the Bible concordance, diligence, and a notebook is the study of Bible themes. It is a great challenge to root out the whole Bible teaching on a particular matter so that the group can better understand its meaning.

4. Bible study helps. There are a number of Bible study materials that have been written to help Christians study a particular book of the Bible. These often take the inductive approach, allowing the Bible student to answer directed questions.

5. Inductive Bible study. Inductive study teaches you how to approach the Bible so that you can arrive at biblical truth with confidence. Through the use of questions, and the careful analysis of each text in its context, inductive Bible study can be the most exciting kind of study.

6. Book Bible study. Some people want to study books of the Bible; this could very simply involve each person reading a portion of Scripture and sharing what they have learned from their reading. The benefit of this type of study is that all conclusions are original and people are forced to think for themselves.

Another great resource for studying the Bible is Handbook for Personal Bible Study by Bill Klein, which includes an overview of the Bible’s history and development and the basics of studying Scripture and interpreting the Bible.

Adapted from "Bible Study and Small Group Resources" (Discipleship Journal, July/Aug. 1994)