I hadn’t been very disciplined about Bible study, so I gave myself a swift kick. I love reading Scripture, and many times, I’ve dug in and studied books of the Bible or themes using key word translations, concordances, and other tools. But I thought I needed a little more structure. So, I ordered two study books. One of my best friends stopped by one day, and we started talking about studies, and she ended up taking my two studies home, choosing one, inviting another friend to join us, and we got started with a private Facebook group to keep up regularly in between the times we could get together. What a great study it’s been! We’re wrapping up now, but we’ve already made plans of what our next steps are.
Around the same time we were beginning, another close friend mentioned a study she was starting at a local church. Neither of us attend where the study was being held, but we had joined their groups before and knew several people involved. It was a study I probably wouldn’t have chosen on my own, but it seemed a good fit and timing, so I jumped into it as well.
That meant I was going to have to be intentional about study in order to keep up with two studies, especially since I hadn’t been specifically scheduling study time. But I soon found it didn’t take long to slip into the comfort of the challenge.
While I’d scatter study time throughout the week, Sunday afternoons soon became my favorite focus time. It was as if I was cuddling under a cozy, familiar blanket. Some weeks, I’d slip out of bed and almost immediately get started, fitting in a couple hours before church. Some weeks, I’d sit at the table long after the sun set. I’d often end up studying a bit outside the bounds of one of the studies as something would piqued my interest or challenged me to explore and sort.
Regaining the discipline felt good. Drawing closer to God through study felt even better.
Pure Purpose 