Reading the Bible

On Sunday 1st June our message subject was "The Church Jesus builds loves the Bible."  

We acknowledged most people feel like failures when it comes to reading the Bible and rather than trying to make us all feel bad enough so that we pull up our socks, I want us to actually think about how we might get more out of our experience with the Bible.

Forgetting the myth that every 'proper' Christian has an hour quiet time every morning, these were my tips for getting more out of the Bible when we read it:

• Read regularly - at least once a week
• Read deliberately - chose a book and work through it
• Read small chunks - quality not quantity and depth not length
• Read out loud - it slows you down and makes you think about what you're reading
• Put it into your own words - think about how you would explain it to someone else
• Stop reading when you have a question about the text - think and pray about it and try to understand what's going on
• Make notes - it helps you remember what you've learnt and marks where you've got up to

Those are just some suggestions that I've found useful.

What about you?  What have you found helpful or effective when reading the Bible?  Do you use a scheme or a website or a book?  What habits have you got into?  What time of day do you do it and how do you make time?

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