Study Tips

Over the course of my life, I've picked up a few good tips here and there on studying the Bible.

I've learned about the important of reading Scripture, becoming familiar with the details of Biblical stories, and how vital it is to then APPLY truths learned to one's life.

With a wonderful preschool program at our church, I'm thrilled that the Bible stories are being taught in creative and age-appropriate ways to my young children, too.

It seems as if Miss M is already picking up on the tips related to knowing and applying Scriptural lessons.  For instance, I asked her Sunday afternoon to tell me what she learned at church that morning.  She recounted the following, in a perfect 3-point summary:

Summary:                "We talked about Moses."
Details:                     "Moses ate a lion."
Life Application:      "Don't eat lions."

I can't fault her on her application.  Eating lions is definitely frowned upon around here.  I was too amused to immediately correct her first two points.  But her big brother had that under control tonight.  He walked out of his room, shaking his head in dismay as Daddy and I were once again laughing over our new favorite advice, "Don't eat lions."

Drew asked my husband to help him find the story of Daniel and the Lion's Den in his Bible.  He then carried the Good Book, finger firmly placed, back to Miss M's room and began to set her straight.  I helped out and finished reading the story to both the kids.  Megan's eyes lit up, and she actually responded with an, "Oohhhhhh....", as if things were straightening out in her little head.

Unfortunately, the preschoolers Bible we were reading from includes only very short (one page) stories and big colorful pictures that move quickly from one event to the next. I'm pretty sure she now believes Daniel was rescued from a den of hungry lions only to find himself in the belly of a whale the next day.

So, while I appreciate her ability to grasp the "application" aspect of Bible study, I think we'd better focus our attention on the "details" for a bit longer.

Looks like I'll be starting tomorrow with the book of Jonah.