Reading the Bible - some tips!

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Kirsty beings us some tips on how to read the Bible, especially for those who are new to reading it. Did any of these help you?

Tip 1 - Chose a Bible version that's easy for you to read and understand. NIV, Good News Version or The Message versions are good places to start. If you are not sure which one to use, try https://www.biblegateway.com/

Tip 2 - You don't have to start at the beginning! Kirsty recommends starting with Luke as this covers the most popular stories of Jesus' birth, death and resurrection.

Tip 3 - Pick a book of the Bible and work your way through it. Luke had 24 chapters, and by reading one a day, you can read the whole bible in less than a month! Reading one book the whole way through can help with continuity and timelines. 

Tip 4 - Read a little every day. Once you have picked a book to read, aim to read one chapter a day, this will take around 5-10 minutes so is a reasonable and small chunk to get you started.

Tip 5 - Pray before you read. Ask God to open your eyes and speak to you through the Bible, and help you understand what you have read.

Tip 6 - Write it down. Keep a record of what each passage says about God, or about how we should live today. You can also record any questions you may have about a passage. These may be answered in time, or reach out to one of us to help guide you with your interpretation.

Remember - A text taken out of context leaves you with a con! These books were written over two thousand years ago to specific people, not us, and therefore it is important to understand the context to get a deeper understanding of what the text is trying to say.

Reading the Bible can be complicated, so if you ever get stuck or are unsure, please do get in touch and remember that you are not alone.