The Only Bible Study Guide You'll Ever Need

At one point in my Christianity, I almost gave up on the Bible. I had been reading it for a season and it felt rigid and lifeless, like homework I could never quite understand. And then one morning, something changed. That one thing became the first of 5 keys that I've been teaching ever since. I want to give you the only Bible study guide that you'll ever need, and I don't say that lightly. I've been teaching the Word for 24 years, and in that time, I've watched sincere people collect method after method, plan after plan, and still walk away spiritually dry. So I'm not saying that only my method works or that everyone else has it wrong. I simply mean that these 5 keys that I'm about to give you are the foundation underneath every method that actually does work. And hardly anyone is ever handed all 5 keys at once. So get these 5, and every tool, every plan, every study you ever pick up Will finally do what it promised. Stay with me all the way to the end, my friend, because the 5th key is the one that most believers skip, and it's the reason the word never actually seems to stick. As I mentioned just a moment ago, there was a point in my Christianity where I almost gave up on reading the word. But then I read James chapter 1, verse number 5, where the word of God says, if you need wisdom, ask our generous God and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking. This revelation that God would give me wisdom transformed everything. And this leads me to key number 1, revelation. Jesus said this in John chapter 14, verse 26. But when the Father sends the Advocate as my representative, that is the Holy Spirit, he will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you. You see, the Holy Spirit has a twofold job. He reminds and he reveals. He reminds you of the truths you've received, and he reveals the truth as you read the Word of God. That's the difference between a born-again, Spirit-filled believer— you— and everyone else in the world. Think about this: atheists read the Bible, Bible historians read the Bible, people of other religions read the Bible, and they do so with the motivation to To debate Christians and try to disprove our faith. But even though they receive the word, not everyone experiences the transformation. It's the difference between receiving just in your intellect and receiving in your spirit. You see, if you read the word of God without the help of the Holy Spirit, it's just information. Good information, but just information nonetheless. But when you open this book and you invite the influence of the Holy Spirit, You're not just getting information, you're getting revelation, and revelation brings transformation. So how do you do this? It's very simple. You acknowledge your need for the Holy Spirit as you receive the Word. Set aside your pride and your unhealthy self-reliance and recognize that you need his help. And then, just like I did, say a simple prayer. Say, welcome, Holy Spirit. Welcome, Holy Spirit. Teach me, guide me, help me to understand the Word and receive revelation. Now notice what I said a moment ago, that the Holy Spirit reminds you of the truth that you've received. You have to have received the truth in order for him to bring it to your remembrance, which brings me to point number 2, dedication. Remember this, discipline can be spiritual. In Joshua chapter 1, verse 8, We read this: Study this book of instruction continually. Meditate on it day and night so you will be sure to obey everything written in it. Only then will you prosper and succeed in all you do. Study this book of instruction continually. There is a part that you have to play in your spiritual growth. If you will do the difficult, God will do the impossible. If you will study the Word, the Holy Spirit will bring forth revelation. We have to stop believing our own excuses. Think about how quickly we move through the day, never once pausing to look to the Word of God. You must make the commitment now that you will build your life around the Word. See, what many of us do is we tell ourselves, I wanna begin reading, I need to get there. And I know sometimes it can seem daunting, like you hear of these other believers who are so well-versed in the scripture, and they've studied it for years, and they seem to be able to quote scripture so effortlessly, and they seem to be so devoted. And you say, how, how on earth can I be like that? You do it a little bit at a time. You do it on a daily basis. But most Christians, they don't even start there because they're so overwhelmed by the idea that they have to be these experts right away, or they're so discouraged because maybe they don't understand as they read. Or maybe maybe they feel that they lack that discipline, or they're just not the kind of person who can develop this kind of spiritual habit. All of those are excuses and lies. The truth of the matter is that most Christians give themselves credit for their intentions, but intention is not discipline. Intending to eventually read the Bible is not discipline. In the morning, you say, "I'll read it later tonight," and then at night, you say, "I'll read it tomorrow morning." And the whole cycle repeats. Why? Because you didn't plan. You just let the day kind of get away. You let time tell you what to do instead of taking dominion over time. Instead of saying to the flesh, that other version of you, that other man, that other woman, you're going to read the Bible today. You're going to take in the word of God. You're going to receive truth. You're going to hear from the Holy Spirit. We have to learn to fight the flesh. And at first, when you go to read the word, Maybe, maybe just one chapter, you're already, you're already feeling your focus waning. You already feel like, like, like your, your flesh is saying that it's bored. And yes, the flesh gets bored when reading the word, but not your spirit. And so there's this fight, there's this frustration, there's this, this really strong effort just to get to the words on the page. But you do that, and then you continue to do that, and the word of God will go from being a discipline To being a delight. And what's going to begin to happen is you're going to become more familiar with the word each time you read it, each time you go over the chapter, each time you go over the book. And that familiarity is the foundation of understanding. Consistency brings familiarity. Familiarity brings forth understanding. And there are other things that we can do to help us understand the the word. Which brings us to the 3rd key now: examination. In the book of 2 Timothy chapter 2, verse 15, we read, study to show thyself approved unto God. Now this is a command for you to study. Study can be spiritual. A workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. Now think about what's being implied here, that if you are commanded to rightly divide the That means there is a wrong way to divide the word. You know, many Christians approach this book and they say things like, well, you know, I read a couple verses today. Here's what it means to me. Here's what I got out of it. Here's what I think it's trying to say. But that's the thing when it comes to studying the Bible. It's not a matter of you trying to force your meaning or your emotions or your mindset onto the word, reinterpret it. And then give yourself back spiritual advice, but rather it's a matter of extracting the intended meaning. When the Holy Spirit inspired the Scripture, every word was inspired with intention, meaning God intends to communicate very specific truths, sometimes multiple truths, from these words. So it's not a matter of applying your meaning, but finding God's intention behind the words. The way we do this is through a method where we will, we'll word it this way: big picture, little picture, big picture. So I'm gonna give you here now the study method that I use to understand the Word. You break down the books of the Bible into various different categories, and this is important because the different categories of the books of the Bible will be applied and interpreted using slightly different methodology. One category of books can be the Law, or the Pentateuch: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy. These are basically God's instructions to his people, and there's also a lot of history in there. Then you have the Old Testament historical narratives. These books tell Old Testament history— books like Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1 and 2 Samuel, and so forth. Then you have the wisdom literature, or the poetic books. These include books like Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes. Some might include the Book of Job in there. Some might say it's more of an Old Testament historical narrative. Nonetheless, you can throw that in that category as well if you'd like. Then you have the prophets. Now, the prophets are broken down into major and minor. That doesn't mean important and unimportant. It just means the size of the book. Some are large, major, some are small, minor. Major prophets would be like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations. Minor prophets would be like Hosea, Joel, or Amos. And then you have the New Testament historical narratives, books like Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, and Acts. Then you have the epistles, and these epistles are basically instructions from apostolic writers to the church, books like Romans, 1 and 2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians. By the way, you can break these down into subcategories as well. There are the Pauline epistles, which are basically epistles that Paul wrote, and then the other epistles. And then it's debatable because, um, it just depends on how you want to look at it. The Book of Revelation, people hotly debate what category that belongs in. Now again, the reason you want to know the category of the book is because the interpretation is going to be slightly different. For example, an epistle of Paul is an instruction to us, the New Testament church. These are instructions that deserve direct application, with, of course, some historical context considered. But then you have a book like the book of Joshua, where the children of Israel marched around the walls of Jericho. Okay, God is not instructing you to go and overtake a city by marching around the walls. That is a description of something that happened in the Old Testament. But both books still present to us Timeless truths. Both books still have spiritual principles that can be found in their pages, and we take those spiritual principles and apply the principles. Again, the instructions of the epistles, those have direct application, of course using some filters that I'm about to give you to help you better understand how those instructions are applied today. Whereas Old Testament stories, historical books, these are going to be descriptive of God's interaction with human beings. And we can still glean spiritual truths, we can still glean some spiritual application, but it's not as direct as would be an epistle. So you want to make sure you're looking at those correctly. Now here are some context setters, or as I said, filters that will help you to apply spiritual truths from the text. You're going to ask questions like, who was the author of this book? Why was this book written? What is the overall theme of this book? What are the sub-themes of this book? Something I've thrown in there: what is the overall tone of the book? What are the historical and cultural backdrops? Who are the intended recipients of this book, or of this letter, or of this historical record? And this is important because as you begin to answer these questions, you set up guardrails for your interpretations so you're not just picking any old text pulling it out and saying, here's what I want it to mean, and then using it to destroy someone else's life or your own, or tormenting yourself with conclusions that you've made that aren't even biblical. This helps to define the boundaries in which the Holy Spirit wants us to interpret and apply these truths. So that's the big picture, the, the, the, the books themselves. And then you're going to zoom in just a little bit, and you're going to notice that these books are broken down in chapters and verses. Now do keep in mind that these chapters and verses were added much later, and they are there for reference. But often they break up different thoughts or different messages within the text or different sub-contexts. It's not always 100% accurate with the chapters and verses and how they align with those thoughts and contexts, but they do help us to break it down anyway. And so as you begin to look at that, you then zoom in a little bit more, and now you're looking at the specific words in these verses. Now here's where you have to be very careful, because as you study the original language, Hebrew and Greek, as you look at the original words, you're going to notice that many of these words that you find in the text, they have many different definitions. And so sometimes Christians will make the mistake of maybe looking up the original word in a specific passage, and they see all of these different potential definitions, and then they start pulling out all the definitions that they like while replacing the ones that the scholars put in there in the first place. It's not as though they just picked any old definition. Remember this: context dictates meaning. The definition of a word is formed partly by the context in which you find that word. So for example, let's say all those 2 brothers were fighting and they had a really contentious relationship for the past few months. But thank God there was a bridge that was built between them. Now, when I say that, you're not imagining an actual physical structure. You understand that I'm talking about a relational bridge, a metaphorical bridge. But if I say they built a new bridge and now all the cars can pass over that body of water, then you would picture an actual structure. Notice it's the same word, bridge, but it's used in a different context. So the context now dictates meaning of that particular word, which again, why it's important to go big picture, little picture, and then now you zoom out again and you read through the whole book and you have a deeper level of understanding. This is one of the ways that you can examine the word of God. It's very important that you set those boundaries so that you're not just going all over the place and coming up with your own conclusions. But this examination is a very important part of knowing the word of God, understanding the truth, and it's something that we are commanded to do. Now, to that biblical examination, you are going to add meditation. Don't make the mistake of just reading the scripture and then jumping right to the next thing on your agenda, or going through the Bible app, reading your chapter, your 2 chapters, your 10 chapters, whatever it is, and then as soon as you're done reading, Going right onto Instagram, right onto Facebook, right onto TikTok. No, pause to ponder. In Psalm chapter 1, beginning at verse number 1, we read, oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked or stand around with sinners or join in with mockers. Listen here now. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank. Bearing fruit each season, their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. Think about the fact that when you learn this meditation on the word, that it brings prosperity to every aspect of your life in every season. So what is this meditation? Well, as I said, you're not just going to rush on to the next thing. You have to give the word a moment to sit. If Eating the word is reading the word, then meditation is digestion. Meditation is repetition in thought and in word. Now, the world teaches us ungodly meditation. The world says empty your mind, empty your mind, empty your mind. But the godly and the true way to meditate is to fill your mind, fill your mind, fill your mind with the word. You see, the world tells you that The devil deceives you into emptying your mind because demonic spirits love voids where they can find influence. When you fill your mind, you are grounded as you explore the spiritual realm. You are grounded in Christ, in truth, as you experience the heavenly. And so you take the Word, and as I said, I want to make this very clear, you don't just rush past it. And this is why I think it's important that even though we're dedicated to the word, if we want to stay consistent, be careful, be very careful of like Bible reading programs that challenge you to read a certain amount of the Bible every single day. I think that's a great goal. I've got nothing against that. That's what you're doing. Please don't be offended. But I have to tell you the truth here. Sometimes we go through the motions trying to fill a quota instead of just making contact. When you approach the word, Approach it reverently. Approach the Word of God ready to receive. And as you read the Word, I'll give you an example of this. So let's, let's say we go to Psalm chapter 118. Let's look at, just for example, verse number 5. In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free. So I examine this. In my distress I prayed to the Lord. And the Lord answered me and set me free. Number one, I see here that God hears me even when I'm distressed, even when I'm in trouble. And the Lord answered me. He doesn't ignore your responses, or he doesn't ignore your cries. And he set me free. So he doesn't just have compassion, he has power to change your circumstance. And so contemplation, meditation, would look something like The Lord answered me and set me free. And then you hold that thought. The Lord answers me and he sets me free. Now you're making it personal. He answers me. What a good God. What a merciful Lord that he answers me, that he's, he's caring and he's kind and he's patient. He doesn't ignore me. He doesn't overlook me. I'm not rejected. He accepts me. He answers me and he sets me free. Thank you, Lord, for answering me. Thank you, Lord, that I am free. So you're repeating it in thought and in word, and then eventually you start to memorize it. And as you begin to memorize it, your spirit begins to absorb these truths. Now watch this. Now you get to a point now where the word starts coming through in your prayers. You actually start praying the Word, and it adds even more power to your prayers. But the Word of God becomes a part of you in this way through meditation. So don't just, don't just study the Word philosophically, historically, intellectually. Study the Word spiritually. Examine it. Follow the guardrails. Extract the meaning the Holy Spirit gave to you, and then hold those truths in your mind and heart. Contemplate. those truths. Remember those truths. Think about those truths. Speak those truths. Pray those truths. And those truths will permeate your spirit. The next key I wanna give you is application. You must practice the truth that you've received. The truth that you receive, if you don't obey that truth, becomes like a fading memory. And truth, when it begins to fade from our minds and hearts, loses its influence. Notice the truth— I didn't say the truth fades from your spirit. Your spirit captures the truth and holds the truth. But if you're not allowing that truth, the word, to influence the way you think and behave and feel, then you're not stewarding that truth well. And revelation follows the law of stewardship like anything else that God gives us. In other words, if you don't take care of what he's given you, that becomes removed from you And you're not trusted with more. Now look at what we read in James chapter 1, verse number 22. But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. Obey God's word. It's not just about what you learn, but about what you live. When the world tells you to worry, Choose to obey the Word of God and be at peace. When, when all the circumstances around you say you should doubt, choose to obey the Word of God and have faith. When temptation says, come over here, I want you to enjoy this sin, choose instead to obey the Word of God and be holy, for God is holy. When the enemy tries to invite division and confusion, instead choose unity. Obey the Word of God. When your flesh says, I'm not going to give, choose generosity and obey the Word of God. When the world tries to pressure you to think like it thinks and to do as it does, say, I'm not going to be conformed to the pattern of this world. I'm going to be transformed by the renewing of my mind. And that renewing of the mind takes place when we receive the word of God. Choose obedience. And as you obey, as you trust, as you act out what you've received, you actually begin to allow those truths to stick. This is why for many it just doesn't quite stick, because they don't realize that application That is a major part of receiving the word of God. Don't just hear it, do it. So Father, I pray you would help them obey your word. Lord, make us lovers of your word. Precious Holy Spirit, remind us that you're there to guide us and to teach us. Give us the grace to be dedicated, consistent, faithful. Amen. to the discipline of the word. Help us, Lord, to examine your scripture, to rightly divide the truth. And I pray, Lord, that you would remind us to meditate, to contemplate, to pause, to ponder, to not rush, but to hold those truths in our minds and hearts. And Lord, help us to do it. Help us to apply that Word to our lives, to be obedient to you. In Jesus' name we pray. I want you to type it if you receive it. Type a big amen. Well, listen, if this message blessed you, or if you've been blessed by various different messages from our ministry, then I want to invite you now to do your part. Get involved with what God is doing through this ministry. Our ministry is is spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ in the power of the Holy Spirit all around the world through media like this, the events that we host around the United States and other countries, and now through church planting also. Your gift matters. Don't discount it. Don't dismiss it. Don't say someone else will do it, someone else who's watching will handle it. And don't say, I'll do it some other time. No, it's you and it's right now. Get involved. Do your part. Pay it forward. Become a monthly supporter of our ministry by going to davidhernandezministries.com/partner. You can also give a single gift by going to davidhernandezministries.com/donate. As you honor the word of God by sowing into the ministry from which you've received it, I know God will honor you. As you sow, believe for God to bless you. There's nothing wrong with that. That's perfectly biblical. Stretch your faith, step out, stop hesitating, stop fighting that, and just get involved and be a part of what God is doing in the earth today. One more time, you can sign up for an automatic monthly gift by going to davidhernandezministries.com/partner, or you can give a single gift by going to davidhernandezministries.com/donate. Thank you. For your support. So here's where you start. Don't try to master all 5 keys at once. This week, I want you to just add that first key. So before you open the scripture, stop, pause, invite the Holy Spirit to teach you. Then read a little bit at a time, chapter here, verse there. Start in the Gospel of John, the book of James, as I mentioned before, because these are 2 of the, shall we call it, kindest places to begin. That one change will do more for you than any one year of information ever could. And if you want help going deeper, I put together a course called Breaking Strongholds. Now, in this teaching, I give you the biblical keys to finding spiritual freedom. No longer will you be bound by addiction or lust or torment or depression or fear. The link is right below in this video. Go through it. It's going to help you find that freedom. And every single one of these lessons are absolutely free. So make sure to click it and get your free e-course right now.