Something we do at the Onyx House to develop a discipline of reading and learning from the Bible is called “Journaling.” It can be done at a coffee shop, in your room, or even on the bus. We have many “Journaling” groups, and the best way to learn how to do it is to come along and join in. To find out when a group will get together, go here or email us and we will partner you with someone else who wants to Journal.

To Journal, all you need is…

A Bible - any translation will do, but make sure you can understand it.

A Pen or Pencil - Something to write with.

A Journal - Journals can be purchased at the Onyx House information table for 5 dollars, or any notebook you have laying around will do fine.

Half an Hour - 30 minutes is optimal, but you can do it in as much time as you have.

Now that you have these things, here is a method we have found that helps in reading and learning from God through the Bible.

Sit down and begin to read your Bible. If you are new to reading the Bible, begin somewhere in the New Testament (try choosing on of the four gospel stories. These are Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John). As you read, use this four part guide to learn the most you can in the time you have.

Scripture - Read until you find a scripture that seems to stand out to you. This is most often the Holy Spirit highlighting something that He wants you to notice. Write down what that verse is in your journal. (15 minutes)

Observation - Take a moment and write down what you observe about this verse. See if you can restate the verse in you own words. Write down quesions the verse brings to mind. What do the surrounding verses say? What seems to stand out about the whole section? Who is the verse addressing? Make some observations. (5 minutes)

Application - This may be the most important step. Now that God has highlighted the scripture, take some time and reflect how it should shape your life decisions .The goal in Bible reading is that your life will be chaned and you will grow in your faith. Be open to change, and see if this scripture speaks to how you can live your life in a different way. (5 minutes)

Prayer - Write down a prayer to God, but don’t just write it, pray it. Ask God to help you live how he is speaking to you. Let this be the prayer of your day! (5 minutes)

Think S.O.A.P.

Don’t stress, start small. Journal day after day and you will find there is a real difference in how you think and live. Try it out!