Step by Step in the Word

As I mentioned a couple of posts back, I’m currently in the book of Romans. I’ve been slowly working my way through a more in-depth study of the Bible, but I’d been putting off tackling Romans, since it’s quite a daunting book. But I’m glad I finally took the plunge because it’s been such a bolster to my faith. This post will be a little different than my usual entries, because I thought it would be helpful to share my process. I’m not a theologian or even a seminary student, just a stay at home mom with two little ones to keep up with. It’s certainly slow going, but no less enriching. And of course I don’t always have time for this kind of study. In between my in-depth studies, I like to read through Proverbs for a month or immerse myself in the Psalms.

I hope this simple method will be a useful tool for you. I find the repetition does wonders for my comprehension and memory. Also, I didn't include it in the steps below, but it can be nice to have someone studying along with you so you can discuss what you've read.

Step 1 – I read through the chapter once or twice sans highlighter or commentary.

Step 2 – I read the commentary on the chapter in Thru the Bible by Dr. J Vernon McGee. If I still have questions about something after reading Dr. McGee, I look up more commentary at BibleStudyTools.com. Matthew Henry’s complete commentary is my go-to pick.

Step 3 – I listen to an audio-recording of the chapter on Bible Gateway’s phone app. I usually have to listen to it two or three times because I’m a terrible auditory learner. It helps if I read along while listening.

Step 4 – I read the chapter one last time and this time I use my highlighters to highlight verses that stick out to me. I use five colors: pink for love, blue for doctrine, green for instruction, orange for warnings, and yellow for miscellaneous inspiration.

And that’s it! I’m a little over halfway through Romans and I expect the rest will probably take me at least a month. I’ll be sharing more of my favorite passages in future posts, but for now I leave you with this gem from Romans 10.

Romans 10:9-11 (NIV)
⁹ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ¹⁰ For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.¹¹ As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”