In this post I will explain Bible study basics for beginners: what Bible study is, why it’s important, and how to do it.
I’m sure many of you probably already know some things so to make things quicker and easier for y’all here is a table of contents:
Why Bible Study Matters
What is Bible study?
Well…
The Bible is God’s Word.
It is how we get to know Him and what He desires from us.
It is also where we learn how to apply God’s instruction to our lives.
It strengthens our faith which strengthens our relationship with God.
The study of God’s word is how we align ourselves with God. Through consistent study we reinforce God’s truth, the Gospel message, and God’s standards for us.
This is important because a human’s biggest stumbling block is forgetting what God has said.
The Bible repeatedly mentions how forgetful we are and why it’s beyond importance to remind ourselves to remain aligned with God.
In order to remember we must consistently remind ourselves by creating a Bible reading habit.
Studying vs Reading:
Take note that I didn’t say Bible study habit—but reading.
Don’t get me wrong—Bible study is super important but it’s not the only way to grow spiritually.
So, don’t deceive yourself into thinking you must always study in order to “be a good Christian”.
God is looking for your devotion, not a performance. And devotion doesn’t require perfection or 24/7 attention.
Staying in the Word could simply be reading it daily and reflecting on it.
Remember that we are saved by God’s grace through our faith in Christ, not by how much we study the Bible.
Studying is a means of growth over time—not a requirement to be saved.
Bible study is great for deeper understanding and building theology—but don’t feel pressure to do this, especially if you are a new Christian or find Bible study difficult.
Your desire to study the Bible will grow as your faith grows, just like 1 Peter 2:2 says:
“Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”– (NIV)
Start with a reading habit that is the minimum needed to grow your knowledge and understanding of God.
If you don’t like reading, my big brother has listened to the whole Bible on audiobook. Do whatever makes you stay consistent. Because the most important thing is to expose yourself to God’s Word consistently.
It’s better to have a simple Bible plan you’ll stay consistent with rather than an in-depth one you dread and quit.
When to start:
This also goes for frequency of exposure. You may have noticed I haven’t used the word “daily” when referring to consistent Bible study.
This is because ‘daily’ may not be best for everyone. Take it from a known perfectionist, setting a daily rule can set you up for failure because it creates unnecessary pressure.
It may be called Bible ‘study’ and we are to be ‘students of the Word’ but it shouldn’t feel like school that you have to do.
Bible study is serious business but also intimate and enjoyable business.
Your respect for it should not override your enjoyment for it. They should balance each other out.
So when creating a Bible reading or study plan allow it to be flexible. Account for ‘off’ days where you won’t read. Also there will be times when you don’t want to even open your Bible.
There are two roads you can take here:
- Do it anyway. Show up even when you don’t feel like it to build consistency.
- Give yourself grace and don’t force Bible study for that day—just don’t let grace turn into avoidance.
Pray for discernment between the two options. Both are good but not always beneficial.
Sometimes during moments of apathy or spiritual warfare it’s good to just do it anyway and break that cycle but sometimes during bad days it’s ok to say “not right now, but definitely later.”
So, my point is: make consistent Bible reading/study a priority and start small then build up to create the habit.
Where to start:
Most well-read Christians recommend the Gospel of John. The book of John is a great foundation to the whole Bible message.
John 1:1 says, “in the beginning was the Word. the Word was with God and the Word was God.” This passage is referring to Jesus Christ as “The Word” and this passage even continues to say that Jesus is the Word of God in the flesh.
The whole Bible is about Christ. It’s God telling us who he is and what he has been doing since the very beginning and it all was about and leads to His Son.
John stands to reveal Jesus as the Son of God and emphasizes belief in Him. It connects the whole Bible storyline to Jesus (John 20:31)
So John is a wonderful place to start because of this and it’s quite easy to understand for most which makes it beginner friendly.
However you can pray on this and see if God leads you to study elsewhere. I started in John and then jumped to Genesis before finishing it. Then before finishing Genesis I jumped again.
This is not inconsistent study as much as it may seem. Sometimes that’s just how Bible study looks.
Don’t get caught up in how you think Bible study should look or feel. As long as you are engaging with the Word and exposing yourself to it consistently then you are doing well.
Again Bible study isn’t supposed to feel bad so if you are turning it into something that takes the enjoyment away then it’s time to pray about it. Bring it to God and start from the basics again.
There is no shame in recalibrating. Sometimes it’s the best thing you can do.
So my top recommendation is John.
But my secondary suggestion is either to read the Bible from front to back or in chronological order (the order the history takes place).
Keep in mind that for new believers the Old Testament tends to be quite theologically heavy and can create more confusion if not read delicately.
The Old Testament has way more ‘story’ than the New Testament which is only about the Gospel’s beginning, middle, and end.
This makes the OT weighty at first for new readers and is often where many misconceptions arise because scripture is taken out of context.
That doesn’t mean you should be afraid of the Old Testament though because it’s the foundation of the Gospel and understanding the New Testament. Just ease into it and be careful not to allow your confusion over a subject to form your opinion of God or OT scripture.
When I first read the OT I was very confused and it was at times an emotional experience but I love it now! It is so theologically rich and after reading the New Testament I can see Jesus throughout OT scripture so much better.
So, How Do I Actually Read the Bible?
There are many different Bible study methods but as I’ve stated before the best one is the one that helps you stay consistent and works to deepen not only your understanding of God but your relationship with Him.
Remember to begin with prayer no matter which method you choose.
Something as simple as:
“Lord, thank You for this time in Your Word. Please give me the wisdom, knowledge, and understanding I need from your Word and help me apply Your instruction to my life so I can become a clearer reflection of your Son, Jesus Christ. Amen”
Common study methods:
S.O.A.P – Scripture, Observe, Application, Prayer:
I’d say this is probably the most common.
- You start by selecting a scripture verse or short passage and writing it down.
- Then you take note of the facts in the passage.
- Then you determine how it can be applied to your life.
- Lastly you pray over the passage and your application goal.
5 Ws and the H method:
This involves choosing someplace to start and asking:
Who is talking, who is this text about, and who is it talking to?
What is the text saying? What does it say about God?
When was this text referring to? (historical context)
Where was this text referring? (historical setting)
Why is this important?
How does this apply to my life as a Christian?
Read, Write, Pray:
In my next section I mention a type of Bible study called ‘Margin Study’ and the method used for that is this:
Read the text. Ask questions and take whatever notes come across your mind, then pray for understanding.
This method is meant to encourage engagement with the Word while producing topics for deeper study later.
It’s a very simple and easy way to read the Bible because it’s not pressuring you to try to understand anything now or make connections.
You are just observing and then writing those observations and possible questions down for later study. This is great for beginners as an introduction to reading and studying the Bible.
It’s also great for when you don’t have the mental energy for study or you don’t have the time for a full study.
Common Types of Studies
Character Studies:
This particular method focuses on one Bible character to understand their life, actions, and character traits under God.
Who they were, what kind of Christian they were, and how they interacted with God.
Common choices are Jesus, Joseph, David, Paul, and Ruth but anyone in the Bible is a good choice.
I recommend this later after you have some basic biblical foundation because character studies are great for deeper study.
However a beginner character study on Jesus starting in the Gospel of John would be a wonderful starting place!
Topic study:
This involves choosing a topic or theme in the Bible to study.
Common ones are anxiety, joy, faith, suffering, and hope.
These again are great for more in-depth study later but can be nice to do every once in a while, maybe when you are curious or struggling with a particular topic.
For example if you find yourself in a season of anxiety or sadness that would be a great time to learn what God says about that.
Book study:
Picking a shorter book or a particular passage in a book and reading it slowly, several times over the course of a few weeks to understand the context rather than rushing through.
Common books for this method are Philippians, John, Ruth, and Esther.
If you are a beginner and don’t mind the repetitiveness of this method then its great but I would suggest starting either in the Gospels with John or the Torah with Genesis (Torah is the first five books of the Old Testament)
Chapter study:
Reading a whole chapter and summarizing it.
This can be less intimidating than a book study but its essentially the same premise but with only one chapter versus a whole book.
This is a great beginner study plan.
Margin study/reading:
This is perfect for beginners because it’s not about in-depth study but simply first impressions and observations.
Taking notes in the margins of your Bible as you read that you can review for deeper study later.
This allows you to read through the Bible, get the gist while forming questions and then provides deeper study topics later.
(of course you don’t have to write in your Bible if you don’t want to and can use a notebook instead. Though it is perfectly acceptable to write in your Bible, so don’t be afraid to!)
My Base Study type and method:
I choose a book to go over slowly. If chapters are short I go by chapter but if they are longer then I go by passage. For my little brother’s Bible lessons I may only do a few paragraphs.
I like to keep it simple. This is an over simplified SOAP method.
Observe. Reveal. Respond.
Observe: make 3 observations of what the text says.
Reveal: ask yourself what does it reveal about God?
Respond: ask how this should change how you live your life then pray.
The biggest thing to remember about reading and studying your Bible is to keep your intentions clear and focused on God not yourself.
Though the Bible was written for us, it’s ultimately about God and for us to learn from Him how to be in alignment with His will.
Bible Tips From Me
Tip #1 – Don’t stress over translations. Too many Christians argue over the best translation but there is no best translation of God’s word, only what is best for you.
I find the KJV or the NKJV too difficult to understand for my brain and it thus makes me not want to read it. I like CSB, NIV, and ESV which you’ll find I use most in my posts.
Don’t allow which translation you use to turn into the false idea that it’s ‘best’ and anyone or any Christian who doesn’t use it is less because of it.
Your loyalty is to God not a translation of His Word.
Use what works for you and allow others to do the same.
Tip #2 – Don’t rush. Take your time and be intentional when you engage with the Word.
If you’ve gone a whole Bible study or read a whole passage and don’t remember how you got there you aren’t being present enough.
God deserves your full attention just like you would expect someone to give you their full attention when you’re talking.
Going slowly not only helps you stay present but it can help you notice things in the text and really soak in what you’re reading.
Tip #3 – Try to remember not only to pray into your Bible reading/study but also to pray out. Ask God to help you keep what you read and learned in your head and live it out in your heart.
Tip #4 – Study comfortably. Not so comfortable you’ll fall asleep but enough that it won’t make you want to quit early or worse deter you from doing it again.
I tried to study at the kitchen table and my desk but I find I’m most attentive when I study on my bed. Find your comfy Bible reading place.
Tip #5 – Don’t do too much at once. You have to start somewhere to get someplace else.
I know all too well the temptation to learn everything you can all at once especially as a new believer because you’re running on a ‘Spiritual High’ which is what Christians mean by being ‘on fire for God’. But that can add unneeded pressure.
You only need to start with the basics and then you build on that slowly over time.
You don’t need to memorize a bunch of scripture now or know the context of each book.
You become a lifelong learner of the Bible through consistency not quantity. You’ll get far more out of several short studies versus several long studies and you’ll enjoy it more too.
You don’t have to master Bible study on day one to be a faithful Christian. Start with reading — and as you grow, studying naturally becomes the next step.
Tip #6 – Ask questions. Ask God. Ask mature Christians. Ask google.
Seriously googling things you don’t understand can be helpful just use caution and discernment. Google isn’t a Christian and doesn’t personally know God so it can get things wrong.
Always check credibility with the Bible. If anything contradicts what God has already said then it’s false even if false only through misguided ignorance.
Asking questions deepens understanding and enriches Bible study. It also helps you to engage with the Lord just like asking someone questions deepens engagement with them.
God is not afraid of questions and having questions is not proof of doubt. Faith starts with the question, “Do I believe in Christ?” and it builds with more.
Tip #7 – Study with others. Join a Bible study group, either in person or online (there are a ton of them and many are free).
See if your church has a Bible study group.
Studying with others deepens Bible study, faith, and strengthens the body of Christ. It can also prevent you from drawing false conclusions because the others can keep you grounded biblically.
But this also takes personal discernment through prayer and self-study because, especially for new believers, it can be easy to be deceived or misguided by false doctrine (teachings of the Bible).
What you need (and don’t) for study:
- A Bible
- An open heart.
- And a plan.
Everything else is optional.
Free Resources:
- Bible project (great for overviews)
- Gotquestions.org (great for common questions)
- The Bible app (for daily exposure, access to multiple translations)
- The Bible Nerd on YouTube (great for Bible study inspo and Bible student learning)
Check out some posts from my other categories:
Living Limitless in Christ-
- Who You Are In Christ (1of 7 post series)
Real Life; Real Faith-
- The Practical Application of Your Faith
- Faith over Feelings
- Everyday Idols Pulling You From God
- Created for Communion: God’s Design For Faith-based Relationships
- Building Faith-Filled Relationships
- Faith In the Little Things
- Living Faith Out Loud: integrating faith into everyday life
- A Walking Testimony: Being a Christian ALL the Time
If you’re new to faith or just coming back:
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