Rhythm Over Ritual | Resources

Click the Rhythm You want to Practice

At the Table Podcast | Rhythm Over Ritual

Psalm 119:9-16
9 How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. 10 With my whole heart I seek you; let me not wander from your commandments! 11 I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. 12 Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes! 13 With my lips I declare all the rules of your mouth. 14 In the way of your testimonies I delight as much as in all riches. 15 I will meditate on your precepts and fix my eyes on your ways. 16 I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.

At the Table Podcast | The Rhythm of Scripture

Scripture is the place where God has revealed Himself and breathed out His word in one, communal place for all people. Since it is the place that God shows who He is, what He is like, and what He desires, it is important for us as His people to make it a regular rhythm in our lives; but one of the most common barriers for us is making time and understanding what it is that we are reading. Here are some tools that can help you as you start a rhythm of reading God’s word.

Understanding the Bible and its Story

Can I actually Trust what I’m Reading is True?

What Translation should I read?

At Quest, we use the ESV translation of the Bible in all of our sermons and official communication. This isn’t because we think it is the only translation worth reading, but because we believe it balances readability and faithfulness to the original text in a way that fits our family’s needs at Quest best.

Bible Study Tips

Sometimes it helps to have more structure for our Bible study. Two methods for adding structure that might help you as you begin are the SOAP and WORD method.

SOAP Method (Click Here for a SOAP Bible Study Worksheet)
S - Scripture: Read the scripture and summarize it in your own words.
O - Observation: Note anything that stands out in the passage (people’s names, places, any words that seem important or that you might not know). Dive deeper with some of the other tools listed below to better understand these observations.
A - Application: What is this passage calling you to do, to not do, wrestle with, or to consider? How can you put it to practice in your life?
P - Prayer: Write out a prayer to God based on what you just read.

WORD Method (Click Here for a WORD Bible Study Worksheet)
W - Walk with the Author: Do some research using the tools listed below. What is the personal history and background of the author of this text?
O - Organize the Text: Do some research using the tools listed below. What kind of writing or genre is this passage? When did they write this? What was going on at that time?
R - Read with Focus: Read word-for-word with intention. Look for things that stand out or clues that help you understand what you are reading more deeply.
D - Do What’s Next: Pray and plan ways that you can put all of this into action in your life.

Helpful Apps and Websites

Blue Letter Bible (FREE): Website and app that allows you to see the Bible in multiple translations, do word study, and see free commentary and reference resources.

YouVersion Bible (FREE): App for your phone that offers the Bible in multiple translations, free Bible studies, videos, and other resources to help you dig deeper.

ReadScripture App (FREE): Put out by the BibleProject, this app offers all of their video content in app form to help you understand the Bible, its themes, and context as you read.

Streetlights Bible (FREE): Sometimes you might need to listen to the Bible on the go, and the Streetlights Bible app allows you to listen to scripture as spoken word, produced by Christian hip hop artists.

ReferencE Materials and Books

ESV Study Bible: A Study Bible offers more built in tools than a typical Bible. It has a introduction for each book with information about the author, context, and genre; articles and essays on important topics; and footnotes that offer a deeper dive into what you’re reading on each page.

Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary: A Bible dictionary is one of the most helpful resources to aid you as you read the Bible. When you come across, names, words, ideas, or places you aren’t familiar with, you can look them up and get a whole article about them.

God’s Word for You Commentary Collection: Commentaries are works put together by pastors and scholars to help explain what you are reading in the Bible in a deeper way. There are plenty of different commentaries made for people at every stage of their walk with Jesus. This series has commentaries on each book of the Bible put together by a broad collection of pastors and teachers.

Bible Atlas (FREE): The Bible talks place on the same Earth we are walking on right now. Many of the places that it mentions can still be visited today. An atlas allows you to see exactly where the places mentioned in the Bible are in relation to others places mentioned, and also in relation to us.

Matthew 6:5-13
5 “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. 6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

7 “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. Pray then like this:
“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name. 10 Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread, 12 and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Prayer Requests

Let us know if there is anything we need to be praying for, or praising God for, alongside you.

At the Table | The Rhythm of Prayer

Prayer is how we not only talk to God, but with God, which is why it is so important for this rhythm to be a part of every believer’s life. Oftentimes, we struggle with prayer because we aren’t able to find time to pray, we don’t know what to pray, or struggle that we’re going to say the wrong things. But we don’t need to over think it, it isn’t a performance for a judge; just like a loving parent or a best friend, God desires to hear from you.

Books on Prayer

Podcasts on Prayer

Rule of Life Podcast | Prayer Ep. 1
Talking to God

Rule of Life Podcast | Prayer Ep. 2
Talking with God

Rule of Life Podcast | Prayer Ep. 3
Listening to God

Rule of Life Podcast | Prayer Ep. 4
Being with God

Videos on Prayer

Prayer Prompt Challenge

Sometimes we struggle to pray because we aren’t sure what to pray about. While there are plenty of ways to add structure to your prayer time, we’ve compiled a 9 prayer prompts based off of those found in our Foundations series that you can use to help guide, structure, and challenge yourself as you make prayer a regular rhythm in your life.

Luke 17:11-19
11 On the way to Jerusalem he was passing along between Samaria and Galilee. 12 And as he entered a village, he was met by ten lepers, who stood at a distance 13 and lifted up their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.” 14 When he saw them he said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went they were cleansed. 15 Then one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, praising God with a loud voice; 16 and he fell on his face at Jesus’ feet, giving him thanks. Now he was a Samaritan. 17 Then Jesus answered, “Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine? 18 Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?” 19 And he said to him, “Rise and go your way; your faith has made you well.”

At the Table | The Rhythm of Gratitude (Available on Sunday)

Resources on Gratitude

Articles on Gratitude

Gratitude is Hard

Explores why it is difficult to live a life of gratitude and some tips on how to cultivate it as a part of your everyday life.

How Can We Give Thanks in All Circumstances?

Explores the command in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 to be thankful in every circumstances, even when life is hard, by looking at Jesus’ example the night before he went to the cross.

Why Contentment Stems from a Thankful Heart

Exploring the relationship between gratitude and contentment and what it exposes about our love, or lack of love, towards God and others.

Practice Cultivating Gratitude