Rhythm Over Ritual | Resources

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 (Available on Sunday)

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 that 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.