Women of the Word:
How to Study the Bible with Both Our Hearts and Our Minds
by
Jen Wilkin
Do you know a lot of Bible stories but aren’t sure how they all fit together? You’re not alone. Author Jen Wilkin realized when asked to lead a Bible study that she knew a lot about the Bible, but she didn’t really know the Bible. She found herself not knowing how to study the God’s Word on her own. It can feel overwhelming not knowing where to start or how to go about it, but the old Chinese proverb puts it into perspective: “How do you move a mountain? One spoonful of dirt at a time.” This book is for people who are ready to start digging.
Wilkin realized two fundamental things she had wrong about the Bible:
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Failing to understand (or forgetting) that the Bible is about God.
As humans, we tend to make the Bible about us. We turn to it for comfort, to tell us what to do, or to support our own agenda. The underlying attitude is, “How can the Bible serve me?” While God’s Word is a source of comfort and instruction, it is not about us. It’s about God. From Genesis to Revelation, it clearly reveals who God is on every page. And the purpose of reading and studying it is to know Him. -
Depending on feelings when reading the Bible.
Most of us are probably guilty of this at times. Our emotions don’t always line up with God’s Word. We don’t always feel the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control that Galatians says are the fruits of the Spirit. Sometimes we don’t feel like spending time with God at all. But Romans 12:2 tells us to “be transformed by the renewing of your mind.” The path to transformation runs from the mind to the heart, not the other way around. We have to be obedient until the heart feels it.
The heart cannot love what the mind does not know. @jenniferwilkin #WomenoftheWord #TheHeartoftheAuthor #podcast Click To Tweet
The book offers much more insight, including how to study with purpose, perspective, patience, process, and prayer, and how to pull it all together. The last chapter offers extra help for teachers. In the end, it’s all about seeking His face.
Listen to the podcast as Vickie and Jasa share their personal insights about the book.
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