Back to BSF

Today was the first Bible Study Fellowship (BSF) of 2020 and the start of the second half of the BSF year.  As you can see from the photo, we are studying Acts and selected letters of the Apostles.  Acts is the primary focus of the study, but as topics/timelines/characters coincide we pause Acts to study another book.  In November we spent two weeks studying 1 and 2nd Peter before going back to Acts 13.  For the past two weeks, we've been in Hebrews--oh my, that book is so deep!  One of my favorite passages from this week's lesson is from Chapter 7:  

15 And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest 16 who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. 

Oh, to know the power of His endless life.

On a similar topic, in my first blog post of 2020, I talked about changing things up by not signing up for a "read-through-the-Bible-in-a-year" reading plan as I have done for the past 5+ years.  As I mentioned I'm using Jim Elliff's article "My Preferred Way to Read the Bible,"  as the foundation for my personal study this year.  He recommends focusing on one book and reading it over and over--I've decided to read the Gospel of John, I'll read it through each week (about 4-5 chapters per day) for a month or two. Here's what he says about this saturation/immersion method:

Smaller books may be read completely through each day, but longer books can be read in a week. But the key is reading it as many times as possible, saturating yourself in it.  You may do this for several months reading it through as many as 50 times. Do you think you will know something about the book by then?

One of the most exciting things about starting the study was buying a new notetaking New King James Bible and new pens. Amazon is supposed to deliver the pens tomorrow so I'll be ready to use them on Thursday, at the latest.  Again, here is his good advice (IMO) about marking and notetaking in your Bible:  

It was the renowned pastor, Charles Spurgeon, who said, “A well-marked Bible is the sign of a well-fed soul.” It is best to use pens that are acid free, small tipped, and do not bleed through the page.  It is usually best not to highlight a Bible with a felt-tip marker. Once that is done, your ability to do more is limited. Plus, as you read a few times through the passage, you will keep on highlighting by underlining and may find so many meaningful verses that you underline them all!  This isn’t a good plan. Instead, use the pens to carefully circle repeated or important words or phrases instead of whole verses. If you wish to remember a verse, just circle the number. Draw lines to other words or concepts. Use other symbols if you wish. Write notes in the margin . . . . I suggest holding back a bit as you first read because you will see it so differently as you continue to read and study the book.

My journey in John's gospel will be underway by the next time I blog!