Mastering the Art of Studying the Bible - Philemon |05.04.25| How to Study the Bible pt.2
Let me ask you a question: Have you ever opened your Bible, read a few verses…and then walked away thinking, “Well, I got NOTHING out of that!”
Not just me? Okay good. And we’re not alone! Most people I talk to – including longtime Christians – struggle with knowing what to do AFTER they open their Bible.
And if you’re newer to faith, or just exploring Jesus after Easter (welcome, I’m glad you’re here)... But this journey of following Jesus and reading the Bible can sometimes feel like trying to read a foreign language.
And I want to simplify the process for us today.
So that’s why I’m so glad that we are partnering with Pastor Craig Groeschel and Life.Church to bring this series to our church. And Pastor Craig recently gave an incredibly practical and encouraging message, so I knew you all had to hear it. So would it be okay if I shared it with you?
A lot of what I’m sharing today comes directly from him—with a few of my own twists, but I knew our church family would benefit from it. Because my goal isn’t to make you feel guilty or like you’re not doing it right. My goal as your pastor is to give you practical tools to be able to build a habit that transforms your life.
Because the Bible wasn’t given to us just to inform us. It was given to transform us. And just look at what Scripture says about itself:
[2 Timothy 3:16 NLT] (read)
And look at all the other places it describes itself!
[The Word is…]
A sword that pierces. Heb 4:12
A light that shines. Psalm 119:105
A mirror that reveals. James 1:23
A path to purity. Ps 119:9
A meal that nourishes. 1 Timothy 4:6
A seed that reproduces. 1 Peter 1:23
A fire that consumes. Jer 23:29
A defense against temptation. Ps 119:11
The source of our faith. Rom 10:17
The truth that lives forever. Isa 40:8
The Bible isn’t just an ancient text. It’s living. It comforts us. It convicts us. It shines light when we’re confused, and it gives hope when we’re weary.
And in many parts of the world, Christians don’t have access to the Bible. And if they have even a single page of Scripture, they’ll gather around by candlelight to read it, and hide it so it doesn’t get taken from them.
But here in America, we have free access to the Bible! Most hotel rooms have a Bible in them. Most American homes have a Bible in them. ALL of us have access to the Bible on our devices…and yet…we take it for granted.
Last week, I quoted to you the statistic that less than 4 in 10 Americans will open the Bible more than 4 times this year. And that includes church people!
Why don’t we read the Bible? Why don’t we study it, feed on it…God’s living Word? Well, for many of us, it’s because we don’t care. Or we don’t believe it. Or we don’t think it applies to our everyday life.
Some people tried it, but got bored, or didn’t understand what they read. And many of us simply don’t know HOW to study the Bible.
So that’s why we’re doing this very practical look at How to Study the Bible using a very short section of Scripture called Philemon. Because not only do we want to learn HOW to do it, but we want to ACTUALLY DO it!
[Transform/Inform]
And as we start, I want to give us some foundational thoughts to prepare us for part two of this series. If you’re taking notes, it’s important to understand that the Bible is meant to TRANSFORM us, not just INFORM us.
I don’t know if you’ve been around Bible studies or churches where the leader will say something like “turn to whatever in your Bible” and then there is this mad dash across the room of people flipping through their paper Bibles, or quickly navigating the Bible app on their phone, trying to prove that they know where it is.
Who’s going to win? Who’s going to get there first? And who is going to have underlines or highlights in that section when they get there to show how spiritual they are?!
Because we all know people who measure their spirituality by how much they KNOW. Or we place ourselves lower in our own eyes because we don’t KNOW that much about the Bible.
[1 Cor 8:1 NLT]
Listen, knowledge is good, but knowledge puffs up. Paul tells us in 1 Cor. 8 that “…While knowledge makes us feel important, it is love that strengthens the church.”
The Bible isn’t just a book that we study in order to grow in knowledge. It’s not a book that INFORMS us. It’s God’s Word that is meant to TRANSFORM every part of our lives to look more and more like the life of Jesus.
I love the quote from Rick Warren about how “the Bible should give us a bigger heart, not a bigger head.” Don’t you like that?
[James 1:22 NIV]
That’s why we’re going to APPLY what Jesus’ brother, James said in his letter: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves….”
What are we going to do instead? Let’s say it together, “Do what it says.”
So let’s keep going with our process here on how to study the Bible, and to do that, let’s recap what we learned last week when I gave us 5 steps.
[5 Steps]
Choose a translation you understand
Choose a time, a place, and a plan to study
Understand the context
Read slowly and ask questions
Pray for God to speak to you, and apply what he shows you
[reading plan]
This is how we’re going to approach the Bible. And if you didn’t get a chance to download it last week, on the screen is a QR code again for you to get the very practical study guide that is for this series. On it, there’s tons of free resources to help you better engage God’s Word.
So let’s assume that you were here last week and you have already started the process, and you’ve chosen a translation you understand. Maybe you even got a study Bible that has extra notes available in it. Or you downloaded the YouVersion Bible App and know how to navigate your way around it.
Hopefully, you’ve started or recommitted to a daily TIME to do your Bible study, and you’ve started to build or rebuild a habit.
I had completely gotten off of my habit over the last few weeks with busyness in my life, but then had to get real with myself and the things that were getting in the way of my daily habit, so I’m slowly getting back on the process myself!
So, you’ve got a translation you understand, you’ve chosen a time and a place to regularly build that habit. And now you need a plan. And you’re asking me, “Pastor Drew, what’s the best plan for me to do?”
Last week, I had someone share with me their Bible Recap plan, and someone else shared with me the Bible-in-a-year plan they’ve followed (though they said it took almost 3 years). And Danny mentioned that if you read a Proverb each day of the month, you’ll get through all 31 proverbs in the month of May.
But here’s the truth: there’s no “perfect” Bible reading plan. I want you to feel some relief. Your Bible reading plan doesn’t need to be something that makes you look good on Instagram.
Your Bible reading plan doesn’t need to be a specific amount of time. Some days, I read for a super long time, some days I read for 7 minutes. You don’t need to put a limit on it, but just set aside as much time as works for you to build that habit.
The only bad Bible reading plan is NO plan at all, so I want to give you 5 different options of ways that you can get into a rhythm of reading God’s Word, whether you’ve never done it before, or if you’re looking to freshen things up or get back into the habit.
[Start with a book]
One way is to start with a single book in the Bible. Now, you want to look up the context to help you understand it, and if you’re looking for some ideas, write these down. I’ll give you some ideas on where to start.
If you want to know the Story of God, the beginning of the story of why he created everything and how he went about his relationship with humanity, then reading Genesis and Exodus will give you a great journey with the story of God.
If you want to read about Jesus and get to know Jesus better, you want to start with the gospels, since they are the biographies of Jesus written from four different perspectives: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. They’re all good. Mark is a quicker read and the stories move quickly, and John is usually recommended as a foundational look at why Jesus came and who he truly is.
Let’s say you’re dealing with difficult people and you’ve got someone in your life driving you crazy. Or you’re trying to learn to manage your money. Or you need to handle your tongue. Or you need something practical that can help you in your everyday life…what should you read?
Both Proverbs and James are going to give you practical insight into how to deal with everyday circumstances in your life.
But what if you wake up and you’re hurting and you need some comfort or you want more of a devotional, connecting time with God, or you want to cry out to God in prayer? What are we going to read? The Psalms are great for that.
But what if you want to go deeper? Maybe you’ve been a Christian for a while, and you want to learn some deeper theology. Or you’re brand new and you want to learn about sin and forgiveness and repentance and the good news of what Jesus has done for us. Well, a great place for that is the book of Romans. It is not LIGHT, but it is life-changing.
So, if you’re looking for a plan to study the Bible, you can start with a book of the Bible, but we can also start with a person in the Bible.
[person]
There are all kinds of incredible people in the Bible, and we can learn from how they try to follow God, from their successes as well as their failures. So reading about people like Ruth or Elijah are great.
Or if you keep messing up, you can study Peter, because he messes up so much he’ll make you feel better about yourself! Or you can study Esther, because she’s a great example of how sometimes it takes a woman to get the job done right!
You can study a book of the Bible, or start with a single person in the Bible, or you can study a topic in the Bible.
[topic]
Maybe you grew up in a legalistic house, and there were always rules for everything, and you need to study the topic of Grace, and looking that up might take you to the book of Galatians.
Or maybe all the stress in your life is leaving you dealing with anxiety, and so you search the word “anxiety” in the Bible app and you read about how we’re encouraged to “cast our anxiety on God because he cares for us.”
So we can study a topic as a way to do Bible study, or we could just start a daily devotional plan.
[Daily devo]
These are great, because they are connected to the date on the calendar. So you just look at what date it is and then read what is there for that day. And if you miss a couple days, that just means you’ll have something new to read for the first time next year when you get to that day!
A couple good ones that are recommended often are “Jesus Calling” – that’s a classic that a lot of people read. And another would be “My Utmost for His Highest” by Oswald Chambers.
But you could also go to the YouVersion Bible app and find a daily devotional plan. Some of them are 7-day plans, some are 30-day plans, and some are for every day of the year.
So you can start with a BOOK of the Bible, study a PERSON in the Bible, study a TOPIC in the Bible, do a DAILY devotional plan, or if you want to go for it at some point in your walk with Jesus, you can read through the WHOLE Bible.
[whole]
Now, I did this for the first time only a few years ago. And I’ve got to admit, I fell behind in my Bible-in-a-year plan a few times. I started on January 1, and finished the following April, so it took me about 16 months, but that’s okay!
My parents got into the rhythm for a while where they would read through the entire Bible in a year multiple years in a row, and would pick a different translation each time, to keep it fresh and to help them connect in different ways to familiar stories.
If you’ve never done this before, there is a very good Bible-in-a-year plan written by Nicky Gumbel called, wait for it, “Bible in One Year.” You can get the book version of it, or read along with the free reading plan on the YouVersion Bible App.
[blank]
The bottom line is: you want to have a good plan that you actually follow. If your plan isn’t working, what do you do? Change it up. Find a new plan.
If you’re not able to be consistent with what you’re doing, or if it isn’t helping you in your daily life, then there’s other options out there.
The key is that when you wake up tomorrow, you ALREADY know WHEN you’re going to study, WHERE you’re going to study, and WHAT you’re going to study.
So, what do we have? We’ve got a translation we understand. We’ve got a time, place, and plan for our study.
[Philemon]
And now let’s go back to filet-mignon – Philemon – and we’re going to study it like we did last week. Now, anytime we come to a passage in the Bible, what is the first thing we need to help us understand it better? It starts with a “C”...ends in “text”...we need to know the context!
So we ask the three context questions: who wrote it? Who is it written to? And what was the PURPOSE it was written for?
So, for those of you who were here last week…pop quiz! Philemon: who wrote it? Paul! Paul wrote Philemon.
And who did Paul write it to? Philemon! That’s why it’s called Philemon, because that’s who it’s written to. And do we remember who Philemon was?
He was a successful business owner who ran a house in his church, so he’s kind of like a life-group leader. And we know that Paul was the one who led Philemon to Jesus, and we also know that Philemon had a slave named…? Onesimus.
We know slavery is wrong and we hate it, but it was a reality in that day and age, and so we know that Onesimus had at some point stolen from Philemon and then ran away. He ran to Rome and he happened to meet Paul there, because of COURSE that’s how God works!
Paul was in prison and writing letters to people to train them and encourage them, and that’s when Onesimus meets Paul, and Paul leads Onesimus to Jesus. So, all of a sudden, you’ve got a runaway slave who’s become a follower of Jesus. And Paul writes a letter to Philemon.
And what was the PURPOSE of this letter? What was Paul asking Philemon to DO with the runaway slave who had stolen from him? He was asking Philemon to FORGIVE Onesimus! That’s the context! Understanding the context helps us SO MUCH with understanding what we’re reading, so let’s keep reading and pick up where we left off last week.
If you remember from last week, Paul was encouraging Philemon to forgive Onesimus, and I suggested that maybe he was trying to butter him up. Or maybe he was sincere, I don’t really know, but he’s telling Philemon, “Listen, I know you’re so loving, and you’re going to do the right thing. You know how much Jesus forgave YOU. And I want you to forgive Onesimus.”
So let’s read slowly and we’re going to see what God is saying to us, what is standing out as we read. Let’s pick up in verse 12:
[Philemon 1:12-16] (keep reading)
[Philemon 1:18-19]
Now, the phrase “charge it to me” reminds me of another story in the Bible that Jesus told, called the Good Samaritan, where a traveller helps someone who was wounded, and takes him to an inn, and leaves money with the innkeeper and tells him that if there are more expenses, to charge it to him.
All of a sudden, I’m thinking, “this sounds like the gospel!” We read where Paul says, “I’m writing this with my own hand, and if there is any outstanding debt that Onesimus owes you…charge it to me. I will pay it back.”
ANd I’m starting to think: this sounds like what Jesus did for us. “I’ll pay a debt I don’t owe.” And if you come to a part of Scripture that is making your brain make connections like this, and if you have a study Bible, or you can search online for cross-references, you’ll find other parts of Scripture that deal with similar themes or the same phrases and words.
And if you do that, it might lead you to the Old Testament, to Isaiah 53. Now, if we’re going to read Isaiah 53, we want to know the CONTEXT first! And if you look that up, you’ll see that this was written 700 years before Jesus was born, and you’ll also find that it is one of the most famous prophetic verses that foretells the coming of Jesus, 7 centuries before he was born. Here’s what it says, prophesying about Jesus…
[Isaiah 53:4-5] NIV
The debt that WE owed, Jesus paid. Whatever we needed, he provided. And we see it played out again right there in Philemon: “if there’s any charge, charge it to me.”
A quick reminder as we read the Bible is that the Bible isn’t ABOUT you. It’s never about you. It’s FOR you, given TO you, but it’s not about you.
What is it about? The main story is always about God’s love for the world and his redemption through Jesus. Even though the Bible isn’t about you, it’s FOR you, so it’s not wrong to see yourself in the story, and ask what God would say to you.
So, as we’re reading Philemon, we have three main characters, and I would ask: which one do you relate to?
[characters]
Let’s start with Paul. He’s taking a risk on someone. We also have Onesimus…the one who needs forgiveness. And we have the final character of Philemon, who’s being called to forgive.
Which of those three do you relate with at this point in your relationship with God? The cool thing is that you could read this book of philemon three different times over three different years, and you could relate with a different part each time. God could speak to you in a different way each time.
Maybe one time you relate more with Paul, and you feel called to take a risk on someone. You’re sharing your faith with somebody, or there is someone you’re mentoring, or there is someone who messed up and you’re lovingly helping them back into relationship with God.
Another time, you might connect with Onesimus. You did something dumb, something hurtful to others. You lied to someone you loved. You fell back into that addiction that held you hostage for so long. You lost your temper and did something you regret, and you realize that you need forgiveness.
So you look up forgiveness in the Bible, and it takes you to 1 John 1:9, which sounds familiar if you’ve been coming to church here at New Life for any amount of time, because we declare it together every week while we confess our sins:
[1 John 1:9]
“If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
And if you feel like you’re connecting with the runaway slave, and you need forgiveness, your time of Bible study might just lead you to your knees in front of God, repenting and saying, “God I’m so sorry.” And God says, “You are forgiven!”
And you stand up whole and forgiven, not because you did something to deserve it, but because someone paid for a debt that you couldn’t pay. Someone else is working healing in your heart that you can’t do on your own.
[characters]
Maybe you relate to Onesimus, or maybe you relate to Philemon. Remember, Onesimus betrayed him. Maybe someone hurt you. A fried talked behind your back, or someone you trusted and admired lied or took advantage of you and let you down.
So you say, “Okay, I’m a Christian, I’m following Jesus, and I know I’m SUPPOSED to forgive…” But you don’t WANT to forgive and you’re sitting there reading this book and Paul is asking Philemon to forgive Onesimus…
So you open your Bible app and search, How do I forgive? And it leads you to Ephesians 4:32. And you’re going to read it and it’s going to speak to you:
[Ephesians 4:32] NRSV
“be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ has forgiven you.”
So one time, you’re reading the book of Philemon, and you feel like God is speaking to you about taking a risk on someone, and another time it connects with how you feel you need to be forgiven. And another time you realize you need to forgive someone…how do you do it? We remember the forgiveness we’ve received from God, and we let THAT overflow to become forgiveness to others.
But what about YOU? What is God showing you in his word today? Imagine what your life would be like if you could answer that question every single day?
What is God showing you about himself…what is he saying to you? And then how can you live a little differently today in response to that?
Because the Bible isn’t meant to INFORM us, it’s meant to TRANSFORM us. We apply what we learn so that our lives are transformed little by little to become more and more like Jesus in every aspect.
Now, sometimes your study and your digging will lead you to fun little easter eggs. Pastor Craig pointed out a new one for me that relates to this story. Because if you fast forward 50 years after the book of Philemon was written, you’ll find some historical documents from early Jesus followers that aren’t in our Bible.
[bishop]
And you’ll find some writings from a guy named Ignatius, who was the bishop in Antioch. He’s the leader of the church there. He’s a famous martyr who was likely discipled by John. But he wrote a letter to the church in Ephesus, and in that letter, he complimenting them and bragging on THEIR bishop, the guy who is leading the church in Ephesus.
He talks about how he’s a man of “inexpressible love.” And he tells the church, “Blessed by God who granted unto you such an excellent bishop.”
And here’s the cool part. Do you want to know the bishop’s name? Onesimus.
Now, we can’t fully prove it, because there isn’t too much else written about this bishop Onesimus. But many believe that it’s the same guy because that’s about the right age and the right time and 100% the right name of the runaway slave who was changed by Jesus. He was transformed by Jesus!
And right there, we can see what is possible when God works in your life. So what will God do in your life? Well, it depends on what you need.
[blank]
If you’re hurting, God’s Word will give you hope. If you’re feeling lost, it will give you direction. If you’re experiencing doubt, God’s Word will build your faith, because faith comes by hearing.
If you’re anxious, studying the Bible will help you learn to cast your anxiety on him. Why? Because he cares for you and he will give you a peace that passes understanding.
If you feel trapped in a life you didn’t want, God’s Word will give you the truth to set you free.
[QR]
I love God’s Word. I need God’s Word. I depend on God’s Word. I was saved reading God’s Word, and I’m sustained by continuing to read God’s Word, and I want you to fall in love with who God is through his Word.
So I want to ask you to commit to reading God’s Word for a full month. If you’re truly serious about being an apprentice of Jesus, I want to ask you to commit to make his Word a serious part of your life.
A month is about how long it takes to build a new habit. Or maybe you’re like me, and you need to rebuild a habit you fell out of.
But imagine what your life will look like if you commit to this habit. Imagine how your life will be transformed by God as you commit to reading his word and letting it influence the way you live.
There are some in this room that can share those stories. And I hope you do. I hope you share with someone else how reading God’s Word has transformed you.
Because God gave us his Word to teach us, to correct us, to train us how to live like Jesus, so that we would be prepared for every good work that God prepared in advance for us to do. So that we can join Jesus in his work. So that we can help to shine a light in the darkness. So that we can welcome others in to the redeeming love of God that is beckoning everyone. Isn’t that good news?