“How do I Know?”

I get this question from many people who are new to the Christian faith. How do I know what to study and where to start? Most times we never get on the journey of illumination because it seems to be unattainable. As a fitness enthusiast I know first-hand how intimidating some journeys can be. I used to hesitate with even starting on my journey because I perceived someone else’s journey in their finished state. I immediately
would disqualify myself because the journey seemed too far to travel. It is the same with our faith. Are you looking at a spiritual individual and
automatically feeling as though you are not able to get there? Are you
looking at Christians that have been studying for years and automatically discounting yourself? I want to encourage you this morning and tell you that we all start somewhere. Don’t be afraid of starting off where YOU are. Eventually with consistency and studying you will blossom into who God created you to be. You may be wondering how to study and what to study and there are so many tools which can be confusing and overwhelming. I don’t even like to use google because everyone has some extreme interpretation and we can rarely find someone that knows how to “Rightfully divide the word”. It is better to apply the word to your life making sure your life lines up with His word vs the word lines up to you. Start small and easy, don’t over think things. You don’t have to tackle your studies in a day. You can conquer this thing one scripture at a time without overwhelming yourself too. So here are some things I suggest you consider when beginning to study. Just like fitness you will need tools to get your journey started:
1. A King James Bible
2. A Strong’s Concordance
3. A U-Version Bible App (You can listen to scriptures as well)
4. Quick Scripture Reference for Counseling, Fourth Edition by John
G. Kruis**
5. Study notebook
6. Some tea/ coffee
With these tools you can embark upon the best journey to start your new adventure. As for what you need to study, you can study people in the Bible (Different stories), you can study Psalm’s & Proverbs like doing 1 Chapter each book per night. I often tell people start with a Proverbs in the Morning and a Proverb at night. Lastly and the best choice is to start off where you struggle. Allow God to lead you in His word by identifying what your struggles are. There are books that help identify with your issues by listing each issue with scriptures that discuss this. It can be overwhelming to feel like you have to start off big. We never have to start as a professional but we should at least start. Another way to study is by finding a Podcast that speaks to your heart. Another recommendation I love is a book called, “Man’s Questions, God’s Answer” by Lu Ann Brandsby. Or the Quick Scripture reference for Counseling listed in the list of suggested materials. This is a great example of how to narrow down your studies. I would love to help you on your journey. Please subscribe to this blog and
keep up to date with all the little things we have going on and you will
love this journey!! I am listing the sites and links for your review so you
will have the right materials!!