When I started Bible Study Tips last November, I had no idea what the Lord would do with this website & ministry. All I knew is I had a simple goal and would leave the results in God’s hands. The goal? Write the best Bible study tips possible to help people study God’s Word better. Without fail, every week I wrote and put up new content. Even when I was sick or staring at the computer on a Sunday afternoon with nothing written, I refused to let a Monday pass without something new going on the site.
As I reflect on our first full calendar year, there is much to be thankful for. Bible Study Tips has grown far beyond my expectations. I’ve made new friends. I’ve challenged myself to study God’s Word in new ways. And I’m on the cusp of publishing Bible Study Tips’ first book. I couldn’t have imagined any of this a year ago.
To close the year I want to share this year’s most read tips. So, in typical countdown fashion, here are Bible Study Tips’ most read tips of 2018.
5. Seven Arrows Method: Aiming Your Bible Study in the Right Direction
Coming in fifth on the list is the Seven Arrows Bible study method. I’ve been doing Bible study for a couple decades now, and have become familiar with most of the more popular methods. So, I was pleasantly surprised when I was introduced to Matt Rogers’ Seven Arrows method of study. Like most study methods, it’s not revolutionary or “new” per se, but it organizes Bible study in a way that is easy to remember and implement. I’m a fan because it can be super simple, like the approach they take in the devotional, or it can be as in-depth as a full blown verse-by-verse study. The principles work in both settings or anywhere in-between.
I have come to enjoy this method so much that it’s one of the first I recommend to those who ask me about Bible study methods. After simple Bible journaling, this is my go to. I’m glad this is one of the year’s most read tips because it deserves to be. If you haven’t added the book to your library, do yourself a favor and buy it as soon as possible.
4. How to Choose the Perfect Bible Translation
Fourth is a Bible study tip I used to launch the website. When it comes to Bible study, the absolute first thing I tell people they need is a Bible they can read. If you don’t have the right Bible translation, then you will waste a lot of time in your Bible study. With this in mind, I made sure this was one of the first things I talked about on the website.
I’m a bit surprised this is one of the most read posts on the site. There are already so many great articles online that cover this subject. But, I guess the Lord still decided to use my specific wording and site to help others. I am thankful so many people have found this tip helpful because it’s the foundation to good Bible study.
3. How to Do a Word Study: The Complete Guide
Third on the list is a tip I spent a long time preparing. It currently ranks as the second longest tip I’ve written at over 4,000 words (with the inductive method being the longest). I had one goal in mind with this tip: write the most comprehensive guide on how to do Bible word studies. From the outset, I wanted this to be a cornerstone piece of content for the site because word studies are something everyone is interested in. So, I set out to write a tip that could be used by both novice and advanced Bible students.
The funny thing is, word studies are pretty easy when you get down to it, you just have to do lots of reading.
This post has done what I wanted it to do, and I pray it remains a best read tip every single year. It is one I am most proud of, and (at the time of writing) ranks third when you search Google for “how to do a word study.”
2. How I Read the Bible in Six Months
The second most read tip on the site this year talks about how I read the Bible in six months. If I’m being honest, this is one of those tips that was never meant to be on the website. Before I launched the website last November, I wrote about ten tips that were to remain as “archive” material. The plan was to never use them, but they would be there if I was ever in a pinch and short for time. Well, one of those days happened and I had to call upon this tip. The results? I’ll credit God’s providence.
This tip didn’t get much traction when I first posted it in May. But, without much forethought on my part, I didn’t realize how many people would be searching for how to read the Bible in six months in just a few weeks. Publishing the tip in May allowed time for the search engines to index it. So, when June came around and everyone was searching for reading plans & help to read the Bible in six months, Bible Study Tips had what they were looking for!
The site had a huge spike in traffic in June, but I wasn’t sure why, until I looked at the stats. This tip has singlehandedly put our site in front of the eyes of many people. And now I can expect it to get pretty significant traffic at least twice a year (January & June). I’m glad the Lord worked it out the way he did because I couldn’t have planned it any better.
1. Cross-References: Letting Scripture Interpret Scripture
The most read tip of 2018 is another that was on the website when we launched in November 2017. Next to having the right Bible translation, I knew what I wanted Bible Study Tips’ first “official” tip to be: how to study using cross-references. We are so quick to reach for a commentary or study Bible when we don’t understand a passage, instead of letting the Bible speak for itself. That is why I wrote this tip. I wanted to show Christians how deep they can go in their studies with nothing more than a Bible and its cross-reference system.
Little did I know that this topic is something people search frequently. When Bible Study Tips began to grow, this tip was the reason why. It consistently gets about 10-15 eyes on it everyday from people searching Google or another search engine. This does my heart well because cross-references are one of the simplest and best ways to study the Bible.
The success of this tip feels like confirmation from the Lord that I did the right thing when I launched Bible Study Tips.
A Personal Thank You
It’s been a great year of writing Bible study tips, reading God’s Word, and building community. But, none of this would be possible without you and your support. So, I thank you. Your support and encouragement along the way has been more helpful than I can express. I love when you reply to my weekly emails letting me know that you found the tip encouraging or it was just what you needed. Those emails are always so timely and when I need to hear them most. Running this site can be quite lonely at times, but it’s all worth it when I know that it’s helping others all across the globe.
It’s been an amazing year and I look forward to another year of studying the Bible with you.
What’s Your Favorite Tip?
With more than a year’s worth of Bible study tips in the books, what are your favorites? These were the most popular throughout the year, but which ones did you find the most valuable?
Finally, are there any tips you would like me to cover? Send an email and let me know because this site is meant to be a resource for you.
Weekly Study Prompts
This week, meditate and journal on the following passages:
- Monday – Revelation 1
- Tuesday – Revelation 2-3
- Wednesday – Revelation 4-5
- Thursday – Revelation 18-19
- Friday – Revelation 20-22
- Memory Verses: Revelation 3:19; 21:3-4
