I like to make lists and keep track of things. I have a calendar on my phone, but I also use a Bullet Journal to remind me of daily tasks. Then there’s the app with all my reminders. A different app keeps track of my writing. You get the idea. But, one of my most important lists is related to Bible study. I keep a bucket list of topics I want to study.
I cannot study everything at once, so I need this list. Like life, my Bible studies ebb and flow. I must choose what gets my attention at any given moment. And I realize if I don’t keep track of these things, I’ll forget and never remember to study them. So, I keep a list.
Today I want to show you why you too should have your own Bible study bucket list.
Fail to Plan, Plan to Fail
Benjamin Franklin is once attributed with saying, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” Such a statement holds true for most of life. A military without a plan will always be defeated. Fail to budget your money and you’ll be bankrupt. If you don’t set goals, you can never achieve them.
When it comes to life’s goals and dreams, these often end up on a bucket list. A bucket list is a register of things to do before you die, also metaphorically known as “kicking the bucket.” Accomplishing these things would make your life complete. Without bucket lists, people feel like they won’t accomplish their dreams.
For similar reasons, it is important to make such lists when it comes to Bible study. If you do not write down the things you want to learn throughout the course of your life, chances are you will forget and/or never take the time to learn them. A bucket list serves as a constant reminder of what needs to get done.
If you don't keep track of the things you want to learn in the Bible, you'll never learn them. Share on XThe Bible Study Bucket List
What things make up a Bible study bucket list? That’s up to you. It’s as personal and unique as your finger print.
My bucket list has evolved over the years. It began as notes in the margin of my Bible as I listened to sermons and did my studies. I would write down any questions I had, especially the ones I couldn’t answer immediately. Over time this list became a running tally of all the subjects I wanted to study.
Your bucket list will grow in much the same way. As you look to build yours, here are some things you might put on your list.
Rabbit Holes
Bible study bucket lists often begin out of curiosity and a desire to prevent distraction. Say you’re studying a passage and you find yourself going down some rabbit trails. You’re checking cross-reference after cross-reference to no end. You’re curious, but at some point you realize you must stop, otherwise you’ll never finish the study at hand. To get back on course you make a note of your rabbit trail so you can complete it at a later date. It’s fun to see how deep the rabbit hole goes, but there’s a time & place for them, and now isn’t always that time.
All the Questions
Along with the curiosity of rabbit holes, you will also have various questions as you study. You likely won’t have time to answer some of these while in the middle of your study. So, instead of letting them be forgotten, add them to a list to study later. These types of questions occur most often during a sermon or Bible study class, when you don’t have the time or resources to answer random questions.
A Bible study bucket list is a tally of all the things you want to learn about the Bible over the course of your life Share on XThings to Learn
The more you study the Bible, there will be various topics and doctrines you’ll want to learn more about. These are excellent candidates for a bucket list because they are involved studies that will take lots of digging to unravel. Whether that’s wanting to learn about the doctrine of election or the different types of love in the Bible, these are all worthy of the bucket list.
Books to Read
There are lots of great Christian books worth reading. Alas, there are only so many hours in the day. Your bucket list is the perfect place to keep a running tally of the books you want to read. Sure, you may never get to the end of your list, but it doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.
Goals
Finally, goals make the list. These can be grand goals like reading the Bible in a year, or smaller ones like reading a chapter in Proverbs daily. Whatever the goal, it’s worthy of the list. A bucket list serves as great way to see your major accomplishments over the years.
Let Your List Evolve as You Grow
Unlike most bucket lists that remain static, a Bible study bucket list evolves with you over time, and should be never ending. There is always something new and exciting to learn about God and his Word. This means we should never stop asking questions. God is inexhaustible. Even when you think you know something, you’ll often have to circle around again, only to find a greater depth than the last time you encountered a study.
If you keep a Bible study bucket list, you’ll never have a shortage of things to study. Let your curiosity guide you. The more questions you answer, the more you’ll uncover that need answering.
The more questions you answer about the Bible, the more you’ll uncover that need answering. Share on XWhat’s on Your Bucket List
Do you keep a bucket list? If so, what’s on it? Leave a comment or send me an email with your top three items.
If you don’t have a Bible study bucket list, I challenge you to start one today. Dedicate a page in your Bible or notebook to this list and refer to it often. As you accomplish your goals & answer questions, mark them off and replace them with new ones.
Weekly Study Prompts
With the subject of bucket lists being related to death, this week’s study prompts focus on life and how we ought to live it. As you study the passages, think about how you should live your life in light of these truths from Scripture.
- Monday – Ecclesiastes 11:9-10
- Tuesday – Ecclesiastes 12:1-7, 13
- Wednesday – James 4:13-17
- Thursday – 1 John 2:15-17
- Friday – 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
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