“Let the word of Christ dwell richly among you, in all wisdom teaching, and admonishing one another through psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” Colossians 3:16
September and the onset of fall always means “fresh start” to me, even more so than January 1. That being the case we thought this was the perfect time to tell you about three bible study resources for fall!
What other time of year screams, “We’re starting new!!” like fall? I think it’s all the back to school excitement! New backpacks, notebooks, pencils, crayons, markers, folders, and of course new clothes and shoes! Even though my children are grown and no longer need those things, I still look forward to picking up some of those things for myself this time of year. A few new notebooks, maybe some markers and always, always a new bible study!
These are some of the wonderful Bible Studies that we have done this past year, are currently doing, and have on our list to do next!
First: Jen Wilkin has some great studies available online that you can do for FREE–including the workbook and either audio or video of her lectures. We have done her studies on James, 1st Peter and are currently working our way through Matthew Part 1 and Part 2. We have also read her book Women of the Word that is an excellent resource for learning to study the bible on your own.
Jen Wilkin studies are what I would consider to be “in-depth studies”. They cover the entire book, not just a few chapters. Jen stresses comprehension, interpretation and application so you will be reading the entire text repeatedly, highlighting, annotating, looking up definitions, paying attention to context and paraphrasing verses, just to name a few things.
While these studies do require some time and attention, they are powerful and worth your time and effort, I guarantee you will not be the same after doing one of her studies.
Second: The Daily Grace & Co. has some really great SHORT, affordable bible studies–many are just $5 during their sales, which they have often! While the studies I’ve purchased have not required a lot of homework they do employ the same study techniques as the Jen Wilkin studies and I felt they had some really good questions on the daily work. I did their Habakkuk study earlier this year and really enjoyed it. I just purchased The Lord’s Prayer study and I’m looking forward to doing it soon! They also have a devotional book called New Every Morning that I’m loving! I got it on one of the $5 sales!
Third: Now, this last recommendation is not what I would call a traditional bible “study”. Rather, they are lectures that you could use alongside your bible reading.
Kristi McLelland is a speaker and professor at Williamson College in Tennessee and serves as a biblical culturalit. Her studies are found through New Lens Biblical Studies. The classes don’t really require any homework other than reading whichever book of the bible she’ll be discussing and listening to the lecture. I took a copious notes! Both Dori and I couldn’t believe how much we learned! Kristi will help you learn to look at scripture with a Middle Eastern lens in addition to a Western lens. These studies are an investment–one that we highly recommend.
We started with the Israel study last year which is an overview of the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, looking at the history of the Jewish people and how to feast on the Word. The cost is $75
Next, we did the Italy study which is about the first century church in the book of Acts. Again, you just need to be reading the scripture. It adds so much more to your understanding and appreciation of scripture when you know the context and culture of the people writing and reading the passages! The cost is $45
Both of these studies would be good for seasoned readers who maybe have never read the bible from beginning to end – straight through, but we would definitely recommend them for those who are new to bible reading and/or study. They are a great way to grasp the whole story of the bible.
There are additional resources that she recommends as aides. We purchased a couple to use alongside our other studies but they are not necessary to understanding the lectures.
Even though these classes are a bit pricey they are worth every penny and I have gone back over my notes several times already as I’ve been reading through the Bible this year and plan to make watching the videos a yearly event!
Just recently we did her Ezer Kenegdo – this is just a short 1.5 hour lecture on the first two words God speaks about women. It was so good. The cost for that is $19
We have also her Jesus & Women study . This 7 session study is a thoughtful look at several of Jesus’ interactions with women in the bible. It will challenge and maybe even change the way you’ve looked at these stories! This study is available through Lifeway.com
Do you already have plans for a fall bible study? Do you prefer to study alone or in a group? My sister and I have been doing long distance studies together via FaceTiime for the last year and a half, and they have been wonderful, but I definitely miss getting together with a group of women! Whether alone or with a group of friends, one of the above studies might be the perfect fit for your fall bible study needs!
We’d love to hear what your plans are – feel free to leave a comment below letting us know what you’ll be doing! Also, include any study tools, books, website etc… that you’ve found helpful! We’re working on a list of our favorites to share soon!
Blessings and XOXO,
Shan