Estimated Publication Date: End of January 2023
Current Level of Completion: 70%

NOTE: This book is the second in the Treasuring God, Experiencing Life study series. While it's still in development, our target publication timeframe for this book is the end of January, 2023. If you'd like to be notified when this book is completed, please sign up for our newsletter updates.

This Book’s Place… in This Series

The primary focus of this website is to effectively teach that Treasuring God is the sole path for experiencing true life.

Now… how to “effectively teach” this concept… has occupied my thoughts for over three years. What I’ve come to realize is that this concept can most effectively be taught as a “orderly progression” of four basic steps for “Treasuring the One, True God”—with each successive step being enabled by the prior steps. And, that effectively addressing those four steps naturally leads to the result of “Experiencing the one True Life.”

This book explains the second “step” in the overall progression for Treasuring God and experiencing true life: skillfully studying God’s Word. But, the Bible simply cannot be “read” like an ordinary book… without taking into account how our perspective influences what we understand.

Therefore, it’s critical that we approach God’s Word with the proper perspective so that we’re able to skillfully study His Word to know God Himself… so that we might intently behold His glory when we study His Word, that we might preeminently esteem His worth, and that we might experience true life in Him.

Questions Addressed By This Book

Here is an overview of some of the many questions this book addresses:

  • What is the single most important reason for trying to read and understand the Bible?
  • What is the difference between reading and studying the Bible?
  • What is the main difference between Inductive and Deductive Bible study?
  • What are the steps of the 3-Step Inductive Bible Study Method?
  • What are the unique techniques that are promoted for the 10-Step Inductive Bible Study Method… and why are those unique techniques important?
  • Why is utilizing good technique not enough for accurately understanding the Bible?
  • What are some common errors in trying to understand the Bible?
  • What does someone’s ability to faithfully embrace God’s perspective… have to do with their ability to skillfully study and understand God’s Word

Preliminary Outline

What follows is the content outline for the book, Skillfully Studying God’s Word. (While this outline may change slightly, it provides a thorough description for the content covered in this book.)

Outline - Skillfully Studying God's Word

Section 1 - Preface
Preface 1 – About The Author

Why This Preface Is Important

How I Became A Christian

My Ordinary Christian Experience

My Doctrinal Perspective

My Core Beliefs

My Teaching Methodology

Preface 2 – Acknowledgements

Caveats

Contributors

Credits For The Ideas In This Book

Personal Disclaimers

Section 2 - Introduction
Chapter 1 – About This Study Series

Two Definitions

The Nature of This Study Series

The Background For This Study Series

The Main Goal of This Study Series

A Secondary Goal of This Study Series

Who This Series Was Written For

Clarification and Encouragement

Chapter 2 – Crucial Definitions

Definition of Progressions

Scriptural Examples of Biblical Progesssions

Recognizing and Understanding Biblical Progesssions

Chapter 3 – The Progression That Leads to True Life

Define True Life

Four Steps to Treasuring God

Five Results from Treasuring God

The Progression: Treasuring God, Experiencing Life

Chapter 4 – About This Book

Definition of Perspective

Questions This Book Addresses

Section 3 - Basic Inductive Bible Study Techniques
Chapter 05 – Basic Inductive Bible Study Overview

The Purpose of Bible Study

General Techniques for Bible Study

Two Strategies for Bible Study

The Benefits of Bible Study

Chapter 06 – Inductive Bible Study Overview

The Differences Between Inductive and Deductive

3-Step Inductive Bible Study Process

Technique Alone is Not Enough

Section 4 - Advanced Inductive Bible Study Techniques
Chapter 07 – Advanced Inductive Bible Study Overview
10-Step Inductive Bible Study Process

Chapter 08 – The Process of Observation

The Role of Observation

Step 1 – Pray

Step 2 – Read

Step 3 – Observe

Chapter 09 – The Process of Interpretation

The Role of Interpretation

The Limits of Interpretation

Step 4 – Interpret

Step 5 – Validate

Chapter 10 – The Process of Application

The Role of Application

Mental and Spiritual Preparation

Step 6 – Apply

Step 7 – Worship

Chapter 11 – Common Errors in Bible Study

Dealing with Difficult Passages

Not Honoring the Actual Words Used

Using the Confusing to Distort the Clear

Problems with Consistency

Problems with Context

Problems with Narrative Stories

Problems with Promises

Problems with Verbs

Problems with Pronouns

Problems with Prepositions

Problems with Bible Translation

The Remedy for Preventing Errors

Chapter 12 – Inductive Bible Study Example

Observation Step 1 – Praying for Understanding

Observation Step 2 – Reading the Text

Observation Step 3 – Contextualizing the Passage

Observation Step 4 – Identifying the Main Details

Observation Step 5 – Formulating the Questions

Observation Step 6 – Clarifying the Details

Interpretation Step 7 – Understanding the Meaning

Interpretation Step 8 – Validating the Meaning

Application Step 9 – Receiving the Applications

Application Step 10 – Worshiping the Lord

Section 5 - Workbook: Skillfully Studying God's Word
Chapter 13 – Practice Exercise

What is the Context?

What are the Details?

What Questions can you think of?

What is the primary Meaning?

What scripture can you use for Validation of the meaning?

What Application can you receive from the passage?

What have you understood that leads you to Worship?

Chapter 14 – Practice Identifying Errors

Identifying Errors in Context

Identifying Errors in Questions

Identifying Errors in Details

Identifying Errors in Meaning

Identifying Errors in Validation

Identifying Errors in Application

Identifying Errors in Worship

Chapter 15 – Final Test

Quiz on 20 Sample Passages

Chapter 16 – My Answers for the Final Test

Author answers for the 20 Sample Passages

Section 6 - Appendices
Appendices

Appendix A – Why and How to Become a Christian

Appendix B – Inductive Process Outline

Appendix C – Types of Bibles & Bible Studies

Appendix D – Helpful Resources for Learning God’s Word

Appendix E – Notes for Pastors and Disciple Makers