.jpg)
Big Idea: How to do an overview of a book of the Bible on your own before starting a new Bible study or personal book study.
Do It Yourself Biblical Book Overview
Daily devotionals and Bible Study guides are helpful when we need to grab and go.
But taking time to get into the Bible itself, on our own, letting the Word of God truly soak in, is rewarding for our spiritual walk with God.
When to do a book overview
Getting an overview of a book of the Bible is helpful. It can take from 10 minutes to an hour depending on how deep you want to go. When should you do this?
- Prep to attend or teach a new Bible study
- Prep to attend or teach a new Sunday School class
- Prep to study a book of the Bible inductively
- For your own personal enrichment
- Curiosity about a book of the Bible
Steps to take
You can adjust this list as to how much time you want to devote to this. As the list gets longer the tasks may be more in depth.1. Note the books before and after it. Old Testament or New Testament? What category it is in? Examples: an historical book like Joshua; one of the Gospels like Luke.
2. Read the first and last paragraph of the book. What do you observe?
3. The title. Does it indicate anything to you? Is it the author (example: Matthew)? A main character (example: Esther)? Does it describe the book (example: Judges)? The recipients (example: Philippians)?
4. Read all headings. Scan quickly through the book, chapter by chapter, noting the headings. Both paper Bibles and online Bibles may have headings such as, the NIV, ESV, NASB etc.
- Note names and places mentioned
- Reoccurring thoughts or themes
- Other hints about the book
5. Read it through quickly. If it is a long book, read it in a couple of settings of 15-20 minutes. If it is a short book, you may find it interesting to read it in a couple of different versions.
6. Listen to it audibly. Most digital Bibles have a little megaphone symbol that indicates the audio Bible setting. (Example: see Bible App example below)
7. Outline. Consider the headings and your read-through. Make a simple outline.
8. Most used words list. Ask AI, “What are the most frequently used words in the book of _____________ (example: Matthew) in the ___________ version, not including common words like the, and…” The result will usually reveal something about the book.
9. Book introduction in a Study Bible. You may have a paper study Bible. There are also online study Bibles, such as the NIV at YouVersion.
What it may have:
- Information about the author, recipients, time period and location.
- Maps or charts
- Outline of the book
- Key verse
 |
| YouVersion example where to find book introduction in the NIV |
9. Initial take-away.
- What impression do you have of the book?
- What themes or sub-themes do you see?
- What do you hope to learn from studying it?
10. Key Verse. Have you found a significant verse that jumped out at you? Is there a recommended key verse?
11. Sentence summary. Try to write one or two sentences about what you’ve observed about it.
12. Meditate and pray. Take time to mull over a key verse or take-away. Ask for the Lord to keep this in your mind today. Pray for the Word of God to penetrate your life and needs.
Searching the Scriptures
Jesus continually spoke of the importance of the Bible. He referenced the Old Testament, often calling them the Law and the Prophets.
Anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. Matthew 5:19b NLT
_____________
Previous post: One Verse
Upcoming post:
_________________
Reflect:
Is there a class, Bible study, or a sermon series coming up? Take some time soon to look the book over to prepare to get the most out of it. Ask the Holy Spirit to get you excited about the upcoming study.
