Fellowship of the Metroplex, Arlington, Texas, USA

Bible Studies

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If you are interested in learning about the Good News of Jesus Christ and the free gift of salvation offered by God, and want to learn more:

…the Gospel of JOHN in the NEW TESTAMENT is a great start. This is often provided as a separate booklet to those interested in learning about the Good News of Jesus Christ. If you have questions, please free to contact anyone at Fellowship of the Metroplex, talk to Christians you might know, or contact a local Christian church and ask away. There is nothing more important that you can talk about and nothing more exciting for Christians to talk about.

We would recommend reading from a modern translation, like the New Living Translation (NLT), which is probably best for a new Bible reader, or the New International Version (NIV). We would tend to recommend avoiding the 400-year old King James Version (KJV), as this is very difficult to understand and was a poor translation in places.

If you are interested in reading more from the Bible:

It is probably a mistake to just start at the first book, Genesis, in the Old Testament and work your way through to the last book, Revelation, in the New Testament; there are two reasons for this:

The books and passages in the Bible are not chronological
The Old Testament dives into detail and rituals in the third book, Leviticus, that are confusing and less important to a new Bible reader

As a result of the above two reasons, people tend to quit reading the Bible cover-to-cover fairly soon after starting. We recommend reading some basic passages over short periods, like two weeks, and then going back and filling in with a broader reading plan.

We recommend the following two-week reading plans, taken from an excellent Web site www.backtothebible.org, to get started. Just click on a link to see the reading plan:

Establish a Historic Basis

A well-known theologian, R.C. Sproul, recommends that a new Bible reader start by gaining a historic basis to the Bible – time-based, events, people, places, etc., reading certain books, and skipping others, and then once the historic basis is established, go back and fill in with the missing books. Just click on the following link to see the reading plan:

Historic Basis

If you are already a Christian:

Nothing, and we mean nothing, can beat a regular QUIET TIME just between you alone and God, during which you pray, read the Bible and meditate about God, what He's done for you, and how you can be a better example to others for Him. Quiet Time is probably best first thing in the morning (after a few sips of coffee or tea) as this prepares you for the rest of the day; however, whatever is the best time for you is what matters. Being regular, consistent, and allowing enough time is key.

We would highly recommend that you undertake to read the entire Bible once a year. As there are 929 chapters in the Old Testament and 260 in the New Testament (a total of 1,189 chapters), you have to read 3.5 times more from the Old Testament than the New Testament, and read 3 to 4 chapters per day.

The Bible is not like a novel, which you understand on reading once or twice. The Holy Spirit will guide you in your understanding appropriate to the moment and allow you to learn new truths every time you read the Bible and passages from it.

A good study Bible is essential – FOM recommends the Life Application Study Bible to people, the modern New Living Translation (NLT) or the slightly more formal New International Version (NIV) are highly recommended. A local Christian bookstore, SAM’s Club or Wal-Mart usually have these.

Use a pen and highlighter to mark your Bible up with verses of importance to you – your Bible should look as though it has been used

Start learning and remembering verses that are important to you and could serve as a great basis for talking with others about your faith

Nothing, and absolutely nothing, can beat regular Quiet Time, just you alone, God and the Bible, with Bible Study, prayer, and contemplation

Devotionals are a great help to maintain a regular Quiet Time and Bible Study and there are many available in book stores and online.

Become involved with the people in the Bible – they were just like you – put yourself in their situation – live the Bible as if you were there and it will come alive for you.

And remember, the Bible IS God’s Word and it is His primary means of talking to you through the Holy Spirit that lives in you. Through His Word, God wants us to:

Worship Him
Become more like Jesus
Be a good witness (or example of Jesus) to others

For first-time reading through the Bible, we recommend reading chronologically, as events unfold and characters develop. FOM has conveniently listed monthly reading plans for reading through the Bible chronologically. Just click on the following link to see the chronological Bible in a year reading plan:

Bible in a Year (Chronologically)

There are many other ways to read the Bible. www.backtothebible.org, www.gospelcom.net, and www.zondervanbibles.com contain many examples and links to resources that could help.