Free Sample for You: Advent Bible Study

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Why study during Advent?

I love Bible studies. There’s nothing like a hot cup of coffee, a warm muffin, and studying God’s Word while the sun rises. I understand not everyone likes to be awake that eary! But many of my friends enjoy time with God before their day begins. When we connect with God first thing in the morning, we set the tone for our day. There are many ways we can connect with God – read our Bible (this is a great way to do that), keeping a prayer journal, and studying the Bible. I typically do some combination of all three throughout my day, but I always start with study.

There are so many studies to choose from. Each Bible Study author has his/her own style and approach. I tend to prefer studies that send me to my Bible to look up verses. Understanding the verse in context, as well as how it applies to my life, is important to me. I know that sometimes Bible study seems too much like “school” to many people, but it’s really not. Bible study is simply a way to understand Scripture so we can draw closer to God and His plan for our lives. What I study in the morning affects the rest of my day as I think about what I learned and try to live the way God wants.

Doesn’t Bible Study Take A Lot of Time?

Bible study takes as long as you have. There are times my life only allowed me 15-20 minutes in the morning and other seasons in which I could dedicate over an hour. We give God what we have. I’ve discovered that when I dedicate the time to Him, He often opens up more time for me. And that’s such a blessing!

The more I learn, the more I want to study. That means I spend more time learning and studying. Every bit of time learning and studying draws me closer to God – and that’s my goal! After all, we shouldn’t do Bible study for study’s sake, but to learn more about the God who made us and wants a relationship with us.

How Do I Get Started?

Bible study can be started anywhere. You don’t even really need a printed Bible study (or a printed Bible, for that matter). Undoubtedly, once you learn the basics of how to study Scripture, you can pick any book, person, or topic and conduct your own study. I know lots of people find that overwhelming, though!

With this in mind, and to give you a free study, I created an Advent study. Advent is the perfect time to get started because it is a season dedicated to preparing ourselves for God’s best gift – His son, Jesus. It’s okay to shop and decorate, but we also want our hearts aligned with God. To do that, we can study what it means to receive Jesus as a gift this Christmas and look at what that means beyond Christmas.

If you don’t have a Bible or need some study tools, I highly recommend BibleHub. BibleHub is a free site (and app) that has more information about Scripture than you could ever imagine. It also has many Bible translations, so you can find the one you like best. Here I give a tutorial for how to use BibleHub.

So let’s get started. You’ll need:

• paper/pen OR blank doc on your tablet/computer
• BibleHub.com
• physical Bible (optional)
• the study below

Your Bible Study Sneak Peek: The Advent Adventure

Start with prayer

Let’s pray: “Dear Lord, thank you for your Word that is the only source of Truth and Light in this dark world. Thank you for sending your Son to be my Savior. As I study these verses today, please make them come alive for me. Help me to understand them and what they mean for my life. Show me how to live the way these verses teach. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”

Read

Pick the verse to read for this Bible study. Today it’s our first Adventure reading: 1 Timothy 6:12. Look this up in your physical Bible, or click the link. If you clicked, you see that there is a list of translations for htat one verse (27, to be exact).

Read it out loud. Try reading it in a few translations, if you’re using BibleHub.

Now write/type the Scripture. I typically hand write the verses in multiple translations because research shows that writing reinforces the ideas for better memory.

Context

What does the verse mean?

If you are using a study Bible, read through the comments in the study portion. Take notes on anything you find meaningful.

For instance mine says, “Eternal life is viewed as a free gift, a present experience, and a reward. Here Paul is not speaking of Timothy’s salvation, but instead of his fruitfulness in this life and his rewards in the next. The good confession is Timothy’s call and ministry. Paul was urging Timothy to continue his ministry of preaching the Word of God.” I would make notes about what the terms mean. My study Bible also lists some verses to back up the definitions – I would go look those verses up and write them down with definitions, where appropriate.

Check and see what the commentaries have to sat at BibleHub, the make notes about what these verses mean to you. For instance, I would note that Ellicott says this “good fight” is similar to the Olympic games. This comparison helps me understand what Paul was trying to say to Timothy. Read through the commentaries, making notes to help you understand what Paul was trying to say.

Apply

Now it’s time to apply the verse to your life.

Pray again that God would show you what this verse means for your life. This attribute for the Advent Bible study is about Adventure. Being a Christian – knowing Jesus as our Savior – is a life filled with adventure. Sometimes that adventure comes in the form of training (through study) and fighting (like in the Olympic games).

I would make a note to remind myself to be steadfast in what God has called me to do (teach others about Scripture as it relates to being a Christian and in relationship with others). I know that God has called me to this, but it can be discouraging, as I’m sure Timothy’s ministry was at times. Perhaps you’re experiencing discouragement or disillusionment with where you are in life. Paul’s words to Timothy can revive our souls, as well.

Now set an action step. What do you want to DO today based on this verse? Does God want you to share the verse with someone else? Perhaps He want you to share encouragement with someone else? He may want you to rethink your day – view it as the “good fight” for faith? Maybe He wants you to think differently than you usually do. Pray, then act.

Like The Bible Study? Here’s More…

That’s it! This kind of study can take 5 minutes or an hour – it depends on how much time you devote to it. Even in 5 minutes you can understand and apply the verse. It’s okay if one verse takes you several days to work through – there’s no timeline – t’s just you and God. Let Him lead you. 💕

If you found this study sample helpful, please feel free to download the entire study. Here’s a link for that.

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Thanks for reading. If you liked this study sample, I’d be honored for you to share it with your friends.

🌸 Andrea