Today, I begin a new Bible study--the Project Ezra Bible Study. It is a quite simple way to study the Bible. It's a study that I believe will not only give me a greater understanding of God's Word, but will also prepare me to read and preach God's Word in the open-air. I hope you will consider joining me in the study.
The weekly Project Ezra reading assignments follow Dr. Grant Horner’s Bible Reading System:
List 1 -- Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
List 2 -- The Pentateuch
List 3 -- Romans, 1&2 Corinthians, Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Hebrews
List 4 -- 1&2 Thessalonians, 1&2 Timothy, Titus, Philemon, James, 1&2 Peter, 1, 2&3 John, Jude, Revelation
List 5 -- Job, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon
List 6 -- Psalms
List 7 -- Proverbs
List 8 -- Joshua, Judges, Ruth, 1&2 Samuel, 1&2 Kings, 1&2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, Esther
List 9 -- The Prophets
List 10 -- Acts
To do the Project Ezra Bible Study, simply determine early in the week what you will read aloud in the open-air. Commit to reading the chapter(s) at least once every day leading up to your public reading of the Word.
As you read your selected chapter(s), make notes about what you are reading. Apply solid hermeneutic principles to your study (i.e. observation before interpretation, near and far context, cross referencing, and word studies). Read commentaries (many are available online) about your selected chapter(s). Read and/or listen to sermons in which your chapter(s) are the subject.
Then look for verses and/or passages in your chapter(s) that can serve as springboards into either open-air preaching or one-to-one conversations. Try to find current events that can serve as analogies for the chapters(s) you will read in the open-air. If there are difficult verses or passages in the chapters you will read, apply the "Study the last question asked" principle to your study. Try to anticipate and answer objections that may arise from those difficult verses or passages. Do your homework.
By reading your selected chapter(s) every day, you will be all-the-more familiar and comfortable with your selected chapter(s) when it comes time to read them aloud.
By studying your selected chapter(s) each week, you will be all-the-more prepared to preach the Law and the Gospel from the text; and you will be all-the-more ready to make a defense for the hope that is in you.
I hope you will give the Project Ezra Bible Study a try. This study is as new for me as it is for you. So, please, if you choose to participate let me know how it goes.
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I think I will give it a try Tony. Thanks once again for a great idea! Keep on preaching Borither!
ReplyDeleteGreat idea Tony! You can count me in.
ReplyDelete-Jack Suehiro, Fresno, CA
I very much like this idea
ReplyDeleteI also very much like the suggested reading
for each week
I think having people all across America reading the same section each week is a powerful tool
That said would you consider posting the recomended reading early enough to make this study possible
(if you already do ill apologize now)
Im new
PRAISE GOD
Randall,
ReplyDeleteI will try to get the "Suggested Reading" videos out early in the week.
To give you a head start, I am going to be reading Job 36-37 next weekend. :-)
Thanks for the head start. I also am going to try to study it all week. I have been doing the Horner's Reading system since you first suggested and I think it's great. Reading so much of the Bible every morning has really improved my prayers. I always had so much trouble with praying and reading so much every morning has been a gift from God. Thank you and God bless you.
ReplyDeleteI will have to re-re-read this. But I looked at the Bible Reading plan itself, and love it. There is a lot of interesting, wonderful things, that come from people who have not gone to Bible School. Gordon Olsen was another such 'untrained' man, who applied his skills of determining uses of different blends of steel to his Bible Study. Very insightful results. No, I am not saying anything against anyone getting any Bible degree. This is needed as much as any layperson applying their abilities to further the Kingdom of Jesus. I am starting the bible reading tomorrow.
ReplyDeleteThanks Tony!
ReplyDeleteI have been looking for a way to get more motivated to "dig deeper" into Gods Word, and I'm looking forward to this way to study and prepare for Project Ezra readings!
Thank you Sir
ReplyDeleteI will start my study of it tonight