How to read the Bible in a better way

A few years ago, I learned that I’d been reading the Bible with the wrong focus for most of my life.

I thought the point of reading the Bible was to learn what I should be doing and how I should behave.

I was wrong.

Actually, it was that I had the wrong focus: My reading and study centered on me.

The Right Focus

When I began to read the Bible with a redemptive focus instead, the sometimes-stagnant waters of my faith began to churn.

The word “redemptive” is defined as rescuing and liberating someone from error or evil. The Bible, God’s Word, shows me all the places where I need this kind of delivering. It points out the brokenness not only in me but also in my relationships and in society as a whole. God’s Word is a starting point for positive change.

This is the insight I need day in and day out.

The Right Person

Reading the Bible with a redemptive focus does more than highlight what’s broken, it also points to the Person who can put it all back together: Jesus. It puts the spotlight on Him, not me. He’s the One who can make everything new and whole.

Reading the Bible with a redemptive focus always does two things:

1. It reveals where things are broken.
2. It points to the One who can restore what’s broken.

Understanding the Bible in this way changes not only me but the way I live every day; it gives me hope.

If you want to learn how to read and study the Bible with a redemptive, Christ-centered focus, check out this e-course on How to Do Christ-Centered Bible Study.

Next Steps:

1. Read this in-depth article about how to study the Bible.
2. “Hearing the Music of the Gospel” by Keith Johnson is an excellent article to help you take these ideas deeper to learn more about what it means to read the Bible with a Christ-centered lens.
3. Want to try out studying the Bible in this way? Download the My Cru app and find great resources (including the e-course mentioned above) on how to go about it.