How to Study the Bible | Step 1: READ

Observation: “What Do I See?”

Nehemiah 8:8 KJV

“They read from the book, from the Law of God, clearly, and they gave the sense, so that the people understood the reading.”

Proverbs 2:1–5 KJV

My son, if thou wilt receive my words, and hide my commandments with thee;

² So that thou incline thine ear unto wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding;

³ Yea, if thou criest after knowledge, and liftest up thy voice for understanding;

⁴ If thou seekest her as silver, and searchest for her as for hid treasures;

⁵ Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God.

What’s something in the Bible you’ve read dozens of times, but one day you noticed something new you had never seen before?

Often, we miss things because we skim. We’re in a hurry trying to get to the main point and ironically we miss it because we’re not taking our time. Today’s lesson in our blog series, How to Study the Bible, is step one in effectively reading and understanding God’s Word. Step one is observation. Observation teaches us to slow down. Observation is the foundation of Bible study. We can’t interpret or apply scripture correctly if we don’t first pay close attention to what it actually says.

There are key skills in observation. First, as my dad’s dear friend/cousin and former seminary professor of mine, Pastor Chuck Warren would often stay:  

Context, context, context. Context is knowing who wrote it, to whom it was written to and why.

Next, slow down. Don’t rush through the text — read and reread. 

Notice Repetition. Repeated words or phrases are the Spirit’s highlighters. (Example: Psalm 136, “His steadfast love endures forever.”) 

Look for Contrasts. “But God…” or “instead of…” reveals meaning.

Identify Commands & Promises. What is God asking me to do? What is He promising?

Ask the 6 W’s. Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? (Name every person, place, and action.)

Trace connectors. Circle words like for, therefore, but, so that, because, if, then — they show logic. 

Spot lists & structure. Is there a list (e.g., virtues, sins), a cause→effect, a question→answer, or a problem→solution?

Mark verbs & commands. What is done? By whom? (Active/passive matters.)

Follow pronouns. Who is “he/they/you”? Misreading pronouns derails meaning. 

Genre cues. Narrative ≠ poetry ≠ epistle ≠ prophecy. Observe form (parallelism in Psalms, argument flow in letters).

Time & place markers. Words like after, on that day, at once, in Galilee anchor meaning.

Tone & emphasis. Is the speaker warning, comforting, rebuking, pleading? Repetition, questions, and contrasts signal emphasis.

Last, but not least: key terms. Note repeated theological words (e.g., faith, grace, kingdom) and define from context first. Like a detective at a crime scene — the first step is to observe everything carefully before making any conclusions.

With these skills in observation, come inevitable pitfalls. We want to rush to the application (which spoiler alert is two steps from now) before observation. Too many read the Bible with the wrong mindset. You are not the main character of the Bible, God is. When we read this canonized library, we aim to discover who He is and in turn we learn more about our calling. Another pitfall is verse lifting (ignoring surrounding flow). We take something that sounds nice on a graduation card (I’m talking to you Jeremiah 29:11), but fail to appreciate who wrote it, to whom it was written to and why. For many Christians that I’ve grown up hearing the Bible, but have failed to listen, we assume familiar = understood. No matter where you are in your study, you should always read it with an open heart as God may speak something different you didn’t gather the last time you read it. Sometimes, we elevate our study notes higher than the inspired words we’re reading. Remember, what you’re reading aren’t Moses’ words, or David’s, or Paul’s or John’s, they’re the words of God. So our clever notes, no matter how trendy on Instagram they may appear, do not usurp the authority of the Bible.

Discussion 

Why do you think we so often miss details when we read Scripture?

When you hear “read the Bible slowly,” what does that look like practically in your life?

Which is harder for you: noticing what the text actually says, or resisting the urge to jump straight to “what it means for me”?

Can you think of a time when seeing a repeated word, contrast, or promise in Scripture completely changed your understanding?

How might we develop the discipline of “seeing more” in our personal Bible reading?

If we don’t see what the Bible says, we’ll misinterpret what it means and misapply how it should change us, if at all. This week, I want to challenge you. Choose one passage (either Psalm 23 or Philippians 2:1–11) and practice slowing down to really observe it. You’ve likely read or heard part or all of it before. That’s ok. Slow down. Before hand, pray God guide you as you read the text. Find out what you discover when you simply slow down and observe His Word. And for our next lesson, we’ll move on to step two: interpretation. Signing out for now. Talk to you again soon. Thanks for reading.