Skip Heitzig

How to Study the Bible and Enjoy It

tyndale house publishers, inc., carol stream, illinois

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How to Study the Bible and Enjoy It

Copyright © 1996, 2002 by Skip Heitzig. All rights reserved.

Cover design copyright © by Rome & Gold Creative Ltd./Albuquerque, NM. All rights reserved.

Cover photograph copyright © by Janis Christie/Photodisc. All rights reserved.

Designed by Dean H. Renninger

Edited by Dave Lindstedt

Published in 1996 by Connection Publishing.

Revised and expanded edition published in 2002 by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NIV are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Heitzig, Skip.

How to study the bible and enjoy it / Skip Heitzig.—Rev. and expanded ed.

p. cm.

ISBN-13: 978-0-8423-3723-6

ISBN-10: 0-8423-3723-7

1. Bible—Study and teaching. I. Title.

BS600.3.H45 2002

220.071—dc21 2001007369

This volume is affectionately dedicated to

Chuck Smith,

my mentor and friend

who gave me a love for the Word of God.

His unselfish ministry and unswerving commitment

to teaching God’s truths

have been a continual source of inspiration

to me through the years.

And to the wonderful people

who make up the flock of

Calvary of Albuquerque,

a church filled with people who love to

read the Word,

hear the Word,

study the Word,

and obey the Word.

It has been sheer delight

to stand week after week

and teach the Bible

to such eager and hungry hearts.

Contents

1) Deciphering the Bible

2) Finding the Right Tools

3) Getting Started

4) Observation: Opening Your Eyes

5) Interpretation: Opening Your Mind

6) God’s Creative Writing

7) Application: Opening Your Heart

8) Practicing What We’ve Preached

1

Deciphering the Bible

The Scriptures were not given to increase our knowledge but to change our lives.—d. l. moody

LET’S SUPPOSE that one day you receive a letter from a friend. You open it with eager anticipation only to discover a confusing jumble of words: “Uzza wuzza jazza wazza! Surfuss murfuss calorex flex.” With a perplexed frown, you think, ...