Focus on what the text actually says and write your observations. A famous author once wrote, “The pen is the crowbar of the mind.” 1 Writing your thoughts will stimulate more ideas. How does one select a text to study? There are many ways. If you need a place to start, pick a book of the Bible and start reading, beginning with the first verse of the first chapter. As you read, you may find you respond emotionally to something you read. You may be surprised, curious, confused, convicted, encouraged,