The (Literal) Never Ending Story
Why are parallel passages so important? Because they help us interpret verses that are harder to understand. We can USE the Bible to interpret ITSELF. A parallel passage is another verse/passage in Scripture that is similar to another passage. We can use these correlating verses for comparison or to add deeper meaning to the text we’re studying. The most straightforward parallel passages we can find are in the Gospels.
BEHOLD’S Swedish Study Method
If written Bible studies aren't your thing, or you'd rather dig into Scripture with just the Holy Spirit, your Bible, and a couple of easily memorized questions, this is the Method for you.
The Swedish Study Method was started by a woman discipling college aged Swedish students, hence the name. With this method, her students were soon discipling others with these same questions.
What to Look for In a Bible Study
I’m constantly being messaged about what to look for in a Bible study.
“Hey Meg, have you heard anything about this new Bible study author?”
“Do you know of any Bible studies on anxiety?”
“Are there any Bible studies I need to avoid?”
I love getting questions like this. And I generally have answers to these questions. But it does seem as though every time I turn around, I find another new Bible study author, and they don’t always have credentials I’m comfortable with. But I digress. What I initially look for in my study now may surprise most people…
Psalms to Read: For Anxiety & Depression
I recently saw something, and it made me stop in my tracks. The quote had been posted on a video via social media and said something to the effect that men use their trauma to build. Whereas women become destroyed by their trauma.” Was that true? The fact was, I had seen both men and women destroyed by their trauma, and I had also seen men and women grow stronger through their trauma. When I began to research, the National Center for PTSD stated, “The lifetime prevalence of PTSD for women is 10-12%, compared to 5-6% for men.”
So, as women, we do hold onto our trauma longer. However, we are more likely to experience the kinds of traumatic events that have a higher incident rate for PTSD, and we are more likely to seek help through therapy and antidepressants. It may be that we just reached out for help sooner…
Here are some psalms that can speak to your depression and anxiety.
Before You Open Your Bible…
Here's the thing I believe is the downfall of most Bible reading.
People, JUST START READING.
And that works for the most part. Until you run into something that doesn't make sense, seems to contradict something else you read, or makes you question everything you thought you knew about our Creator.
The more I understand and study this crazy, intense, and intentionally designed book, the more I'm blown away.
Here are some things that will set you up to be more interpretative of the text rather than just taking it at face value.
Behold! A New Thing!
But as the preacher continued on, his words, direct from the Holy Spirit, washed over me. And the thought that popped into my head was, “Pay attention, Meg!”