Open the Word
These studies slow down and move through a passage one verse at a time. Each verse is explained in its setting, with other Scripture used whenever possible to help make the meaning clear and keep the teaching grounded in God’s Word.
I provide these studies for two reasons. One is to give pastors, teachers, Bible study leaders, and individual believers material they can use. But the greater goal is to help you learn how to study a passage for yourself. As we move through the verses, pay attention not only to what the passage means, but also to how we arrive at that meaning.
Notice the setting. Look at what comes before and after the verse. Compare Scripture with Scripture. Ask what the words actually say rather than what you have always assumed they mean. Watch for repeated words, commands, warnings, promises, and connections to other passages. This is how you begin to break down Scripture carefully and teach it faithfully.
My hope is that, over time, you will need these studies less and less. Not because they are no longer useful, but because you will have learned how to open your Bible, work through a passage, understand what God has said, and then explain it clearly to someone else.
These studies can be used for personal Bible study, family study, Bible study groups, Sunday school classes, church fellowships, or by anyone preparing to teach Scripture. You do not need special training to use them. Bring your Bible, read the passage carefully, take your time, and learn to see what God has said for yourself.
2 Peter 3:14–18
Peter’s final words in 2 Peter 3:14–18 teach believers how to live while waiting for Christ: pursue holiness, guard against false teaching, and keep growing in truth.
Begin this study →Matthew 7:13–23
Matthew 7:13–23 warns about the narrow way, false teachers, bad fruit, and false assurance. Jesus makes clear that religious words and activity are not the same as truly knowing Him.
Begin this study →2 Corinthians 5:1–10
Paul compares our bodies to temporary tents and explains the life God has promised His people. This verse by verse study looks at why believers can face death with courage and why the way we live now matters to Christ.
Begin this study →Titus 2:11–12
God’s grace does more than forgive sin. Titus 2:11–14 shows that grace also teaches believers to turn from ungodliness, live faithfully, look for Christ’s return, and remember that we belong to Him.
Begin this study →John 13:21–30
A verse-by-verse study of John 13:21–30 examining Judas’s betrayal, why John called himself the disciple Jesus loved, what the other disciples understood, and what it means that Satan entered Judas.
Begin this study →Proverbs 3:1–6
A simple verse-by-verse study of Proverbs 3:1–6 about trusting God, living by His Word, and following His direction instead of relying only on our own understanding.
Begin this study →Acts 8:14–24
Simon tried to buy spiritual authority, and Peter exposed a heart that needed repentance rather than power.
Begin this study →Luke 16:19–31
Jesus warns about judgment, mercy, repentance, and the sufficiency of God’s Word through the rich man and Lazarus.
Begin this study →Acts 9:1–9
Saul met the risen Christ on the Damascus road and learned that religious zeal cannot replace the truth.
Begin this study →Luke 18:9–14
Jesus contrasts self-righteous religion with humble repentance and shows which man went home justified.
Begin this study →Matthew 7:21–23
Jesus warns that religious words and impressive works cannot replace genuine faith, repentance, and a life under His authority.
Begin this study →Proverbs 3:1–6
Proverbs 3 teaches us to remember God’s instruction, keep kindness and truth in our hearts, and trust the Lord rather than our own limited understanding.
Begin this study →Micah 6:6–8
A verse-by-verse study of religious offerings, justice, kindness, humility, and the changed life God desires.
Begin this study →Psalm 1:1–6
A verse-by-verse study of the two ways of life in Psalm 1: the way rooted in God and His Word and the way that ends in ruin.
Begin this study →James 1:19–21
A verse-by-verse study of the humble, teachable heart that is ready to hear, receive, and obey the Word of God.
Begin this study →Romans 8:1–4
A verse-by-verse study of the believer’s freedom from condemnation, the Spirit’s gift of life, Christ’s sacrifice for sin, and the changed direction salvation produces.
Begin this study →Jeremiah 17:5–10
A verse-by-verse study contrasting trust in human strength with trust in the Lord, and showing why God’s Word—not the deceitful human heart—must guide us.
Begin this study →James 1:2–8
A verse-by-verse study of how trials test faith, produce endurance and maturity, reveal our need for wisdom, and teach us to trust God.
Begin this study →Ephesians 2:8–10
A verse-by-verse study of salvation by grace through faith, why works cannot save us, and why God creates believers in Christ for good works.
Begin this study →John 15:1–8
A verse-by-verse study of Jesus as the true vine, the believer’s dependence upon Him, spiritual fruit, prayer, and the evidence of discipleship.
Begin this study →