Use the Right Tools

Digging a hole with a spoon can be done, but will take you much longer than if you used a shovel or backhoe.

Slicing tomatoes by pushing straight down won’t give you the cut you desire. The best slice is made by moving the knife in a horizontal back and forth motion.

Having the right tools and knowing how to use them is important for getting the job done. The same goes for studying the Bible to get understanding.

Last Saturday we held a special Ambassadors Workshop where we learned and practiced using Bible study tools.

Concordances, cross reference tools, dictionaries, and Bible software were covered in the three hour meeeting.

You can get some brief highlights here.

You can listen to a Sunday series taught a few years ago on Bible Study Tools and Tips

You can read about my personal Bible study tools and over 30 study tips in my book Start Rightly Dividing. All this and more is free online.

The resources above provide plenty of things for you to learn. However, until you get your hands busy and practice for yourself you will never profit from these tools. That was why we had a special workshop: to practice cracking open books and using our hands to dig.

Rightly dividing the word of truth is not only something you learn, it is something you must work at doing. It is not enough to have the key or own the tool, you must use it.

Our generation has more toys and distractions than perhaps any other in history, we also have more tools. Spend less time with the toys, and more time with the tools and you will be more skilled in redeeming the time (Eph 5:16).

For Truth,

Justin “practice practice practice” Johnson