If you’re looking for a concise yet wonderful guide for the heart posture you should bring to reading God’s Word that is also filled with engaging personal stories, look no further than Before You Open Your Bible by Matt Smethurst. Grab your copy here.

While only seventy-nine half pages, this book packs the ultimate punch. This small work isn’t so much a ‘How to Study Your Bible” packet of systemic information. Rather, it contains nine necessary heart postures for approaching our Bibles. It’s the pre-party to the party. We are to approach our Bibles prayerfully, humbly, desperately, studiously, obediently, joyfully, expectantly, communally, and christocentrically. The concept is that if we don’t approach with the right frame of mind and posture of heart, we will miss the point of engaging our minds with God’s words.

This blog post will go over the main point of each chapter, give a verse for meditation, a quote for discussion, and a few questions for you to go over. This guide is meant to be a spring board as you lead a book club in your community.

Introduction: Too Daunting or Too Familiar? (Pages 1-3)

Main Idea: What we think about the Bible and how we approach the Bible matters.

Verse for Meditation: Deuteronomy 32:47

Quote for Discussion: “Thankfully, there are many good resources on how to read, study, and apply the Bible. But I’m not aware of any that focus exclusively on how to approach it in the first place. This little book aims to do just that. For without the right heart postures, we’re not yet ready to start reading.” (Page 3)

Questions:

1) What reasons have you thought the Bible to be intimidating?

a) It’s too big/long

b) I don’t understand it 

c) What I do understand puzzles me

d) It’s too boring/familiar 

e) Something else

2) What can we do about these intimidations? How can we break through them?

Chapter One: Approach Your Bible Prayerfully (Pages 5-13)

Main idea: We fail to read our Bibles rightly when we don’t approach them with prayer first.

Quote for Discussion: “I am convinced that a prayerless approach to God’s Word is a major reason for the low-level dissatisfaction that hums beneath the surface of our lives.” (Page 6)

Verse for Meditation: Psalm 119:18

Questions:

1) Evaluate how your prayer life is in relation to your Bible reading. Do you approach God’s Word with prayer? How can you build this into your time with Him.

2) Out of the four I-O-U-S prayers starting on page seven, which stuck out to you the most and why?

3) What are some distractions you have as you sit to read your Bible? How can we minimize distractions so we can have undivided hearts?

Chapter Two: Approach Your Bible Humbly (Pages 15-19)

Main Idea: The Creator of the Universe wants to talk to us. Treat God’s Word like it is God talking to you (because it is!)

Quote for Discussion: “The Bible you posses is evidence that God loves you and wants a relationship with you.” (Page 19)

Verse for Mediation: Genesis 1:1

Questions:

1) How do you think your life would change if you viewed God’s Word as an all-access pass to the God of the universe? 

2) What do you think about God’s character knowing He initiated the conversation with us when we were His enemies? How does that change how we live in response to Him? 

Chapter Three: Approach Your Bible Desperately (Pages 21-26)

Main Idea: We need to be going to our Bibles with a sense of desperation that these very words are our living giving food to sustain us.

Quote for Discussion: “If you read the Bible, you’ll never get the impression that it’s meant to be a mere hobby in your life. It’s meant to be your food.” (Page 23)

Verse for Meditation: Jeremiah 15:16

Questions:

1) Do I approach the Bible like a snack or a feast? Why? What’s the difference?

2) Do I view God’s Word as just good life advice? Or am I actually striving to live off of it dependent on it?

3) Read and meditate on Matthew 4:1-11. How did Jesus respond to the attacks of Satan? Why does this matter?

Chapter Four: Approach Your Bible Studiously (Pages 27-34)

Main Idea: Studying your Bible with an engaged mind, eager to learn, means we care about it’s content and desire to learn what God has for us. We study what we love.

Quote for Discussion: “Do you want deeper worship? Richer joy? Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow, as the hymn says? Then approach your Bible with a learner’s posture, asking the Author to teach you marvelous things. Don’t just waterski across the surface of Scripture’s waters. Put on scuba gear.” (Page 33)

Verse for Meditation: Romans 11:33

Questions:

1) What are some things you LOVE to learn about? How is it easy to study it? Now think about your relationship with God’s Word. How can you get interested in studying your Bible in this same way?

2) Do you approach your Bible with an engaged mind that is ready to study? How can we prepare our hearts to study like students instead of mere observers? 

Chapter Five: Approach Your Bible Obediently (Pages 35-43)

Main Idea: The Bible isn’t something we simply read but words we live out by the help of the Holy Spirit.

Quote for Discussion: “Jesus does not merely say, “Teach them everything I have commanded you.” That would be a simple call for information transfer. Instead he says, “Teach them to obey everything I have commanded you.” (Page 42)

Verse for Meditation: James 1:22

Questions:

1) Do you think obedience to God and happiness go together? Why or why not?

2) Of the verses on page 40-41, which sticks out the most to you and why?

3) Where are you needing to obey the Word of God in your life right now? Share briefly with the group and pray for one another.

Chapter Six: Approach Your Bible Joyfully (Pages 45-51)

Main Idea: Joy is not circumstantial. We can find real joy when we hold fast and treasure our Bibles.

Quote for Discussion: “Despite what our culture tells you, real joy is not found in listening to yourself; it’s found in intently listening to God.” (Page 49)

Verse for Meditation: John 15:11

Questions:

1) How can we find true joy even if our circumstances aren’t great?

2) How can discipline lead to delight? Give an example.

3) If joy is something we can “choose,” how can we choose joy when we approach our Bibles?

4) Briefly reflect on a time when reading your Bible brought you joy.

Chapter Seven: Approach Your Bible Expectantly (Pages 53-60)

Main Idea: The Bible has the power to change us. The Holy Spirit will use our time in the Bible to make us look more like Jesus.

Quote for Discussion: “We don’t only have reason to trust the Bible’s power to save, however. We can also trust its power to overhaul our lives and carry us securely through the ups and downs of life.” (Page 59)

Verse for Meditation: John 17:17

Questions:

1) How would your time in God’s Word change if you believed it really had the power to change you and save you?

2) In what ways are you hoping to see God’s Word change your walk with Him?

3) In what ways have you already seen the power of God’s Word change your life?

Chapter Eight: Approach Your Bible Communally (Pages 61-68)

Main Idea: The Bible can’t be read and applied in isolation. We need other brothers and sisters who think differently to help us along in our journey.

Quote for Discussion: “No matter what your schedule is like or what stage of life you’re in, don’t let this week go by without inviting another believer to meet with you regularly to read God’S Word.” (Page 68)

Verse for Meditation: Colossians 3:16

Questions:

1) Page 62-63 explains some people read the Bible academically and some tend to lean more towards devotional reading. Which do you tend to lean towards? How could having a sister in Christ who leans the opposite way help you connect to your Bible more deeply?

2) Are you reading the Word in community? How can you make other believers a part of your daily Bible reading? Give a practical example you can implement this next week.

3) Do you see the value of the local church? Are you connected to one? Share briefly about an example of how the church has blessed your walk with Christ.

Chapter Nine: Approach Your Bible Christocentrically (Pages 69-76)

Main Idea: If we read the whole Bible but miss how it all points to Jesus, we are missing the point.

Quote for Discussion: “The Bible has one ultimate plan, one ultimate plot, one ultimate champion, one ultimate King. This is what “christocentrically” means-centered on Christ.” (Page 72)

Verse for Meditation: Luke 24:44-45

Questions:

1) Did you know the whole Bible points to Jesus? How does this change the way you think about God’s Word?

2) The authors says the Bible was written for us but not finally about us. Do you agree or disagree?

3) Read John 5:39-46. What are the dangers of reading the Bible but missing Christ?

4) Have you turned to Christ as Savior, Lord, and friend? Briefly share how you came to Christ. If you haven’t come to Him yet, so do today!

Conclusion: Seeing God With Your Ears (Pages 77-79)

Main Idea: The way we approach our Bibles matters. To take God seriously we need to take His Word seriously.

Quote for Discussion: “Approaching your Bible well, therefore, is nothing less than an act of worship.” (Page 79)

Verse for Meditation: Psalm 56:3-4

Questions:

1) During your time in this book, how have you seen your Bible reading change with these nine postures in mind?

2) What was your biggest takeaway from reading this book?

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