Targeted Bible Study

This book is especially timely based on two recent events. First, a 2012 Pew report revealed those declaring themselves Protestants dropped below fifty percent for the first time in history. In the same report, one in five declared themselves to be "religiously unaffiliated" with little or no interest in church and a pronounced secular perspective. Second, in the recent American election , slightly more than fifty percent of the voters took a liberal, secular position .Together these two events show American culture is becoming less religious, progressively more liberal, and secular in its outlook. The world needs to see a profound spiritual revolution in the hearts and lives of proclaimed Christians. This book was written to challenge the average Christian to acquire the skills required to understand God's Word and put its principles into practice in their lives. This book was written to be purposely different from other books on Bible Study. The book provides a comprehensive approach to study and application missing in Christian circles today.This book incorporates five unique approaches:1. Critical Reading Strategies Most people do not read effectively. There are commonly accepted strategies taught to College students to make reading easier and more efficient. A chapter in this book summarizes the steps required to change the average person into an efficient and effective reader of new material. 2. Thinking / Learning StrategiesAfter college, most graduates stop using the thinking and learning skills they were taught. They regress to reading the Bible the same way they read the newspaper. Others who never went to college have never been taught these skills.The chapter on critical thinking stresses three primary thinking strategies: the possibility of pushing thinking and learning to higher levels, the potential to develop both left and right brain thinking, and the freedom to develop out-of -the box understanding. The combined impact of such critical thinking opens the doors of understanding. 3.Problem-Solving SkillsThis book incorporates a specific approach for identifying, and solving problems in a person's spiritual life. Most Christians do not have a structured process for dealing with areas where their lives are out of alignment with God's standards. Moreover, churches spend little or no time teaching such skills to their people. A unique aspect of this book is a complete chapter outlining a simple to follow process for identifying, analyzing, and solving spiritual problems in an individual's life. 4. The Basic Approach to Bible StudyThe study approach in this book combines all the above skills into an easy-to-follow, sequential approach to doing Bible Study. Each of the four chapters under the Basic Strategy builds on the use of these thinking skills in studying books, chapters, paragraphs, and smaller passages in the Bible. The constant use of such skills develops a layer upon layer of deeper understanding of what is being studied. Application is stressed using the simple problem-solving strategies. 4. Forty Bonus StrategiesGetting bored, going stale, losing excitement in the routine of Bible study can happen to anyone. The forty Bonus Strategies offer different and exciting ways to change pace to stay interested. Each study strategy builds on the skills already learned and offers actual practice in using them. These forty strategies can be used to change pace and keep interest high.By learning to do Bible Study this way, the average Christian will develop the skills needed to do effective Bible Study on their own. This approach will give them the ability to come to their own conclusions and interpretations freeing them from dependence on others.Although culture is changing, God's standards for His people are timeless and unchangeable. In such a changing world, people committed to living by His standards will be seen as different and will be the "Salt and Light" God intends.