Geoffrey's Notebook

Week 4—1st John Bible Nerd-Study  *Missed last week? Click here for 1st John Bible Nerd-Study - Week 3 We're at week 4!  Do you need to catch up? Try having someone read out loud to you while you follow along. You can use an audio version if your go-to translation has it. Since we're outlining right now and studying I'd recommend reading along and being free to pause. For a slow reading from an audio bible, it will take you about 15 to 20 minutes if you follow along. That's not too much for a weekend read. But if you need to catch up, try this week to do the daily reading of 1 chapter a day and then when you find time do some of the catch up reading.  Week 4's study assignment: Purpose to post something you've found that is edifying spiritually. We have some who are studying but quietly. It's helpful in a group study to share a little and may push us to seek the Lord for the sake of others.  Continue to complete and modify your straight ou...

Week 3—1st John Bible Nerd-Study  *Missed last week? Click here for 1st John Bible Nerd-Study - Week 2 This time, again use your normal translation (we will for the first 5 times), and we are still doing what we did in our first two weeks. Try to complete your straight outline if you haven't and make any obvious adjustments you notice. New: Do you notice any words or phrases that seem to show up often? Jot them down. You don't need to do the search for them but gather a potential list to study later. Mainly: We are trying to get our straight outline solid. So let's read through working on our outline again while preparing for some term searches. Thank you all for sharing your notes and insights, etc. They have been so encouraging to all of us, and just knowing that others are studying too is a major motivation to press on in this. Example: The link below is a version of a straight outline where I did it with all of the text. I just pasted the verses in Word...

For our Friday Bible studies, we're using a timeline for the kings that all can keep as well as a poster to refer to during our studies. Here are some pics from those as well as links to the place to buy them. (Link: Kings and Prophets Timeline) (Link: Kings and Prophets Poster)

Week 2—1st John Bible Nerd -Study  *See the  announcement post  for more details on this study. *Missed last week? Click here for 1st John Bible Nerd-Study - Week 1 This week we want to keep doing some of the basics from last week: be quiet in prayer before reading; use your normal translation again; take notes on anything you notice; and feel free to share with the group. New Assignment for this week 2: Begin to create a straight outline of the book. A straight outline is where you work with bullet points or a straight line. We are just getting started so we don’t claim to know all of the main sections and sub-sections. Instead, we only are trying to notice where something changes. If there is some change to the subject or direction of the letter. If there seems to be a new section, then we notice it. For example, in Luke 15 we have the 3 lost and found parables (sheep, coin, son “the prodigal son”). If you are doing a normal basic outline you will have ...

Week 1—1st John Bible Nerd -Study *See the announcement post for more details on this study. We are all students together and the Lord is our Teacher. In this group-study, I hope we can all learn from each other as the Lord reveals more in His word to each one of us. If you read extra that is great. Some may read 100x instead of 50x this year. As a general rule, we try to not use any commentaries until we've read a book 25x recently. So if you do get to that point, hold off until week 26 before sharing anything from those commentaries. Just store up your notes. Assignment for this first week: 1. Be quiet before God each time before you read, even for 10 seconds. We pray before we eat a meal and this habit is also needed before we read the Bible. This may take longer if you need to get something right with the Lord. But be right with the Lord. If you are not His bondservant it is hard to hear what the Master is speaking. 2. Enjoy reading the book. For this first read-th...

Update Here is the group link if you'd like to join: https://www.facebook.com/groups/607693836716379 If you are not on facebook send me a note and I'll put you on the email list for this. We have a few doing the study with us that will work via email. info@geoffreysnotebook.com Full Description  (In case you're not on Facebook) This is not your typical #fellowship-style #biblestudy idea nor a bible study where someone else has studied, and you learn from them. We are working through a thorough #study of #1John this year. ⠀ Here's what we hope to do in 1 year: • Read 1st John 50 times, once each week (less than a chapter a day). • Memorize 1st John (105 verses) This will almost happen on accident. • Outline 1st John - straight, basic, and detailed outlines. • Overview helps and gradually, various commentaries. • Various word studies - some Greek lessons • Paraphrasing and verse by verse discoveries. • Study questions and study helps provided weekl...

The heart of the Bible student must be the opposite of what is found in those Bible scholars Jesus was talking to in John 5:39: Ye search the scriptures, for ye think that in them ye have life eternal, and they it is which bear witness concerning me. The Scriptures testify of Christ, but it is possible to study, to search the Scriptures thoroughly, and still not hear them "bear witness concerning" the Lord Jesus. You can study the Bible for a wrong reason or with a corrupt heart, and you will miss the very purpose of all Scripture—they testify of Christ. Our heart in studying is just the opposite. We are  searching the Scriptures still, but it is to find Christ and gain all through Him. We have tasted and seen that the Lord is good, and now we crave the milk of the word of God (1 Peter 2:2). Studying extra is the craving of the word. This heart of the Bible student is the desire "to know Him," as Paul said in Philippians 3 though he obviously knew Christ ...

If you've been to my house and walked in my study, you'll notice I not only have piles of books, but I also have heaps of notes. Some are in folders organized by books of the bible or by topic. Some are just odd pieces of paper in a basket. I've also collected hundreds of questions from conferences or local talks. And this is just my physical mess; my digital files are pretty similar. With this online notebook, I'm hoping to keep track of Bible studies, book reviews, messages shared (plus the materials that never made it into the message), manna meditations, and questions received. Some of these questions or notes are from over 15 years ago. I'm now trying to type them in along with current ones. This helps me to quickly find my notes and share something with another if useful. Feel free to add to the question box or fellowship/comment on any of the posts. Till I come, give thyself to reading, to exhortation, to teaching. ... Occupy thyself with these thin...