If there's one question we always get from people it's this: how do I study God's word?

This can often be intimidating for people because so many people see the Bible is difficult to understand, or they believe you have to have some type of advanced degree, in order to fully understand the Bible. Goodness, even some denominations discourage the reading of God's word, and rather, they encourage the reading of their extra-biblical liturgy.

John 14:26
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you.

John 16:13
When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth

Never discount the power of the Holy Spirit and his ability to help you understand what you are reading. But you gotta read it!

I grew up hearing this verse: 2 Timothy 2:15 King James Version
Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

NKJV Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

ESV Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.

NLT Work hard so you can present yourself to God and receive his approval. Be a good worker, one who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly explains the word of truth.

Look up those specific words/ What is study in Greek here? Rightly dividing? What does that mean?

Study is spoudazó meaning "to make effort, be prompt or earnest -- do (give) diligence, be diligent (forward), endeavour, labour, study.” Old Latin where we get study from is studium: “painstaking application.”

Rightly divide is orthotomeó is built from two words that mean “to cut straight.”

This verse is telling us to make a sincere effort with diligence to dissect correctly God’s divine message. Why? Bad translation makes bad theology.

How did I do that?
There are a variety of tools that can help you in this pursuit, to not only study the word, to understand what it says, but to apply what you have read to your life.

So today we're gonna get real practical and at this moment, I'm going to turn it over to Pastor Tony to give you a series of tools and resources that will help you as you dive into and study the Word.

Once he gives you these tools, I'm going to come back up and take you through the story of the woman at the well so you can see in real time how all of this works.

So today you're gonna get a lot of practical and I'm going to show you how you can use that practical to better understand and apply the theory.

Help me welcome Tony.

How to Study Your Bible - Practical

When it comes to studying the Bible there are many tools that can help you do this. But often times the first question we get is, “What version of the Bible should I read?”

When it comes to translations of the word there are three main types of translations:
1. Word For Word
2. Thought for thought
3. Paraphrase.
[ Word-for-Word ] -------------------- [ Thought-for-Thought ] ----------------- [ Paraphrase ]

Interlinear – NASB – ESV – KJV/NKJV – CSB – NIV – NET – NLT – GNT – Message – Living Bible

The NLT is a good place to start reading the Bible because it is easier to understand.

Tools to Use:
There are so many tools out there that are free to use for people to get in and really dig into the Bible.

YouVersion
This is a free app that has the Bible in pretty much any translation that you could imagine. This app is loaded with Bible studies that you can do. This helps with your daily engagement. They also have short devotionals that you can read and be encouraged. You can partner up with friends and hold each other accountable every day to reading.

Bible Hub
Side-by-side translations, commentaries, Strongs concordance, Greek/Hebrew Tools, Timelines, and maps. This is a free websites that you have access to. You can use this to compare translations, do word study, read different commentaries, and overall get a better understand of the word.

Matthew Henry Commentary
A Bible commentary is a resource that explains the meaning of Bible verses and passages. It’s written by scholars, pastors, or theologians to help readers understand the context, background, and interpretation of Scripture.

A good commentary will:
- Break down verses phrase by phrase
- Explain cultural and historical context
- Clarify difficult or confusing passages
- Offer theological insight
- Sometimes include maps, charts, or timelines

How to use a commentary
- Read the Bible Passage First. Don’t start with the commentary—read the passage yourself and write down what you observe or questions you have.
- Use the Commentary for Clarity After reading, open the commentary to see what it says about the passage.
Focus on:
- Key words
- Historical notes
- Themes or doctrine

Apply What You Learn
Ask: What does this mean for my life, faith, or understanding of God?

EXAMPLE:
Lets Use John 3:16-17 This is what the commentary says:
Christ here discourses of the great design of his own coming into the world, and the happiness of those that believe in him, v.. Here we have the very marrow and quintessence of the whole gospel, that faithful saying (1 Tim 1 15), that Jesus Christ came to seek and to save the children of men from death, and recover them to life. Now sinners are dead men upon a twofold account:— (1.) As one that is mortally wounded, or sick of an incurable disease, is said to be a dead man, for he is dying; and so Christ came to save us, by healing us, as the brazen serpent healed the Israelites, v.. (2.) As one that is justly condemned to die for an unpardonable crime is a dead man, he is dead in law; and, in reference to this part of our danger, Christ came to save as a prince or judge, publishing an act of indemnity, or general pardon, under certain provisos; this saving here is opposed to condemning, v..

But before we get this snippet into 14-18 he is giving us full context into what is happening. Starting with how that last chapter closed and giving important insight into what is happening now.

Then on top of this, he references other scriptures that help bring clarity and understanding to this particular passage.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
Commentaries are not the word of God. They are used to help give you perspective, context, and correlation. They are an educational tool. Use it as such.

The Bible Project
If you’re more of a visual learner, this is for you. Beautiful animated videos, podcasts, and reading plans explaining the Bible’s big picture. This gives you the context of each books, helps you understand the different themes of writing with in the Bible, and gives you a good basic understanding of the word. They have individual classes you can take over each book of the Bible to really dig in.

Openbible.info
Topical Bible — enter a topic and it gives you a list of verses. You can search a variety of topics to find out what the word has to say about anxiety, stress, depression, love, and everything else.

AI
Google, Chat GPT, or Grok


Methods Of Bible Study

S.O.A.P.
Soap stands for Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. This is a good tool to get you engaged with the Bible. It makes you think about what you are reading and how you can take a practical step with it.

Here is an example:
S:
John 3:16-17
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.
O:
God loves the world and because of this he gave Jesus. This gives us the chance to believe in him which in turn gives us eternal life. And he did this not to bring shame but to save us.
A:
I need to understand that God loves me and the people around me, so much so that He sent Jesus to save me. And when I believe in Him I can have eternal life because He has saved me.
P:
Lord help me to understand your love better. I believe in you. Help me to understand your salvation and not walk in condemnation.

Inductive Bible Study Template
This is similar to the SOAP method but gives you more questions to ask. This helps you dive into the context in more a deep way. This allows you to understand what going on, so you know how to take whats being said and apply it more directly.

Observation – What does the text say?
Who is speaking? Who is this about? What’s happening? Where and when is this taking place? Are there any commands, promises, repeated words, contrasts?

Interpretation – What does the text mean?
What is the main idea? What does this teach about God or people? Are there cultural/historical insights that help?

Application – How should I respond?
What truth should I live out? Is there a command to obey? Is there a sin to confess? What will I do differently today?

John 4:2-42
3 (Jesus) left Judea and returned to Galilee. 4 He had to go through Samaria on the way. 5 Eventually he came to the Samaritan village of Sychar, near the field that Jacob gave to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there; and Jesus, tired from the long walk, sat wearily beside the well about noontime. 7 Soon a Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Please give me a drink.” 8 He was alone at the time because his disciples had gone into the village to buy some food.

9 The woman was surprised, for Jews refuse to have anything to do with Samaritans. She said to Jesus, “You are a Jew, and I am a Samaritan woman. Why are you asking me for a drink?” 10 Jesus replied, “If you only knew the gift God has for you and who you are speaking to, you would ask me, and I would give you living water.” 11 “But sir, you don’t have a rope or a bucket,” she said, “and this well is very deep. Where would you get this living water? 12 And besides, do you think you’re greater than our ancestor Jacob, who gave us this well? How can you offer better water than he and his sons and his animals enjoyed?”

13 Jesus replied, “Anyone who drinks this water will soon become thirsty again. 14 But those who drink the water I give will never be thirsty again. It becomes a fresh, bubbling spring within them, giving them eternal life.” 15 “Please, sir,” the woman said, “give me this water! Then I’ll never be thirsty again, and I won’t have to come here to get water.” 16 “Go and get your husband,” Jesus told her. 17 “I don’t have a husband,” the woman replied. Jesus said, “You’re right! You don’t have a husband— 18 for you have had five husbands, and you aren’t even married to the man you’re living with now. You certainly spoke the truth!”

19 “Sir,” the woman said, “you must be a prophet. 20 So tell me, why is it that you Jews insist that Jerusalem is the only place of worship, while we Samaritans claim it is here at Mount Gerizim, where our ancestors worshiped?” 21 Jesus replied, “Believe me, dear woman, the time is coming when it will no longer matter whether you worship the Father on this mountain or in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans know very little about the one you worship, while we Jews know all about him, for salvation comes through the Jews. 23 But the time is coming—indeed it’s here now—when true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth. The Father is looking for those who will worship him that way. 24 For God is Spirit, so those who worship him must worship in spirit and in truth.”

25 The woman said, “I know the Messiah is coming—the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” 26 Then Jesus told her, “I am the Messiah!”

27 Just then his disciples came back. They were shocked to find him talking to a woman, but none of them had the nerve to ask, “What do you want with her?” or “Why are you talking to her?” 28 The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, 29 “Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?” 30 So the people came streaming from the village to see him.

31 Meanwhile, the disciples were urging Jesus, “Rabbi, eat something.” 32 But Jesus replied, “I have a kind of food you know nothing about.” 33 “Did someone bring him food while we were gone?” the disciples asked each other. 34 Then Jesus explained: “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God, who sent me, and from finishing his work.

39 Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!” 40 When they came out to see him, they begged him to stay in their village. So he stayed for two days, 41 long enough for many more to hear his message and believe. 42 Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.”

This is such an incredible story, and most, if not, all of you have heard this story, or at least a variation of it, before.
It's easy to read this and extrapolate a few pretty basic things:
- Jesus reveals himself as the Messiah and it is clear that she believes in him.
- A Samaritan woman becomes the very first missionary to the gentiles.
- For the first time, Jesus explains what true worship is, not in this location or that location, but in spirit and truth.

But Jesus is actually trying to tell us more than just a story about the harvest. How do I know? We can know because we use the tools we've talked about today.

Are there any words or phrases we could reference to see if there any connect points? Well, first the location: Jesus meets her at a well. And not just any well, but Jacob’s Well.

This leads us to a reference question:
Are there any moments that are important where Jacob meets a woman at a well? (GROK SEARCH)

Interesting… Jacob meets Rachel at the well, lead to Jacob marrying both Leah and Rachel. We don't have time today to unpack all of that.

It is interesting that John records that the location of the well was a piece of property that Jacob gave to his son Joseph, and if you look up Joseph's mom, you will find it's Rachel.

If you go reference that meeting, you will find it in Genesis 29, but let’s look specifically at Genesis 29:9-14
9 While he was still talking with them, Rachel came with her father’s sheep, for she was a shepherd. 10 When Jacob saw Rachel daughter of his uncle Laban, and Laban’s sheep, he went over and rolled the stone away from the mouth of the well and watered his uncle’s sheep. 11 Then Jacob kissed Rachel and began to weep aloud. 12 He had told Rachel that he was a relative of her father and a son of Rebekah. So she ran and told her father. 13 As soon as Laban heard the news about Jacob, his sister’s son, he hurried to meet him. He embraced him and kissed him and brought him to his home, and there Jacob told him all these things. 14 Then Laban said to him, “You are my own flesh and blood.”
If you look at verse one of that chapter, it says, “Then Jacob continued on his journey and came to the land of the eastern peoples.”
A quick Google search reveals that the "eastern peoples" was a way to signify people who were outside of God's covenant.
Gentiles.

OK, so why did Jacob weep about finding "people of his own flesh and blood?” Because in Genesis 28, the first thing we read is Isaac commanding Jacob to not marry a Gentile, but to go find people in covenant with God.

It was important that Jacob married someone who was a true Israelite, a pure blood Israelite. It was so important that during the time of Jesus, Jews couldn't even engage with non-Jews at risk of being declared unclean. The Samaritan woman even acknowledges this by asking why would you a Jew speak to me a Samaritan? What was a Samaritan anyway? Half Jew, half Gentle. Totally off limits to an observant Jew. Unclean.

Back to Jacob:
Jacob sets off to find his own flesh and blood, and between him leaving and him finding his people, he meets with God at a place that he calls Bethel, "the house of God." Jacob makes a vow here at the end of chapter 28, “If God will be with me and watch over me on this journey, the Lord will be my God and I will set up a stone as a pillar that this will be God's house, and I will give you a 10th of everything I own.” Where was Bethel in the Bible? Samaria.

So then is Jesus trying to explain how worship is going to change?
Samaritan woman goes on about the location of the places where worship is supposed to happen, and Jesus explains to her that worship is not going to be a matter of a physical location anymore, but of a metaphysical location, in your heart. Worship, Jesus is trying to tell her, will be born out of relationship, going forward, not geography.

OK, so far we've identified the following
- A correlation between Jacob and the well and Jesus at the well.
- A correlation between true Israelites and Gentiles.
- A redefining of what true worship is

But why all the talk about her husband? When she asked to be given living water, why didn't Jesus just tell her, but rather he asks for her to get her husband.

Maybe Jesus was wanting to flee from the appearance of immorality. Perhaps, but we never really see Jesus respond like this anywhere else. Or could it be that Jesus is trying to tell us something else?

Did you notice their towards the end of the passage, where the disciples are wondering what food Jesus ate he explains to them and John 4:34, “My nourishment comes from doing the will of God who sent me and from finishing his work.” “Finishing the work.” What does Jesus need to do to finish the work? We know that he would need to be perfect, to die as a sacrifice, to be raised again, but is that it? In Revelation, we see not only Jesus returning to conquer death, hell, and the grave forever, but there's a marriage. That's interesting isn't it? Jesus needs to finish the work, which includes a marriage, and here he is, asking this woman about her marriages.

A flawless son of Jacob, talking to an unclean, sinful, adulterous Samaritan woman about marriage.

When you are studying the Bible, it's important not just to read one verse, but to look at the chapter before and the chapter after to see if there are any correlations. What is at the tail end of John 3? John the Baptist is talking in symbols: he's the best man introducing the great groom, Jesus, coming for his bride. And then John 4 starts with Jesus walking to a well.

Here's a good question:
How many Bible characters met their spouses at a well?
Abraham, the father of Nations, orchestrates the match between his son and a bride at a well. Jacob meets his wife at a well. Moses meets his wife at a well.

What should we do as a response to that, then?
We should ask ourselves what this passage scripture is trying to tell us beyond the power of the gospel being spread to a village in Samaria.

Jesus is giving us a glimpse into what his bride is going to look like. And no, not literally the Samaritan woman, but think about what the Samaritan woman represents:
- She is a physical representation of the church.
- She's both Jew and Gentle in one person.
- She is broken and abused, sinful and hopeless, ridiculed and cast aside,
in need of a Savior, in need of a groom who will purify her where so many others have it failed and defiled her, a groom that seeks her out, the one no one else wants to talk to,

A groom who redeems her with his own precious blood, and presents her without spot or blemish, purified, not because of what she has done, but in spite of it,

The Samaritan woman is us, and beyond the beauty of the Gospel spread and worship redefined, this story is showing us what Jesus is really after.

Not just changed hearts, but a purified bride.

Jesus is still in the process finishing his father's work.

Come on church, if you are thankful for the cleansing, redeeming work of Jesus Christ in your life, take a moment and thank him.

Everything I've just said to you, the process to get to this moment, has not been because of seven years of theological training. It is the result of using tools with shared with you today and the willingness to simply be curious.

Rather than just read over the words, I allowed the Holy Spirit to highlight specific words and phrases that tickled a curiosity in me to see if there's some correlation. I took those words and phrases to Google searches and online Bibles, commentaries, biblical encyclopedias, even secular tools like Google and GrokAI, all working together to allow the Holy Spirit to reveal what he's really trying to say through a passage of Scripture.

You have a list of tools at your disposal now, and the Holy Spirit will speak to you, so all that's left are two things:
- You being willing to open the book,
- And you being curious enough to look beyond the words that are simply written on the page.

We always ask at the end of every message, "what is the Holy Spirit saying to you through this message?" I wanna ask you today: "What is the Holy Spirit going to speak to you this week as you use these tools and your curiosity as you read the Word?”

Isaiah 43:19
Behold I will do a new thing, but will you recognize it.

The Holy Spirit is going to speak to you this week through the study of God’s Word. Will you recognize it?

Let’s pray.

What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through this message?

How does he want you to respond?