Why Study Workbook
Teaching Outline
Discussion Based Lesson Plan_Why Study
Simplified Youth Version_Why Study
Why Most Bible Study Fails and How to Find the Truth That Transforms
1. Introduction: The Information Trap
We have all felt it—that deep, stir-of-the-soul hunger that begins the moment we are born again. As a new creation, you possess a natural longing to understand the Word of God and the mysteries of His Kingdom. Yet, for many of us, this desire is quickly met with a frustrating ache. We open the pages and feel an overwhelming confusion, a sense of being lost in a sea of ancient text without a compass.
The “natural mind” attempts to soothe this confusion with a simple, humanistic solution: study to increase your knowledge. We are taught to treat the Bible like a textbook to be mastered, assuming that once we have the facts, we have the faith. But effective study is not an academic exercise in information gathering; it is a spiritual necessity for transformation. If we fall into the trap of studying only for the sake of intellectual accumulation, we miss the very life the Word is intended to produce. To study effectively, we must move beyond the notebook and learn how to truly eat.
2. Takeaway #1: Choose the Right Tree (Knowledge vs. Life)
In our journey through the Scriptures, we must recognize that there are two distinct ways to approach the Word, mirrored by the two trees in the Garden of Eden: the Tree of Life and the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil (Genesis 2:9, 17).
As a scholar, I must offer a sobering reality check: many individuals hold prestigious theological degrees and can quote entire chapters of Scripture, yet they still walk in total darkness—sinning daily in thought, word, and deed. This is the danger of the “Tree of Knowledge.” When we pursue study only to increase our own wisdom or status, we feed an arrogance rooted in selfishness. This path leads to spiritual death. In contrast, when we seek “spiritual truth” intended to guide our every action, we are partaking of the Tree of Life. We are not looking for an argument; we are looking for the Person of Christ.
“Studying for the sake of knowledge alone is like eating from the ‘tree of the knowledge of good and evil’, which does not nourish spiritual life.”
3. Takeaway #2: The Holy Spirit is the Essential Teacher
Because the Bible is a spiritual book, its depths cannot be plumbed by human intellect alone. It requires spiritual discernment. We must learn to sit at the feet of the Spirit before we even open the pages of the text. Isaiah 55:8-9 reminds us that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts; His ways are as high above ours as the heavens are above the earth.
Correct interpretation is unattainable without divine assistance. While human wisdom can help you memorize a verse, only the Holy Spirit can reveal the power behind it to enlighten your heart. It is through this partnership with the Spirit that we discover “righteousness”—and we must be clear on this definition: RIGHTEOUSNESS equates to the RIGHT WAY! The Spirit’s role is to show us the right way to live, satisfying our hearts and empowering us to walk in the light.
4. Takeaway #3: Obedience is the Ultimate Foundation
In the Kingdom of God, the goal of “hearing” is always “doing.” Jesus illustrated this through the metaphor of the two builders in Matthew 7:22-27. To study the Word and not act upon it is to build a life on shifting sand. True spiritual prosperity is found when we link our study to our behavior.
This is where the “Tree of Life” meets the “Rock foundation.” When we act upon revealed truth, we are no longer just students; we are becoming “living epistles”—individuals whose daily conduct reflects the character of God. Our primary purpose in opening the Book is to please God through obedience. If our study does not change our hands and feet, it has not yet reached our hearts.
5. Takeaway #4: The Word as Daily Spiritual Sustenance
The Word of God is more than a manual; it is life-giving power. We are “born again” through the incorruptible seed of the Word (1 Peter 1:23). However, the Word does more than just initiate our life; it provides the “ongoing spiritual life” required for our daily maintenance.
Just as the physical body requires food and drink, our spirit requires constant nourishment. Jesus gave us a challenging and evocative metaphor in John 6:56 when He spoke of “eating his flesh and drinking his blood”—a picture of total, daily absorption of His life. This process also provides essential cleansing. As we humble ourselves in confession, the Word cleanses us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). To stay pure in a dark world, we must walk in the light revealed by the Word (1 John 1:7), allowing it to be a “lamp unto our feet” (Psalm 119:105).
6. Takeaway #5: Patience with the “Hard to Understand” Parts
Scripture possesses an immense complexity that can humble even the greatest minds. The apostle Peter admitted that some of Paul’s writings were “hard to be understood” (2 Peter 3:15-17). If an apostle struggled with certain depths, we should not be dismayed by a lack of immediate comprehension.
The danger lies in “wresting”—or forcing—the Scriptures to fit our personal biases. Br Gil once shared a powerful anecdote about his study of the book of Revelation. He approached the text with preconceived notions, but when he reached Chapter 12, his “reasoning collapsed.” He realized he was eating from the tree of knowledge, trying to bend God’s Word to his own will. This is the “error of the wicked”: manipulating Scriptures to suit personal interpretations and misaligning them with the entirety of God’s Word. When you don’t understand, wait on God. He will reward the diligent student in His perfect timing.
“Focus not on what you don’t know: Trust in God and be patient! God will teach and reward the diligent student.”
7. Conclusion: Becoming an Effective Worker
The ultimate profit of diligent study is that it makes you a “workman that needeth not to be ashamed” (2 Timothy 2:15). It cleanses you, fosters your growth, and equips you to minister to the spiritual needs of others. By drawing from the Tree of Life, you gain the inner peace and joy that constitute genuine success.
Furthermore, a deep study of sound doctrine enables you to “exhort and convince” those whom the Bible calls “gainsayers” (Titus 1:9). A gainsayer is simply someone who disputes or contradicts God’s Word. To help them, you must first be anchored in the truth yourself. As you close this document and open your Bible, I want to leave you with one vital question to guide your journey:
Are you currently studying to gain an argument to use against others, or are you studying to gain a new way of living that pleases God?