I know I don't post to often but I could use some help from all of you. I was saved June 20 2010 and I do read my bible everyday but I would like to get a deeper understanding and I was wondering if a Bible Study guide or book would help. Do any of you have any advise? We did do a fall woman's bible study group with my church but that is over and it sure did teach me alot. It was on the woman of Genesis. So I was hoping that there was a good guide or book to help me with my home studys.

Thanks

-Catholic here- When I was doing Bible study at church, my priest used and suggested the "Collegeville Bible Commentary Series".  I enjoyed using them, as well.  There are a lot of different "devotional" Bibles and most of them are very good.  It depends on what you're looking for.

I've heard Beth Moore has some really good ones.  I have one of her's on Esther on my wishlist.

The Bad Girls of The Bible series by Liz Curtis Higgs is really cool and might spark your interest in investigating their lives.  

Our church is going through the book of Luke, and it's so great just going right through books of the Bible.  You could check out a church that preaches through books of the Bible or other good Bible teaching churches and listen to some sermons and read through the passages they are preaching on.  Mars Hill out of Seattle, WA (www.marshillchurch.org), The church where John Piper is (www.desiringgod.org) or The Village in Texas where Matt CHandler is as well as some more awesome pastors (currently going through Colossians, very awesome series) C.J. Maheny, J.I. Packer

Getting a chronological Bible might help as well.  I was raised in church, but was so confused because we never went through books of the Bible, everything was broken up so I never really got the timeline of everything.

Are you plugged into a church?  I  tend to go over booklists that our pastor recommends and wishlist them here.  (The Resurgence has a huge booklist organized by topic).  There are a LOT of books out there and some are not good, but so far everything I've seen from Crossway has been completely Biblical.

Sorry I'm probably answering way to much, but I LOVE reading and PBS so sometimes I get excited :-)  Let me know what kind of book you are looking for and maybe I can help more.

I'll second the Beth Moore studies.  Kay Arthur's Precept studies are good as well. The Beth Moore studies are designed to be done with a group and have videos that go with them.  But you can do the study by yourself and then download the videos from Lifeway for $5 each.  Or maybe your church has the videos in their library that you could check out. I am going to be starting the update of her study on David (A Heart Like His) by myself in January. 

Thanks for the help I go to a Calvary Chapel here in my town. The preacher does go threw the bible book by book however I looking for something that I can use here for my own time and while the members of my church are wonderful I feel silly asking so many questions that may pop up. I will check out the books that were suggested. Thank you all

I love Beth Moore, but she may be a little deep for a new believer to do by herself (she can get into all the history of language & I wouldn't want you to be overwhelmed or feel bogged down w/ that)...I think for at least your first one I would suggest doing it with a group. 

I also love anything by Priscilla Shirer. I just finished her One In a Million & it was awesome. 

What about the book Women of the Bible by Ann Spangler & Jean E. Syswerda...it is set up like a one yr. devotional but of course wouldn't have to be read that way. It would be something you could do on your own w/out a group & would give you a little more info on 52 different women in the Bible.

Tiffany,

Don't ever feel silly asking questions. That's what I love about this forum...people here to help each other grow :)

Shayla, good point about the Beth Moore studies being a little much for a new believer on their own.  I didn't think of that.

I forgot to mention that a Study Bible would be really helpful.  The ESV Study Bible, MacArthur Study Bible, Ryrie Study Bible are all good.  I'm sure there's others as well.  Those are just ones I have experience with.  The Archeological Study Bible also is really cool.  Study Bibles help you to understand what the scriptures are saying and have verses listed that go back to other parts of the Bible.  They are VERY helpful.

I recently researched Study Bibles for a new purchase. It seems like every one had tons of glowing reviews saying theirs was the best.

I boiled it down to either the ESV Study Bible and the very recent HCSB Study Bible. It's hard for me to get to a Christian Bookstore to see them in person so I looked at them at www.christianbook.com (which allows you to see a few pages, contents, etc) and read a lot of reviews on Amazon.

I ended up ordering the HCSB as it looked more attractively laid out and had received many great reviews from professionals as well as lay readers.  It also seemed to not have the overwelming amount of articles the ESV apparantly has. (A streamlined version will be out in 2011).

Also, after a lot of research for a 'guide' to reading the Bible, "How to read the Bible for all its worth" by Gordon D. Fee, Douglas Stuart.  seemed to be the most highly recommended...for its sensible approach and easy, readable text.

The Bible hasn't arrived yet and the Guide book is in the library (not yet picked up yet by me).