Skip to main content

5 P's / the Book of John

Well here's a different post for you! And a confession.

I love the Old Testament. I feel like through those words I have gotten to know God very well. However, the New Testament is often harder for me to read and although I've done it several times, at the end of the day, this Jesus fellow is still someone I feel like I don't know awesomely well. And how can I get to know Him well, unless I study? I have tried bible studies and commentaries and nothing has really gotten through! I get glimpses, but it's head knowledge - not heart knowledge. But then. Those glorious, "but then's!" Priscillia Shirer introduced this idea of the 5 P's of reading Scripture...and an idea was born!

Here's the idea. When you read the Bible:

1) Position yourself to hear from God (get rid of distractions / pray)
2) Pore over the passage an paraphrase the major points
3) Pull out the spiritual principles
4) Pose the question (Do I believe such and such, or Am I doing such and such)
5) If you don't believe, or aren't doing, PLAN obedience and put down a date to obey.

My plan is to apply those P's and read the Book of John. Which may take me a year because yowza, are my sections tiny. I'm doing this in small sections, typing up the scripture and placing on my desk and in my car and poring over them for a week. Even if I think a section is "simple," I'm still taking the time. If I stick to it, it will take me 8 weeks to do Chapter 1.

As an example, here is my Week 1. I read the passage and went through the "P's" BEFORE reading anything other than the Word, so these are just my take-aways.

If you want me to email you a version of what I'm doing each week so you can pore over this Scripture yourself, but through the way my head processes things, I would be glad to! Just let me know and I will send it out. However, nothing brings Scripture to life for YOU quite like when you just spend time yourself, listening for what God is pointing out...So if you're looking for some in-depth study of the word, pick a Book, or a Chapter and have it it! My example of week 1:

 John 1:1-5
1In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was with God in the beginning. 3Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5The light shines in the darkness and the darkness has not overcome it.

Pore over the passage and paraphrase:
·         Jesus is the Word
·         Jesus has been around since the beginning. Being WITH God, and BEING God.
·         Through this relationship, everything was made. Everything.
·         Jesus has always been life – and the light of mankind.
·         As light, Jesus will shine in the darkness and will NOT BE OVERCOME.

Pull out the spiritual principles:
·         There is a message here. Jesus has always been – and been WITH, God
·         He made all things
·         Jesus has always been light and life and is unable to be overcome by darkness

Pose the question:
·         Do I believe that Jesus has always been? And been with God?
·         Do I believe they made all things?
·         Do I believe that in Jesus is light and life for all men?
·         Do I believe that Jesus’ light can overtake the darkness and not be overcome?

My answers:
·         I am beginning to see the relationship between God and Jesus and understand how God exists in. relationship – so WE were made for it.
·         I believe God made all things.
·         I believe Jesus is the light and the life.
·         It is harder to see how Jesus’ light can overtake the darkness because there is SO MUCH darkness.

Plan obedience to obey (or Prayer):
·         Heavenly Father God, help me see and believe that Jesus’s light can overcome the darkness. All darkness.

Notes after study:

·         My New Bible Commentary pointed out that verse 5 may be better translated as “the darkness has not understood it” as opposed to “overcome.” It also mentions that the “light” must be regarded as personal – so my take away is that the light is for everyone. BUT, Jesus’ light cannot be understood by those in the dark…even though the hope is for him to be a light, and life, for all. In conclusion, although Jesus' light shines everywhere, if the darkness does not understand him...it stays dark  :( That's my prayer - that those in the darkness would start to understand the light...so they can SEE the light. 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

I love you Lord (Psalm 100:2)

Scripture of the Day: Psalm 100:2  Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Starting last fall, my husband began singing the song "I Love you Lord," to our kiddo before he went to bed, as a lullaby of sorts. The lyrics are simple: I love you Lord, and I lift my voice to worship you, oh my soul rejoice! Take joy, my King, in what you hear, may it be a sweet, sweet, sound in your ear. It has since become a very popular song in our house! We sing it before nap time, bed time, and I hum it when sometimes when our little guy is upset or over tired. I love singing it slow and asking him to sing with me – at this point he knows most of the words and there is really nothing sweeter than hearing that little voice sing “I yuv you yord,”  (no “r’s” yet you see)! The song has also worked it's way into my personal worship of the Lord. The words are meant for Him to hear and I think he loves to hear them sung! I find that singing that j...
2 comments
Read more

What is Your Lie?

By now, you should know I like songs. I like Christian songs because their words don't put any "yuck" in my head and I don't have to worry about what little ears are taking in when they are on! Some touch me deep and here are the lyrics to part of a new favorite: Reckless Love by Cory Asbury There's no shadow you won't light up, Mountain you won't climb up Coming after me... There's no wall you won't kick down, Lie you won't tear down, Coming after me... Friends. Focus on that last point: There's no lie God won't tear down. What is your lie? What lie, or even lies, do you believe about yourself? What lies run over and over in your head until they don't feel like lies anymore? What hurts have you told yourself you deserve? What unkindness have you accepted as your due? What actions have you justified for others? What fault have you accepted that really isn't yours? What forgiveness have you felt unworthy of? I'm...
1 comment
Read more

From the mouth's of babes

I'm writing this more for prosperity's sake and because I need to try and wrap my head around a conversation I just had with my seven year old. Mandisa's song "Bleed the Same" was playing in the car...my kiddo asks me what she is actually saying because he hears "We all be the same." I explained how it meant that regardless of skin color, or lots of other things really, we all bleed the same. On the inside, we are all the same. And then the zinger. He says, "We all look the same inside. Except our hearts." "Oh really?" Says I. "Yes," says he "because of sin. I'm talking on a spiritual level." AAAHHHHH!!! Our hearts all look different because of sin in the my mind of my baby. And I bet you that in the eyes of God, who can see the heart in a different light and who judges it's motivations, our hearts all DO look different. When I think of a heart full of sin, I think of black and decay instead o...
1 comment
Read more