Studying the Bible

Studying the Bible is much like heading off into an unknown land to dig around the ruins of an ancient civilization. You need to know where to dig, what you are discovering, and what is important about what you find. This is the purpose of ourField Notes. They will guide you on a journey of ancient discovery: the discovery of the meaning of the biblical text.

The Field Notes follow the metaphor of an expedition, or a quest for biblical and theological discovery. They contain three specific parts which correspond to the three steps used in an ancient dig. Each step will help you in the process of understanding and applying God’s Word to your soul. Each Field Study begins with learning the content and meaning of the text, followed by a section called Discoveries, which includes discussion questions, exercises, and activities to apply the text to your life.

Our Field Notes have also been purposefully designed to enable you, the explorer, to learn and apply more effectively the lessons of each passage you excavate. We strongly encourage you to invest some time in understanding the functionality of the design. This will greatly help your study and will make it more rewarding and enjoyable.

When using our Field Notes, please keep in mind the following principles:

• The notes are designed to provide as much relevant information as possible in an efficient way. You may not be able to study everything in one sitting, but you can know there is a wealth of information available for you in a single place. Come back to the study as often as you like and learn something new.
• Feel free to focus your attention in any of the different sections of the page and/or the sections of Field Notes as a whole. Everyone learns differently. Learn and apply that which best suits your learning style and your particular needs and interests, but challenge yourself to try something new.
• The main column of each page provides you with the essential content of the lesson. If you have limited time, we encourage you to focus your attention there. The items in the side margins are complementary to the main text and can be skipped if the material is already known.
• Blank spaces are provided in the margins. Use them to record your thoughts, observations, and questions. Make your own notes from the field.