"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path." — Psalm 119:105
Whether you are brand new to the Bible or have been reading for years, these studies will help you go deeper in your walk with the Lord. Start with these verses to help you understand better.
Jesus is our Creator, Redeemer, and Savior. He came to save us from our sins. He is a loving, compassionate, merciful God who lived a sinless life to save man. Through faith in Him, we receive forgiveness, eternal life, and a relationship with God.
"Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God."
"I and the Father are one."
When we learn of Jesus and see His great love, we will have faith in Him. Jesus told us to come to Him and confess our sins. When we repent and confess, He will forgive us. We will have salvation.
"For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God — not by works, so that no one can boast."
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."
Jesus prayed daily when He was on this earth, and God tells us to pray to Him, promising to answer. He gives us everything we need to have a good prayer life. God wants us to communicate with Him in prayer. Jesus' life also shows us our need for Him, and that we aren't alone in our struggles.
"Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God."
"But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
The Gospels tell the story of Jesus' life. Each book brings out different points for us to better understand His life. Each book glorifies the life of Jesus and helps us to see Jesus as Creator, Redeemer, Man, and Savior. Jesus gives us all of the information we need to live a life in Him.
"These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name."
When David wrote the Psalms, some days were good and some days weren't so good. The Psalms are filled with sadness, praise, hope, joy, and peace. As you read each chapter you will see God's love, compassion, and mercy all through it. David praises God through it all and all through his life. We also see the coming of Jesus foretold in the Psalms.
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters."
"For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet — I can count all my bones — they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots."
"The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes."
Now that you've made your decision for Jesus, here are some Bible verses to help you on your journey.
"Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah." When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, "Brothers, what shall we do?" Peter replied, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit."
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"
Matthew chapters 5–7 contain the most famous teaching Jesus ever gave. Each passage reveals what the Kingdom of God looks like from the inside out.
As He speaks on the mountainside, Jesus reaches out to all the people and makes a promise that they will be taken care of by God. As He talks to them, they understand that they are heard by God. Each person living the life of a faithful believer will be delivered from this evil world.
"Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." — Matthew 5:1–12Jesus wants us to understand how important we are to Him as we tell the world of His great love. He tells us we are the salt and we are the light, proclaiming to us that we have an important job to do for Him. If we refuse, we become useless to the work of God.
"You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." — Matthew 5:13–16When the disciples asked Jesus how to pray, He gave them this model prayer. It begins with adoration ("Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name"), moves to submission ("your will be done"), then petition ("give us today our daily bread"), and forgiveness (as God forgave us, we must forgive others). Jesus tells us to pray in this way to understand who He is and what He expects from us — a picture of what conversation with God looks like.
"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one." — Matthew 6:9–13The fear and stress in the lives of the people were real. Jesus wanted them to understand that God loved them more than any animal on the earth. He reminds them that God had taken care of the birds and He had taken care of them as well. He tells them not to worry, but to have faith; God will provide for all of their needs.
"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you — you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." — Matthew 6:25–34Jesus tells the people that if they really came to God and asked Him for the things they needed, He would provide for them. When He shows the comparison of evil men giving good gifts to their children versus God giving good gifts to those who trust in Him, He points out that God does a perfect job in taking care of those who trust in Him.
"Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Which of you, if your son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." — Matthew 7:7–12The Bible was written to be understood. Here are some practical steps to help you read and apply God's Word to your life.
Pray and ask God to direct you as you study His Word. Ask for an outpouring of the Holy Spirit before you begin. The Bible is not just literature — it is the living Word of God, and God wants to connect with you as you study. God wants us to search the Scriptures, and in our search, we will find Him.
"I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened."
Jesus' life is the best witness for us to understand who God is. We find His life in the four Gospels. It is in the four Gospels that we see a loving God who has done everything for us. They will show you that Jesus cares about all of us, and His power is real and His love is perfect.
"You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me."
When studying the Bible, the best way to study is to compare Scripture to Scripture to get the answer to your question.
"Now the Berean Jews were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true."
Keep a notebook as you study. Write out verses that speak to you, your questions, what you sense God saying. Pray and ask God to reveal to you the meaning of the verse in question.
"When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, 'Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.' 'How do you know me?' Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, 'I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.'"
Make time for God in the morning and evening. Prayer and Bible study will help grow your faith.
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
As you learn about Jesus, pray and ask God to use you to be a witness for Him. Ask God to direct your path and share the good news with others.
"Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you."
This reading plan walks you through the four Gospels at your own pace. With each daily lesson, focus on who Jesus is and pray for wisdom as you read and study.
Luke 1–2 (Birth of Jesus) · Matthew 3 (Baptism) · Mark 1:12–20 (Temptation & Call of Disciples) · John 1:1–18 (The Word Made Flesh) · John 2:1–11 (First Miracle) · John 3:1–21 (Born Again) · Luke 4:14–30 (Jesus in Nazareth)
Matthew 5 (Beatitudes) · Mark 2:1–12 (Healing of Paralytic) · John 4:1–42 (Woman at the Well) · Matthew 6:9–34 (Lord's Prayer & Trust) · Luke 8:22–56 (Calming Storm, Two Healings) · John 6:1–35 (Feeding 5,000) · Matthew 14:22–33 (Walking on Water)
John 8:12–59 (I Am the Light) · Luke 10:25–37 (Good Samaritan) · John 10:1–18 (The Good Shepherd) · Luke 15:11–32 (Prodigal Son) · John 11:1–44 (Lazarus Raised) · Matthew 22:34–40 (Greatest Commandment) · Mark 10:35–45 (Servant Leadership)
John 13:1–17 (Washing Feet) · John 14 (I Am the Way) · Matthew 26:36–56 (Gethsemane) · Luke 23:1–49 (The Crucifixion) · John 19:28–42 (It Is Finished) · Mark 16:1–8 (Empty Tomb) · Luke 24:13–35 (Road to Emmaus) · John 20 (Resurrection) · Matthew 28:16–20 (Great Commission)
Hiding God's Word in your heart means you always have it with you — in moments of trial, temptation, or opportunity to share your faith. As you memorize Bible verses, your faith will increase. "Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ." — Romans 10:17
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."
"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood — to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished."
"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!"
"I can do all this through him who gives me strength."
"'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"
"Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path."
Work through these in-depth lessons at your own pace. Each lesson includes verse-by-verse study notes and questions you can submit for personal feedback.
Why the Bible is about God, not us — Hebrew and Greek word studies on the Sabbath rest, marriage as a picture of the Godhead, and what it means to truly enter God's rest by faith.
Tracing the phrase "testimony of Jesus" through the Book of Revelation — Greek word studies, the Spirit of Prophecy defined, the Remnant, and the final witness of the church.
Paul's "Love Chapter" in context — Greek word studies for all 13 verses, notes on the 15 characteristics of love, and 9 study questions with answer submission fields.
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