Digging into God’s word is often at the top of the list of New Year’s resolutions for Christians, but many don’t know where to start. Here are 26 Bible Study ideas to help you make your goals a reality this year.
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List of Bible study ideas included in this post
- Bible Study ideas for reading the entire Bible
- Year-long Bible Read Through
- Video Walk-Through Bible Study
- Quick Bible Read Through
- Called and Sent Bible Read Through
- Bible study Ideas for following the themes of the Bible
- Systematic theology Bible study
- Narrative Bible Study
- Bible Timeline study
- Gospel Foundations Bible Study
- Bible study ideas for studying one book
- Slowly read through one book
- Repetitive Book Read Through
- Book Summary Bible Study
- Chapter Summary Bible Study
- Bible study ideas for a deep dive
- Verse mapping Bible study
- Word Study
- SOAP Methods for Bible Study
- Bible Study ideas that place the focus on God
- Attributes of God Bible study
- Names of God Bible study
- Red Letter Bible Study
- Jesus’ Parables and teachings
- Themed Bible Study Ideas
- Topic Bible Study
- Character Bible Study
- Praise Bible Study
- Prayer-Focused Bible Study
- Bible study ideas
- Application Bible Study
- Verse memorization Bible study
- Scripture writing Challenge
Bible Study Ideas for reading the entire Bible
Reading through the entire Bible is a great option for new and old Christians alike. For beginners, it brings you through the story of God and His people. For those who have been Christians for awhile, it brings new insight to common stories.
Year-long Bible Read Through
This is likely the most popular Bible study for new years. And with good reason! Reading through the entire Bible in one year is an achievable goal which only takes about 15 minutes a day. At about 3 chapters per day, it is a small enough chunk where you could dive deeper into something you read that day, or just enjoy the simplicity of following the narrative of the Bible.
There are two main ways you can do a year-long Bible read through. The first is canonical, which is the traditional book order of the Bible, grouped by genre. The second way is chronological, which follows the historical timeline of events.
To do a year-long Bible read through, either follow a simple reading guide for canonical or chronological, or grab a guided study for Canonical or Chronological.
Video Walk-Through Bible Study
Another great way to read through the Bible in a year (or shorter if you’re up to it) is to utilize video and podcast resources. This is a great option for anyone with a daily commute that can spend 20-50 minutes listening to the Bible reading and short commentary.
One of the most popular podcasts is the Bible in a year with Father Mike Schmitz. These episodes tend to be around 30 minutes each and start with Bible reading followed by commentary.
Another great resource (especially if you enjoy Bible journaling) is the Heart Dive podcast. These episodes tend to last 45-60 minutes and commentary is interspersed throughout the Bible reading.
Quick Bible Read Through
If you are able to dedicate an hour to reading through your Bible each day, an accelerated Bible read through is a great option. This is an incredible way to immerse yourself in the narrative of the Bible, seing the flow of the story from beginning to end.
You can either read through your Bible simply by setting an hour timer each day, or by following a reading plan such as the Bible in 90 days. For more information on this type of Bible read through, read Rapid Bible Read Thru.
Called and Sent Bible Read Through
The called and sent Bible read through method is a month-long commitment for about 30 minutes a day. The basis of this method is reading each of the Gospels, followed by the book of acts. So you would read Matthew, then Acts. Next Mark, followed by Acts, and so on. This way, you are reading the complete life of Jesus and how He calls His disciples, followed by Jesus sending His disciples out.
Bible study Ideas for following the themes of the Bible
Perhaps you have already done a complete Bible read through and are looking for some ideas to spice up your Bible time. These Bible study ideas for following themes takes you through the big picture of the Bible, while keeping it interesting.
Systematic theology Bible study
If you are looking to find out more about why you believe what you believe, a systematic theology Bible study is a good place to start. You can either choose to read through the Bible using a Systematic Theology Study Bible, or use a theology book alongside your Bible. A short, daily devotional style book for an introduction to systematic theology is Daily Doctrine: A One-Year Guide to Systematic Theology, while a much more in-depth resource is Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine.
Narrative Bible Study
A narrative Bible study focuses on the complete story of the Bible, rather than isolated events. It looks at what happened in the Bible, but not always what you should do. A good book to learn more about this approach is How Bible Stories Work: A Guided Study of Biblical Narrative (Reading the Bible as Literature).
Bible Timeline Study
if you are a history lover, or just curious how the events of the Bible line up with other historical events, then a Bible timeline study may be right for you. You can use the Bible Timeline Chart for a quick reference, or other resources such as BibleHub for a more in-depth study.
To do a Timeline study, you can either read through the Bible, paying attention to when important events occurred, or you can use the 12 key events to structure your study. These events include: creation, the flood, patriarchs, the exodus, entering the promised land, the judges, the united kingdom, the divided kingdom, temple rebuilding, Jesus’ ministry, early church, and Paul’s ministry.
Gospel Foundations Bible Study
If you are curious to know what the Gospel of Jesus is all about, then reading through the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) will give you a great overview and foundation. You can also study key passages that explain the gospel. Some of these passages are: Romans 1-8, Ephesians 2, Isaiah 53:4-6, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4, and Colossians 1:19-20. There are also many more passages if you choose to do a gospel study.
Bible study ideas for studying one book
Is there a book of the Bible that you are naturally drawn to? Or one that you have been wanting to dig into deeper than you can during a Bible read through? Here are four Bible study ideas to help you grasp books of the Bible.
Slowly read through one book
This Bible study method is perhaps the most well known for reading through one book. It can take as little or as much time per day as you want, and can even vary to match your changing schedule. Simply read through the book one verse at a time, using a commentary and writing down notes as you go. Some great commentaries include: Tyndale New Testament Commentaries, MacArthur Bible Commentary, and BibleHub.
Repetitive Book Read Through
A repetitive book read through is best done with a short book of the Bible (Ephesians, Philippians etc.), although you can sue any book. In order to do this type of study, simple read through the entire book in one setting, writing down just a couple of things that stand out to you or questions that arise. The goal of this type of study is not to go super in-depth, but rather to get a broad overview of the book and its application for you life.
Book Summary Bible Study
If you are looking to get a general overview of each book of the Bible, consider a Book Summary Bible study. Using a guide and resources, answer the “who, what, when, where, why, and how” questions of each book. A great video resource for this is BibleProject’s summaries.
I have a beautiful book summary included as part of my Best Bible Study Companion – a guide of over 100 pages filled with Bible study methods, resources and more.
Chapter Summary Bible Study
Another great way to study through any book of the Bible is to do a chapter summary. Similar to the Book summary, answer preset questions about each chapter in the book you are studying. This method is a great middle ground in terms of time and depth for a Bible study.
Bible study ideas for a deep dive
These three methods are great for taking a deep dive into one word, verse, or passage of the scripture. They explore the context and application so that you get the full meaning of what you are studying.
Verse mapping Bible study
To do a verse mapping Bible study, simply write down the verse on one corner of the paper. Highlight, underline, and circle key words within the verse and define them. Then look at the context preceding and following the verse to gain a full picture of the meaning. You can learn more about verse mapping here.
Word Study
A word study is a great way to look into the original Hebrew or Greek meaning of a word, and use that knowledge to understand many different verses. You can learn more about a Word Bible Study here.
SOAP Methods for Bible Study
The SOAP method can be used for any passage of scripture, and stands for: Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. It begins with Scripture, where you read a passage multiple times and write it out to help slow down and gain deeper understanding. Observation follows as you notice key ideas, themes, and questions within the text. Application comes next, as you consider the original context and reflect on how the passage speaks into your own life. Finally, Prayer is a response of gratitude and dependence, thanking God for His Word and for what He has revealed through it.
Bible Study ideas that place the focus on God
Although Bible study should always focus on God, these next four ideas pay special attention to the attributes, names, and words, and teachings of God.
Attributes of God Bible study
An Attribute Bible study is a great way to focus on the qualities of God, growing in your understanding of who He is and how great He is. His attributes are generally categorized into communicable and incommunicable attributes – those that can be shared with His creation and those that cannot. The Gospel Coalition has a great mini-course on 10 attributes of God.
Names of God Bible study
Although names and attributes both describe God, there is a small difference that is important to define when deciding which one to study at the moment. God’s attributes are inherent qualities that describe who God is and how He acts, while names are specific titles that revel His character in action. The names of God tend to be more relational while attributes tend to be more descriptive. The Daily Grace co has a beautiful Bible study that takes you through 50 names of God.
Red Letter Bible Study
In order to do a red letter study, you will need a red letter Bible where you can read the words Jesus spoke highlighted in red text. (You could also highlight the words yourself in your regular Bible if you do not have a red letter Bible.) The idea behind this Bible study is that you should be putting the words of Jesus into practice as you read through them.
Jesus’ Parables and teachings
Similar to the red letter study, this Bible study focuses on the word’s of God, with a special emphasis on His parables and teaching moments. For this study you choose one parable or teaching to focus on for the week, summarizing the main lesson at the end.
Themed Bible Study Ideas
If you are curious about learning more about one particular topic or theme of the Bible, whether for scholarship or application, these Bible study ideas can help.
Topic Bible Study
A topical Bible study focuses on exploring what Scripture teaches about a specific subject or theme. Instead of reading one passage in context, you gather multiple verses related to a single topic—such as prayer, faith, or salvation—and study them together. As you compare these passages, you can observe repeated truths, key ideas, and how Scripture interprets itself. Topical studies are especially helpful when you have a question or want a clearer understanding of what the Bible says as a whole about a particular subject.
Character Bible Study
A character study focuses on one person in the Bible and traces their story across Scripture. As you follow their life, choices, and interactions with God, you gain insight into faith, obedience, and growth over time. This type of study helps you see how God works through imperfect people and remains faithful even when they struggle. Common character studies include figures like Moses, Hannah, Peter, or Esther, as well as studies that explore the lives of the prophets or the disciples of Jesus.
Praise Bible Study
A Praise Bible study looks at passages of scripture that give praise to God, helping shape your own thoughts and attitude toward praise and thanksgiving. As you follow through the narrative of scripture, you will see many examples of when and why people give praise to God, This helps you see how God is worthy of praise in your own life and how you can offer it readily in every situation. A few examples of praise in scripture include: crossing the Red sea (Exodus 15:1-18), Hannah’s praise (1 Samuel 2:1-10), Mary’s praise (Luke 1:46-55).
Prayer-Focused Bible Study
A prayer-focused Bible study centers on learning how Scripture shapes and strengthens our prayer life. In this type of study, you examine prayers found throughout the Bible and observe how God’s people approached Him—with praise, confession, thanksgiving, and dependence. As you study these prayers, you can begin to model your own prayers after biblical examples and grow in confidence and intentionality when coming before God. A few examples of prayer in scripture include: Hannah’s prayer (1 Samuel 1:10-18), Solomon’s prayer (1 Kings 3:3-9), and Jesus’ prayer (John 17:1-5).
Bible study ideas for engaging scripture beyond reading
If you are looking to take your Bible study to a new level, here are some ideas that are more than just reading the scripture. These methods are designed to take God’s living word with you as you go about your day.
Application Bible Study
An application Bible study is perfect for anyone seeking to live out the scriptures in their everyday life. For this type of study, you read any book of the Bible with the specific goal of letting it transform you in every area (which should be the point of ANY Bible study, but is emphasized here). Because of the nature of an application Bible study, you could pair it with any other type of study you are doing. One great resource for finding application of any Biblical passage is the NIV Application Commentary on the Bible: One-Volume Edition.
Verse memorization Bible study
A verse memorization Bible study is a traditional Bible study where you choose one or two verses from what you learning and memorize them, paying special attention to internalizing and meditating on the message and how it applies to your life. A couple great books to learn more about biblical memorization include: Dwell Differently: Overcome Negative Thinking with the Simple Practice of Memorizing God’s Truth, and Memorizing Scripture: The Basics, Blessings, and Benefits of Meditating on God’s Word.
If you are new to scripture memorization, 100 Bible Verses Everyone Should Know by Heart would be a great starting point for a verse memorization study. You can use the verse you would like to memorize as a place to begin your Bible study, digging into the context and meaning of it.
Scripture writing Challenge
Another great way to take scripture with you throughout the day is by doing a scripture writing challenge. Once again, this can (and should) be paired with another Bible study where you are learning the context of the passage. In this challenge, you simply write the scripture word-for-word as a way to slow down and think about what you are reading.
There are many beautiful scripture writing journals, including the ESV Scripture journals with Biblical text on one side and a space to write on the other. There is also 100 Days of Writing God’s Word, which include’s 100 pre-selected verses for those who would like guidance.
Which of these Bible study ideas is right for you?
With Bible study ideas that range from 5-50 minutes a day, and from an overview to digging deep, there is a method for everyone. No matter which of these 26 ideas you choose to implement in your life, remember that God’s word will not return void (Isaiah 55:11) and He will draw close to you when you draw close to Him (James 4:8).
