How to Do A Verse Analysis for Bible Study

July 15, 2018 Jim Duggan

In high school I was a grammar nerd; I REALLY enjoyed English class. I even remember what an indirect object is! Because I was (and still am) a visually oriented learner, I especially liked diagramming sentences because the diagram was a good analysis that helped me see and understand the relationships the words in a sentence had with each other.

Verse analysis is not as involved as sentence diagramming

The same type of analysis can help us in our Bible study through what I call a verse analysis. The verse analysis is not as in-depth as the sentence diagram, but useful nonetheless to help us see the relationship of the words in the verse to one another.

I believe that not only did God inspire EVERY word of the Bible, but He also inspired EACH word is. Words matter and their relationship to one another in a given passage reveal the truth that God wants us to know about Him, His precepts, and His purposes for us.

At the end of this blog, I have included a video tutorial demonstrating how I do a verse analysis, and I invite you to watch it and let me know if it is helpful to you.

A Working Example

Let’s consider as an example Proverbs 3:5

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.

My first step is to isolate the main verbs in a passage. Once I’ve isolated those verbs, I study their context and meanings. I use many of the tools I mentioned in the “Tools Blog” to help with this task.

Garden Lessons for Spiritual Growth

July 1, 2018 Jim Duggan

garden My dad was a master gardener. We always had good fresh vegetables during the summer. We had a clear division of labor in our house, too. My dad grew the food, my mom cooked it, and I ate it. Soon enough I became old enough to join in the work preparing, planting, and tending the garden.

After marrying, I had a garden a few times, but with mixed results. I always enjoy playing in the dirt but haven’t always had the time. After several years’ hiatus, I decided to plant a garden this year.

My garden started out with the idea to plant just a few heirloom tomato plants. Of course, I soon had the idea that a few pepper plants would be good as well. I was probably the last person in Georgia to finally plant my garden. By the time I started I had added squash, cucumber, and watermelon to my roster of veggies.

Spiritual Lessons from the Garden

I hate to report that this year’s garden has been a moderate failure. I am starting to remember why I went all those years without a garden. But along the way I have learned some spiritual lessons from my garden.

June 13, 2018 Jim Duggan

I am finally writing about a burden my heart has carried for some time now. I believe there is a missing element in the faith practiced by many believers these days. The missing element? An understanding of the holiness of God.

What Is the Holiness of God?

I find it best to think of God’s holiness in at least 3 ways.

3 Comments June 10, 2018 Jim Duggan

“Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” So Mark Twain quoted his friend, writer Charles Dudley Warner. With floods, hurricanes, and unseasonable heat, the weather has been the topic of conversation lately, but no one has offered any doable solutions. The weather remains in God’s hands (thankfully) and He continues to serve His purposes through it. In the meantime, we will probably keep talking a lot about it and continue doing nothing about it. Unfortunately, prayer is another topic that garners more TALKING than DOING.

We admit the ever-present need for prayer, we profess our belief in the power of prayer, and we talk about the potential of prayer to “change things,” but we continue to allow other things to distract us from the work of prayer. Yes, prayer is hard work, because when we stop to focus on prayer, our enemy throws everything in his arsenal at us to stop us. He, too, recognizes the potential power our prayers wield against him and he aims to stop us.

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Today, I will add to the talk – or in this case the writing – about prayer, but I do so in hopes that this will remind us of our need to talk less about praying and engage a consistent, intentional, and daily time of prayer. I want to share from the example of Jesus in Mark 3:7-12, when Jesus withdrew with His disciples from the crowd so they could give time to prayer.

Three Reasons You Need a Consistent, Intentional, Daily Prayer Time

If Jesus, the son of God, withdrew regularly to pray, how much more so do we need to establish the discipline for our lives? Let me suggest at least 3 reasons.

May 16, 2018 Jim Duggan

“I’m gonna be a wheel someday, I’m gonna be somebody.”

So goes a lyric from one of my favorite 60’s artists, Fats Domino. Sadly, I think a lot of people share the same aspiration. They want to be a “big wheel.”

The world’s concept of a big wheel is someone who has made a name for themselves. People know who they are. They are celebrities. In the business world, big wheels run big corporations. Big wheels in the entertainment world win the awards and appear on TV and in magazines. In sports, big wheels make the big bucks. Everyone wants to buy the products they endorse

Yes, many people want to “be a wheel someday.” But most go about it the wrong way.

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The Paradox of the Big Wheel

Jesus often used paradox to communicate the most important life truths. A paradox is a self-contradicting statement that at first seems impossible, but actually presents a deeper truth. Here are a few examples.

May 13, 2018 Jim Duggan

I planted a garden this year. Even though I am 53 years old, I still like to play in the dirt. I like to cultivate things. It’s not a large garden by any means, but it’s mine.

What Do You Cultivate?

All of us try to grow something in our lives. For some, it’s our financial standing. They do everything with a view for how it will make more money for them.

Others grow popularity. They want to know and be known by the right people. They want other people to know who they are.

Many people try to cultivate possessions. They want the best house, car, clothes, or any other objects that the world values. Their life is a massive pursuit of more, better, and new.

You can probably think of a lot of other things that people you know try to grow in their lives.

A New Crop to Cultivate

I have read the verse countless times in my life. But when I read and studied Psalm 37:3 the other day, I saw something new for me.

How to Confront Others Biblically

May 9, 2018 Jim Duggan

In my last blog, I challenged us to permit a few godly people to ask us difficult questions. We call that accountability. We grow when we allow others to confront issues in our lives that prevent us from reaching our potential.

To have others hold us accountable is not always comfortable. But even more uncomfortable are those times when we feel the need to confront others.

Confrontation is not necessarily a bad thing. But over the years I have seen a lot of both good and bad confrontation. When those inevitable times come, how can we handle it properly?

Before You Confront

In Monday’s blog post, I suggested five questions we all need someone to ask us about our lives. Today, I want to use those same five questions, but to ask them of ourselves before we confront others.

Accountability – The Missing Piece

1 Comment May 6, 2018 Jim Duggan

used by permission www.pexels.com

“If you don’t like the answer, don’t ask the question.”

Cute saying. Horrible philosophy.

Most of us don’t like questions, especially the “hard” questions about our lives. We do not like for others to question or motives or our execution of life’s daily responsibilities. However, we miss great opportunities for personal growth when we avoid questioning.

The Bible teaches us the value of submitting ourselves to the scrutiny of those who love us. Read More

Concentric Circles – A Plan for National Day of Prayer

May 2, 2018 Jim Duggan

Today is National Day of Prayer across the United States of America. Hopefully, millions of Americans will join in praying for our communities and nation during this day. I also plan to set aside more time than usual to pray alone. As part of my personal prayer time, I have developed a Prayer Chart of Concentric Circles to guide me.

If the chart is helpful to you, please feel free to use it and share it with others.

concentric circles

April 29, 2018 Jim Duggan

Most of us live by a certain set of mental presuppositions. We cherish certain values, believe certain foundational truths, and hold certain expectations of the world around us. We call this our mindset. Our mindset is the lens through which we interpret reality around us.

A Dangerous Mindset

Mindsets are not necessarily bad things. They only become bad when we set our minds on the wrong foundations. “I suppose it is tempting, if the only tool you have is a hammer, to treat everything as if it were a nail.” So wrote Abraham Maslow in his landmark book The Psychology of Science. Everything cannot be a nail, even if I love hammers.

The Bible mentions three dangerous mindsets.

When Jesus informed His disciples of His imminent death, Peter took Jesus aside and rebuked Him. But Jesus turned the tables on Peter. In Mark 8:33, Jesus told Peter that apparently he had set his mind on the things of men instead of the things of God.

Like Peter, we often view life through only our human understanding. We determine the appropriateness of a thing based on an earthly definition of “appropriate.”

Likewise, in Romans 8:5, Paul contrasts the fleshly – or again, earthly – mindset and the spiritual mindset. We set our minds according to the flesh when allow our feelings to determine our outlook. When our natural, physical impulses drive our lives, we are living with a fleshly mindset.

Also, Paul identifies enemies of the cross of Christ as those who have an earthly mindset. (Philippians 3:18-19) An earthly mindset values most the things of this life. The earthly mindset defines success and failure in terms of accomplishments and attainments on this side of eternity.

If you are honest with yourself, would you admit that you live by one of these mindsets?

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The Biblical Mindset

Paul challenges the Colossian Christians to set their minds on heavenly things. (Colossians 3:2) That Paul challenges them to set their minds proves that we have a choice of how we view life. We can either seek to live for earthly pleasures, possessions, and plaudits, or we can pursue heaven’s life agenda.

In Colossians 3, Paul challenges us to seek the things above, where Christ is sitting a the Father’s right hand.

Seek Christ’s desire. Ask yourself in all situations what Jesus would want you to do. What action or attitude would please Him most and draw attention to Him?
Seek Christ’s direction. Ask yourself in all situations how Jesus would want you to act, believe, or think. What course of action would best advance His purpose and agenda.
Seek Christ’s identity. Ask yourself who will get noticed because of your attitudes and actions. Will people think of Jesus or of you because of your action or attitude?

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Dressing for Mindset

In verses 5 – 11, Paul lists some actions and attitudes that indicate an earthly mindset. He challenges us to “put off” these. Then in verses 12 – 17, he lists some attitudes and actions that indicate a heavenly mindset. Read both lists and answer the following questions.

Which of the attitudes and actions of the earthly mindset do you observe in your life?

Will you ask God to help you exchange them for attitudes and actions from the heavenly mindset list?

In verse 17, Paul challenges us to do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus. What attitudes and actions in your life would embarrass Jesus to have Him name attached?

What is ONE THING you will seek to change TODAY to be more INTENTIONAL about a heavenly mindset?

Additionally, if you would like more about how your mindset affects your life, you can check out the links below.

“You Are What You Think – Your Key to a Joyful Life”

“Guard Your Heart by Training Your Mind”

“Think About What You Think About” – short video challenge

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