Youth—Frequently Asked Questions
1. How should the Bible be read?
Don't read the Bible like a typical book.
If you’re new to the Bible, you may find that reading from the first page to the last is difficult. You are not alone in thinking this. On the whole there are five books that contain the essential teaching of the Bible. If this is your first time, we recommend that you start by reading Genesis, the first book of the Bible. It gives the origin of the earth and stories of early men and women of faith. Then turn to Deuteronomy, the fifth book in the Bible. It expresses God’s love and summarizes God’s laws for his people, Israel. Next, turn to the fourth book in the New Testament, the gospel of John. It introduces Jesus as God’s Son and shows the meaning behind his life, death, and resurrection. The next book, Acts, follows the gospel of John and gives a history of the early church. The sixth book, Romans, follows the book of Acts and is a letter from the Apostle Paul to people in the early church. It explains the needs of the human race and how God has met those needs through Jesus. These five Bible books will give you the history and basic principles you’ll need to understand the rest of the Bible.
You may have a specific need or interest that you are unsure of how to locate. Please visit the various types, translations, or Bible product pages to find what suits you best. These pages will allow you to locate the resources that will enrich your Bible study.
2. Should I take the Bible personally?
Take it personally.
To fully appreciate the Bible, what you read must become relevant in your life. After you read a passage, pause for a moment and ask three simple questions:
1. Observation: What is this passage about?
2. Interpretation: What does it mean?
3. Application: How does it apply to my life?
If you find it difficult to see the relevance to your life, there are editions of the Bible designed to help you. Research was done to find the most common questions people have at different stages of life. Bible scholars then took these questions and linked them to passages in the Bible that give relevant answers.
For additional information and answers to today’s tough questions
Girls
Find true answers to important topics at:
http://www.trueimagesbible.com/
in the Topics section.
Boys
Find real answers to real issues at:
http://www3.zondervan.com/features/bibles/0310928192/topics.cfm