Ever come to the end of a book and felt like you were still in the middle of the story? Maybe you were. . . Check out this interactive article on Luke and Acts by Christopher R. Smith at Bible Study Magazine. It describes these two books as a two-volume set instead of separate stories. Together they provide a history of the beginning of the church and its spread of the gospel. You can take a look at some other interactive articles here.

Without a doubt, the best Bible study I have ever done is the Precept Upon Precept Bible Study entitled Covenant: Knowing God’s Covenant. I have heard Kay Arthur, the author of the study, say many times that it is the most popular of the Precept Upon Precept series. It is one of only a handful of topical studies offered in this series.

Precept Camden will be starting this study on August 31, 2010. For all of the information, go to our Join Our Current Study page. You can do the study with us in person OR online! Go here for details on how to take an online study with us.

Here’s how Precept Ministries describes this study: “See this incredible thread running from Genesis through Revelation. God enters into a binding agreement with His people and always keeps His promises. Trusting Him as a covenant partner frees us from the bondage of worry and anxiety. This study will transform the way you read the Scriptures!”

I couldn’t agree more. My understanding of the Bible as a whole was revolutionized as a result of learning about the incredible covenant-making and covenant-keeping God I serve. I believe yours will be, too.

Two helpful books to accompany this study are The Two Covenants by Andrew Murray and The Blood Covenant by H. Clay Trumbull. But don’t forget: do your own in-depth study of God’s word using Precept’s workbook on Covenant as a guide before you read books about the subject that have been written by man. It is always best to see what God has to say first!

I have written several posts on the perfect pens for marking your Bible. I have expressed my love and affection for a variety of writing instruments. After much research (i.e., personal use) and hundreds of dollars spent (okay, maybe not hundreds but still alot), I have concluded that the above equation is true.

When doing inductive Bible study, the Pilot Frixion Erasable Gel Ink Pens combined with Crayola Twistables make the perfect match. Like peas and carrots. Or like potatoes and gravy. Or like ice cream and hot fudge sauce. Or like peanut butter and jelly. Or like rama lama lama ke ding a de dinga a dong. (Raise your hand if you grew up in the 80′s and know all the words to Grease.)

So you can stop searching, throw away all those other pens and pencils you have, and get these. They are all you need. Trust me on this.

My Precept Bible study takes a break for the summer months, as do many other Bible study groups. But as stores start putting out the school supplies, I realize that summer is coming to an end quickly. Have you decided what you will be studying in the fall? May I make a suggestion?

Precept Ministries has just released its newest study in their Precept Upon Precept series. It is Nehemiah: Rebuilding, Revival and Restoration of the People of God. Here’s what Precept says about its latest release: How do you respond when the enemy tries to interfere with God’s clear direction? The enemies of God sought to frighten Nehemiah as he proceeded to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Nehemiah shows us leadership and obedience in the face of opposition, as well as God’s miraculous blessing and provision.

Click here to order a workbook. But don’t forget that, as with all of the Precept Upon Precept series, training is required to lead this study. For information on how to become a trained Precept leader, you can send an email to info@precept.org or call 1.800.763.8280.

Precept Camden now has t-shirts! They are 100% cotton and are available in Adult Sizes S, M, L, XL, XXL, XXXL, and XXXXL. They are $20 each plus shipping. To order yours, please email us at preceptcamden@gmail.com.

Proceeds will benefit Inductive Bible Study and Leadership Training in Romania.

What is the longest chapter in the Bible? With 176 verses, Psalm 119 claims the title. The book of Psalms is my favorite book in the Bible, and Chapter 119 is one of my favorite chapters. It is all about the Word of God and its relationship to our lives and our relationship to it. Do you esteem the Word of God highly in your life? Is it your instruction book for living? Is it a lamp for your feet and a light for your path, as Psalm 119:105 claims it should be?

Click here to download and print a free inductive See It for Yourself Study on Psalm 119:25-40 called “Revive Me, Teach Me” from Precept Ministries International. These quick See It for Yourself Studies (formerly called Lightning Studies) take about 15 minutes to complete and are a great introduction to inductive Bible study. Discover what God says about His Word and the place it should hold in our lives.

For more See It for Yourself/Lightning Studies, click here. For an Introduction to Inductive Bible Study, click here.

There are many incredible Bible study software programs available for purchase. There’s PC Study Bible. It’s user friendly and reasonably priced. There’s Logos. It’s complicated to use and pricey, but, boy oh boy, is it a Rolls Royce in a field of Bible software Hyundais. If you are a serious student of the Word, then you need to pack away those bulky, dusty volumes of books and invest in a good software program.

But did you know that there are multitudes of free Bible study resources on the web? One of my favorites is BibleStudyTools.com.  There are commentaries, dictionaries, encyclopedias, concordances, lexicons, and different translations. It is easy enough for a novice to use and yet has a depth of material that even a seasoned student will appreciate.

Precept Camden loves this free tool so much that we have put a badge in the right sidebar for easy access to all of the valuable resources BibleStudyTools.com has to offer. Just click on the picture above or the one just like it in the sidebar, and check out this great free site.

A much-loved passage of Scripture found in Habbakuk 3:17-19 says:

Though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vines, Though the yield of the olive should fail and the fields produce no food, Though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no cattle in the stalls, Yet I will exult in the LORD, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation.  The Lord GOD is my strength, And He has made my feet like hinds’ feet, And makes me walk on my high places.

What a glorious anthem of trust to our God! His ways are so far above our ways that oftentimes we must simply trust in Who He is even when our circumstances seem bleak and hopeless. The book Hinds’ Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard obviously gets its title from these verses in Habbakuk. Originally published in 1955, it is an allegory that has become a Christian classic.

In the style of John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, the main character Much-Afraid journeys to the High Places of the Shepherd. She is accompanied by two guides: Sorrow and Suffering. Much-Afraid learns many spiritual lessons along the way about herself, but, more importantly, about the Shepherd. There are many spiritual lessons that we can learn as well within the pages of this special novel.

Please read Hinds’ Feet on High Places. I know that you will be blessed and encouraged. And I believe you will also be able to sing along with Habbakuk and his hymn of praise to our great and glorious God who gives us hope when there seems to be no hope.

To see my favorite gel pens for marking your Bible, click here. To see my favorite colored pencils, click here. (Both are available in Precept Camden’s store.)