Let Scripture Simmer before You Write

by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28

I feel like a grown woman now—I know how to make my own soup. I know this isn’t a trait that’s necessary to live in the real world. But there’s something satisfying about making food from scratch. Cookies, bread, banana pie. I’ve made those before. But soup—well, mine turned out to be like gravy—makes me feel bonded to pioneer women of past generations. Except I had electricity.

You have to let it simmer. The butter and the flour need a good simmering before the other ingredients are added, and then it simmers some more. Meanwhile, anticipation simmers in my tummy about the yummy rice bowl I’ll eat that night.

You have to let Scripture simmer too. The words and their meaning. The stories and their lessons. The longer we let Scripture simmer in our souls, the more we’ll understand its truths and we’ll be nourished by its encouragement and promises.

So if you write about Scripture in the form of Bible studies, Christian living, or devotions, what is the next passage that needs to simmer in your mind and heart? I simmered over the book of 2 Timothy, giving each chapter a theme and each paragraph an application statement, before I wrote a verse-by-verse study on it. I simmered over Old Testament and New Testament stories to find a theme that tied them all together, and that helped me to write my next book, Faith, Courage, and Victory. 

I’ve been simmering the book of Philippians in my heart and mind for over four years, but, of course, it doesn’t always take that long. Now I have at least three different outlines to choose from as I write a book of encouragement for Bible-based writers. The application I found in my study time with God nourished my heart exactly when I needed it, and these principles give me fodder for a myriad of videos, memes, and social media posts I want to make.

Here is one of the outlines for Philippians that I love:

Recharge Your Joy When Serving God Grows Hard

Chapter 1: Believe in the mission.

Chapter 2: Think “with,” not “against.”

Chapter 3: Choose forward, not backward.

Chapter 4: Embrace peace, not anxiety.

Can you easily recall some application that’s meaningful to you because you let a Bible passage simmer in your soul?

7 Tips for Letting Scripture Simmer in Your Soul

God’s truth needs to simmer in us before it can simmer in the hearts of our readers. Try these seven tips for a superb simmer.

Tip #1: Write the main Bible verse of your passage on an index card, and set it on your desk or kitchen counter so you can see it throughout the day. (Memorize it.)

Tip #2: Write your Bible verse in a journal, and look closely at its message

• draw a box around what the verse says to remember (a truth) or what it says to do (a command),
• draw a squiggly line under why we need to remember or do that (if the verse shares a reason), and
• and draw a straight line under how to put that truth or command into practice (if it’s given).

Tip #3: Use an app like Online Bible (www.onlinebible.com) or the software version (www.onlinebible.net) to look up definitions to get the sense of the reading (Nehemiah 8:8), and then write down application for that verse using wording from the definitions. 

Tip #4: Pray through your verse, thanking God for who He is or asking help for yourself or someone else. 

Tip #5: Look up cross-references to your Bible passage, and make a list of the ones most related to your writing topic. What understanding do these add to what you’ve already discovered?

Tip #6: Read your Bible passage every night before you sleep, and focus on different phrases each time. Pray for our society to grasp the truth in those verses or to practice them. Imagine how our world would be different if we practiced what God is teaching you. 

Tip #7: In a journal, write down the Bible verse you’re studying, and create a few questions that would help a Bible study group see what’s in the verse and discuss its application. Turn each question (that’s related to your topic) into a paragraph in what you’re writing. Write down a prayer the group could end their time with, and see if that prayer needs to be included in your writing. 

How do you like to simmer some Scripture in the core of who you are? Share your thoughts in the comments, and if you have a favorite Bible passage you like to simmer in (and a make-it-from-scratch stroganoff recipe), contact me. 

TWEETABLE

Let Scripture Simmer Before You Write from @KatyKauffman28 on @EdieMelson (Click to Tweet)

Katy Kauffman is an award-winning author, an editor of Refresh Bible Study Magazine, and a co-founder of LIGHTHOUSE BIBLE STUDIES. She loves connecting with writers and working alongside them in compilations, such as Feed Your Soul with the Word of God, Collection 1 which is a 2020 Selah Awards finalist. She also enjoys encouraging writers and giving writing tips in her monthly writers’ newsletter called THE LIGHTHOUSE CONNECTION.

In addition to online magazines, Katy’s writing can be found at CBN.COM, thoughts-about-God.com, and three blogs on writing. She loves to spend time with family and friends, create art and make crafts with her group MY ARTSY TRIBE, and tend the garden in the morning sun. She makes her home in a cozy suburb of Atlanta, Georgia. Connect with her on FACEBOOK and TWITTER.