by Katy Kauffman @KatyKauffman28
I was shopping so much on Amazon one fall, that I thought about putting a sign with some cookies next to the pumpkins on my porch. The sign would greet every Amazon delivery driver with “Thank you for your visit,” so they wouldn’t get tired of coming. I don’t shop like the main character in Confessions of a Shopaholic which features Isla Fisher’s character, Rebecca, as an obsessed shopper, but she did say something that stuck with me.
Known for being quite candid, Rebecca told a banker that his bank had “the most boring window display.” She went on to say, “It’s like someone hit the snooze button in my brain.” When people read the Bible studies we write, we don’t want them to hit any snooze button or even think about snoozing.
So how can we write Bible studies that are far from boring?
3 Ways to Avoid Inspiring Your Readers to Hit the “Snooze Button"
1. Write from an angle that appeals to your readers—make it interesting.
In Confessions of a Shopaholic, Rebecca was a journalist who was given an assignment to write about a topic from an angle. Writing “head-on” wasn’t enough. A direct approach in Bible study writing may be accurate, but it can also turn out factual and not warm or interesting enough.
Think about your topic and your target audience. What story or metaphor would introduce the topic, Scripture, or principle you want to write about? In the preface to my first book, I talked about baking (and eating) brownies, and my friends never forgot it. In the second compilation I put together, we used house renovation to talk about how God renovates our hearts to be like His Son’s.
2. Give the “juicy’s” when you explain Scripture—make it meaningful.
I’m sorry but I just can’t take burgers baked in the oven anymore. I’ve tried. I need a grill. When you have the choice of eating a juicy burger with melted cheese on top versus a dry one that needs more cheese than is healthy, which would you choose?
Scripture is alive and powerful on its own, but it matters how we present it. Do we take enough time to prepare the messages in our writing so that they are appealing? Do we look at the definitions, cross-references, and commentary notes we have gathered about a passage, and share what best supports our point? And do we word it in a way that is “juicy” and meaningful, not dry and bland?
One of the best ways to explain the Bible is to look at what Scripture itself uses to make a point. In Mark Chapter 5, a contrast caught my attention in how people responded to Jesus. After He freed a man possessed by a legion of demons, He allowed the demons to enter a herd of pigs who ran down a cliff into the sea. The pig herders told everyone in town what happened, and when the townspeople came out, they saw the formerly demon-possessed man “sitting and clothed and in his right mind” (Mark 5:15 NKJV). You would think that would be a good thing.
Instead of joy, the people felt fear and begged Jesus to leave; instead of fear, the freed man felt joy and begged Jesus to let him follow Him. In our lives today, hopelessness can dwell in us like a legion of sorrows. Sometimes we feel trapped in our own minds by negativity and despair. But Jesus has the power to free us. No matter how bad it gets, Jesus can help us.1
When we explain Scripture, we can use the best tools and notes we find to showcase the beauty, hope, and help found in God’s Word.
3. Work with God to create application that “sticks” in their hearts and minds—make it relevant.
What is application that “sticks”? It’s appealing, meaningful, and relevant to the reader. It has enough “weight” that it’s sound (based on accurate interpretation) and substantive (not too “surface level”). It costs us something to write it (enough study time, prayer time, and life experience), and it costs them something to live it out (understanding God’s Word, accepting His promptings, and practicing what His Word teaches).
Can you name some Bible study writers, besides yourself, whose application has stuck in your mind and heart? How does that “sticking” happen? For me, I had a need. The author showed how God and His Word meet that need, how to trust Him and what next step to take, and the blessing that comes with following Him. That’s the what, the how, and the why—the what of God’s truth, how to live it out, and why it’s important. Sharing a combination of at least two of these, can help our application to stick in our readers’ minds.
When you read someone else’s Bible study, which of the numbered points above that they have accomplished, “stick” with you the most? Tell us in the comments section.
Then think about this—which of these do you tend to focus on when you write, and which one might need a little more attention in the future? God bless you as you write for Him!
1Portions of this paragraph come from my article, “No Matter How Bad It Gets,” in Feed Your Soul with the Word of God, Collection 2 (Buford, Georgia: Lighthouse Bible Studies, 2023), 93.
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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.
Great advice Katy! Thank you.
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