Summer Study Ideas

Maintaining Your Spiritual Growth During the Summer
Diana Liles

Early summer is the time of year when routines can be left behind and free time becomes filled with vacation travel, occupying children, summer chores, and leisure activities. Staying on track with devotion times, as well as group interaction with built-in accountability, is a challenge. But a relationship with the Lord is established only through time spent with Him in study and prayer, and summer is not a time to take exception with this truth. We risk having hearts that drift unless we are intentional in maintaining such disciplines throughout every season.

Consider infusing your study and devotions with fresh, new materials and methods that will keep you motivated and growing in your spiritual walk. Even an old study that has gathered dust on a shelf can be like that reacquaintance with an old and dear friend when opened on your deck with a cup of coffee in the summer sun. Here are a few ideas for staying on track, revitalizing your devotions, and deepening your relationship with the Lord as you enjoy those lazy summer days.

Start or Join a Community Group.
As crazy as this sounds, many folks can’t sustain the commitment of group membership during the school year when constraints are placed on schedules, but many folks have abundant free time when the kids are out of school in the summer. Consider forming a group that meets at a local park where the kids can play while you discuss the week’s sermon. Or trade with your spouse in spending time alone with the kids while the other parent gets away with friends for a study. Coffee shops, community gardens, hiking trails, any place where people draw together can be places where friends gather in Jesus’ name and spend time studying and discussing His Word.

Fill a Doodle Bible.
Nothing speaks of slowing down and reflecting like doodling. Doodle Bibles are also known as Journaling Bibles but are different because the pages are specially created with beautiful designs and thick paper so you can color and doodle your reflections. The Inspire Bible (Tyndale) and Beautiful Word Bible (Zondervan) for women and Bible Verses for Men (Newgate) for guys are wonderful examples, or search for ‘coloring bible’ or ‘journal bible’ in Amazon for a myriad of choices. An added benefit of filling a Doodle Bible is how the book becomes an elegant heirloom of your gathered thoughts and reflections for future generations.

Build a New Relationship.
We all have a neighbor or work contact with whom we’ve intended to build a deeper relationship. Seek the Lord and pay attention to whom He puts on your heart. Then build that intent around your BBQ grill or your ice cream maker! Invite acquaintances over for Saturday brunch, or target a few parents on the softball bench, and purpose to get to know them through focused conversations. Jesus was in the people business, and we should be, too. A good intro into a spiritual conversation is the question, “What is your relationship with God like?” Sharing your testimony or inviting your new friends to the church’s summer activities is a good way for you to grow in your faith by seeing God work in others’ lives.

Plug Into RightNow Media.
A media library is a compilation of research, study, and teaching resources that you can access online. The most popular Christian media library is RightNow Media. RightNow Media is a streaming library of more than 20,000 Bible study and ministry training videos, with difficulty levels ranging from simple and short to master’s level theology, exegesis, and apologetic studies. RightNow Media also has an entire library of free kid’s videos for those moments when you just need a break. Some of the greatest Bible teachers in the world house their media works here. There is something for everyone.

RCC has a RightNow Media account. If you would like you own login and access, please email office@rcclex.org and we’ll get you connected!

Take a Class.
Free university-level Bible classes are available from a variety of sources. Some classes are audit classes at renowned Bible colleges, while other classes are taught by Bible-centered ministries. Consider taking a few classes for credit toward a certificate or diploma or go all in and pursue a degree. Check out Ligonier (www.ligonier.org), Dallas Theological Seminary (https://voice.dts.edu/free-courses/), Biblical Training Institute (www.biblicaltraining.org), and Emmaus (emmausbibleministries.org) and to get started.

Tap Into Podcasts.
Invest in a great set of earbuds and pull up some great teaching from gifted teachers who base their ministries in podcasts. Podcasts allow you to remain productive and mobile as your mind is filled with outstanding teaching. John Piper, John MacArthur, and Kelly Minter are a few of the most popular podcast teachers. But you can also track groups and ministries such as Renewing Your Mind, Thru the Bible, the John Mark Comer Teaching Podcast, The Family Discipleship Podcast (FDP), The Bible Project, Intentional Family Podcast, and The Emotionally Healthy Leader Podcast. Podcasts offer something for everyone.

Write Your Own Study.
Gather all those notes you’ve been taking in your Bible or journal try your hand at writing your own summer study. You’ll revisit old friends and great memories as you review passages that impacted and influenced you over the years. Gather them together into a scripted group hug and turn them into a study tool for others. Dig deep with a cross-reference Bible, a Hebrew or Greek concordance, or some commentaries and apologetics, and get to writing. There is no better way to learn than to teach.

Download a Bible Study App.
A favorite way to dig deep into God’s Word is to use a Bible study app. BibleHub is one of the simplest apps to use where studies and verse-of-the-day reminders are free. A step up is eSword where you can purchase some of the world’s greatest commentaries, apologetics, and resources, and where you can cross-reference Bible versions and literature on one screen. Or you can become a heavy hitter with software like Logos, but this app is not for the faint of heart. Other apps include The Bible, Read Scripture, Ask Pastor John, Pause, Lectio 365, Lectio For Families, and Every Moment Holy. Whichever app you choose, plan to spend a little early morning time digging into some great Bible study.

Choose a Passage and Memorize.
Memorizing Scripture forces you to slow down and focus. Don’t believe the lie that you cannot memorize Scripture. If you can memorize your favorite Christian music lyrics, you can memorize Scripture. Bible Memory is a great app for memory work because the content is built on a foundation of repetition. You cannot move forward until you demonstrate proficiency with the passage you are working on. The app also reminds you to review passages you have mastered. Don’t try to be a superhero here. One verse a week mastered with sound study and reflection is a tremendous success.

Revisit Your Testimony.
Few things are more compelling than hearing someone’s personal story. Take time to capture your salvation history in an elevator narrative (15-30 seconds) that you can quickly share with others. Revisiting the account of how you came to know the Lord can be a deeply formative spiritual deep-dive; sharing that account with others brings hope and faith alive. You can never give people what you have been given, but by sharing your story you can make them homesick for what you have. Prepare for that Spirit moment by bullet-pointing your testimony. You may never know whose life will be changed by the hope that is now in you.

Change Your Space.
Summer is a great time to get outside and enjoy the weather with your Bible in hand. But a different space in your home can be just as refreshing when you are intentional in setting that space aside for being with the Lord. Move from your kitchen table to a cozy chair in front of a window filled with sunshine and a few plants. Sweep off that porch and hang a swing where you can go to meet with your Savior each day. Even a favorite picnic bench in a park or on a trail can become sacred space when it’s where you hear the Spirit’s voice best. Change it up!

Whatever way you choose to pursue your relationship with the Lord this summer, the point is to get intentional and get going. A river that runs without constraint will meander and run shallow. But a river that runs with constraint runs deep and true. Don’t let your spiritual walk with God become meandering and shallow this summer. Be intentional in planning your times with the Lord. Stick to your plan, and by fall, you’ll find that you are running spiritually deep and true. Have a great summer!