Men color too. What?
My friend, Matt, shared that his men’s study has come alive with a pack of colored markers. Before the meetings, Matt prints out the day’s Bible reading and invites participants to circle verbs, underline names, draw arrows between repeating phrases, highlight details, and make notes in the margins before discussing the passage.
My friend, Christian, a member of Matt’s Bible study group, remembers feeling hesitant at first:
“Here I am with a group of guys who have nicknamed themselves ‘Manbeverages & Bibles’ and now rainbow markers are strewn all over the table where we’re meeting. It’s starting to feel like a Pinterest party.
But 15 minutes into the study, the Bible started coming alive in a whole new way,” Christian says. “Each of us started noticing details, phrases, patterns—God began speaking through the Scripture to each of us in a personal way.”
Christian and Matt’s story raises the question: Can a pack of colored markers make that big of a difference in studying the Scripture?
During #LentChallenge 2014, we decided to find out. As people read through the Gospels during 40 days they were invited to circle, underline, and doodle away. The feedback?
“This has transformed the way I look at read Scripture.”
“It’s like a whole new way of learning and understanding.”
“My whole book club is doing this together.”
I riffed on Matt’s idea and develop the following Bible Study Color Method:
Verbs are circled in red. Highlighting the activity of people and God.
Names are underlined in green. Additional mentions receive an extra underline.
Timing is circled in blue. Noting when, then, and after exposes God’s blueprint.
Numbers are circled in orange. Numerals often have Biblical significance.
The Holy Spirit, angels, the prophetic are marked in light blue. A steady presence.
Observations are scribbled in turquoise. Comments, insights, humorous notes.
Doodles appear in a variety of colors. Doodling allows the soul to reflect.
Now, marking this much in my bible would create a color fiasco, so I followed Matt’s lead and went to www.biblegateway.com. I searched for the day’s readings, selected a translation, removed verse references, and printed.
This allowed me to have the Scripture printed, without numbers, and begin to mark up with lots of margins and rooms for notes.
If you’d like this to do this for The 40-Day Lent Challenge 2016 of reading Luke and Acts this year, you can download the Scripture and create your own print out at biblegateway.com.
But maybe you want to participate in The 40-Day Lent Challenge 2016 of reading Luke and Acts but just don’t have time to put together your own print out.
That’s why our team has created a downloadable 200 page eBook called The 40-Day Live Lent Challenge: A Color Method Study for Luke and Acts for only $8.99.
We’ve taken the books of Luke and Acts and divided them into daily readings from a variety of translations. Then we’ve worked with artists to added simple artwork to each page to invite you to color, doodle, and discover God’s Word anew.
The 40-Day Live Lent Challenge: A Color Method Study for Luke and Acts includes:
*A Welcome Letter
*The Reading Plan
*Instructions on How to Use the Color Method
*Suggestions on How to Get the Most From Your Study Time
*Space to Journal and Doodle and Color and Create
If you just want the one-page FREE #LentChallenge Reading Guide, click here.
Remember, Lent begins early this year—February 10. Don’t miss this opportunity to awaken to the wonder of God and the Scripture this year.
Thank you for sharing Margaret. I also have a Bible highlighting system that I created and use.
Purple highlight: Truths about God; references about God, including pronouns.
Yellow highlight: Truths about Jesus; references about Jesus, including pronouns.
Blue highlight: References to the Holy Spirit.
Green highlight: Commands to obey; instructions to follow; what I SHOULD do.
Orange highlight: Sins to avoid; warnings; what I SHOULD NOT do.
Pink highlight: Promises to claim; blessings; encouragement.
Thank you Margaret for once again sharing something WONDER – full (like wonder struck)! I’ve recently started following others that doing Bible Art Journaling and do not yet do this in my Bible. However, I like this idea of using colors throughout to underline, highlight, etc. I have not started doing this either yet in colors but saw this over at Courtney’s “Women Living Well” (Good Morning Girls). She has a bookmark or printable in her sidebar that I like.
I like what Carmen has shared also. Now to decide. Significant colors, I guess to each their own.
I always enjoy reading along with your Lent Bible plans … but already have another one lined up but as usual this one sound intriguing and inspiring as you always do. Your method is a more do-able one for me… and I like that additional idea you had of Bible Gateway! I have a sketch pad that I used during Advent with another site that did “Advent Illustrated” (also a book) but I was not ready or have the right supplies to do in my real hands-on Bible nor do I have a printer to do this, a bit limited down here in Mexico instead of back home in MN. That’s OK, I still enjoy vicariously … and have bookmarked many pages to begin this someday.
I love how this revolutionized with “men” too! Thanks Matt!
Have a beautiful Lent and colorful study of God’s Word continually!
~Peggy
This is great! I love hearing how others study the Bible. Thanks for sharing. Hugs!
Thank you, Peggy! Whichever method or study that you land on, I pray that you grow closer to Jesus during this time. Blessings!
oh, and yes men color! 🙂 Thanks for the blessing. May we all be growing closer to Jesus! I can’t believe it’s almost Lent already. How quickly!
I am using the scriptures in combining with prayer and am really carrying the cross as Jesus says to his discilples and through color and art encourages me to contiue through and share in ways that are not conventional but are encouraging many to have a unique and personal interaction with the Holy Spirit. Really looking forward to Easter in a way that ignites a fire of revival in God’s kingdom here on Earth. Holy Spirit make us new!!! Amen