A member asks,
In your sermon yesterday evening, you mentioned taking a couple hours a month to learn to read the Bible well. Are there any specific resources you would recommend?
I’d recommend a three pronged approach.
Read Good Books about Reading the Great Book
If there's one book I'd recommend, it’s What's in the Bible by R. C. Sproul. A similar volume is Reading the Bible For All It's Worth by Gordon Fee. Both books introduce and summarize key doctrines, events, and approaches related to Scripture.
Watch Videos About the Bible Books
There's a helpful, free video series online called the Bible Project. As far as I know, the creators aren't Reformed, so we might not agree 100% with all they say. But for use by well-grounded adults, I'd say it's an excellent resource for getting the gist of different biblical books. Here's a sample covering the book of Philemon.
Most Importantly: Read Biblical Books Multiple Times
Many people try to read the Bible straight through and come up confused. There is so much ground to cover that by the time you finish—if indeed you ever finish!—you may hardly remember the earlier portions. I suggest picking one biblical book from each of the major genres. Then read them through at least 5-10 times (don’t worry how long it will take). This process surfaces and cements key ideas, as well as familiarizes you with the structures and idioms of that genre. I’ve used this method extensively to great benefit. For instance:
OT Narrative — Genesis
OT Prophets — Isaiah
OT Poetry — Psalms
NT Narrative — Matthew
NT Epistles — Romans or Ephesians
Listening to an audio version is a fine way to do this, too. I've listened to Romans probably hundreds of times.
To do this properly, of course, it is crucial that you begin and end your studies asking the Holy Spirit to guide and enlighten you to the truth, guard you from error, and drive you toward the obedience of faith.
I hope some of these are helpful to you!
