You Can Do Bible Study

What exactly is Bible study? And how do I do it? Pastor and author Peter Krol joins us this week to help us understand what Bible study is and how anyone can do it. Not only does Peter help us understand the OIA method (observe, interpret, apply), but he also explains the Holy Spirit’s role in reading the Bible. Near the end of the conversation, he gives an appeal to all young Christians to just read the Bible. He asks the question: “If you were locked in a room with just a simple edition of the Bible, would it be like a first date with silence and awkwardness? Or would it be exciting and wonderful?”

 

Who’s Our Guest?

Peter Krol serves as the President for DiscipleMakers – a campus ministry in the state of Pennsylvania. Peter also serves as the Preaching Pastor at Grace Fellowship Church in State College, PA. In addition to this, Peter has also written Knowable Word: Helping Ordinary People Learn to Study the Bible. He blogs regularly at knowableword.com.

Episode Links

Peter’s book is called Knowable Word: Helping Ordinary People Learn to Study the Bible.

 

Read It

*Below is an edited transcription of the audio conversation.

With me today is Peter Kroll. Peter is president of DiscipleMakers, it’s a campus ministry. He’s a pastor, he’s an author. A few years ago now he wrote a book called Knowable Word: Helping Ordinary People Learn to Study the Bible, and that’s the topic – Bible reading, Bible study – that’s the topic we’ll be getting at today. But anyways, thanks for being here today Peter.

Your welcome.

You know, before we jump into the topic, do you mind letting us know a little bit more about who you are? Specifically, how you came to know Jesus, and also what you’re up to in life right now?

Sure. I grew up in a Christian family in the suburbs of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania. Heard the gospel from a young age and I remember praying to receive Christ when I was pretty young. It didn’t fully sink in for me until later in my high school years, when all the things that I had been trusting in fell apart on me all at once.

I just lived for music and for girls. I played the trombone and had a failed audition one year and I had a dating relationship that went sour. The combination of those things launched me into some depression and helped me realize that only Christ could really give me the life that I was looking for. So, I started really walking with Christ at that point.

I went off to college. While I was in college I was deeply impacted by DiscipleMakers’ campus ministry, as the folks that were invested in me helped me learn how to study the Bible and how to think biblically about everything I did. Applying the Scriptures and the gospel to all different areas of life. I had been so impacted and convinced by the benefit of reaching college students that I joined the ministry when I graduated. I served with DiscipleMakers for about fifteen years before being appointed president in 2016.

I also serve as preaching pastor of Grace Fellowship Church, my local church in State College, Pennsylvania which is right were Pennsylvania State University is.

What exactly, I mean, I’m a little bit unfamiliar with DiscipleMakers, so, what is it in a brief snapshot?

Well we reach students at secular universities across the state of Pennsylvania. We’re still small, but we’re working at reaching new campuses. And our mission is to, as you can guess from our name, it’s to make disciples of Christ.