How to Study the Bible - Bible Study Made Simple

By Nicole Unice, Bible Study Coach and Author of the Alive Method of Bible Study

As Christians, we want to experience God through the Bible… we really do!

But our good intentions fall flat when reading the Bible just doesn’t seem to help us experience God in a real way.

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Number 1: Discerning God's Will Starts with Knowing What You Really Want
If you're facing a decision right now, or wondering where God is in the middle of a season you didn't plan for, this series is going to meet you right where you are. Over the next four weeks, we're talking about discerning God's will and wayfinding to the good life, and it comes straight out of what I have personally been walking through as we've been discerning a major next step in my own life. Download the free four-week study guide on Discerning God's Will at NicoleUnice.com/decisions But before we get into decisions and direction, we have to start somewhere that might feel a little unexpected. We have to start with desire. I know that word can feel uncomfortable, especially if you've grown up in the church hearing that desires are dangerous or selfish. But the Bible tells a very different story. Psalm 37:4 says God will give you the desires of your heart. Jesus Himself asks people over and over again, "What do you want?" And in John chapter 7, standing up at a Jewish festival in a loud voice that would have stopped everyone around Him, Jesus says, "Anyone who is thirsty may come to me." He is addressing a longing. He is meeting a desire. He is saying, if there is something in you that is unsatisfied, come to me. So what do you actually want? Most of us are working from surface-level desires. I want that promotion. I want out of this pain. I want more money, more peace, more security. And those things are real. But underneath them is usually something deeper and truer. The desire for security. For love. For freedom from fear. For purpose. For a life that actually matters. And those deeper desires? Those are holy. Those are God-given. Those are actually reflecting the image of God in you. We also look at what God promises about the good life, because here's something Jesus says that a lot of us have missed: the kingdom of God is not just heaven someday. In Luke 17:21, He says the kingdom of God is already among you. And Romans 14:17 tells us what that kingdom actually looks and feels like: goodness, peace, joy, and power in the Holy Spirit. That is what's available to you right now, not just one day, here on earth. So this week, I want to give you one brave invitation: ask yourself what you really want. And then ask again, what is the desire under that desire? Be honest with God. Be courageous. Even if you've never talked to God before, start there. Because that's exactly where the discernment journey begins. Reflection Questions What do you want right now, in this season of your life? What is the desire underneath that desire? If you could experience goodness, peace, joy, and power in your everyday life, would that be what you want? Where do you sense God might be inviting you to trust Him with your deepest longings? Want More? 📥 Download the free four-week Discernment study guide at NicoleUnice.com/decisions — follow along with the series and use it as a tool for talking to God about your next step Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
September 14, 202625min
Number 2: How Knowing Your Season Will Help Your Decision Making
We're in week two of our Wayfinding series on discerning God's will, and this week we're talking about something I've been thinking about a lot lately, partly because I spent three days hiking alone in the Santa Cruz Mountains before stepping into this new season of ministry. We're talking about terrain, and what the mountains and valleys of your life are actually trying to teach you. Here's the first thing I want us to hold onto: we should expect both. Psalm 126 gives us this soaring, almost disbelieving joy: "When the Lord restored our fortunes, we were like those who dreamed." And Psalm 13 gives us the raw lament, "How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever?" Those two psalms sit just pages apart, and that's not an accident. That's the reality of life. Mountains and valleys, abundance and loss, seasons that surprise us with joy and seasons that bring us to our knees. Download the free four-week Decisions study guide at https://www.NicoleUnice.com/decisions The question for those of us in a season of discernment is: what is the terrain trying to clarify? And here's what I've found to be true: when we're wandering, when a decision hasn't come, when the direction still isn't clear, it often means God is still purifying our destination. He's showing us all the other things we're quietly serving alongside Him. Because here's the thing about discernment that I really need us to understand. Discernment isn't about choosing between right and wrong. That's just obedience. Discernment is about choosing between good things, and knowing which good thing points you most directly toward your highest calling, which is serving God wholeheartedly. When serving God becomes the actual destination, everything else, your career, your relationships, your money, your time, becomes a means to that end. Not the end itself. And the moment any of those things becomes an end in itself, it becomes an idol. I know that's rigorous. I know it's uncomfortable. It's uncomfortable for me too. But this is where the terrain does its work, because it's only possible to hear from God clearly when we're willing to live in the reality of our actual condition. Jesus opens the Sermon on the Mount with Blessed are the poor in spirit, blessed are those who mourn, blessed are the meek. He's not describing a special category of people. He's describing all of us, and saying that the ones who experience my blessing are the ones willing to live in the truth of that. So this week, the invitation is simple but not easy: listen. Listen to God through His Word, through wise counsel, through what He's already done in your life. And stay in the uncomfortable zone of waiting, knowing that God is good and His hands are full of abundance. Reflection Questions What season are you in right now, a mountain, a valley, or somewhere in between? Are there any good things in your life that have quietly become conditions you've placed on following God? What would it look like this week to listen to God more intentionally, through His Word, through counsel, through silence? Want More? 📥 Download the free four-week Decisions study guide at https://www.NicoleUnice.com/decisions - includes weekly reflection prompts to keep discernment moving between episodes 📖 Scriptures from today: Psalm 126 · Psalm 13 · Matthew 5:3–5 (Sermon on the Mount) · Psalm 66:16–20 · Genesis 32 (Jacob wrestling for the blessing) 📸 Want to see photos from Nicole's three-day solo pilgrimage in the Santa Cruz Mountains? Find them on Instagram @NicoleUnice or on her Substack (https://nicoleunice1.substack.com/) Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
September 21, 202623min
Number 3: Sabbath Was Made for You, Not the Other Way Around
Before we get into anything else today, can I just ask you a question? Are you experiencing genuine restoration and refreshment in your life right now? Not entertainment. Not distraction. Real restoration. Because most people I know would say no, and that's exactly where this week's rhythm comes in. We're talking about Sabbath today, and I know that word can land differently depending on where you're coming from. Maybe it brings up guilt about Sunday sports schedules. Maybe it feels like an Old Testament rule that doesn't apply anymore. Maybe you're in ministry, and Sunday is your biggest work day of the week. Wherever you're starting from, I want us to take a breath and start from scratch, because Jesus Himself tells us something really clarifying about what Sabbath is actually for. We're in Mark chapter 2, where the disciples are grabbing a snack as they walk through a grain field on the Sabbath, and the Pharisees immediately call them out. Jesus responds by pointing back to King David, who ate sacred bread from the altar when he was hungry, and then delivers one of the most liberating lines in all of Scripture: "The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of the people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath." That's the whole principle, right there. The Sabbath was made for you. We also go back to the original command in Exodus 20, and what I love about it is how tender it is. It's not just rest for the head of the household, it's rest for your children, your servants, your animals, and the foreigners living among you. There is so much care and justice built into this rhythm from the very beginning. And then we talk about what Sabbath could actually look like in your real life, not a list of rules, but a genuine question: what does holy refreshment look like for you? For some people it's creativity, painting, gardening, making something. For others it's actual rest, napping, being still. For others it's uninterrupted time with people they love, or being in nature. There's no one-size-fits-all answer here. But the invitation is the same for all of us: stop. Trust that God is at the helm. And see what happens when you actually let yourself rest. Check out my free download to walk through these practices together: https://nicoleunice.kit.com/spiritualpractices Reflection Questions Are you experiencing genuine restoration and refreshment in your life right now — or just entertainment? What does holy refreshment actually look like for you? Is there a place in your week where you could carve out even a half day of intentional rest? Where do you notice yourself striving or feeling anxious when you try to stop? Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
August 24, 202620min
Number 4: Creating Rhythms of Silence and Solitude
One of the paradoxes of Jesus is that he lived a perfect life without sin and had perfect communion with his Father, yet he still needed to withdraw from ministry success and pray. This observation challenges the notion that rest and solitude are only necessary for those who are burnt out or overwhelmed. Instead, it suggests that even in the midst of busyness and productivity, intentional rest and solitude are essential for reconnecting with God and being who we are meant to be. RESOURCES: Nicole’s Book: Help My Bible Is Alive! Ask Nicole a Bible study question: [email protected] FOLLOW NICOLE: Website: https://nicoleunice.com/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/nicoleunice Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nicoleunice/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nicole.unice/ Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
August 10, 202622min
Number 5: How to Take Hold of Hope Even in Disappointing Seasons | Mark 16
Have you ever been so disappointed — for so long — that you just stopped hoping anything good could happen next? That's exactly where these women are as they make their way to the tomb in the early morning hours of Mark chapter 16. They aren't coming with expectation. They're coming with burial spices. They have planned for a burial. And what they find instead is so shocking, so completely outside of anything they were prepared for, that they flee trembling and bewildered — which is, honestly, one of the most human responses in all of Scripture. We're in the final eight verses of Mark today, and I want us to really slow down here, because there is so much tucked into this ending. First — did you notice that the angel specifically calls out Peter by name? Go tell the disciples, including Peter. Remember where we last left Peter — weeping bitterly after his complete and utter failure. And yet the angel makes sure he's included by name. Because that was not the end of Peter's story. And it is never the end of ours either. We also talk about the way Mark ends — abruptly, with the women frightened and silent — and what that might mean for us. Whether the manuscript was lost or Mark intended this cliffhanger, I think there's something really beautiful about being left in the tension. Because that's where most of us actually live, isn't it? In the unresolved. In the not-yet-fully-clear. And what the resurrection says into that tension is: hope can begin before you have full clarity. Here's what we know is true from this passage and from the whole arc of the Gospel: death is defeated. Creation is being renewed. God brings life out of dead places — in history, and in your story too. The same God who said to Abraham is anything impossible for God? is the same God who rolled away that stone. Which means there is no relationship, no season, no place in your soul that is too far gone for Him. So as we close out the entire Gospel of Mark together, I want to leave you with this: is there a place in your life where disappointment has made hope feel foolish? Could you just tell God about that today — and then claim hope again anyway? What Does It Mean for Me? Questions to Consider: Is there a place in your life where disappointment has made hope difficult? Can you stay open to hope even when life is unresolved? What would change if I believed even more today that the resurrection was true? How would I live my life if I knew that nothing is impossible for God? Want More? Read along: Mark 16:1–8 Old Testament connection: Isaiah 43:19 — "See, I am doing a new thing" Psalm 30:5 — "Weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning" Not What I Signed Up For For unresolved seasons and places in your story where you're still waiting for God to show up. Includes a free video Bible study series. Available wherever books are sold or at NicoleUnice.com 📧 Stay connected and access resources at NicoleUnice.com/realtalk Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
June 08, 202614min