Titus 2 wife

3 Tools To Make Bible Study Less Overwhelming

3 Tools To Make Bible Study Less Overwhelming
Does any of this sound familiar?

"I want to study the Bible, but I don't even know where to start."

"I read it, but none of it makes sense to me. I get frustrated and just don't have the energy to try and understand."

"I barely have five minutes to myself; it would take me that long just to get settled down to study."

I talk to so many wives who want to study the Bible more, but they’re frozen before they even start. 

Why? Because it feels like too much. Too hard. Too confusing. 

And with toddlers tugging at your leg or teenagers needing rides every ten minutes, it’s easy to say, “I'll do it later.”

Let me give you three tools (plus a couple bonus ones!) that can completely change your Bible study rhythm—and make it doable even in the middle of real life.

A Bible Study Template:

Whether it’s SOAP or a printable worksheet with prompts, having something that guides your study step by step saves you from staring at the page wondering where to start. 

I used to keep my template printed and tucked into the front pocket of my Bible study notebook. That eventually became paper overflow, and my sweet husband bought me an iPad so that I can keep everything digital. 

Now I have digital templates that I duplicate and reuse. It’s like having a Bible study buddy right there with you!

If you haven't seen it yet, I've created a free Bible Study Toolkit for you, with several templates from which you can choose. 

If you need help deciding which of those templates to try first, this blog post can help.

A Dedicated Spot:

I used to drag my Bible from the dining room to the couch to the bed—and honestly, I’d end up doing more moving and organizing than studying. 

Then I was gifted a Bible Study Bag where I keep my Bible, journal(s), and a box of highlighters and colored pens, which stays next to the couch. That tiny space feels sacred. When my Bible has a home, it reminds me that study has a place in my life.

It's also an easy way to keep everything together when you want to grab it for church, or a group Bible study.

As I mentioned earlier, now I have my iPad so that all of my studying is digital, which helps me even more to keep all that I need in one spot. 

A Go-To Translation:

Don’t underestimate how much your Bible translation affects your understanding. 

If you’re constantly confused, it might be time to try something different. My recommendation is the ESV, because I have found it to be the most accurate AND the most understandable.

Find a translation that speaks clearly to you so you can focus on studying—not decoding.

BUT - you want to make sure the translation you're reading is one that is true to the original language. I strongly discourage you from making your go-to translation one that is a thought-for-thought version rather than an actual translation from the original language (e.g. The Message). With those, you are getting someone else's idea of what the text means, rather than reading what was actually written.

Those can be helpful when comparing translations, but it's imperative that the translation you primarily study is one that is true to what the authors actually wrote.

Bonus Tools: 

Because we're in the digital era, there are many digital tools available that I would highly recommend you check into. The two that I use most often are:


Bible Hub is the first online tool I was taught to use with the original languages. Here's are a few things I love that you can do:

  • compare multiple translations at a time
  • look up words or phrases in their original language
  • research where else the word was used in Scripture
  • gain an understanding of the context in which the word was used in a particular passage
  • listen to or read sermons from highly distinguished pastors and Bible teachers
  • read book summaries, and chapter summaries
  • research topical themes and see how they're connected throughout Scripture
  • get a bird's eye view of the timeline of the events in the Bible
  • look up difficult questions and answers related to a theme or passage
  • get a list of Bible study questions for each chapter to help you think critically

BibleArc is a study Bible that I found recently with a lot of different features. It's free for the study Bible portion, but I do have a subscription for the courses. Here are a few of the features I use most:

  • look up multiple translations
  • access study notes from the different translations
  • use tools to create markups, diagrams, notes, phrasing, and arcing
  • receive daily insights that give deeper meaning to various passages or answer important questions
  • take courses that teach multiple skills necessary to study the Bible deeply
  • access a coach with courses that gives feedback on your assignments and helps ensure you grasp the material
While BibleHub is free and BibleArc does have a subscription to access certain features, I would highly encourage both of them. 

Bible study doesn’t have to be complicated. It just has to be consistent. 

These tools can help you go from overwhelmed and inconsistent, to intentional and transformed.

I'd love to hear which one you're going to start with! 

Which Bible Study Method Is Right For YOU? A Simple Breakdown.

Which Bible Study Method Is Right For YOU? A Simple Breakdown.
I used to feel so overwhelmed by all the Bible study methods out there. 

SOAP, inductive, verse mapping, color-coding, commentary deep-dives… whew

As a busy wife and mom, I just needed something that worked and made sense.

The truth is—there’s no “one size fits all” method. But there is a best method for you, in this season.

Let’s break down a few simple ones:

SOAP (Scripture, Observation, Application, Prayer):
This one’s my favorite for busy mornings. You write the verse out or simply summarize it, observe what it’s saying, journal out applications you feel called to make personally, and respond in prayer. It’s simple but deep.

SPECK (Sin to avoid, Promise to claim, Example to follow, Command to obey, Knowledge about God):
This one is more of an overall observation method to help you pull out wisdom you could potentially miss. This is great when you need a little guidance finding application straight from the text—especially if you struggle to see how the Bible connects to your daily life.

Verse Mapping:
If you like digging into the original language and comparing translations, this one’s for you. There is so much more depth when you realize why an author was using a specific word, or learn what other meaning is behind the word they used. It’s a little more detailed, but super rich if you want to grow in understanding.

Bible Digest Method (a.k.a. Homiletics):
This one’s amazing for bigger passages or teaching others. For clarification, let me state that I believe Scripture prohibits women from preaching to men or having authority over them, so this method is not for the purpose of preparing a typical sermon. However, Titus 2 does command older women to teach the younger and this method could be used to help you better understand what you are going to teach younger women (or children). You summarize the main idea, find key points, and think about how to apply and share it.

I always tell women this: the best Bible study method is the one that helps you actually understand and apply what you read. 

It’s not about doing what’s trending—it’s about doing what helps you connect with the Word.

This week, try a new method! I created a little freebie Bible Study Tool Kit (with SOAP and SPECK templates) to help you experiment and find your favorite.




The Difference Between Reading and Studying the Bible

The Difference Between Reading and Studying the Bible
Please tell me you've done this too and I'm not the only one:

Have you ever sat down to “read your Bible” while mentally planning dinner, folding laundry one-handed, or hollering at a toddler to stop climbing the furniture?

We love Jesus. We want to be in the Word. But in the busyness of being a wife, a mom, and a keeper of the home, it’s easy to slip into “check the box” Bible time.

☑️ Read a Psalm? Check.
☑️ Prayed a quick prayer? Check.
☑️ Had quiet...ish time? Check.

But what was that Psalm about? Umm… no clue. Something about praising? Or maybe it was enemies falling into a pit?

Yeah. I’ve been there too.

Here’s the thing—I’ve learned the hard way that reading and studying are not the same thing.

Reading is good. Absolutely. Reading gets the Word in front of us. It introduces us to truth. It reminds us of who God is and what He’s done.

Reading whole chapters or books in one sitting gives us a bird’s-eye view of what the author is saying and how it all fits together. We should read the Bible!

But studying?

Studying is where transformation begins.

Studying is what takes God’s Word off the page and plants it deep in our hearts. It’s where truth starts to shape our thoughts… and that changes everything: our words, our tone, our parenting, our priorities, our marriages.

📝 Reading gives you information.

❤️ Studying leads to understanding.

🔥 And understanding? That’s what leads to transformation.

If you’ve been faithfully reading your Bible and still feel like you’re stuck, unsure, or not really being changed, let me just say—you are not alone. I was there for years.

But when I slowed down…

When I stopped trying to speed through a chapter just to feel accomplished…

When I started asking real questions of the text—that’s when things began to shift.

Here are some simple, powerful questions you can begin asking as you study:

📖 Hermeneutical Questions for Deeper Bible Study

OBSERVATION (What does the text say?):

  • What words or phrases are repeated?
  • Who is speaking? Who is the audience?
  • What commands are given (and to whom, specifically - and what reasons are given for obeying the command)?
  • What contrasts or comparisons are made?
  • Are there any cause-and-effect relationships?
  • What seems important, emphasized, or central to the passage?
INTERPRETATION (What does it mean?):

  • What did this mean to the original audience?
  • What is the main idea or message of this chapter?
  • Are there cultural or historical details I should understand better?
  • How does this passage fit into the surrounding context (the chapters before and after)?
  • What does this passage reveal about God’s character?
APPLICATION (How should it change me?):

  • What truth do I need to believe or remember today?
  • Is there a command to obey, a sin to confess, or a promise to trust?
  • How does this apply to my role as a wife? As a mom?
  • How does this passage challenge my thinking or behavior?
  • What will I do differently today because of what I’ve studied?

Sweet friend, you don’t need hours of uninterrupted quiet to be transformed. You just need a heart that’s hungry to hear from God.

You do not...let me repeat: you DO NOT need to do all of this in one day! 

Sometimes it takes me an entire week to deeply study one single chapter of Scripture. 

So here’s one simple step to take this week:

📖 Pick a short, powerful chapter like Titus 2.

It’s only 15 verses—but it’s full of wisdom for how to live as a godly woman in today’s world. Read it slowly. Read it more than once. Ask questions. Write notes. Pray over it.

You don’t need fancy tools or a theology degree. You just need a teachable spirit and a willingness to slow down and study.

The Word is living and active. It will equip us to do the work. We don't need to approach the Bible feeling like we can instantly obey perfectly.

And if today, all you can do is read one verse out loud while folding a towel or stirring a pot of spaghetti sauce (or gravy, if you're Italian), know this: God sees you. He honors your hunger. And He will meet you right in the middle of your motherhood mess.

One verse at a time. One quiet moment at a time. One transformed heart at a time.

How (and WHY) To Be a Titus 2 Woman Without Kids At Home

How (and WHY) To Be a Titus 2 Woman Without Kids At Home
You don’t need children in your home—or even any children of your own—to walk in the beautiful calling of spiritual motherhood.

Some of the women who’ve shaped my life the most never raised kids themselves, and others impactful women were in a new season of life with grown children and empty nests.

But all of them had one thing in common: they were intentional about nurturing hearts with truth, encouragement, and godly wisdom.

If your season looks different now—maybe your kids are grown and gone, or maybe motherhood wasn’t part of your story—please hear this: your role in the Kingdom has not ended.

It may have shifted, but it’s no less powerful or purposeful.

Titus 2:3–5 paints a picture of spiritual motherhood: older women teaching younger women how to live godly lives.

This isn’t just about age—it’s about spiritual maturity.

If you’ve walked with Jesus for a while, you have something valuable to offer. Your testimony, your experiences, your lessons learned through faith—all of it can be used by God to strengthen the next generation of women.

And here’s why this matters so much:

We're living in a time when younger women are desperate for truth, but drowning in noise.

They’re bombarded with the world’s opinions on marriage, motherhood, identity, and purpose.

No one is teaching them how to seek and study God's Word for HIS TRUTH on marriage, motherhood, identity, and purpose.

God is raising up women like you—women rooted in His Word—to help guide them back to what’s true.

Being a Titus 2 woman isn’t just a sweet idea—it’s a Kingdom assignment.

It’s a way we participate in God’s plan for discipleship, mentorship, and generational impact. If we don’t step in and speak truth, who will?

So what does it actually look like to walk in this calling?

💕 Maybe it’s mentoring a younger wife who’s struggling to balance life and marriage.

💕 Maybe it’s offering to babysit for a weary mom so she can take a breath.

💕 Maybe it’s starting a Bible study in your living room, texting Scripture to a teen girl you’re investing in, or simply being present and available for someone who needs wisdom.

💕 Don’t underestimate how powerful your steady, Christ-centered presence can be.

Here are a few practical ways to embrace spiritual motherhood in this season:

  • Offer to disciple a younger woman one-on-one
  • Volunteer in the children’s or youth ministry at your church
  • Host a Bible study for wives in your home or community
  • Reach out to a young mom with a meal, prayer, or a listening ear
  • Consistently check in on a young wife or college-aged woman
Proverbs 31:26 says,
“She opens her mouth with wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.”
That can be you. Whether you’re in an empty nest season or have never had children of your own, you still have spiritual fruit to bear.

Don’t let the enemy convince you that your time of influence is over.

God sees your heart, your wisdom, your faithfulness—and He is still using you in mighty, meaningful, and eternal ways.


Share with me: what are some other ways you have seen spiritual mothers pour into the younger generation? What are some ways you have perhaps done this yourself?



This is my story!

 
As a Christian, it can be embarrassing to admit I've been married three times. 

As a woman who feels called to teach about marriage and submission, it can be almost unthinkable that God would put this on my heart after two failed marriages.

But God often uses the broken to accomplish His purposes - and He does not clothe us in shame, but in righteousness.

I have lived the life of the controlling wife. I have lived the life of the controlled wife

Neither brings the blessings God has for marriage.

Through my mistakes and failures, I've learned what submission is, and what it is not.

I am learning and growing every day in my role as a biblically submissive wife, a bonus mom, and a homemaker who cares for her home and family in joyful wellness!

Join me on my journey as I share some of my lessons, tips, and ideas to equip you to live in joyful submission and wellness!

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