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.
Raising teenagers in today’s world can feel like spiritual warfare.
Maybe that's because the vast majority of the time, it is.
There’s so much noise—from social media, school pressures, cultural confusion—and sometimes we feel like our voice is the last one they want to hear.
But mama, your voice still matters.
And even more importantly, your example matters.
When you prioritize Bible study, you're not just feeding your own soul—you're modeling what it looks like to stay rooted in truth.
Your teens need to see that faith isn’t just something you just talk about on Sundays. It’s something you fight for daily.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7 encourages us:
“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children.”
That teaching doesn’t stop when they grow taller than us. (If it did, I would have stopped when my kids were in elementary school. If you know me, you know. #shortgirlproblems)
Set the tone in your home by making Bible study visible and normal.
Let your teen see you reading the Word, journaling, or praying.
Invite them to read with you—maybe once a week over breakfast, during dinner, or before bed.
Ask what they’re struggling with and offer Scripture that speaks to it. They may roll their eyes at first, but seeds are being planted.
Here are a few ways to stay grounded and pour truth into your teens:
- Have a personal Bible reading plan and share what you're learning (not sure where to start with a personal reading plan? Email me or comment below and let's chat so I can help you create one!)
- Ask your teen to join you for one verse or one short devotional each week
- Listen to worship music whenever you're in the car together
- Text them Scripture or encouragement (they’re already on their phones!)
- Pray for them—and with them—regularly
- Start a blessing journal you share with your teen where you both write answered prayers, gratitude, or where you saw God at work that day
- Create a Scripture scavenger hunt by hiding index cards with verses or prayers in their backpack, shoes, bathroom mirror, or car
- Do a service project together (like at a food pantry or helping a neighbor) to spark faith conversations in real-life moments
- Build a worship + testimony playlist together and include a few audio clips of you sharing prayers or stories of God’s faithfulness
- Set up a family group chat for spiritual encouragement to share verses, prayers, or reminders of God’s truth throughout the week
- Celebrate spiritual milestones (like baptism, finishing a Bible study, or stepping out in faith) with a special meal or small gift
- Host a faith and food night by inviting your teen’s friends over for pizza and a short devo, prayer, or testimony time
This season requires perseverance, but it’s holy work. Don’t give up.
Galatians 6:9 promises,
“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
Stay rooted so you can guide them well. We can't be the moms our kids need apart from Christ. This season requires intentionality in abiding in Him.
Mother’s Day can feel like a bright spotlight on our pain.
For some, it’s the ache of empty arms after miscarriage or infertility.
For others, it’s the sting of estrangement from children or a mom, or the hollow space left behind by a mom who has passed.
And for still others, it's the unbearable grief of losing a child.
If that’s you, sweet sister, I want you to know: God sees you. He is near to the brokenhearted (Psalm 34:18), and His Word is a balm for the soul.
I’ve had seasons where Mother’s Day brought tears instead of joy. And if I’m honest, I'm in one of those seasons now.
It carries some guilt, because do I have a wonderful mom and beautiful children to celebrate, but there are other pains in my motherhood journey that often leave me feeling like the wind has been knocked out of me.
Sometimes I feel like I don't belong in these celebrations—like I'm on the outside looking in.
But Scripture reminds us that our identity is never defined by a role or a title.
Womanhood is not defined by whether or not we have children, and whether the relationships we have are thriving or broken.
Our worth is not determined by what we’ve lost or longed for. It’s rooted in Christ alone.
Psalm 139:13-14 reminds us that we are fearfully and wonderfully made—knit together by a Creator who never makes mistakes.
In those hard moments, turn to the Psalms.
David didn’t hold back in his grief. He wept, he questioned, he lamented—and God met him there.
Psalm 13 begins with, “How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever?” but it ends with, “I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me.” That’s the tension we live in—honest pain, yet anchored hope.
If Mother’s Day hurts this year, let yourself grieve. Sit with the Lord and let His Word comfort you.
Isaiah 66:13 says,
“As one whom his mother comforts, so I will comfort you.”
What a precious promise. You are seen, loved, and not alone.
Here are a few verses to cling to this week:
- Psalm 56:8 – “You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle.”
- Lamentations 3:22-23 – “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end.”
- Romans 8:18 – “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.”
And here's an action step for you to try: grab a pen and paper, and write out your own Psalm to the Lord. Cry out to Him your deepest anguish, give him the full force of your grief, and let His comfort wash over you.
Let your heart rest in His goodness—even when it aches.
When we think of Easter, we usually think of that one Sunday each year when we celebrate the resurrection of Christ.
We know His resurrection means new life, so we celebrate with eggs, chicks, bunnies, and flowers, all the things that evoke feelings of freshness, newness, and beginnings.
After that one day is over though...then what?
The resurrection of Jesus invites us into a whole new way of living—every single day.
Romans 6:4 tells us,
Just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.
And there's the question...what does it actually mean to walk in newness of life when we’re knee-deep in laundry, tantrums, marriage difficulties, and the never-ending cycle of responsibilities?
What does this look like, day in and day out? When nothing feels new anymore, but instead you just feel stuck and stale?
Walking in newness of life starts with a mindset shift.
Instead of waking up dreading the demands of the day, you can wake up intentionally thinking about the truth that you are a daughter of the risen King.
The same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in YOU, giving you strength to meet those demands - to love your husband well, have patience for your kids, and find joy in the mundane.
Those are all fruits of the Spirit, and if you are intentional about growing in Christ, those fruits will be grown and developed in you.
One practical way to develop this mindset is by renewing your mind daily through Scripture.
The enemy wants you to believe that you're stuck in your bad habits, your overwhelmed schedule, your frustrations, hormone imbalances, and your struggles.
But when you fill your mind with God’s truth, you're reminded that you're a new creation (2 Corinthians 5:17) and that His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23).
What does this look like, to fill your mind with God's truth?
Waking up anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour earlier to prioritize God in your life by reading and deeply studying His Word, recognizing that He alone is the source of your strength and ability to walk in newness of life each day - but if you don't spend TIME with Him, you aren't accessing the strength, joy, and growth He offers you.
If you have no idea where to even start reading the Bible, or how to study it, please reach out to me! God has given me such a deep desire to help teach and guide women in learning how to read and study His Word, and I would be happy to walk alongside you.
Another way to walk in newness of life is by choosing joy.
Instead of getting caught up in frustration, you can make the intentional choice to pause, breathe, take your thoughts captive, and remind yourself that Jesus is alive—and that reality changes everything.
A simple habit of starting the day with gratitude or ending it with a quick reflection on how you saw God’s goodness can make a huge difference.
Grab a simple dollar store journal to keep at your bedside so you can jot a few things down when you wake up, or before you head to bed each night.
Every day is a chance to live differently because of what Jesus has done.
Let’s not just celebrate the resurrection one Sunday a year—let’s walk in that newness of life every single day.
Tell me: what are some ways you intentionally walk in newness of life each day?
We’ve spent this past month of March talking about spring cleaning—decluttering our hearts, our marriages, and even our Bible study routines.
And sweet friend, if you’re anything like me, you may have uncovered some things that you weren’t expecting (or maybe you were, but you were hoping you wouldn't see!).
🧹Maybe as you dug into your marriage, you realized there’s been some lingering resentment you haven’t fully released.
🧹Maybe in your heart, God revealed places where bitterness or pride have taken root.
🧹Maybe in your Bible study, you’ve noticed that your time with the Lord has been more about checking off a box than actually growing in knowledge of and intimacy with Him.
Spring cleaning is important—it makes space for what truly matters.
But here’s the thing: clearing out isn’t the final step. It’s what comes next that really changes things.
After we’ve emptied our hearts of clutter, we need to intentionally fill them with the things of Christ.
That’s what April is all about. Renewal. New life. Walking in the fullness of what God has for us.
Because if we don’t allow God to renew and refresh us, we’ll end up right back where we started—cluttered, overwhelmed, and spiritually stagnant.
So today, let’s talk about how to take the next step. How do we move from just cleaning to truly renewing our hearts, our marriages, and our faith?
1. Renewing Your Heart: Replacing Lies with Truth
One of the biggest barriers to renewal is the lies we believe. Lies like:
❌ I’m not a good enough wife or mom.
❌ My marriage will never change.
❌ I’ll never be consistent in my faith.
❌ I’m not a good enough wife or mom.
❌ My marriage will never change.
❌ I’ll never be consistent in my faith.
These thoughts may feel true, but friend, they are straight from the enemy.
The best way to renew your heart is to replace these lies with God’s truth:
✅ God’s grace is sufficient for me (2 Corinthians 12:9).
✅ God can restore what is broken (Joel 2:25).
✅ God is working in me to grow and strengthen my faith (Philippians 1:6).
✅ God can restore what is broken (Joel 2:25).
✅ God is working in me to grow and strengthen my faith (Philippians 1:6).
Action Step: Start a “truth journal.” Each morning, write down one lie you’ve been believing and then write the truth from Scripture that replaces it. When you feel yourself slipping back into those old thoughts, go back and read the truth.
2. Renewing Your Marriage: Cultivating Grace and Forgiveness
Spring cleaning your marriage may have brought up some things you didn’t love—old arguments, unresolved hurts, or just the weight of the daily grind pulling you apart instead of together.
Renewal in marriage means learning to release and refill.
Release the offenses you’ve been holding onto. Refill your marriage with grace, kindness, and intentional love.
Ephesians 4:32 says,
Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.
We cannot move forward in a thriving marriage if we’re still clinging to past offenses.
Action Step: Choose one way to actively bless your husband today, regardless of how you feel. Maybe it’s making his favorite meal, sending a kind text, or simply choosing to let go of something minor that’s been irritating you. Watch how small acts of grace shift the atmosphere in your home.
3. Renewing Your Faith: Moving from Routine to Relationship
Maybe last month you realized that your Bible study has felt dry or more like a duty than a delight.
Renewing your faith means shifting your perspective from “I have to do this” to “I get to do this.”
Psalm 51:10 says,
Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
That’s our prayer. That God wouldn’t just clean out the old but that He would renew our spirits so that we hunger for Him more than before.
Action Step: This week, try something new in your quiet time. If you always read devotionals, spend time in just the Word. If you typically just read a chapter (or several), try using a study method like S.O.A.P. or Verse Mapping to breathe new insight into your reading. If you always study alone, invite a friend to study with you. Shake things up and invite God to bring fresh excitement to your time with Him.
Let’s Step into the Newness of Life
Cleaning out is good, but filling up with what is life-giving is better.
So as we step into April, let’s not just leave empty spaces where the clutter used to be. Let’s fill those spaces with truth, grace, and renewed passion for Christ.
Friend, God is always in the business of making things new—including you. Let’s step into this next season expecting Him to work in our hearts, our marriages, and our faith.
I’d love to hear from you—what’s one area of your life where you’re asking God for renewal right now? Drop a comment below and let’s encourage each other!
To make sure you never miss a post, and for MORE weekly encouragement, tips, and truth for your heart, home, and marriage:
