Now that you have found your spot to study, gathered your supplies, and prayed, it’s time to
Explore the Text. With DEEP, you will read one book of the Bible at a time, spending one week on
each chapter until you complete the book. Ideally, you should read the chapter five times, but you
can choose how to structure your reading. The key is to read the chapter more than once, as each
reading opens up new opportunities to see different aspects of the text that you may have missed.
You can connect words, paragraphs, chapters, and even books across the Bible in a beautiful display
of God’s wisdom and divine purpose by reading the chapter multiple times.
While reading, explore the details of the passage. Notice the context, the repeated words and
phrases, and the significance of the people, places, and events mentioned. Look for any patterns and
themes that emerge. Don’t be afraid to mark up your Bible as you read the text. Write down your
observations and any questions you have about your reading. Take notes, lots of them.
As you Explore the Text, we offer two maps to guide you – a Book Map and a Chapter Map. The
Book Map is designed to help you gather information before reading the book and to summarize the
book after you’ve finished reading. The Chapter Map is designed to guide you through the Chapter
as you explore the text and will be discussed in detail in another article.
Book Map
The DEEP Bible Study Method Book Map is a helpful tool that serves two purposes: first, it assists
you in gathering background and setting information, and second, it helps you summarize the
book’s key points.
Before you start reading the book, it is helpful to have a general understanding of the book’s
historical, cultural, and geographical background. This information will help you place yourself on
the historical timeline and put yourself in the writer’s and audience’s shoes. The better you
understand their ancient world, the better you will understand the text’s meaning. To help you
gather this information and complete the map, you can consult resources like biblical atlases,
dictionaries, and encyclopedias. These resources can also be found free online. Additionally, many
Bibles include some introductory information at the beginning of each book. Refer to our Resource
Guide for more details.
After finishing the book, you can use the map to summarize key themes, verses, and truths in a
personalized summary to refer to later, reflect on and put into action.
