Posts that reference the book of Genesis

STT: The Biographical Timeline Method

STT Biographical Timeline method title graphic

When Luke wrote about Paul’s conversion in Acts 9, he didn’t present it as an isolated event but as part of Paul’s larger life story. “And immediately something like scales fell from his eyes, and he regained his sight. Then he rose and was baptized; and taking food, he was strengthened” (Acts 9:18-19). Understanding the sequence of events helps us grasp the significance of each moment.

The Biographical Timeline Method helps you organize biblical events chronologically, revealing patterns, cause-and-effect relationships, and spiritual development that might otherwise remain hidden.

1. Select a Biblical Character

Choose someone whose life is documented across multiple passages:

Major figures like Abraham, Moses, David, or Paul
Characters whose stories span significant time periods
People who experience notable spiritual transformation

For example, Peter’s journey from fisherman to apostle spans all four Gospels and into Acts, showing remarkable growth and change.

2. Gather Chronological Data

Collect all references to your character in chronological order:

List every passage where they appear
Note significant events, conversations, and decisions
Include approximate dates or time markers when available
Pay attention to age references or life stages

For David, you’d start with his anointing as a young shepherd (1 Samuel 16), continue through his years fleeing from Saul, his kingship, his sin with Bathsheba, and end with his final days (1 Kings 2).

3. Create a Visual Biographical Timeline

Organize events sequentially:

Draw a horizontal line representing the span of their life. This is your beginning biographical timeline
Mark key events along the timeline
Note God’s interventions and the character’s responses
Identify turning points or moments of significant change

4. Analyze Patterns and Growth

Look for developmental themes:

How did their relationship with God evolve over time?
What lessons did they learn through successive experiences?
How did earlier events prepare them for later challenges?
What character qualities developed or diminished over time?

For your next study session: Create a timeline of Joseph’s life from Genesis 37-50. Mark key events: his dreams, being sold into slavery, his time in Potiphar’s house, prison, interpreting dreams, and his reunion with his family. Notice how God used each circumstance—even the painful ones—to prepare Joseph for his ultimate purpose. Consider how this pattern might apply to your own life journey.

How might seeing the chronological progression of a biblical character’s life give you fresh perspective on God’s work in your own timeline?

STT: The Verse Mapping Method

By Paula Wiseman Leave a Comment

STT Verse Mapping Method title graphic featuring a circle diagram on graph paper

When Ezra returned to Jerusalem, he “set his heart to study the Law of the LORD, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel” (Ezra 7:10). His deep study of Scripture involved careful examination of every detail—a practice we can adopt through verse mapping.

Verse mapping is a visual Bible study method that helps you dissect and analyze a single verse in great detail. This technique combines several study approaches into one powerful method that reveals layers of meaning you might otherwise miss.

1. Select and Write the Verse

Begin with a focused approach:

Choose one verse to study deeply
Write it out in your preferred translation
Leave plenty of space around it for your notes and observations

For example, you might select Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

2. Compare Multiple Translations

Expand your understanding through different renderings:

Write out the verse in 3-4 different translations
Circle or highlight differences in wording
Note how each translation emphasizes different aspects

The ESV renders part of Romans 8:28 as “for those who love God all things work together for good,” while the NIV says “in all things God works for the good of those who love him”—a subtle but significant difference in agency.

3. Identify Key Words

Break down the verse into its essential components:

Circle or underline significant words
Look up their original Greek or Hebrew meanings
Note alternate translations of these key terms
Connect them to other verses using the same words

In Romans 8:28, you might explore the Greek word for “works together” (synergei), which gives us our English word “synergy” and implies a coordinated, purposeful action.

4. Create Cross-References

Connect your verse to the broader biblical context:

Find related verses that address the same topic
Note how these connections deepen your understanding
Draw lines or arrows showing these relationships

For Romans 8:28, you might connect to Genesis 50:20 (Joseph’s statement about God using evil for good) and James 1:2-4 (trials producing maturity).

5. Apply Personally

Move from analysis to application:

Write how this verse speaks to your current circumstances
Note questions or challenges it raises
Record a specific action step based on your study

For your next study session: Try verse mapping Philippians 4:13 (“I can do all things through him who strengthens me”). This commonly misunderstood verse takes on richer meaning when mapped in context. Compare translations, look up the Greek for “strengthens,” find cross-references, and consider what Paul really meant by “all things” given the surrounding verses about contentment.

What verse might you explore through this detailed mapping approach?

STT: The Word Picture Method

By Paula Wiseman

The Word Picture Method title graphic featuring an open Bible on a blue background

Throughout Scripture, God uses vivid imagery to help us grasp spiritual truths. Jesus said, “I am the vine; you are the branches” (John 15:5), using a familiar agricultural image to illustrate our dependence on Him. The Bible is filled with metaphors, similes, and symbols that make abstract concepts tangible.

The Word Picture Method focuses on identifying and exploring these biblical images to deepen our understanding of spiritual truths.

1. Identify Word Pictures

Look for imagery language throughout Scripture:

Metaphors (“The Lord is my shepherd”)
Similes (“like a tree planted by streams of water”)
Symbols (bread, light, water, rock)
Extended analogies (the armor of God)
Parables (the prodigal son, the sower)

These word pictures aren’t just literary devices—they’re divine teaching tools designed to help us grasp spiritual realities.

2. Explore the Image

Examine the picture in its cultural and historical context:

What would this image have meant to the original audience?
What properties or characteristics of the object are being highlighted?
Why did God choose this particular image to convey this truth?

When Jesus calls Himself “the bread of life” (John 6:35), understanding bread’s essential role in ancient diets helps us grasp our daily dependence on Christ.

3. Connect to Spiritual Truth

Move from the concrete to the abstract:

What spiritual reality does this physical image represent?
How does this picture help explain a complex concept?
What aspects of God’s character or our relationship with Him does it illuminate?

The image of God as potter and us as clay (Isaiah 64:8) reveals His sovereignty, our malleability, and the intimate way He shapes our lives.

4. Look for Patterns

Notice how images develop throughout Scripture:

Water progresses from physical thirst (Exodus) to living water (John 4)
Shepherding evolves from David’s psalms to Jesus as Good Shepherd
Light appears from Genesis 1 through Revelation’s eternal city

For your next study session: Explore the image of “rock” throughout Scripture. Start with Deuteronomy 32:4 (God as Rock), continue to Psalm 18:2 (rock as refuge), Matthew 7:24-27 (building on rock), and 1 Corinthians 10:4 (Christ as spiritual rock). Consider how this consistent image reveals different aspects of God’s unchanging, reliable nature.

What biblical word picture might you explore to gain fresh insight into a familiar truth?

Legacy of Faith

By Paula Wiseman

“Abraham lived a hundred and seventy-five years. Then Abraham breathed his last and died at a good old age, an old man and full of years; and he was gathered to his people.” – Genesis 25:7-8

A journey completed.
A life well-lived.
A faith tested and proven.
A legacy secured.

From Ur to Canaan,
From childlessness to fatherhood,
From doubt to certainty,
From fear to courage.

Not perfect.
Not flawless.
Not without stumbles.
Yet faithful.

He died “full of years”—
Not just quantity of time,
But quality of life,
Richness of relationship with God.

His body returned to dust,
But his faith lives on—
In Isaac and Jacob,
In Israel and the Church,
In all who walk by faith, not sight.

Centuries later, his name would appear
In faith’s hall of fame:
“By faith Abraham…”

Today may seem small,
Just one ordinary day.
But faithful Mondays build faithful lives,
And faithful lives leave a legacy of faith.

The Ultimate Test

By Paula Wiseman

Then God said, ‘Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.’ – Genesis 22:2

The unthinkable request.
The impossible command.
The test that defied
Everything Abraham understood about God.

Three days of silent journey.
Wood on his son’s back.
Fire in his own hand.
Knife at his belt.

“Where is the lamb?” Isaac asked.
“God himself will provide,” Abraham answered—
Words of faith spoken
Even as his heart shattered.

The Ultimate Test

The altar built.
The wood arranged.
The son bound.
The knife raised.

Then heaven intervened.
A voice called.
A ram appeared.
A son was spared.

Abraham named that place
“The Lord Will Provide”—
Not before the test,
But after passing through it.

The things you face may hold no easy answers,
Only the next faithful step.
Take it anyway.
The provision often waits at the altar.

STT: The Character Method

By Paula Wiseman

Title graphic - the character method featuring a single blue stick figure spotlighted among rows of dark ones.

When Philip encountered the Ethiopian eunuch reading Isaiah, he asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” The eunuch replied, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” (Acts 8:30-31). Sometimes the best way to understand Scripture is by focusing on the people within it.

The Bible is filled with complex, fascinating characters whose lives reveal God’s work in human history. Studying these individuals—their strengths, weaknesses, choices, and growth—provides powerful insights into God’s character and our own spiritual journeys.

1. Select a Character

Choose someone from Scripture to study in depth:

Major characters (Abraham, Moses, David, Peter, Paul)
Minor but significant figures (Ruth, Barnabas, Lydia)
Even unnamed characters (the woman at the well, the rich young ruler)

The depth of available information will vary, but every biblical character has something to teach us.

2. Gather the Facts

Collect everything Scripture tells us about this person:

List every passage where they appear
Note their background, family, occupation
Identify key events in their life
Record their words and actions
Observe how others interact with them

For example, when studying Peter, you’d track his journey from fisherman to disciple to denier to church leader across the Gospels and Acts.

3. Analyze Their Relationship with God

Look for spiritual patterns:

How did God call or use this person?
What challenges or tests did they face?
How did they respond to God’s direction?
What spiritual growth or regression do you observe?

Consider how David moved from shepherd to king, experienced both tremendous spiritual highs and devastating moral failures, yet remained “a man after God’s own heart.”

4. Find Personal Application

Connect their story to your own:

What qualities in this character do you admire or want to avoid?
What situations in their life parallel your own experiences?
What lessons from their relationship with God apply to you?
How does their story fit into God’s larger redemptive plan?

For your next study session: Choose Joseph (Genesis 37-50) for a character study. Track his journey from favored son to slave to prisoner to Egyptian official. Note how his character develops through suffering. Consider how his statement “You meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (Genesis 50:20) might apply to challenges in your own life.

Which biblical character might you choose to study using this method?