Reading and studying the Bible are significant parts of following Jesus: you can’t follow His commands if you don’t know them. With that said, it’s not always easy to know where to start or where to go next. There are 66 books that make up God’s word in its entirety—that’s a lot to read! If you’re not sure how or where to read and study, explore my pointers on where you should study in the Bible depending on what you want or need to learn.

To Learn About Jesus’ Life

Jesus is the center of the entire Bible, but some books dive deeper into His life, ministry, and teachings than others. If you want to see and feel Jesus Christ jump off the pages and deeper into your heart and soul, consider studying these books of the Bible!

Matthew

The book of Matthew is the first of the New Testament and the synoptic gospels. This book provides a spectacular eye witness account of Jesus’ earthly ministry. All of the gospels are great when it comes to understanding Jesus’ character; however, I personally love Matthew because of the in-depth account of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, which is one of the most life-altering, earth-shattering teachings in the Bible.

John

John is another of the four gospels, but it’s content is more distinct than the other three. This book portrays Jesus as the Son of God as He makes bold claims, like being the way, the truth, and the life in John 14:6. Honestly, John is one of my top five personal favorite books! I highly recommend it to anyone, but especially those who are looking for a starting point.

To Learn How to Live

One of the other big pieces of following Jesus is learning how to live. You might be thinking, “I’m already living, so I don’t need these.” However, we all need to be taught how to truly live in love, truth, and abundance. Also, we need to learn how to be set apart from the world. Consider the following books to change your mindset and start living how the Lord wants His children to live.

Proverbs

Proverbs is a collection of teachings and observances about life. This book is meant for anyone in search of wisdom, as it teaches you what to do and what not to do to gain it. Interestingly, Proverbs was one of the first books I studied when I started getting serious about my walk with Jesus—it’ll blow your mind!

Romans

Romans is another great book to teach believers that God declares us righteous under the sacrifice Jesus made for us on the cross. However, the apostle Paul also does an excellent job explaining that we aren’t meant to go on sinning just because Jesus’ blood covers us. This book teaches us that we are dead to sin and alive in Christ!

Ephesians

Ephesians is also one of my top five personal favorite books in the Bible because it assures us that we are saved by grace through faith, that marriage is a parallel of Jesus’ relationship with the Church, and that God gives us the tools to combat spiritual warfare. Overall, it’s an excellent read—I hold this book near and dear to my heart.

James

The book of James is incredible! It’s a wonderful source to teach believers what faith lived out looks like. In this book, you’ll learn that your faith in Jesus and commitment to follow Him impacts everything about us and the lives we live.

1 John

1 John mainly teaches us about God’s character and how our Heavenly Father is light, love, and truth. However, it also teaches us how we fit into this picture as children of the Most-High God. This short but mighty books shows us how to walk in the light, expose darkness, and understand true light and Godliness vs. half-truths and things of this world. I personally believe every Christian should read and study 1 John!

When You Need Encouragement

Even though we know that we have life and life abundant through Jesus, it doesn’t change the fact that we live in a fallen world that tends to knock us down. Jesus never promised we wouldn’t go through trials; in fact, He warned that following Him often results in more attacks and tough times. That said, we need somewhere to go when we struggle—these two books can help encourage you during the hard days.

Psalms

Psalms is one of the longest books in the Bible, and it’s full of songs and poems all about feeling your feelings and crying out to God. Whenever I know someone in my life is struggling, I always try to find a Psalm that will help encourage them, validate their feelings, and just let them know that God loves them always. The book of Psalms helps us all feel okay in our humanness.

2 Timothy

2 Timothy is an excellent example of how we should encourage our brothers and sisters in Christ. That said, you can also read it when you need encouragement, as it feels like Paul is talking directly to you when you’re in need of what he has to say. This book reminds us to remain steadfast in our faith, focus on what matters, and always work to spread the gospel regardless of what we’re going through.

To Learn How to Stand Firm on The Truth

Yet another piece to becoming the best disciple you can be is standing firm on the truth regardless of what the world throws at you. The enemy has produced many half-truths, false teachers, and detestable doctrines to lead people astray. As children of light and truth, we must know how to stand firm on the word of God—these books will give you the necessary guidance to do so.

Galatians

Galatians is a great book to help you understand that works of the law must not be additions to the gospel for salvation. Law and grace don’t mix, and Paul tells us that false doctrines often add law to the good news to further a false gospel.

Colossians

Colossians teaches believers that many false teachers may claim different things besides Jesus and His finished work on the cross. However, we are not to fall for it. Instead, we are to cling to the new life we have in Jesus and allow Him to work in all aspects of our lives.

1 Timothy

1 Timothy teaches us how a pastor is supposed to stand firm on the truth no matter what. This book also emphasizes the roles and qualifications of pastors as shepherds of their churches. While you might not be called to learn how to be a pastor, everyone should understand what a Godly pastor should look like—it helps us discern whether or not a specific leader is of the Lord.

Jude

Jude is a reminder for believers that the message of the gospel will never change despite those who will try to warp and change it. We must be aware of false doctrines and teachers, as they have been popping up all over the world since biblical days. The world will always try to lead us astray, but we must stand firm in the truth and expose false doctrines.

Now that you know where you should study in the Bible, you can pick yours up with confidence. Getting into God’s word is one of the most significant daily habits that improve your quality of life! Understanding God’s word and promises is key for all believers to grow into their Kingdom purpose and closer to their Savior—use this as a guide to start or continue your personal studies.