The Best Bible Studies for New Believers

Have you desired to study God’s word but don’t know where to start? This Bible studies on this list are sure to give those new to the Christian faith a good foundation on understanding God’s word.

Hi friends! I am so excited to write this post and share some of the best Bible study resources I have found over the past few years. Writing posts like these, to hopefully encourage and help other women to dive into scripture, are my favorite posts to write!

(*Affiliate Disclosure : This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, this means I will earn a small commission if you choose to purchase through my links. This is at no extra cost to you!)

Best Bible Studies for New Christian Women

Seamless – Understanding the Bible as One Complete Story
“God of…” Series (Creation, Covenant, Deliverance and Freedom)
Everyday Theology
Open Your Bible
Finding I Am
Matchless
Counter Culture
What You Need to Study the Bible (Guide and Resources)
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Below I’ve linked and briefly described some of the Bible studies that have been most helpful to me in the early stages of reading my Bible. These studies can be done individually or in a group setting. Most of the studies have a video component that can be purchased separately. Click the links above to jump to each study!

*Want some FREE study resources? Head over to this post where you can find 5 completely free Bible study worksheets that you can download and print!*

I pray that these studies are useful to you and that you are able to grow in your understanding of Gods Word, and in turn, deepen your relationship with our Creator!

Why should we study the Bible?

Understanding the Word of God is so incredibly important for spiritual growth. New believers, and even mature Christians, often rely only on the teaching they get on Sunday morning sermons. They never incorporate Bible reading into their daily lives, and therefore never get to the task of actually studying it.

And I get it – the Bible is really big. It can seem like a daunting task to study it, and so we excuse ourselves from the task, and reserve that job for pastors and professors.

But we are called individually to know the Word of God.

“These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” Deuteronomy 6:6-7

Not in your pastor’s heart. Not in your professor’s heart. But in your heart.

So, in short, we study the Bible because God tells us we should.

And as a Christian, we trust God commands.

Seamless – Understanding the Bible as One Complete Story

Good for those new to studying the Bible.

Purchase Seamless here

If this is your first time doing a Bible study, I highly recommend starting here. This study is so good for new Christians or even those wanting to better understand the flow of the entire Bible. I had no idea that all of the books of the Bible actually worked together prior to doing this study. Trying to link people and places together felt impossible and beyond my ability.

I would hear people say things like “remember in the Old Testament, when Jacob (fill in the blank)” and I would just be sitting there wondering who Jacob was and why it mattered what he did.

In this 7-session study you will learn the story of the Bible, from beginning to end. It will give you a solid foundation to build upon with your future Bible studies. You will walk away feeling more confident in what exactly the Bible is and how it is meant to be studied. You will answer some basic questions, that although they are basic, are also incredibly important to your future Bible readings.

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“God of….” Series

Good for those wanting a deeper understanding of Old Testament texts.

Purchase the first study book here – God of Creation

Finally! An in-depth study of Old Testament books for women. I previously neglected the Old Testament writings so much (apart from the Psalms and Proverbs) simply because I struggled to understand the importance of it in the overall story. But this study series has made a significant impact on my understanding.

This series consists of 4 separate books total. There are two study books covering the book of Genesis (God of Creation and God of Covenant) and 2 study books covering the book of Exodus (God of Deliverance and God of Freedom). You’ll have 5 weekly lessons to work through.

She will help to equip you with best study practices and encourage you to really dig into the text and discern it yourselves. You will use the C-I-A method – comprehension, interpretation, and application.

At the end of your weekly homework, there is a video teaching lesson to help clear up most of the questions you may have had during your study. (You’ll need to purchase the video sessions separately or purchase the entire leader kit).

Jen Wilkin is a huge advocate for biblical literacy, especially among women. These studies are meant to shift the primary focus away from “what does the text say about me” to “what does the text say about God”. She is intent on women loving the Lord with not just their hearts, but also their minds.

I really hope she continues this series to cover more of the Old Testament.

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Everyday Theology

Good for those new wanting to deepen their knowledge of God.

Purchase Everyday Theology study book.

Theology is the study of God. Who He is, what He has done, what He promises to do.

It is imperative for a Christian’s understanding of the Bible. It helps you to discern false teaching and affects the way you live you daily life because you are walking in light of the truth.

This study book by Mary Wiley is a good start for those new to theology. In the 8-session study you will look at a specific doctrine – including the authority of Scripture, The Holy Spirit, Salvation and The End Times.

Once you have an understanding of these foundational truths, you will be better prepared to look at any passage of scripture and weigh it against what you know to be true about God.

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Open Your Bible

Good for those needing encouragement to study the Bible.

Purchase Open Your Bible study book here.

Let’s face it – sometimes life gets busy or overwhelming and your Bible sits on the shelf, unopened for days or week (maybe even months or years).

And while God doesn’t shame us and loves us despite out shortcomings (thank You, Lord!), we also need brothers and sisters in Christ who remind us that the Word of God is not optional. It is essential in our everyday life, just as essential as food or water.

That’s exactly what the specific focus of this 7-session study is.

It is good for new believers and lifelong Christians who need to better understand why reading the Bible is so, so important to Christian living. It will encourage you to open your Bible and fill your minds with God’s Word that He has so graciously given us.

When we are reminded of His love, His promises, His mighty strength and protection, we are better prepared to handle this busy and overwhelming life that so desperately wants to steal us away from our Father in Heaven.

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Finding I Am

Good for those wanting to know more about how Jesus fulfills our longings.

Purchase Finding I Am study book here.

This study goes of the “I Am” statements spoken by the Son of God in the gospel of John.

You will learn more about how Jesus fulfills the desires and longings of our hearts in this six-week study.

Reminding ourselves that Jesus is the way, the truth and the life in a world that screams otherwise in necessary. We can often believe there are other, more fulfilling things in this world, but Lysa centers our hearts back on the truth and reminds us in Who we are fulfilled.

Matchless

Good for those wanting to more about the life of Jesus.

Purchase Matchless study book here.

Spending time reflecting on our Savior and all He has done and continues to do, inclines our hearts to worship.

In this 8-session study, you will follow the story of the life of Jesus found in the Bible. From prophesy, to birth, all the way to the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

You will earn more about His mission, miracles and message. Angie Smith says her goal is to make Jesus less of an iconic figure and more of an intimate friend.

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Counter Culture

Good for those who needing guidance on current cultural situations.

Purchase Counter Culture here.

We live in an ever changing, face paced world. If we are not careful, we can easily exchange the truth of what God tells us is good for what culture says is good – and sometimes we don’t even realize it.

In this study, you are reminded of the authority of God and how His word is the basis on which we engage with the world in.

This study covers a specific topic each week that is relevant to today’s time and applies biblical truth to it. You’ll find lessons on abortion, same sex marriage, and racism. It will challenge you to become a more passionate, unwavering voice for Christ.

What you need for Bible Study

A Good Bible

The most important part of studying the Bible is selecting a good, solid translation of the text. There are many different translations out there, but not all of them are the best choice for Bible study.

For example, some translations are more of a “commentary” verses a word for word translation of the original text.

I would recommend a translation like ESV, NIV, CSB, or NKJV. Some may also choose to use the KJV translation, written in early modern English.

(This CSB translation from She Reads Truth was gifted to me several years ago and I absolutely love it!)

Translations like The Message or New Living Translation are not literal translations and are more “thought” translations. These versions have been written in a way to convey thoughts verses a copy of the literal text.

I would advise you not use these types of translations until you have an understanding of what the actual text says. That way you can weigh what you know from the firsthand text against the thoughts being conveyed in these versions.

Commentary

A commentary is a series of notes that further explain passages of scripture. You can purchase separate commentary that covers a specific book of the bible, the New Testament or Old Testament, or the entire Bible.

This Baker Illustrated Commentary is an example that covers the entire Bible.

You could also purchase a good study Bible. The study Bible will have the study notes at the bottom of the page.

ESV Study Bible

CSB Study Bible