How To Highlight, Underline And Keep Notes

Huntingteckel

Inactive
This may be a stupid question, but I'm still a baby in Christ so I will ask it anyway.

I do not mark in my bibles because I know I would make a mess. I would highlight stuff and then regret it later. So, I keep my phone or tablet next to me and every time I would like to highlight something or add a note or underline, I just put it on my bible app. That way I can change it later if I need to and I don't have to worry about how much space I have to write. I also do this so that I have everything in one place and don't have to worry about transferring notes or anything.

Well, I've been doing all this highlighting on my phone and E-Sword and I have a mess. I highlight everything the same color although I have different colors to choose from. I try to underline verses I have questions about for later study. I just don't have a system. I want everything to be organized and I'm not really sure how to do it.

Does anyone have a system that they can share with me so that I can feel more organized? I'm starting to feel kind of stressed about it because I want to dig deep and study my heart out but I feel like I'm being restricted because I'm not organized.

Thanks for the help,
David
 
I know what you mean. I have a paperback bible which is a bit worn and i've highlighted verses that relate to what i've been going through. I got myself a a new bible that i fell in love with, a lovely peachy/pink colour rectangular leather purse like which i havn't marked with pen but i'm so disappointed because the delicate colour has been ruined from carrying it around in my bag regularly and i discarded the cardboard sleeve that would have given it some protection. Aside from my gripe all i can do is agree with your dilemma. I'm open to others suggestions also.
 
I mark, highlight, underline, circle, add references, whatever in my Bible, it's one way I hear God speaking to me, and for certain if I don't use some method for remembering I will forget what He has said specifically to me concerning my life and walk with Him.

Blessing,

Gene
 
If you learn better when you mark up, highlight and take notes in your Bible, then byt all means do it! A well used and even messy Bible makes God happy! :LOL:
 
I don't want just a mess though. Then you can't find anything :(

I am just like Gene. Have been for many many years. I underline, circle, highlite and make notes in the margin's (use a wide margin Bible). When I have virtually worn out that Bible, I go back and transfer my notes to the new Bible I buy and go page by page and take time to make the notes more readable and easy to read. I always save the old Bible and I have about a dozen I have done like that over the years.

My grandkids can fight over my old Bibles when I am gone instead of my money.

All I can tell you David is that it works for me.
 
What I'm doing currently doing is writing my notes or the Bible app on my phone. I take notes but I've never actually wrote in any of my physical bibles.
 
I've heard that people "color code" their Bibles. I'm kind of interested in doing that but there are SO many topics in the Bible. It's a daunting task.
 
The great thing is in our age of technology; we have websites and software that can sort and condense our research in seconds flat.

But the 'Written Word' will never have an equal. I have found myself beginning to enjoy reading certain books of the Bible in entirety as it comes to life in my minds eye.

I use these sites most:

http://www.bibletopics.com/
http://www.blueletterbible.org/
http://www.biblegateway.com/
http://www.christnotes.org/

Putting the Word into practice is still the best education...
 
I've never heard of Bible topics or Christ Notes. I'll have to check those out. I'm trying to figure out how to use notes on E-Sword so that I can transfer all my notes over there(I don't have many ). I always end up deleting my notes though. They embarrass me because of how little I know. I usually end up writing stuff that seems like common sense the next time I read it. I don't know if the note taking thing will get better in time or if I just suck at taking notes.
 
I've never heard of Bible topics or Christ Notes. I'll have to check those out. I'm trying to figure out how to use notes on E-Sword so that I can transfer all my notes over there(I don't have many ). I always end up deleting my notes though. They embarrass me because of how little I know. I usually end up writing stuff that seems like common sense the next time I read it. I don't know if the note taking thing will get better in time or if I just suck at taking notes.

You'd be surprised how much 'common sense' isn't so common...(especially the more technology dependent society becomes)

For some reason I found myself watching 'The Day After' (1983) and 'Threads' (1984) about the potential of a nuclear holocaust and thinking to myself that we don't need a nuclear war anymore-just turn of the electricity and people will either die from lack of knowledge or killing each other off for resources because they can't be self sufficient due to lack of knowledge.

But this whole Russia / USA (EU-NATO-UN) thing reminds me of the atmosphere in the 80's. Hmmmmm....

I am sure the NWO wouldn't mind a nuclear war-even NASA proposed that a few 'well placed' nuke detonations could potentially curb global warming.

Oops; sorry I went off on a tangent; all over 'common sense'?
 
I guess that's true. I just don't know what's worthy to be written down or not. I try to read the bible three times a year, so it would be overflowing with my nonsense if I wrote every thought down. Even just half my thoughts.
 
Anyway; remember that whole 'sex and marriage' tangent we were talking about on another thread? I started taking notes and I keep coming across more and more resources and this thing could potentially turn into a book in need of appendices and everything.

The truth of the matter, as I am discovering; is this: If a "Christian" doesn't understand the basic 'fundamental' doctrines of the Bible; they don't have any business getting married in today's culture. The good news is that understanding the Bible isn't difficult IF you are living in faith.

You CAN NOT counsel Christian people on marriage without a foundation in the WORD!

I guess that's true. I just don't know what's worthy to be written down or not. I try to read the bible three times a year, so it would be overflowing with my nonsense if I wrote every thought down. Even just half my thoughts.

Keep a journal and a notebook next to you as you read; when a verse or thought pops out, write the verse and thought down and keep trucking, I wish I was better at this as I have had a many a thoughts while listening to the Bible while I drive, and by the time I get somewhere to write it down it is forgotten in the mushy gray matter that is my brain...

If it comes to you while you are in the Word; there may be a worthy message in that 'nonsense' and 'half thoughts'.
 
Maybe so. I should start getting more aggressive about it and maybe I'll start to feel like I'm writing something worth the ink.
 
Hunting I have found there are two ways to look at what I highlight in my Bible, one way is Father giving me a life verse, an answer to a question for what I should do, the other is Him teaching me doctrine, very often I will hear a teaching that I "see" the light, understand the meaning of the verse, but then there is a very valuable lesson to be learned from Jesus talking to the woman at the well, remember she went into town and told the men about Him, they went out to listen to Him and He stayed with them two days, then they said, now we believe not because you have told us, but because we have heard Him, so it is with Bible study, we can learn from teachers, but when the Lord teaches us the same thing it's a conformation and that just blows my socks off when He does it.

Here's an example from this story, Jesus stayed with the Samaritans two days (remember He said I must pass through Samaria), they were considered like the Gentiles, ...with God a day is like a thousand years, so then two days is like two thousand years, it's just about two thousand years since Jesus left, during this time He has been working with the Gentiles, that's you and me, then He will go back to working with His chosen people, the children of Israel, now, just write that down some where and pray for the Lord to give you light and you'll be amazed when He does and that will be proof to you that you are hearing His voice and those kind of notes you won't forget.

Also may I suggest you slow down in your reading, reading the Word is a part of prayer and prayer is a dialog and not a monolog, if you are whizzing through the Bible then Father doesn't have a chance to respond, I have slowed down to just reading a particular story and then pray for Him to teach me, my reading time might be only five minutes and then in silent worship I wait for a response.

Blessings,

Gene
 
Hunting I have found there are two ways to look at what I highlight in my Bible, one way is Father giving me a life verse, an answer to a question for what I should do, the other is Him teaching me doctrine, very often I will hear a teaching that I "see" the light, understand the meaning of the verse, but then there is a very valuable lesson to be learned from Jesus talking to the woman at the well, remember she went into town and told the men about Him, they went out to listen to Him and He stayed with them two days, then they said, now we believe not because you have told us, but because we have heard Him, so it is with Bible study, we can learn from teachers, but when the Lord teaches us the same thing it's a conformation and that just blows my socks off when He does it.

Here's an example from this story, Jesus stayed with the Samaritans two days (remember He said I must pass through Samaria), they were considered like the Gentiles, ...with God a day is like a thousand years, so then two days is like two thousand years, it's just about two thousand years since Jesus left, during this time He has been working with the Gentiles, that's you and me, then He will go back to working with His chosen people, the children of Israel, now, just write that down some where and pray for the Lord to give you light and you'll be amazed when He does and that will be proof to you that you are hearing His voice and those kind of notes you won't forget.

Also may I suggest you slow down in your reading, reading the Word is a part of prayer and prayer is a dialog and not a monolog, if you are whizzing through the Bible then Father doesn't have a chance to respond, I have slowed down to just reading a particular story and then pray for Him to teach me, my reading time might be only five minutes and then in silent worship I wait for a response.

Blessings,

Gene

Do you use certain colors for those to keep them separate? I do write notes, but not many. I end up deleting most of them though. I've started to highlight on E-Sword but I still don't have any real system for what colors to use for what topic. Also, I'm thinking about buying the NAS Bible for it since that is my preferred translation. The highlights don't transfer over so I'm thinking about waiting until I get that so I don't have a ton of highlights to transfer.

I do reading and studying. Reading is like I'd read any other book and then studying is pretty slow (usually one chapter a day). In my opinion, in order to know the Bible really well you have to read it over and over again as many times as possible. I have a hard time reading slow. When I was looking through reading plans there were two, and even three year plans. I guarantee you that if I did that plan I would never finish it. If I've been reading single book for a month I will get sick of it and not want to read it anymore. That's what I like about the reading plan I'm doing now (three times a year). If something is boring you don't have to get discouraged because you'll be to another book in a day or two. It's awesome.
 
What colors did I use, ...whatever color highlighter was the nearest.

I can assure you brother, there is nothing boring in God's Word, often what seems to be boring holds some of the richest nuggets, for instance,

take the names in the genealogy of Gen 5, using eSword look up the signification of the name, one word and write a sentence with them and you will have the Gospel message,

or the numbering of the tribes of Israel around the Tent of Meeting in Numbers 2 in their respective postilions, North, South, East and West, write their numbers in their positions and see what form you have, ...imagine what the neighboring people saw when looking down on the camp from on top of a mountain,

and in the New Testament, I Cor 3:12, there are two groups mentioned, concerning the people in the two groups, what were their ministries?

These are some examples of ruminating on a story or verse, waiting on the Lord to reveal it's meaning.

Blessings,

Gene
 
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I generally don't get bored while reading, but you have to admit there are parts you enjoy more than others. For instance, I have no idea why but I really don't like the book of Joshua. I have no idea why. I like the story but it's just uninteresting to me for some reason.
 
Honestly, I don't get bored, Jesus said the volume of the Book was written about Him, so I try to find Him hidden in the obscure places, my problem is I'm so busy I don't have the time to study like I would and when I do have the time it seems I'm too tired to, ...I live in a third world country and it's wake up, go to work, come home eat, go to bed and it's repeated like that almost every day.

The book of Joshua is a story, an illustration of our daily lives, as born again children of God we are living in the Promised Land, Moses, who is a type of the Law, couldn't lead the people in, so Joshua was the one that did, the name Jesus in the Hebrew is Joshua, that should open up many doors for you, also, the people living in the land that were to be exterminated, if you look up the meaning of their names you will find it is a characteristic of the flesh that we need to crucify and the names of their gods are the temptations the devil uses against us.

You say you have eSword, what study aids did you download?

Blessings,

Gene
 
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