How do you incorporate Logos into your Bible study?

Bryce Hufford

How do you incorporate Logos into your Bible study routine?  This question is primarly geared towards people that aren't pastors or seminary students.  One of the things I am working on in my spiritual life is spending time daily in the Word.  If I had to give my self a grade on how I've done in the last few years it would be an F.  I have a modest Logos collection (bible study package plus I've added a few resources like WBC and McArthur commentary series).  I recently bought a journaling Bible and I have just been reading through one book at a time with nothing but my Bible and some colored pens to take notes.  I am really enjoying this approach.  Logos is a really cool and valuable tool, but honestly I find myself spending more time updating and learning to use the features in Logos (ie browsing the forum) than I do in applying the tool to do actual Bible study.  

I expect everyone uses Logos a bit differently.  I'm just looking for some examples and inspiration for ways I can incorporate the tool to improve my Bible study.  Looking forward to some responses from the community.

JT (alabama24)

Bryce Hufford said:

This question is primarly geared towards people that aren't pastors or seminary students.

I am a former youth pastor and seminarian... So perhaps not the audience you were looking to get advice from... 

Bryce Hufford said:

How do you incorporate Logos into your Bible study routine?

Bryce Hufford said:

 One of the things I am working on in my spiritual life is spending time daily in the Word.

I love Logos. It is a powerful application that can be used a number of ways. Personally, I view "study" a number of ways. If am am reading devotionally and/or reading for an extended period of time in a single resource, I believe the mobile app is a superior format to accomplish that purpose. On the other hand, If I am in the middle of writing a paper/sermon/small group guide, Logos 5 on my MacBook Pro is the superior format to accomplish that purpose. 

For the purpose of one's "spiritual life," commentaries should be secondary... and for most people (myself included) original language work should also be secondary. 

Mark Smith

Bryce,

It's good to hear you are developing better discipline in Bible reading. I think you are doing the right sorts of things at this point. For now I'd only recommend using Logos to help you answer questions you have as you read. You don't need to be distracted by trying to do too much with Logos at this point. So using a Bible dictionary, some maps, perhaps some extra cross-references, or even a different translation in Logos might be all you need right now. Logos' basic features would be all you'd need. You could create a simple layout with a couple of Bibles, a Bible dictionary, and perhaps the Passage Guide open. Give it a name and save it so you can come back to it. I'd encourage you to choose the option to open Logos to this preset layout each time Logos opens.

Later you may decide to study a person or a topic or do a more in-depth study of a book. Logos can help you get started in such a study by helping you find verses to include in your study, helping you understand more of the background of a book or a person's life, and so on. As you do these things you will get better acquainted with some other features in Logos that you may later want to explore in greater depth or use for additional studies.

For now focus on reading, marking things in your Bible and noting questions you'd like to try to answer. Always try to apply something you've read along the way.

Dave Hooton

I may start with a topic and use Topic Guide to point me to appropriate "bible dictionaries", or look for a phrase in my preferred bible,  or use Passage Guide to point me to commentaries. I highlight sections of interest and add them to a Clippings document I created for the study. Then I usually add my own Notes to each clipping. If the study is for a home group I can use my laptop and/or print the Clippings document.

Anthony

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/636595#Comment_636595

"I find myself spending more time updating and learning to use the features in Logos (ie browsing the forum) than I do in applying the tool to do actual Bible study."

I was overwhelmed (still am sometimes) with the features Logos provides, but am certain I will make use of them at some point. My fear of purchasing software that was too advanced was calmed by getting the Logos manual guides and spending time learning the software. It is a must for any basic studying, which in turn leads to more in depth studies. I still require the wiki for specifics in more advanced use, but have a solid foundation of basic functions.

For now, I mostly use Logos for Biblical reading with commentary aid and focusing on theological topics - making a reading plan is useful for this, and can be used/synced with the mobile app. I use the  I am not in seminary or a pastor. I do little semantic research; I never build sermons, but I do take notes when in church that I copy into Logos. As I learn in simple studies, I can see an interest in word study growing, just out of the simple fact it's available to me. I hope to be using Logos to study the Greek text and become familiar with elementary to mid-level concepts of the Greek language in future years. Logos has certainly changed from a 'bible study reference tool'  into an investment of a life-long aid (Lord willing). But again, a large part of my encouragement came from spending a week or two nailing down basic concepts and functionality of the software.

You might try transferring some of your highlights and notes from your Bible into the software, there are many highlighting options. You can view your highlights from one topic collectively as well, which is nice; you will have to do some testing with the highlighting and their connection to automatically be added to Notes (where you view them collectively). It isn't too bad of a learning, and videos are helpful. 

Brother Mark

Bryce, I love your question!  In addition to the suggestions you've already gotten, let me suggest two:

1.  This link is a short discussion on how to use Logos for Inductive Bible Study. I highly recommend both Mo Proctor's guide to Inductive Bible Study using Logos, and the one already mentioned by John Fallahee which is wonderfully instructive, super detailed, and inexpensive.  There are also Logos (free) training videos for using the product for Bible study here.

2.  I personally appreciate the "talking Bibles" available in Logos: the LEB and ESV allow me to listen as I follow along when doing daily Bible readings.  I pair the audible reading with the built in Reading Plan function, and thereby read through the Scriptures on a Monday -  Saturday schedule at least once a year.  In some ways this form of Bible study is superficial, but when coupled with more in depth book by book or topical studies for devotional reading, it is very satisfying and edifying.

Blessings in and on your journey! 

mab

The most powerful tool in Logos is the Bible itself and the ease of bringing up scripture cross references. My favorite is the New Treasury of Scripture Knowledge which provides all the references. What I've been doing more of lately is copying the verses into what I'm working on at the moment.

You might also look for words that repeat in a text and then just do a lookkup search for all the scriptures containing the word.

Read the same text in different translations--real easy in Logos. Ask yourself 5 questions: Who What Where When and Why after you read a passage. 

Blessings

Will Scholten

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/637024#Comment_637024

I bought Logos because my wife and I were volunteer high school leaders and wanted good resources to help us out, but then we switched churches. Then I decided to use Logos to help me study why I believe what I believe, Logos is awesome. I do topic searches and copy chapters in my clippings, then the important parts i either bold or make bigger font, then it sticks out when I re read it. I also love the interlinear Bible, Bible word study tool, and power look up. Also if you are doing a topic search, you can go to an internet site, copy the URL into Logos and Logos will take out all the scripture references and open up all the verses, so you can quickly see if the site is worth your time.

Plus I love it when I do a search, all my books open the the right place to read!!!

Also community pricing is a great place to build you library.