Want to know how to study the Bible in a way that sticks? The SIMPLE Method™ is a creative, step-by-step Bible study plan perfect for beginners, busy moms, and Christian women who want to grow in faith.

how to study the Bible

Why The SIMPLE Method™ Finally Helped Me Stay Consistent

For years, I struggled to study the Bible in a way that actually worked for me.

I tried all kinds of methods—some that focused heavily on historical background and deep context, and others that leaned more into reflection and how the passage made me feel. But I kept running into the same problem: one side left me overwhelmed, and the other left me feeling a little… shallow.

I didn’t want to pick between understanding the Bible’s context and applying it to my life—I wanted both.

And as someone who’s naturally artistic and visual, I realized that the way I took notes during sermons or when reading nonfiction—using diagrams, color coding, and illustrated notes—helped me process and retain information in a way that really made it stick. So I started doing the same with my Bible study.

I didn’t expect much at first. I was just trying to make my quiet time more meaningful. But when I began sharing these illustrated Bible notes online, something unexpected happened: other women resonated with it.

They saw my visual approach and said things like, “I’ve never made those connections before–how did you learn all this?”

That’s when it clicked.

I realized I needed a way to teach what I was doing in a simple, repeatable process—one that would help other women go deeper in Scripture, stay consistent, and actually enjoy studying the Bible.

So I created The SIMPLE Method™—a six-step Bible study process that blends structure, creativity, and reflection to help you get the most out of your time in the Word.

how to study the Bible

First off–what is The SIMPLE Method™?

SIMPLE is an acronym I came up with to keep my Bible study routine focused and doable. Each letter stands for one step in the process:

  • Study
  • Illustrate
  • Map
  • Personalize
  • Link
  • Expand

It’s a mix of reading, note-taking, reflection, and creativity. And the best part? You can make it as short or as in-depth as you want.

Let me break each step down for you.

S – Study

This is where it all starts. I’ll usually pick a chapter or a short section of Scripture. Then I read it out loud and highlight anything that stands out.

I look for:

  • Context
  • Patterns
  • Repetitions
  • Unknown words
  • Action phrases

Sometimes, if I’m reading a conversation, I’ll color-code the speakers or use different colors for separate themes. It doesn’t have to be fancy–just noticing what’s there goes a long way.

I – Illustrate

Here’s where the fun begins (especially if you’re a visual person like me).

I look for any clues in the text to help me visualize what I just read:

  • Draw out a scene: If it’s telling a story, I might sketch out a quick doodle of the characters in the given setting.
  • Draw a symbol: Sometimes a scene is hard to come up with if it’s more poetic or prophetic, so I’ll find key words and add a symbol next to them so they stick out more. For example, you can draw a heart around the word love or a halo over the word holy.

You don’t need to be an artist—seriously. Think elementary school art class–a square with a triangle on top makes a house, little m’s and v’s in the sky make birds. Stick figures totally count. The goal is just to visualize the message in a way that helps you remember it.

When I started doing this, Scripture came alive in a whole new way, and I began to notice so much more.

M – Map

This is the step that helps organize everything in your brain. I take all the highlights and doodles I’ve created so far and put them into a graphic organizer (aka thinking maps) to create my own Bible study cheat sheet.

There are endless ways to organize the information visually. Here are a few I use:

  • Tree Map: to show how characters are related to each other
  • Flow Map: for sequencing story events
  • Bubble Map: for describing a word or concept
  • Bridge Map: for understanding analogies or comparisons
  • Brace Map: understanding a whole and its parts
  • Circle Map: for defining a topic and its details

This step could simply be a list of words that describe God, or a T-chart showing what to avoid vs. what to pursue. Sometimes I create a timeline if I’m in a historical book or label details in my pictures.

This step helps me see the structure and connections within the verses instead of just reading words on a page.

P – Personalize

Personalize is the step most of us jump to first, and while it’s important, I like to do this toward the end of my notes to get a better perspective on how to apply the passage to my life.

This is where I identify a challenge for myself:

  • Memorize a verse that sticks out
  • Pray part of a passage by rephrasing it between you and God
  • Journal out a question or concept that comes up

This is often where the Holy Spirit really speaks to me. It’s no longer just a study—it becomes an opportunity for spiritual growth.

It’s so important to see the big picture in what you’re reading and not take it out of context, but a lot of us don’t know how to do this so we skip it. Here are a few practical tips for you:

  • Use your footnotes: While you were reading, did you see any small letters attached to a word? Look at the bottom of your page and find the matching letter to get more details or a related verse.
  • Use those study resources: Does your Bible have a concordance, commentary or book overview? Check them out to learn the context of what you’re reading.
  • Read what happened in the chapter before and after: Sometimes the timing of an event becomes more significant in how you interpret something.
  • Check out my personal cheatsheets: If you want to understand the author, time period, context and main point of the book you’re in, then shop my notes on each book here.

It’s amazing how the Bible begins to feel like one big, unified story instead of a bunch of random books. The more I study, the more I see how it all points back to Jesus.

E – Expand

This final step is your gentle nudge to keep going.

This is where you check in with your “why.” Why are you opening your Bible in the first place? Why do you want to grow in your faith?

The Expand step doesn’t have to mean diving into commentaries or theological rabbit holes (though you can if you want!).

It simply means deciding what to study tomorrow. For example:

  • Go deeper into one of the steps that stood out
  • Repeat The SIMPLE Method™ with the next chapter
  • Follow a reading plan

The goal here is to make Bible study more than a one-time moment. This is about building momentum and letting God’s Word become part of your daily rhythm.

It’s not about perfection—it’s about pursuit.

Why This Method Works (Even If You’re Busy)

What I love about The SIMPLE Method™ is that it meets you where you’re at.

  • Got 15 minutes? Just do the Study and Personalize steps.
  • Got more time? Add in Illustrate or Expand.
  • Feeling creative? Go all in on the Map and Link steps.

It’s flexible. It’s visual. And it helps me stay consistent, because I actually look forward to doing it.

Plus, it gives me a little “win” each day. I walk away not just having read my Bible, but really understood something—and that keeps me coming back.

Want to Try It Yourself?

If you’re curious about trying the SIMPLE Method, you can grab your FREE guide here:

You don’t need a theology degree. You just need a Bible, a pen, and a little space to meet with God. And if you ever feel stuck or unsure, send me a message. I’d love to cheer you on.

Introducing The SIMPLE Method Series

What started as a simple way to organize my own Bible study notes has grown into something so much bigger.

For years, my Bible Cheatsheets have been one of my bestselling resources—helping women, teachers, and families simplify their study of Scripture with visual summaries of each book of the Bible. As a result, I’m expanding this idea into something even bigger: The SIMPLE Method Series™.

This new series takes everything you loved about the original Bible Cheatsheets and gives it a fresh, expanded format—with updated designs, bonus content, and printed book versions coming soon.

Here’s what’s included in The SIMPLE Method Series™:

Each resource is created using my hand-drawn style as I follow The SIMPLE Method™ — Study, Illustrate, Map, Personalize, Link, Expand—to help you grow in your faith with visual, approachable tools.

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Make sure to follow my YouTube Channel for free SIMPLE method lessons and to join my Facebook Group to see how others are using this method in their own studies!

Before you go, read even more posts like this here:

Let’s keep it SIMPLE,