Life Group H.E.A.R. Journal: Proverbs 22-28

Life Group H.E.A.R. Journal

Weekly Reading: Proverbs 22-28

17Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. - Proverbs 27:17

An easy, memorable way to learn how to read and process the Bible is through the H.E.A.R. journaling method. This process helps us read God’s Word with the goal of understanding it and applying it to our lives. The letters stand for Highlight, Explain, Apply, and Respond. 

  • Highlight a scripture: Pick one verse (or pick a set of connected or related verses) from the Book of Proverbs. (Our church is scheduled to read one chapter per day. We’re covering chapters 22 through 28 this week.) Highlight this verse or write down the Book, chapter, and verse number.

  • Explain the context: By asking some simple questions with the help of God’s Spirit, we can understand the meaning of a passage or verse. The following questions can help us understand the context of a passage: What’s happening in the story? Why was this written, and to whom? How does it fit with the verses before and after it? What does God intend to communicate through this text? 

  • Apply it to your life: Application is the heart of the process! Answering a series of questions can help us uncover the meaning of these verses to us on a personal level. What is God saying to me? How can this help me? What does this mean today? How would applying this look in my life?

  • Respond with action: This is the last part of the H.E.A.R. Journal. Your response to the passage may take on many forms. You may write a call to action. You can describe how you’ll be different because of what God said to you through His Word. You may indicate what you’re going to do because of what you have learned. You can even respond by writing out a prayer to God.

This week, you can share something from your own reading. If you need to read, you can start with the chapter in Proverbs that matches today’s date. We’ll write our responses and share them with our group. (If you journal some other way, feel free to do that!) Pay special to the Apply and Respond steps; that’s where God’s Word comes to life! 

Let’s encourage each other in God’s Word!