Creative Bible Note-Taking Ideas for Beginners (Simple + Meaningful Ways to Start)
“I love your Bible! ”
The other day I was sitting in Sunday School and someone approached me and complimented my new Bible. It was a Christmas gift from my husband and it was beautiful. My new Bible has a journaling section in the margins. Here is a link if you are interested.
My old Bible was also a journaling Bible. I had received it several years ago and many of the marginal pages were filled with notes, thoughts, praises, prayer requests, and interesting ideas. I loved (still love) that sweet Bible. However, having this new Bible feels…..well….intimidating. I take it to church, will take some sermon notes in it, but honestly I rarely use it otherwise.
It is because I open it up at home…. and then don’t know what to write. It is so pretty and the pages are so thin. I don’t want to mess up anything. A sense of perfectionism and intimidation washes over me. One day, I realized something. As I was looking at my older journaling Bible I noticed a page where I had written a scribbled note, then crossed it out and wrote something else down lower on the page.
This isn’t about being pretty….but about paying attention.
What Is Bible Note-Taking (and Why It Matters)
Bible note-taking isn’t about writing the perfect notes, it’s about looking deeper into Scripture. Many people take notes during sermons, and I like to use my Bible journaling Bible for that occasionally. If my pastor goes through a passage, I might write down his main points in the margin or interesting insights – something new!
Others take notes while they do their daily or weekly Bible reading. Whether you study the Bible or read the Bible, the journaling Bible is a great option to just make notes of your thoughts. I do this a lot in my personal quiet time with Jesus. There have been many times I’ll underline a verse and then just write the circumstances or even just a date to record that this verse was meaningful during a hard time in my life.
Bible note-taking helps to slow us down, to remember, and creates a personal record of our walk with God. I love flipping through my old journaling Bible and seeing the journey God has taken me on these past few years. Although my new Bible is mostly empty, I am slowly writing my thoughts and reflections and sermon notes each week.
10 Creative Bible Note-Taking Ideas
- Write a one-sentence summary
- Circle repeated words
- Write questions in the margins
- Paraphrase a verse in your own words
- Highlight attributes of God
- Note cross-references
- Write a short prayer
- Track emotions in the passage
- Use symbols (heart, star, arrow)
- Write one takeaway truth
Keep It Simple (For Beginners)
What used to keep me from writing in my Bible was that I wanted it to look nice, pretty, or neat. Instead, I’ve learned that you don’t necessarily need colors, makers, or a system. You can simply start with a pen and one idea. Take the list above and run with it! Try out a couple of those ideas for a few weeks and then move on.
Don’t let fear of messing up your Bible hold you back. Although there are some who want an aesthetic journaling Bible, that doesn’t have to be you if that doesn’t fit your personality. But if it does – do it! Also, remember that journaling just involves your own thoughts, questions, and ideas. It doesn’t have to be deep, just meaningful for you!
Next time you open your Bible, just do one thing…
Feel free to download this free Bible Note-Taking Ideas Cheat Sheet here.Â
