by Jen | Jun 17, 2025 | 5-15, DISO studies, Introduction, Matthew 6
Hi! Thanks for joining me in this Digging into Scripture Ourselves (DISO) study of Matthew 6:5-15. I can’t wait to see what the Holy Spirit will reveal to us here!
If it seems we’ve studied this passage before, we have. This is the fourth of seven studies I’m calling Restoration. I explored the Lord’s Prayer five years ago (!) in this blog using my original “20 Questions” version of DISO. Unfortunately, the online version of those posts was destroyed a few years ago. Late last year I felt called to bring back the studies of widely recognized passages like this one. Rather than simply republishing those old posts, though, I sensed the Spirit leading me to study those verses again, this time leaning more on Him as we walk through the five steps of Praying, Surveying, Mining, Refining, and Aligning.
Let’s Study Matthew 6:5-15!
This week, I’ll begin by praying and surveying Matthew 6:5-15. If you want to study on your own with me, here’s what I recommend you have ready:
- A copy of Matthew 6:5-15, plus access to the entire Gospel of Matthew.
I like to refer often to the text I’m studying and sometimes make notes on it, so I copy the passage from https://www.blueletterbible.org, paste it into a word processing program like Google docs or MS Word, change the formatting to suit my preferences, and print it out. If you want to use the ESV translation, here’s a pdf of my Scripture study sheet with lots of room for doodles and notes.
- A study journal.
We’ll spend the next seven weeks immersed in and learning about Matthew 6:5-15. And the work we’ll do each week builds on what came before, so plan to record at least some highlights from your work over the coming weeks. I’m old-school and like the pen-and-paper method for journaling my studies, but it’s okay if that doesn’t work for you. If you don’t have time to write out or type your notes, consider dictating them into a notes app, or recording audio files, instead.
Or, you may decide to just read the posts I publish here. That’s good, too, because you’ll become familiar with the process and see how the Spirit speaks to my situation. You may find that’s enough to make it worth your while to keep checking in with me, even if you can’t dig into Matthew 6:5-15 yourself this time.
Dig-In Challenges
So, here’s how I’ll be studying this week:
- PRAY: I’ll be creating a prayer with which I’ll start each of my weekly study sessions. If you’ve studied with me before, you know I usually just adapt a previous prayer. Though I’ve almost memorized the bones of my prayer, I still write it in my study journal to remind me to pray it each time I open the notebook.
- SURVEY: Then I’ll read Matthew 6:5-15, noting anything that makes me say, “huh?” (as in, “I wonder what that means?”) or “wow” (as in, “that is so awesome!”). I’ll record these and later ask the Spirit to direct me to the one I should dig deepest into right now.
If you’d like more information about these steps, check out this printable summary of the process I’ll be using over the next eight weeks. Or, you can always reach out to me with your questions through my contact page or at [email protected].
I’m looking forward to sharing what I discover in this process with you, along with relevant snippets of my previous Lord’s Prayer study from 2020, so I hope you’ll keep checking in with me each week!
GO TO WEEK 2 >
by Jen | Apr 22, 2025 | 1-21, DISO studies, Introduction, John 3
Hello and thanks for joining me in this Digging into Scripture Ourselves (DISO) study of John 3:1-21. I’m glad you’re here!
This is the third of seven studies I’m calling Restoration. I explored these passages years ago using my original “20 Questions” version of DISO, but those posts are no longer available online. To minimize confusion, I’ll be working through the texts again, this time using the current process. I can’t wait to see what new revelations the Holy Spirit will show us this time!
Let’s Study John 3:1-21!
This week, I’ll begin by praying and surveying John 3:1-21. If you want to study on your own, too, here’s what I recommend you have ready:
- A copy of John 3:1-21, plus access to the entire Gospel of John.
I like to refer often to the text I’m studying and sometimes make notes on it, so I copy the passage from https://www.blueletterbible.org, paste it into a word processing program like Google docs or MS Word, change the formatting to suit my preferences, and print it out. If you want to use the ESV translation, here’s a pdf of my Scripture study sheet with lots of room for doodles and notes.
NOTE: for the first time, I noticed footnotes in this passage! Most are interpretation-related, so I went ahead and included them on my study sheet for consideration in Step 3.
- A study journal.
We’ll spend the next seven weeks immersed in and learning about John 3:1-21. And the work we’ll do each week builds on what came before, so plan to record at least some highlights from your work over the coming weeks. I’m old-school and like the pen-and-paper method for journaling my studies, but it’s okay if that doesn’t work for you. If you don’t have time to write out or type your notes, consider dictating them into a notes app, or recording audio files, instead.
Or, you may decide to just read the posts I publish here. That’s good, too, because you’ll become familiar with the process and see how the Spirit speaks to my situation. You may find that’s enough to make it worth your while to keep checking in with me, even if you can’t dig into John 3:1-21 yourself now.
Dig-In Challenges
So, here’s how I’ll be studying this week:
- PRAY: I’ll be creating a prayer with which I’ll start my weekly study sessions. I’m going to write it in my study journal, so I’ll have it handy every time.
- SURVEY: Then I’ll read John 3:1-21, noting anything that makes me say, “huh?” (as in, “I wonder what that means?”) or “wow” (as in, “that is so awesome!”). I’ll record these and later ask the Spirit to direct me to the one I should dig deepest into right now.
If you’d like more information about these steps, check out this printable summary of the process I’ll be using over the next eight weeks. Or, you can always reach out to me with your questions through my contact page or at [email protected].
I’m looking forward to sharing what I discover in this process with you, along with relevant snippets of my previous study from 2020, so I hope you’ll keep checking in with me each week!
GO TO WEEK 2 >
by Jen | Apr 29, 2025 | 1-21, DISO studies, John 3
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Hi there!
I’m posting this with the National Day of Prayer (Thursday, May 1, 2025) on my heart. Will you join us, friend, even for just a minute or two? I hope so. You can find out more here: https://www.nationaldayofprayer.org/.
Even if you don’t see this till after May 1, I ask you to pray anyway. Take a moment now and intercede for our country, all its teachers and leaders of any sort (even if you don’t agree with them). The Bible says we should “Confess [our] sins to each other and pray for each other so that [we] may be healed. The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results (James 5:16 NLT).” Don’t forget, if you’re a believer, Jesus’s blood on the cross has made you righteous: our prayers have great power and produce wonderful results!
Last Week’s Work
MY PRAYER
Isn’t God’s timing so perfect?! Here’s my usual prayer, customized a little for this study:
Father God, thank you so much for Your Holy Spirit in me! As I study John 3:1-21 again, I ask—as always—that my eyes, ears, and heart stay open to His gentle instruction. Help me dig into the passage with hope and understanding, that I can see what You want me to focus on, understand it the way You meant it, and use it to glorify You and build up Your church here on earth. In Jesus’s name I pray. Amen!
HUH? and WOW! MOMENTS
Next, I read John 3:1-21 and focused on my reactions. Here’s what I noted:
HUH?s
- Does Nicodemus the ruler and teacher show up anywhere else in the Bible? What does his name mean?
- What is Jesus talking about “born again (v3),” and “born of water and the Spirit (v5)”, “born of flesh” and “born of the Spirit (v6)”? Are they all different things?
- Why might someone want to get into the kingdom of God (vv3,5)?
- How is “everyone who is born of the Spirit” like hearing the wind and not knowing where it comes from or goes (v8)?
- How is Moses lifting a serpent in the wilderness the same as the Son of Man being lifted up so people will believe and have eternal life (v14)?
WOW!s
- Nicodemus didn’t ask a question, he just made a statement about Jesus’s identity; but the text says Jesus answered him (v3)!
- This born again thing seems to be a big deal: without it people are blind to the kingdom of God (v3) and can’t get into the kingdom of God (v5).
- Jesus came to the world so people who believe in Him won’t perish; they’ll have eternal life (v16)!
- It seems there’s an abrupt shift in topic between vv16 and 17: Jesus starts out talking about death (perishing) and eternal life (16), then shifts to condemnation and judgment (vv17-21). I don’t follow the train of thought there.
Seems like I have a lot more questions than ah-ha!s about this text—even though I’ve already done at least one in-depth study on it! This week, I’ll be praying about which one of the above to focus on in this series.
Dig-In Challenges
If you’re studying this passage with me, listen to the Spirit this week, and choose a personal Huh? or Wow! to dig more deeply into. Going forward, I’ll refer to this as your personal treasure from John 3:1-21. It can be something you noticed in your study, one of the items I’ve listed above, or anything else the Holy Spirit has laid upon your heart as you think about this passage. As we study, we’ll consider everything in the chapter, but we’ll gradually narrow the focus to the verses that talk about our treasure.
Then:
- PRAY for the Spirit to help as you choose your focus for the remainder of this study. Write this personal treasure from the Holy Spirit in your journal, along with the verse(s) that focus(es) on it.
- MINE: Read John 3:1-21, focusing on the setting (who’s involved, and where and when the action took place). Note anything the Spirit emphasizes about the characters involved, any locations mentioned, and any timeframes discussed.
I hope you’ll join me again soon!
GO TO WEEK 3 >
by Jen | May 6, 2025 | 1-21, DISO studies, John 3
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Welcome back and thank you for checking in with me today!
Last Week’s Work
MY PERSONAL TREASURE
As I read through my list of huh?s and wow!s from last week, I was drawn to the question on being “born again,” of “water and the Spirit,” and my wow! about the consequences of not being born again (being unable to see or get into the “kingdom of heaven”). I believe I’ve been born again, and I know I’ve talked about the kingdom of heaven before, but I don’t know that I’ve spent a lot of time digging into either concept. If so, it seems the Spirit is calling me to relearn those lessons!
So, in this study, I intend to focus on John 3:3 and specifically on the phrases, “born again” and “kingdom of God.”
WHO (CHARACTERS)
This is a conversation between Nicodemus, “a man of the Pharisees,” and “a ruler of the Jews” (v1) whom Jesus called “the teacher of Israel” (v9), and Jesus, “a teacher come from God” (v1). I think it’s interesting that Nicodemus called Jesus “a teacher” (one of many?); and Jesus called Nicodemus “the teacher” (the only?). Jesus mentions a character, the “Son of Man,” in vv13-14, and the Son of God in vv16-18. In the context of vv14-16 (specifically, “eternal life”), it seems they are the same person. I’m pretty sure Jesus is referring to himself there, but I’d like to confirm that somehow.
WHERE (LOCATIONS)
The first location I saw is “his mother’s womb,” mentioned by Nicodemus in v4 as he processed Jesus’s statement about being born again.
Next, Jesus contrasts “earthly” things and “heavenly” things in v12, though I’m really not sure if he’s referring to earth and heaven as places, or representing some other nature (maybe, physical and spiritual?).
In v13, Jesus talks about ascending into “heaven” and descending from it, so I think there he’s referring to a location.
In v14, “Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness.” I think this refers to an incident recorded in the Old Testament (Numbers 21) when serpents attacked the Israelites after they left Egypt. Those who were bitten died unless they looked at the image of a serpent Moses elevated for all to see.
In vv16-17, Jesus uses “the world” once to refer to the place where “God did not send his Son into… (v17),” but three times where it seems he’s referring to the people of the world:
- “God so loved the [people of the] world… (v16)”
- “God did not send His son… to condemn the [people of the] world… (v17)”
- “But… in order that the [people of the] world might be saved… (v17)
Finally, “the world” also appears as a place in v19, “… the light has come into the world…”
WHEN (TIMEFRAMES)
The only timeframe I noticed was in v2: “by night.” This is when Nicodemus came to Jesus. Makes me think Nicodemus didn’t want anyone else to know he was talking to Jesus…
Doesn’t it feel like we’ve uncovered more questions than answers this week? I can’t wait till the Spirit shows me how this all fits together in my life right now. He’s so faithful to do that—I’m looking forward to being amazed again!
Dig-In Challenges
Here’s my plan for this week:
- PRAY the prayer I wrote last week before I study.
- MINE: Look for repeated concepts in this passage, including synonyms and pronouns referring to those concepts.
- MINE: Locate any special statements (blessings, commands, curses, prayers, promises, requests, and/or warnings) in the passage. This time, I’m also going to notice another category: questions.
- MINE: Note any lists (3 or more similar items) mentioned in Joshua 2.
Remember, you can download this printable summary of the DISO process for more specific instructions. I hope you’ll check in with me next week!
GO TO WEEK 4 >
by Jen | May 13, 2025 | 1-21, DISO studies, John 3
NEW TO THIS STUDY? START HERE.
Hi, again. I’m about to miss my deadline for getting this uploaded, so let’s go straight to the good stuff… and quick!
Last Week’s Work
REPETITION
This week, I noticed eight repeated concepts in the passage, but I wanted to stay focused on the personal treasure I chose last week: the requirement to be born again before entering the kingdom of God. John mentions born or born again in vv3-8 as follows:
- Being born again [per ESV footnote born from above] is required to see the kingdom of God (v3).
- Nicodemus questioned how one could be born again (v4).
- Jesus clarified, one must be born of water and the Spirit to enter the kingdom of God (v5).
- Jesus also said, what’s born of flesh is flesh; what’s born of Spirit is spirit (v6).
- Everyone who is born of the Spirit is like the wind [spirit] that blows where it wishes: it’s heard, but where it starts and ends no one knows (v8). This comparison is related to being born of the Spirit (which seems to be part of being born again), so I want to better understand it.
The kingdom of God is mentioned twice: first, as something seen by those born again (v3). Then, as a place no one can enter unless they are born of water and the Spirit (v5).
Finally, I noticed Jesus repeating, Truly, truly, I say to you three times (vv3, 5, and 11). I think this repetition underscores the importance of these statements:
- Unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God (v3).
- Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God (v5).
- We [Jesus and others] speak of what we know and … what we have seen, but you [Nicodemus and others] don’t receive our testimony (v11).
SPECIAL STATEMENTS
The only special statements I noticed this week were promises related to my treasure verses and the importance of belief:
- One cannot see the kingdom of God unless one is born again (v3).
- One cannot enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit (v5).
- Whoever believes in the Son of Man (lifted up) may have eternal life (vv14-15).
- Whoever believes in God’s only Son will not perish but have eternal life (vv16).
- Whoever believes in [God’s only Son] is not condemned; whoever does not believe is condemned already (v18).
LISTS
The only list I could come up with (and I feel like I might be stretching this!), is the Three Requirements to See & Enter God’s Kingdom. They are:
- One has to be “born again” to see the kingdom
- One has to be born of water, and
- One has to be born of the Spirit to get into the kingdom.
As I write this, I am impressed at the difference here: it seems some people can see the kingdom, but they can’t get into it.
This reminded me of the story of Lazarus and the rich man in Luke 16:19-31. Jesus told this story to his disciples within earshot of the Pharisees: Lazarus was a poor, sick beggar who was left at the rich man’s doorstep. In time, they both died; Lazarus was carried by angels to Abraham’s side, but the rich man ended up in Hades, where he was tormented. There, he could see Lazarus hanging out with Abraham, and he cried out, asking for Lazarus to come give him some relief. Abraham refused the request and noted “a great chasm has been set in place, so that those who want to go from here to you cannot, nor can anyone cross over from there to us.” In this story, the rich man could see the kingdom where Lazarus had gone, but he could not enter it. Luke even mentions the kingdom of God a few verses before the story begins. Jesus says, “[since John], the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing their way into it (Luke 16:16, emphasis mine).
Dig-In Challenges
Next week, we’ll wrap up Step 3 by:
- PRAYING: As always, start with the prayer we wrote for Step 1.
- MINING: Read through the passage again looking for comparisons in or related to your focus verses. Look for similarities using like or as, quantitative/qualitative comparisons using more or less, and/or contrasts.
- MINING: Next, look for causes or motives by focusing on key words or phrases I call cause connectors.
- In this chapter, look for the connectors for, that, to, in order that, because, lest, and so that.
- Then check the text surrounding the connector for an action and the reason for that action.
For example: I went to the store because I was out of milk:
the action = I went to the store because the reason = I was out of milk.
NOTE A: for, that, and to don’t always connect an action and a reason. To determine if they do in this passage, read the sentences containing these words replacing for with because, that with so that or in order that, and to with in order to. If the new sentence makes sense and means the same as the original, make a note of the action and its cause.
NOTE B: Most often the action will occur before the cause connector and the reason will follow it (like the example above). If you have questions about this or any other part of the study, please reach out to me at [email protected]!
- MINING: Finally, look for conditions or methods the author describes. For example, does the text say if or when a certain condition is met, some outcome will happen (e.g., whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith (Matthew 21:22)? Or does the author describe a particular method by which something happens—for example, specific steps taken to achieve something, or more generally by or through attributes or actions (e.g., saved by grace, through faith (Ephesians 2:8)? Does he use any adverbs (-ly words) that describe how action was accomplished?
These exercises are more involved, I know, but I’m confident you can do this with the Holy Spirit! Don’t forget to check your How to Dig Into Scripture Ourselves guide, and you can always reach out to me at [email protected] if you have questions.
GO TO WEEK 5 >
