We connect dots.

We spend our lives gathering points of data and connecting them, trying to get a picture of how the world works.

At least, that's what we tell ourselves.

In reality, we find a few pieces of precious information, draw a picture that agrees with our preferred theories, and spend the rest of our time gathering dots that support our self-made picture, and discarding dots that don't.

When we bring that approach to Scripture, we're in deep trouble. God will let us delude ourselves if we really don't want to know the truth. This is what I mean when I say, "The Bible is a dangerous book."

If we have only a few points of information, we won't be able to make out the picture that's been drawn for us – obviously. But if some of our dots of data are wrong (very likely), and if we've thrown out other dots because we don't like them (it happens all the time), we have little chance of receiving the message that the Author is sending.

Let me try to illustrate the contemporary American "non-serious" approach that's doing so much damage already.

If you believe that in the Bible, "seventy times seven" equals "infinity," then you'll never ask, "Ah, what's the significance of the number 490?" When the disciples heard "seventy times seven," they had a connection to the past (the exile of Judah) and to the future (the prophecies of Daniel) – because they knew the Scriptures! We don't make those connections because we're getting the Kliff's Notes for Dummies version.

Or: If you think "the Kingdom of God is within you" means that everyone has personal validation from the god of their imagination, you need to read Luke 17 again, paying special attention to who Jesus was speaking to.

Or: What is Paul's message about how believers are to conduct spiritual warfare in 2 Corinthians 10? You know, "For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds," and all that? If you read that chapter in its entirety, not in fragments, you'll be surprised. You and I are not the "us" in that passage at all.

This is not Bible trivia – just the opposite. Our fragmented and unserious study has borne a disfigured, feelings-based Christianity, just at a time when the world needs a serious encounter with truth.

Well, what can we do? How can we begin to clean up and integrate our knowledge of Scripture so that we can develop a holistic view of God's message? Some suggestions:

• I think we've got to become aggressively "Berean." When someone says, "Seventy times seven is infinity," or "Justified means 'just as if I'd never sinned,' or, "'I can do all things in Christ' means that I'll own that Ferrari," we need to say, "Wait a minute. Is that right?" And look it up. Scripture is the best interpreter of Scripture, so let's go there first.

• Check out different translations – not to cherry-pick our favorite, but to get an idea of what the translators were wrestling with.

• Follow the cross-references in your margins. And make your own cross-references. When the passage you're reading reminds you of something else, find that something else and mark it.

• Read across the chapter breaks. The guys who gave us chapter divisions and verse numbers really didn't do us any favors on net, I think. We might be surprised what we'll learn if we read the books as the authors wrote them.

• Use helpful tools. A study Bible may help, at least with historical context. Many Bible commentaries are available online. I visit BibleGateway every day, and I like BibleHub and BibliaPlus, too. A Strong's Dictionary of Biblical Words and an exhaustive concordance might be things to add to your toolbox.

• I think we have to read in such a way that we can stop and investigate a single word when we need to, but also keep the train of thought moving. Maybe read each passage twice; once for zooming in, once for getting the overall picture.

• Mix it up. Read a book from the Old Testament, then a few Psalms, then a book from the New Testament. This may help us find connecting threads, patterns, overall themes.

• If you're new to reading the Bible, hold your initial conclusions lightly. After reading the whole Book a couple of times, your considered thoughts will be different than your first impressions.

• Maybe memorizing one verse in isolation isn't the best idea if we're trying to de-atomize our understanding of the Bible.

• Stay humble. Pride is one reason scoffers can't get anything out of the Bible. Approach this dangerous Book with reverence and an open heart, and a prayer:

  Open my eyes, that I may see wondrous things from Your law. (Psalm 119:18)