HOW TO CREATE A BIBLE CHAIN

WHAT YOU’LL NEED

You don’t need a complicated system to begin Bible chaining. Start with a few simple tools:

A Bible you are comfortable writing in
Choose a Bible with enough margin space to write a short reference beside a verse. A journaling or wide-margin Bible can be helpful, but it isn’t required.

A fine-tip pen or Bible-safe marker
Use something that writes clearly without excessive bleed-through. You may also want a highlighter or colored pencil if you enjoy color-coding your studies.

Bible-safe highlighters or colored pencils
If you like to highlight key words or color-code themes, choose highlighters specifically designed for thin Bible paper. Colored pencils are another good option because they give you control over the intensity of the color and are less likely to bleed through the page.

A notebook or study journal
Use this to record what you learn as you build the chain—context, observations, cross-references, questions, and how each passage connects to the theme.

Reliable Bible-study resources
Cross-references, a concordance, Bible dictionary, and trusted study tools can help you locate related passages and understand their context. These tools should help you study Scripture—not replace reading the biblical text itself.

A willingness to slow down
A good Bible chain doesn’t have to be completed in one sitting. Take time to read each passage in context, pray, compare Scripture with Scripture, and follow the theme where the biblical text leads.

A NOTE ABOUT BIBLE TRANSLATIONS

Scripture quotations throughout Becoming Her are generally from the King James Version (KJV). When creating or following a Bible chain, however, you are welcome to use the Bible translation you prefer and regularly study.

You may even find it helpful to compare several trusted translations as you study a passage more deeply. The wording may differ, but your goal remains the same: to understand the Scripture in its context and faithfully follow what God’s Word teaches.

HOW TO BUILD A BIBLE CHAIN

STEP 1 — CHOOSE YOUR TOPIC OR THEME

Begin by choosing what you want to study. You can select one of the Bible-chain themes provided here on Becoming Her and follow the Scripture references I’ve gathered, or you can create a Bible chain around a topic or question of your own.

If you are choosing your own topic, begin with something you genuinely want to understand from Scripture. It might be a biblical theme such as redemption, prayer, forgiveness, God’s provision, spiritual gifts, discipleship, or the character of God.

Your topic may also grow out of a question, a sermon, something you are walking through personally, or a passage that makes you want to dig deeper.

Write your topic at the top of a notebook page or study sheet. Before you begin, take a moment to pray and ask God for wisdom and understanding as you study His Word.

Remember: Whether you are following one of the Becoming Her Bible chains or creating your own, don’t simply collect verses because they contain the same word or seem to support an idea. Read each passage in context and allow Scripture to show you what it actually teaches.

RESOURCES FOR FINDING BIBLE CHAIN THEMES

If you would like to create your own Bible chain but aren’t sure where to begin, these resources can help you discover biblical themes and locate related passages.

Thompson Chain-Reference Bible
One of the most useful resources for Bible chaining. The Thompson Chain-Reference system organizes Scripture by thousands of topics and themes and connects related passages throughout the Bible. You can use it to discover a topic, find a starting passage, and follow related Scriptures as you develop your own chain.

Your Bible’s Cross-References
If your Bible includes cross-references in the center column, margins, or footnotes, don’t overlook them. They can lead you from the passage you are reading to other Scriptures dealing with the same event, teaching, prophecy, quotation, or related theme.

A Bible Concordance
A concordance helps you locate passages containing particular words. This can be especially helpful when you are beginning a topical study. Remember, however, that verses containing the same word do not necessarily teach the same thing. Always read each passage in context.

Blue Letter Bible
This free Bible-study resource provides cross-references, concordance tools, original-language helps, commentaries, dictionaries, and other study resources that can help you investigate a theme more deeply.

Bible Hub
Bible Hub provides parallel translations, cross-references, concordances, commentaries, dictionaries, and other study tools that can help you compare passages and explore related Scriptures.

A Study Bible or Bible Dictionary
A trusted study Bible or Bible dictionary can help you understand historical setting, biblical terminology, people, places, and background information as you research a theme.

A helpful rule: Use study resources to help you find and understand Scripture, but allow Scripture itself to determine what belongs in your chain. A cross-reference, commentary, or topical index is a starting point for study—not the final authority.

STEP 2 — FIND YOUR STARTING SCRIPTURE

Once you have chosen your theme, find a Scripture that clearly introduces or represents the topic you want to study. This will become the first link in your Bible chain.

If you are following one of the Becoming Her Bible chains, I have already selected a starting Scripture for you. Begin with the first Read reference listed in that study.

If you are creating your own chain, use your Bible’s cross-references, a concordance, the Thompson Chain-Reference Bible, or trusted Bible-study resources to help locate a strong starting passage.

Before adding a verse to your chain, read the surrounding verses—and when necessary, the entire chapter. Ask:

• What is happening in this passage?

• Who is speaking, and to whom?

• What is the main point of the passage?

• Does this Scripture actually teach something about my theme, or does it simply contain a word related to my topic?

Once you are confident the passage belongs in your study, write the next Scripture reference beside your starting passage in your Bible.

That reference becomes the next link in your chain.

Example: In The Scarlet Thread of Redemption, the chain begins at Genesis 3:15. Beside Genesis 3:15 in your Bible, you would write the reference for the next passage in the chain: Genesis 3:21.

When you turn to Genesis 3:21, you will find the reference that leads you to the next passage—and continue this process until you reach the end of the chain.

STEP 3 — FOLLOW THE SCRIPTURE CONNECTIONS

Once you have your starting passage, begin looking for Scriptures that develop the same biblical theme.

Use the cross-references in your Bible and the study resources listed above to explore related passages. As you find them, read each one in context before deciding whether it belongs in your chain.

Look for different kinds of connections:

Direct connections — One passage quotes, refers to, or clearly explains another passage.

Thematic connections — Different passages contribute to the same biblical theme even though they may not directly reference one another.

Promise and fulfillment — An earlier passage contains a promise or prophecy that a later passage identifies as fulfilled.

Progressive revelation — A truth introduced earlier in Scripture becomes clearer or more fully revealed as the biblical story unfolds.

As you build your chain, arrange the passages in an order that helps the reader see the theme develop clearly. Sometimes chronological or biblical-book order works best. Other times, one Scripture naturally leads to another.

Be careful not to force a connection. Two verses may use similar words without teaching the same truth. If the connection only works when a verse is removed from its context, it probably does not belong in the chain.

The goal is not to create the longest chain possible.

The goal is to faithfully follow the truth Scripture reveals.

STEP 4 — BUILD THE CHAIN IN YOUR BIBLE

Once you have chosen and reviewed your Scripture passages, you are ready to create the chain in your Bible.

Start with the first passage in your chain. In the margin beside that passage, write an arrow followed by the reference for the next Scripture in the chain. The arrow serves as a simple visual reminder to follow the chain to that Scripture next.

Turn to that Scripture and write the reference for the passage that follows it.

Continue this process from passage to passage until you reach the final Scripture in your study.

If you have enough room, you can also write a short two- to four-word label beside each passage to remind you what that Scripture contributes to the theme.

For example, the beginning of The Scarlet Thread of Redemption might look like this:

Genesis 3:15
First Promise → Genesis 3:21

Genesis 3:21
God Provides a Covering → Genesis 4:4

Genesis 4:4
Abel’s Offering → Genesis 22:7–14

At the final passage, write:

END OF CHAIN

You may also write the reference to the first passage beside it if you would like your chain to lead you back to where the study began.

Over time, your Bible becomes its own study tool. When you return to the first passage months or even years later, the references in your margins will allow you to follow the entire study again directly through Scripture.

STEP 5 — KEEP A STUDY RECORD

Your Bible holds the chain, but a notebook, binder, or study journal gives you room to record what you discover along the way.

For each Scripture in your chain, consider recording:

• Scripture reference

• A short two- to four-word label

• What the passage teaches

• How it connects to your theme

• Important context or background

• Other cross-references you discover

• Questions you want to study further

You may also want to note whether a connection is direct or thematic, especially when studying themes that develop across different books of the Bible.

Your notes do not have to be lengthy. Even one or two sentences explaining why a passage belongs in the chain can help you remember what you discovered.

As your study grows, these notes become more than a list of references. They become a record of what you have learned as you have spent time carefully studying God’s Word.

STEP 6 — KNOW WHEN YOUR CHAIN IS COMPLETE

There is no required number of Scriptures in a Bible chain. Some themes may be clearly developed through only a few passages, while others may lead you through many books of the Bible.

Continue adding Scriptures as long as they contribute something meaningful to your understanding of the theme.

Your chain may be complete when:

• The biblical theme has been clearly established.

• You have followed the important connections Scripture provides.

• Additional passages begin repeating what you have already discovered rather than adding greater understanding.

• You can clearly explain what Scripture teaches about the theme from beginning to end.

Don’t add verses simply to make your chain longer. A shorter chain made up of carefully studied passages is more valuable than a long chain filled with weak or uncertain connections.

And remember—sometimes further study will uncover another passage that belongs in a chain you thought was finished. That’s okay. You can always return to your Bible and add another link.

The goal is not a certain number of verses. The goal is a faithful understanding of God’s Word.

STEP 7 — REVIEW AND VERIFY YOUR CHAIN

Before considering your Bible chain complete, go back to the beginning and read through every passage again.

This time, focus less on finding new Scriptures and more on making sure the connections you have made are faithful to what the biblical text actually says.

Ask yourself:

• Did I read each passage in context?

• Does each Scripture truly contribute to the theme?

• Am I allowing the passage to speak for itself rather than making it say what I want it to say?

• Have I distinguished between a direct biblical connection and a thematic connection?

• If I identified something as prophecy or fulfillment, does Scripture support that connection?

• If I see symbolism in a passage, does Scripture establish that meaning, or am I making an assumption?

• Have I double-checked every Scripture reference for accuracy?

Study Bibles, cross-references, concordances, and other trusted resources can help you check your work, but always return to the biblical text itself.

If a connection feels uncertain, you do not have to include it. It is better to leave out a questionable connection than to force a passage into your chain.

We are not trying to make Scripture fit our theme. We are allowing Scripture to shape our understanding of the theme.

STEP 8 — PRAY, REFLECT & APPLY

A Bible chain is more than a collection of connected Scriptures. The purpose of studying God’s Word is not simply to gain information, but to know Him more deeply and allow His truth to shape the way we live.

When you finish your chain, take time to reflect on what you have learned.

Ask yourself:

• What does this study teach me about God?

• What does it reveal about Jesus Christ and the work of redemption?

• Is there a truth I need to believe more fully?

• Is there something in my thinking or behavior that needs to change?

• Is there an instruction I need to obey?

• Is there a promise I need to remember?

• How should what I have learned affect the way I live?

Then spend some time in prayer. Thank God for what He has shown you, ask Him for wisdom where you still have questions, and ask the Holy Spirit to help you live according to the truth you have studied.

You may want to write a short prayer or personal reflection in your study journal so you can return to it later.

The goal of Bible study is not simply to know more about Scripture, but to know God more deeply and faithfully live according to His Word.

READY TO START YOUR FIRST BIBLE CHAIN?

You don’t have to create a chain from scratch to get started.

Explore the Bible Chain Studies here on Becoming Her. Each study gives you a carefully developed sequence of Scripture passages to follow in your own Bible, along with short labels, teaching, context, life application, and prayer.

You can simply begin with the first Scripture and follow the chain from one passage to the next.

A GOOD PLACE TO BEGIN

The Scarlet Thread of Redemption

Trace the story of redemption from Genesis to Revelation and see how Scripture’s unfolding story ultimately leads us to Jesus Christ.