Kay Arthur (1933–2025)
It was with sadness that we learned of the passing of Kay Arthur, the co-founder of Precept Ministries, on 20th May, 2025.
It was with sadness that we learned of the passing of Kay Arthur, the co-founder of Precept Ministries, on 20th May, 2025. It has also caused us to remember with joy the various visits she made to Ireland, and the opportunities that many of us had to meet with her at Precept in Chattanooga.
Throughout her life she demonstrated an unwavering commitment to her faith and exemplified compassion for those around her. Her journey was marked not only by an extraordinary depth of biblical knowledge but also by her gift for inspiring others to live by the teachings of the Scriptures. It was her prayerful desire to see Precept Ministries begin in our land, and we praise God that since her visit a quarter of a century ago, the work of Precept in Ireland continues to develop.
On behalf of the Precept Ireland board, together with its staff, Bible study leaders and students, we express our sympathy to Kay’s family and pray they will know the peace of God during this difficult season. We pray too that the same passion that Kay had for God’s Word will continue to be seen in the lives of many here in Ireland.
Campbell Green
Chairman, Precept Ireland Board
There will be a memorial service held on Sunday 1st June at 3pm (8pm BST) which you can view online here via this link: https://www.precept.org/remembering-kay-arthur/memorial-service/ The livestream will be available to join 15 minutes prior to the service start time.
Why do we mark words?
Ever wonder why we take time to mark words? Here are 4 reasons…
If you’ve ever done an Inductive Bible Study, you’ve probably been asked to mark certain words. Maybe you’ve wondered, Why? What’s the point? If you're new to this method, it might feel like extra work at first. But trust me - once you see how it transforms the way you read and understand Scripture, you won’t want to stop!
Why should I mark words in the Bible?
Marking words is a key part of the Precept Inductive Bible Study method, which is built around three simple but powerful steps: Observation, Interpretation, and Application. This approach helps us go beyond just reading the Bible - it helps us truly understand what God is saying and apply it to our lives.
At Precept, we encourage people to underline, circle, highlight, or even use symbols to set apart key words and phrases. Why? Because it makes us slow down, pay attention to what we’re reading and engage with it. Think of it like watching a football match: instead of sitting on the sidelines as a spectator, marking words puts you out on the pitch, actively engaging with God’s Word.
Four Benefits of Marking Words in the Bible
1. It Helps You Remember What You Read
Have you ever read a passage, closed your Bible, and immediately forgotten what it was about? You’re not alone! One way that you can improve your memory of Scripture is to engage with it actively - and marking key words is a simple way to do that.
Studies show that when we interact with a text - by highlighting, underlining, or taking notes - helps us retain the information better. The same is true for Scripture!
For example, if you're reading Matthew and take the time to mark every mention of the word “kingdom”, you’ll quickly notice how often Jesus talks about the Kingdom of God. And because you’ve highlighted that word, you’ll remember it long after you’ve closed your Bible.
2. It Helps You See Detail You Might Otherwise Miss
Marking words makes you more aware of what’s happening in the passage. It forces you to ask questions like:
Who is speaking? (Marking names makes it clear.)
Where is this happening? (Highlighting locations helps.)
What is the main idea? (Noticing repeated words points to key themes.)
When we take the time to observe these details, our understanding of the passage deepens. And when our understanding grows, so does our ability to apply God’s truth to our lives.
Read Psalm 119:1-8, and ask yourself, what are these verses about? Then look for any words that are repeated (and any synonyms) and mark them. Did this confirm what you first thought the verses were about, or change it?
3. It Reveals Key Themes and Patterns
Sometimes we read a passage and miss the bigger picture. But when we mark words, we start to see themes emerge that we might not have noticed before.
For example, in Philippians, if you highlight “joy” and “rejoice” every time they appear, you’ll quickly realize that joy is one of Paul’s main messages - even though he was writing from a prison cell! Similarly, in Romans, if you mark words like “law,” “grace,” and “faith”, you’ll gain a clearer understanding of what Paul is teaching about salvation.
Recognizing these patterns helps us grasp why certain books of the Bible were written and what God wants us to learn from them.
4. It Helps You Apply God’s Word to Your Life
The goal of studying the Bible isn’t just to gain knowledge - it’s to be transformed. Marking words helps us see what God is asking us to do.
For example, if you read 1 John and mark every mention of the word “love”, you’ll quickly see how central love is to the Christian life. But it doesn’t stop there - seeing it repeatedly reminds you to live it out! When you read, “Beloved, let us love one another” (1 John 4:7), marking the word “love” makes it stand out. And the more it stands out, the more you’ll be reminded to practice it in your daily life.
Final Thoughts: Give It a GO!
Marking words in the Bible is such a simple habit, but it makes a big difference. It helps you remember what you read, observe key details, recognize themes, and most importantly, apply God’s Word to your life.
So next time you open your Bible, try it out! Pick a passage, choose a key word, and start marking - you might be surprised at how much more you notice.
P.S. One more thing…
Bibles are often printed on very thin paper, so some types of pens may bleed through to other pages. If you want to write directly on to the page, we recommend our Micron pens that don’t bleed through! Check them out here.
Men's Breakfast with David Cupples
Our friends at MenUnited (Larne, Co. Antrim) are organising a men’s breakfast! Read on for more information.
Our friends at MenUnited (Larne, Co. Antrim) are organising a men’s breakfast!
You are invited to a Men’s Breakfast!
The Curran Court Hotel
Saturday 15th June
8.30am - 10.30am
Hosted by MenUnited Larne
Photo from The Crucible of Leadership.
Source: https://thecrucibleofleadership.co.uk/2021/09/21/the-leadership-journey-podcast-david-cupples/
After a delicious Curran Court breakfast our guest David Cupples will encourage us from his Camino experiences.
The event is suitable for young and old, whatever stage of your faith journey you are on. David walked the 670 miles of the ‘Way of St James’ as Jesus Words “Freely you have received, freely give” came alive for him.
Suggested donation £12.
Address: Curran Court Hotel - 6 Redlands Rd, Larne BT40 1FD
RSVP by email to bobloade@aol.com or robin.j.tweed@gmail.com
Download a copy of the invitation here to share with others.
CONFIDENT24 - Event Report
Read a summary of our recent Confident24 event here.
On Wednesday 17th January, Bible Society NI and Precept Ireland hosted a special event at the T3 Conference Centre in Lisburn with one intention: to give Christians renewed confidence in God’s Word.
The evening was split into two sessions. During Session 1, Mark Wells (Community Partnership Manager at Bible Society NI) examined the reliability and authenticity of the Bible from an external perspective.
Mark highlighted the fact that the Bible we have today is a reliable copy of what was written originally. Mark discussed the lack of variation in manuscripts alongside the sheer number of manuscripts compared to other ancient texts. The session was full of interesting facts and attendees couldn’t help but feel in awe of how the Bible was crafted together.
“All Prophecies about Jesus: A big picture view of those promised in the Old & fulfilled in the New”
Taken from The Infographic Bible: Visualising the Drama of God’s Word (Zondervan, 2018)
Mark also took time to think about the complexity of the Bible, and how that should encourage our study of it, rather than cause us to discard it.
“Scripture is like a river . . . broad and deep, shallow enough here for the lamb to go wading, but deep enough there for the elephant to swim.”
After a short break where attendees were able to thumb through some of the books and resources that were on display, Dave Wilson (National Director at Precept Ireland) led the second session. As Mark had provided some reasons for why we should read the Bible, Dave then provided a method for how we can read it better.
Reading the Bible is a spiritual discipline that Christians readily admit they should do, but many struggle with how. Dave shared about the three ingredients of inductive Bible study: Observation, Interpretation, and Application. He then led the group through a study of 1 Thessalonians 1 using this method and very quickly the attendees were all discussing what they were learning from the passage and the clear applications that were coming from it.
Overall those who attended felt the two sessions were helpful and worthwhile, though both talks could have benefited from more time in discussion groups if time had permitted.
Thanks go to the House of Vic-Ryn for hosting the event at their T3 Conference Centre, and to Richard at The Book Well for providing some relevant books related to the topics.
For Further Reading & Study:
- “The Bible Course” – Bible Society
- “Why Trust the Bible” – Amy Orr-Ewing (opens link to The Book Well website)
- “Lord, Teach Me To Study the Bible in 28 Days” – Kay Arthur
Southwest Visit
We are delighted to be spending the weekend with Tralee Baptist Church from 24th - 26th November in County Kerry.
We are delighted to be spending the weekend with Tralee Baptist Church from 24th - 26th November in County Kerry.
We will be delivering a couple of workshops to the church on Saturday 25th and sharing with them on Sunday 26th during their Sunday worship time. There are a few ways that you can be involved in this trip!
1) Finance: As a small ministry seeking to build up the church across Ireland, trips like this are only made possible through the generosity of believers and churches who see the value in equipping Christians to read the Bible for themselves.
If you would like to make a gift to support this trip, or help us with future trips, please consider making a donation either through Stewardship, or by contacting us directly. Any gifts that are specifically for this trip should be earmarked “Southwest23” and it will all go towards this initiative.
2) Let people know: We have set aside time on Friday night and Saturday afternoon to meet with church leaders in that area as we want to connect with others and hear about their churches and the ministries they are involved in. If you know a church leader in that area, please tell them we’re going to be about! And pass on our email address: info@preceptireland.org. (P.S. We’ll buy them a coffee!)
3) Pray: Please pray for us as we leave Belfast on Friday 24th. It is a long drive to County Kerry, so prayers for safety in travel there and back are needed. Pray too that our workshops and training will bring benefit to the church in Tralee and for opportunities to share about Precept with others in the region.
Thank you for supporting us!
Blessings,
Dave
National Director