Why You Should Never Reuse an Old SIMPLY BIBLE Workbook (And What Happened When I Tried)

I recently found out that a few of my friends planned to pull out their old SIMPLY BIBLE workbooks from six years ago and reuse them for another study of Ephesians. Normally, I’m calm and composed…but in this moment, I surprised even myself.

Before I could filter anything, I blurted out,

“NOOOO!!! You can’t reuse the old workbooks!”

Their eyes got big, and they burst out laughing. Thankfully, they’re dear friends, because my reaction was…dramatic. It wasn’t about selling more books. I literally offered to buy them new ones on the spot. So why did I respond so strongly?

Why would I be horrified at the thought of someone revisiting an old Bible study workbook?

Let me tell you.

Your Old Workbook Is Not a Guide—It’s a Commentary

A used SIMPLY BIBLE workbook is precious—worth keeping, worth cherishing, worth putting on your shelf like a spiritual milestone. In fact, women often tell me these books become treasured heart journals. They symbolize growth, completion, and real intimacy with Jesus.

But that’s the point:

Your old book is a record of where you were with God back then—not where you are now.

When you return to an old workbook, you’re not starting fresh with Scripture. You’re starting with your old conclusions, your old observations, your old assumptions. It’s like beginning your study with a commentary—you’re letting your past self tell your present self who God is and what His Word means.

And friend, if you’re growing in Christ, you should look different from how you did a year ago, let alone five or six years ago.

• Your understanding should be deeper.
• Your capacity to hear God’s voice should be greater.
• Your heart should be more mature.

Reusing an old workbook short-circuits that process.

My Shocking Moment: Comparing Old and New

I haven’t repeated Ephesians yet, but I have repeated other studies, including Philippians and Colossians. The first time I opened an old workbook alongside a new one, I nearly gasped.

I saw answers in my old book that were:

• Shallow.
• Off-point.
• Focused more on me and less on God.
• Based on assumptions I no longer hold.
• Missing the richness of the passage entirely.

It was humbling…and beautiful.

Looking at both workbooks side by side revealed something important: I’ve grown. Not just as a student of inductive Bible study, but in knowing and enjoying God through His Word.

Repeating the study was life-giving. I saw things in God’s Word I had never seen before. Truths I had skimmed past years earlier suddenly came alive with meaning. I found more of God’s grace than I ever noticed the first time. I experienced Him afresh!

If I had reused my old workbook, I would have been stuck with the limitations of my old understanding—my former assumptions about God, myself, and the text.

Why You Need a New Workbook Every Time

I know—it’s easy for me to say. I have shelves of new workbooks just a few steps away. But even if I didn’t, I would find a way.

Because if your goal is to draw near to God…
If your longing is a deeper connection with Him…
If what you truly want is to meet Jesus face-to-face in Scripture…

Then, friend—You need a fresh start every time.

Studying God’s Word with a new workbook is like:

• Painting on a blank canvas.
• Journaling in a brand-new notebook.
• Putting on fresh, clean clothes instead of yesterday’s.

A new workbook invites you to come to Scripture without old filters. It opens you to hear God’s voice with new clarity. It gives the Holy Spirit room to show you how He’s grown you—and how He’s still growing you.

Keep the Old Workbook — Treasure It — But Don’t Reuse It

Your old workbook is a spiritual time capsule. A record of where Jesus met you then.

But for where He wants to meet you now?

Start fresh.

Pick up a new workbook.
Open your Bible.
Grab a pen.
And let God show you—again—how living, active, and personal His Word truly is.

You deserve a fresh encounter.

An Advent Invitation

And this is exactly why the Advent season is such a gift. Every year, we return to the same Christmas passages: Gabriel’s message, Mary’s song, the angels’ announcement, the shepherds’ awe, the miracle in the manger. They’re familiar, beloved, well-worn. But the beauty of God’s Word is that familiar doesn’t mean finished.

Each Advent holds an invitation to see Jesus with new wonder:
Hear the story with a softer heart.
Notice grace you missed last year.
Encounter Emmanuel—God with us—in a deeper, more personal way.

That’s why beginning Advent with a fresh Simply Bible workbook matters. You’re not just studying a passage—you’re opening space to meet Jesus again, as if for the very first time. A fresh book gives you a fresh openness to the God who still speaks through His living Word.

So as you prepare your heart for this season of waiting and wonder, start with a blank page. Let the Christmas story breathe new life into you. Emmanuel will surprise you. He will quiet your soul with His presence.

Because even if the story hasn’t changed…you have.

And He has more to show you this Advent.

Lord God, Thank You for the gift of Jesus and for the gift of knowing and enjoying You through the Bible. Thank You that Your mercies are new each morning and that You transform our hearts day after day and year after year. Help us to see You afresh each day. Grant us curiosity and wonder to adore You and abide in You and Your ways.