then what? Have you ever felt this way about Bible study? While there are any number of Bible study books and helps, it can be a bit daunting to know just what to do when ready to delve into a passage on your own.
When I was a child, my brother used to have a poster on his wall that read, "Give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day. Teach him to fish, and he will eat for a lifetime." Pre-written Bible studies are a wonderful tool, but they are a little like being given a fishhook already baited. If your desire it to dig into God's word for yourself, there are many ways to go about it. What I will share here is one method that may help get you going; one way to bait that hook yourself, so you can begin to fish for a lifetime.
Bible study can be broken up into three questions covering content, lessons, and applications. Begin with prayer, asking God to enable your understanding of His word. Then read through the passage to be studied. If time allows, read again! Then ask:
Question 1: What is this passage about? (Content)
Jot down notes about the content. Who is involved? What are they doing? Where are they? When is it happening? When you are finished, write a sentence that summarizes what the passage is about.
Content may seem easy, especially on a familiar passage. However, don't skim over it. What you observe here will be the foundation for the next two questions. You may notice things you've never noticed before!
Question 2: What do I learn from this passage? (Lessons)
Ask questions such as:
-Is there a warning to heed, a command to obey, a promise to believe?
-Is there an example to follow or not follow? Try to get behind how the person is responding to God. What did they know/believe to be true about Him? (Or not believe to be true?)
-What is a main truth, universal truth, or lesson from this passage?
-Why is this passage in Scripture? Why did God include it in the Bible?
-What does this passage reveal about the character of God?
-How does this passage point to the person and work of Jesus Christ?
-Are there specific things for which to pray?
-Is there a new thought? An encouraging thought?
It will be tempting to some to have to go through each and every question above, and that is helpful at first. However, it is not necessary. Pick what stands out to you most, and jot that down. Pay attention to the questions that arise as you do so, and jot those down as well.
Finally, you are ready for the last question:
Question 3: How can I apply what I learned to my life? (Application)
-Try to think of a current situation in your personal, work, family, church, or business life that is similar to what you learned.
-In that situation, ask yourself a personal question that demands action. Try to stay away from simple yes/no questions.
-Write the answer to your question. If you must ponder it for a time, leave space to write it later.
-Begin to do what you answered, by faith in obedience to what God has revealed.
First assignment: Use this passage to study Mark chapter 1. Mark is a fun book to study with the 3 question method, because the sections are short. There are 7 sections in chapter 1, so it can be done daily for a week.
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