Discover the truth of the Bible for yourself!

 Hey guys!! I am in my third full week of the Kanakuk Institute and I am loving it and learning a ton! To see more information about the K- Institute and what I am doing- click here. We are living in a cute little 'cabana' at K-Kauai campus for 8-months while I attend this discipleship program. We live on campus where all the students of the institute live and have adjusted quite well into the institute life. It has been so fun getting to know the 70 other students here, creating new friendships, learning about God together and extensively studying the bible. It has been refreshing and challenging all at once. I would love to share with you one thing I have learned thus far and something that I think, if used correctly, can greatly impact your life!

If you desire to know God and long to come into a personal and abiding relationship with Him, learn how to live a Christ-centered life and come to an understand what God requires of you, then this is for YOU! 

The Inductive bible study method is a great way to bring you directly to the word of God, to help you interact with the text yourself, absorb its truth, and allow God to engrave His truth on your heart, mind and life. This method allows you to see truth for yourself, discern what it means, and apply that truth to your life. 

Always start bible study in prayer so that you may be sensitive to His leading and allow Him to speak to you through His word. God uses his scriptures to give us insight, wisdom, and guidance in our life. I often keep a journal to write down my prayers or to record what the Lord is teaching me through the scriptures I read. The rest of this post I will walk you through the three parts of inductive bible study.

Observation: What does it say?

Observation is prayerfully reading and discovering what the text says! This is where we zoom out and look at the scripture as part of bigger picture and theme. As you read the text, ask: Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? This will help you uncover the deeper meaning of the passage and keep the passage in context.  Accurate answers to these questions will allow the correct interpretation of scripture in its intended meaning without being colored by our own presuppositions- our own thoughts, feelings or other’s opinions.

To get started, choose a small portion of scripture to observe so that you do not get overwhelmed and can read the text several times to see what it says. Some good questions to ask while observing the text are: Who is speaking? Who are the main characters? Who is this about? To Whom is he speaking? What is the author trying to explain? What is the main subject of the passage? When do or will the events occur? Where did or will the happen? Why is this being mentioned? 

As you go, make notes, and meditate on the truths God reveals to you and how it will apply to your life. While observing the texts look for key words, repetitions, comparisons, contrasting ideas and themes. Recording these things will help bring the book to life and serve as a good reminder of what God has spoken to your heart when you come across it later. Once you have understood what the text says, you can move on to interpretation to discern what the text means

Interpretation: What does it mean?

This is where we zoom in and look at a specific verse and discover what the text means. While observation leads to an accurate understanding of what the word of God says, interpretation goes a step further to help you understand what it means. While interpreting the scriptures it is very important to keep the verse in context by looking at the verse in light of the surrounding verses, the book in which it is found and lastly, the entire word of God. Take the word at face value, in its natural, and normal sense. Look first for the clear teaching of the scripture, not the hidden meaning. Always try to understand what the author had in mind when you interpret a portion of the bible. Never take scripture out of context to make it say what you want it to say. Discover what the author was trying to say and do not add to his meaning or change it in any way. As you read the bible regularly and saturate yourself in the Word of God, it will help you to discern whether a teaching or opinion you hear outside of the bible is biblical or if it is false doctrine. Let the passage speak for itself. Your interpretation of a specific passage should be consistent with what the word of God says in its entirety. 

Application: How does this apply to my life?

This is where we apply what we learn. No matter how much knowledge you have about God’s word, if it is not put into practice, scripture will never benefit your life. James 1:22 Says that if we are a hearer of the Word and not a doer, we deceive ourselves. This is why applying scripture to your life is so vital! When you know what God says, what He means, and how to put His truths into practice you will be prepared for any situation in your life!  When you have adjusted any false concepts or teaching you may have believed, and embrace the truth revealed in Gods word, then you have applied what you have learned.

In applying scripture to our lives, these questions may be helpful:

A.             What does the passage teach?
B.             Does this section of Scripture expose any error in my beliefs of in my behavior?
C.             What is God’s instruction to me as His child?

Jesus can transform our lives by revealing himself in the scriptures, letting us learn from his life and his teaching and then being obedient to him. Observation, interpretation, application leads to transformation. Ultimately, the goal of personal bible study is to help you live in a deep abiding relationship with Jesus Christ and allow him to transform your life.

One of the apostle Paul’s concerns for Timothy (his son in the faith) was that he would learn to handle God’s word in a way that would please the Lord. In 2 Timothy 2:15 he says “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”

Someday we will also give an account for how we stewarded what the Lord has given us in His word. I pray that we will handle it accurately and allow God’s living and active word to transform and make an impact on our lives. Go to www.precepts.org for more details and guidance on this method of bible study. 

What are your favorite ways to go deeper in the study of scripture?

What have you found to be helpful?

I would love to hear about how you go about interacting with the word of God!