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INDUCTIVE BIBLE STUDY 1

There are many ways to study the Bible, some of which we will talk about later. The most important thing you need to remember is that to find out what the Bible says, you need to read it yourself in a way that will help you understand:

1. What it says
2. What it means
3. How to apply it to your life

The best way to do this is through a process called inductive study. Inductive study doesn’t tell you what the Bible means or what you should believe. Instead, it teaches you a method of studying God’s Word that can be applied to any portion of Scripture at any time for the rest of your life.

STEP #1: OBSERVATION

Observation answers the question: What does it say?
1. Read bite size chunks one story or idea at a time
2. Read the passage twice
3. Record the facts:

Who:
What:
When and where:

Example: The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)

Who—The expert in the law, Jesus, characters in the story
What—Who is my neighbor?
Where and When—Details of the parable

Read the section and take some time to figure out the little things like who is speaking to whom, main ideas, and clear statements like a command, promise, or truth.
The main things are the plain things, and the plain things are the main things. Don’t over complicate the first step.
Because observation is discovering what the passage is saying, it requires time and practice. You’ll discover that the more you read and get to know a book of the Bible, the more its truths will become obvious to you.

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