Preparing an Inductive Bible Study

⇒INDUCTIVE BIBLE STUDY HELPS⇐

  • How to lead an inductive Bible study…
    • Introduction (5 Minutes total):  Prayer, Read the Passage, Answers to Big Questions
    • Part 1: ASKING AND SEEING:  When you lead an inductive Bible study, the participants start with asking (and answering) some basic questions about what they SEE.
    • Part 2: WHAT’S THE POINT FOR THEM?  What did the writer want to change in his original readers?  The people in the study will need to ask some key questions concerning what the original author want to change in his original readers (sometimes you might help them ask the questions or improve them) and then look at the text (based on the Asking and Seeing part) to answer them.
    • Part 3: WHAT’S THE POINT FOR ME? What do I need to change in my life? Everyone naturally goes here FIRST, but you don’t want to deal with “What’s the Point for Me” until first you have figured out what was the point for the original readers!  Of course, it is important to apply God’s Word ALWAYS, since having done our preparatory work we don’t want to miss what God has for us as revealed in this passage.

How can the inductive Bible study leader prepare at home for the study?

  • CLICK HERE FOR HELP TO PREPARE YOUR INTRODUCTION (No more than 5-minutes from start to finish!):

    • Have someone open in prayer.
      • Don’t be the one who prays if at all possible, so that right away, others see themselves as contributing to the study.  This opening prayer time is NOT for general requests but is specifically asking God to lead you all as you study His word together.
    • Have one or two people read the passage completely out loud for the whole group.
      • Again, don’t be the one who reads the passage, so that others will feel that they have something to contribute to the study.
    • Include a short 3-minute (and not 1 second over 3 minutes not matter what!) description of the Big Questions.
    • Read your ANSWERS TO THE BIG QUESTIONS Who wrote this passage?  When was it written?  Who were the original readers?  Why did the author write the book?
  • PART 1:  ASKING AND SEEING.  It is possible to lead an inductive Bible study without any preparation at all except prayer, since the leader’s main job is to help everyone in the study to let the Bible speak for itself.  Experience, however, tells us a different story.  If the leader does not know any more than his/her fellow learners, he/she will almost certainly be unable to ask helpful questions. The leader may misunderstand the passage, because he or she has not had time to think it over.  There may be uncomfortable moments where nobody (including you) knows what is going on.  If that happens every week, eventually people drop out of the study.  Invest 1 or 2 hours a week in preparation for your study!  You (and your fellow Bible students) will be glad you did.

    • Click Here for possible Questions based on the kind of writing (history, prophecy, etc.)

    • Some or all of these question might be helpful aspects to think about as you prepare for leading the Bible study.  In addition, here are possible questions to ask and answer
          1. Since this is poetry, do you see:
            1. poetical images
              1. Examples: God shepherds his people or God rides upon the wings of the dawn
              2. What truth does the poetic image reveal ?
              3. How do you guess the Psalmist wanted his readers to react EMOTIONALLY
            2. exaggerations
              1. the ship was tossed to the heavens and down to the depths of the angry sea) or word pictures ().  What did the Psalmist want his readers to see in these poetical expressions?
          2. Are there patterns (repeating words or phrases)?  In using these poetical patterns, what was the Psalmist trying to do in the hearts of lives of his original readers?
        2. Is it Is it a prophecy about the situation that was going on at that time?
          1. Are there names of people, cities, countries, etc. that are hard to understand.  Quickly consulting an online Bible dictionary will help you figure out who these people or places are.
          2. Is the prophecy written using POETRY?  If it is, look at the POETRY questions as well
          3. Does it seem to be about…
            1. God’s judgment?
              1. Who is being judged?
              2. How is the judgment happening?
              3. Does it say WHY the judgment is happening?
            2. Exposing sinful actions?
              1. Who is sinning?
              2. How are they sinning?
              3. Is the prophet calling his original readers to repent?
                1. IF yes, what is he calling them to do?
            3. Israel/Judah/Jerusalem/Zion’s
              1. Judgment or sin (see above)?
              2. Restoration in the future?
  • WHAT’S THE POINT FOR THEM?  Don’t skip this part of the study!  Maybe your passage is Moses’ first chapter of Genesis and you are looking at the six days of creation.  Who wrote it?  Moses.  To whom did Moses write it?  The former slaves who were now free and have discovered God loves them and has set them apart as His chosen people.  You will already have done the “Seeing” part.  Now you get to the “What’s the point” part.  What’s the point of Moses writing these six days of creation this way?
    1. Now your job in preparing is to WRITE DOWN 5-7 QUESTIONS which can help your Bible study to figure out the point for these slaves.  Here are some brainstorming ideas for questions:
      1. What does Moses emphasize in his description of the creation?  How might this emphasis help the Hebrews?
      2. What do we learn about all humans in this passage that might help the Hebrews understand themselves?
      3. The Egyptian gods were all competing with each other and trying to get their own ways.  How is that different from the way Moses describes God’s work of creation?  How might that help the Hebrews view of themselves?
      4. The Egyptian gods had their own areas of specialty (the sun god, the moon god, the god of the oceans, the cat god, the crocodile god, etc.).  How does that compare with what Moses wrote in the creation account?  Based on this comparison, how should the Hebrews see themselves?
      5. After living in Egypt as slaves for 400 years, how do you think the Hebrews thought of themselves?  What parts of the creation story might help them to see themselves in a new way?
    2. These are backup questions.  You are really hoping that the others in the Bible study will ask their own questions (Start off Part 2 by saying, “What questions do you have that might help us see the point Moses had in writing the Creation story in this way?”)  If they run out of questions, ask one of yours to get the discussion going (see how important it is to be prepared?).
  • WHAT’S THE POINT FOR ME/US?
    • In your preparation time, you should focus FIRST on what it says to you personally.
      • Ask yourself personal questions about how what the author wrote to his original readers also applies to you yourself.
      • How is your situation similar to theirs?  How is it different?
      • How would you respond if you were one of the original readers?  Does that somehow apply to you even now?
      • What can you do within the next week to apply this passage to your life?  Is there someone you need to apologize to?  Is there a website you need to block?  Is there a neighbor you need to visit?  Do you need to talk with someone for advice?
      • Decide what of all of this you can share with your Bible study group.
    • Once you have dealt with your own response, think of questions that might help others as well to respond.
      • Remember, your real goal is for your fellow Bible study members to come up with their own questions rather than yours.
      • A Bible study where the leader does 80% of the talking, the rest of the folks will be doing 20% of the thinking.
    • The best way to come up with good questions is to ask yourself good questions about your own walk with Christ.  Once you train the spotlight on your own personal growth, then the personal application questions to ask others will come naturally.