Passage: John 14: 1-14
An inductive bible study is split into 3 parts: Observation, Interpretation, Application.
- in the Observation section, we will read the passage and observe what we see. Gather the facts of what is happening or being said. Ask ourselves some basic questions like Who? What? Where? When? How? We also analysis the passage through literary lenses.
- Interpretation section focuses on the meaning of the text. Try to discover what the author is trying to communicate. What was the author’s intended meaning to the original audience? Use the context to make sure you fully understand what is going on and what is being said.
- Application – Using the information we distilled in the first 2 sections, we then apply this information to actively respond in our relationship with God, ourselves and each other.
Let’s pray to invite God reveal himself to us through the passage.
Let’s begin by reading of the passage together.
Observation [15 mins]
In the observation section, our goal is to get as much information out of the passage as possible and organize them by category. We will independently read the passage slowly and dissect it by asking:
- Who are the characters?
- What is happening?
- How are the characters interacting with each other?
- Where is this happening?
- When is this happening?
- What literary devices are present?
- Compare and contrasting ideas
- repeated ideas
- Similes
- Study the text as a whole
- How would you summarize/paraphrase the events in the passage ?
Some pitfalls to avoid:
- Avoid asking why (that’s for the next section)
- Avoid pulling information from outside the passage
Interpretation [20 mins]
For Interpretation, let’s focus on these questions:
- What does this reveal about God’s nature?
- What does this reveal about our nature?
Let’s review our observations and see how God and us fit into this story.
- Why was this written?
- What is the main purpose of this passage?
- Why was this significant in the biblical redemptive story?
- Does this passage remind you of another story in the bible?
Application [25 mins]
Now that we have reviewed the observations and interpretation of the passage, we will move onto the application section.
In this section, we want to focus on taking the information from the first 2 section and discern God’s will for your life through it. Here are some guiding questions:
- Why does this passage matter to me?
- What does this passage mean to me?
- How has this passage informed God’s nature to me?
- How has this passage revealed God’s will for me?
- What is my active response to this passage?
Let’s go around and share.
*blatantly and shamelessly ripped off of Andy’s Adult Zone Bible Study plan