Bible Study Methods Overview

There are so many different Bible Study methods available for those who wish to study God’s Word.  Sometimes the options are overwhelming,  And, as many of us know all too well, too many options, can cause us to simply take no action and do nothing.  That is not how we want to feel about Bible Study. 

Bible Study does not need to be overwhelming.  In fact, it shouldn’t be.  Studying God’s Word should be enlightening.  It should be a time that you look forward to each day.  A time when you allow the Lord to speak to your heart from His Word.

Bible Study Options

Over the next couple of months, I will be sharing information about some of the Bible Study options that are available.  Many will be simple and can be completed in 10 minutes or less.  Others may be a bit more involved and could take as much as an hour or even longer if you choose to do so.

We’ll start with some of the simpler ones and then proceed to the others.  You can pick any method that you want to use.  You may wish to start with one method.  Try it for awhile and move on to another method.

Bible Study Methods

Here are some of the methods we’ll be looking at:

• Read, Write, Meditate and Pray
• SOAP
• Verse Mapping
• Inductive
• Word Bible Studies
• Character Bible Studies
• Book of the Bible Study

We’ll add to this list as we go along. 

Which Bible Study Method to use?

Most people don’t use the same Bible Study method all of the time.  In fact, they may change regularly.  They may choose a different type of study method based on other things going on in their life at the time.

For example, I tend to change Bible Study methods regularly.  A couple of weeks ago, we were camping for 10 days, so I chose to “study” a book written by John McArthur.  It wasn’t referred to as a Bible Study, but it was excellent Christian material filled with Scripture references and even had some questions at the end of each chapter.  I didn’t want to take a whole lot of study resources along with us on the trip.  That book, my Bible, a notebook and a pen were all I needed for the Bible Study. 

Now we are back home and have easy access to my resources.  So I just started a rather in-depth inductive Bible study.  Don’t worry, I’ll share more about inductive studies later on in this series. 

Additionally, I participate in a monthly Bible Study with about a dozen other ladies.  Our study method of choice is Verse Mapping.  That’s one of my favorite study methods.  I’ve written about it before, so you can read about here right now if you wish. 

Considerations when Choosing a Bible Study Method

As you consider the Bible Study method you may choose, you may also wish to consider what you want to study about. 

Here are some ideas:

• A specific topic
• A character trait that you would like to develop
• One word
• Character in the Bible
• A book of the Bible
• A Bible reading plan

Knowing what you want to study will help you determine which study method you prefer to use.  It will also help you stay committed and not feel overwhelmed once you start a study.

Are there Resources to help with your Bible Study time?

There are awesome Bible Study resources available.  Here’s a list of some of my favorites. 

There are also some books about Bible Study available.  I’ll review a few of those books over the next several months also, to help you decide which you may wish to read.  It’s too easy to get overwhelmed if you try to read several of them.  That’s not necessary.

Let’s stay focused on the fact that as believers, we are called to study God’s love letter to us, the Bible.  He wants us to grow in our knowledge of Him and to mature as Christians. 

Daily Quiet Time

A Daily Quiet Time that includes Prayer and Bible Study is just what we need. 

One of the best ways to do that is to study His Word on our own.  It’s great to listen to a Pastor who speaks the truth from the Word.  But, we are each called to study God’s Word on our own also, with the Holy Spirit as our guide.  That’s where personal Bible Study comes in.

We’ll get started next week with our review of different Bible Study methods.  With each method’s review, it will be my goal that you can read the post and then use that Bible Study method.

Please let me know if there’s a specific Bible Study method that you’d like for me to review.  Or, is there a book on Bible Study you’d like reviewed?  How about any questions about Bible Study?  I will do my best to answer any questions you may have or to recommend a resource that will help.