Welcome And The Study Goal

Jacqui 0:01

Greetings, listeners. Maybe you've been reading the Bible for a while and different questions start to form. Like, how do I actually study it? Not just read a chapter, not just finish a reading plan, but slow down, sit with the passage, and really understand it. Here's the good news. There's more than one good way to study God's Word, and you can't pick wrong. Today I'll briefly show you three. We'll try each one on the same short passage so you can feel the difference instead of just hearing me describe it. By the end, you'll know which one fits you right now. Well, welcome everyone. I'm your host, Jacqui Adewole, and this is the Bible Basics Podcast, where every two weeks we break down the basics of the Bible into understandable bite-sized chunks. Last time we looked at the tools that will help you study. A Bible you like reading, a study Bible, commentary, an app, maybe a journal to write things down. Today

Reading Versus Studying Scripture

Jacqui 1:17

we'll put them to work. One quick thing first, because it trips people up. Remember reading and studying aren't the same. Reading is covering ground, a few chapters, a whole book, the big picture, which is good, definitely worth doing. Studying though is stopping on a smaller piece and staying there. You slow down, you ask questions, you look at who wrote it and what was going on. You write down what you find. Reading gives you a wide view. Studying fills in the details. And so you want to do both. And there's one habit that separates good study from guessing. You have to figure out what a passage meant to the people who first heard it before you ask what it means to you. The Bible was written for you, but it wasn't first written to you. So let's try it. Three ways to study one short passage. We're in a short letter near the back of the Bible called Philippians. A man named Paul wrote it. Remember him, he comes up again. Philippians chapter four verses six and seven. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your request to God, and the peace of God which transcends all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. So three ways to study that. Let's go.

Follow A Person Through The Bible

Jacqui 3:03

The first way doesn't stay on that one passage. You pick a person related to that passage and follow them through the Bible. In this case, we take Paul, the man who wrote these verses. Instead of studying his two sentences, you get curious about him. Who was he? What was his life like? So you read more of Philippians. Then you might flip back to a book called Acts, where a lot of his story gets told, and read it watching for what his life shows you about God. Here's what people love about this one. You stop reading the Bible like a rule book and start meeting the actual people in it. People who were afraid, who got things wrong, who kept going anyway. Paul is a great place to start because there's so much of him to follow.

SOAP For Daily Reflection

Jacqui 3:59

The second way is the simplest to remember. It goes by four letters S-O-A-P, soap. So the S stands for scripture. You pick out a verse that stands out and write it down. Observation, you jot down what you notice. Then there's application. You ask how it could impact you, how it could shape your day, even. And prayer. That's the P. You pray it back to God. On our passage, it might go like this. You first write down the scripture. Do not be anxious about anything. Write down both verses. Then you observe by noticing that Paul's answer to worry is to take it to God. For application, you decide that today, instead of worrying alone, you'll hand it over. Then you pray. God, help me to trust you with what I can't control. That's it. Ten minutes. And you've moved from reading, studying to praying. One honest note: soap is really built for daily reflection, not really the heavy lifting. It won't push you to dig into the background of a passage. So it's a warm place to start, but for a more in-depth look, you'll want to go with this third way.

The Three Questions Inductive Method

Jacqui 5:32

And this third way involves three questions asked in order. It's the one we'll spend all of the next episode on. So today is just a taste. The first question is what does the scripture say? The plain content. Paul says, Don't be anxious. Bring everything to God instead, and a piece you can't quite explain will guard you. The second question is the one people often skip. What did it mean to the people who first heard it? Come back to Paul. When he wrote this, he was in prison, not writing from an easy, comfortable life. He's in chains, telling people he loves not to be swallowed up by worry. Feel how that lands differently? It's the same words, but now you know who's saying them and where he's sitting when he says it. And then there's the third question. What does it mean for you? Now you bring it home. When worry shows up in your week, you've got somewhere to take it. You name the thing out loud and you hand it over to God. Notice you got to yourself last, not first. The words, then the people, then your own life. That's the order that keeps you from making a verse say whatever you already wanted it to say. And this one has a name, by the way. It's called the inductive method. Now, don't worry about that term, just remembered the three questions.

Choosing The Right Method For Today

Jacqui 7:13

So there are three basic approaches to study. You can follow a person when you're curious about a life. There's the SOAP method for a simple daily start. And then there's the three questions approach when you're really ready to understand a passage. Now none of these is an advanced approach, and none of them is a beginner one. They're just different approaches. And trust me, there are many others. Some days you'll reach for one, some days another. Not sure what to pick? Start with whichever one sounded like you when I was talking. That's usually the right one for now.

A Simple Challenge For This Week

Jacqui 7:58

So you want to try it this week? Keep it small. Take these two verses from Philippians or pick anything you'd like, a psalm, maybe a few lines from the gospels, then run it through one of the three. Follow the person who wrote it, or walk it through soap, S O A P, or ask the three questions. Just pick one passage, use one method. That's plenty. You don't have to do it well, you just have to show up and try. Whichever one you pick, the point isn't the method. It's spending time with God in His Word and feeling a little more at home each time. Whichever one you pick, the point isn't the method. It's spending time with God in His Word and feeling a little more at home there every time.

Next Episode Preview And Closing

Jacqui 8:58

Next episode, we'll slow down and go in depth on that third approach, the three questions, all the way through one passage. Don't miss it. Until then, keep reading, keep seeking, and keep growing in your faith.