Introduction to the Inductive Bible Study Method
When studying the Bible, I recommend putting away (or ignoring) the notes in a study Bible and not looking at the internet or other sources for the answers in each section you’re studying until you have done all you can to see what God is teaching you in it. This is why I encourage and teach with inductive Bible studies. This type of study encourages you to find your own answers through observation, interpretation, and application rather than the author of the study telling you at the outset, “this is what the text means.” This allows God to speak to you personally and you may see things you would never have seen. Much of God’s word has such depth of meaning that you could study the same set of verses many times and each time God may show you something different that He wants you to see and apply. When we study God’s word, we always want to study it to know Him better. Our secondary purpose is to learn how He wants us to apply what we learn by living it out. My preferred way to s...