The documents in this section are examples of the inductive approach to methodical Bible study. (Jump to the most recent study.) Please note that these are examples, not exact models or rigid standards, of what a study of a particular passage should look like. Very likely, if I were to come back to any of the passages, the resulting questions would be quite different. As you use the inductive method, your questions will be different from mine as you see other things in the text. One of the beauties of Scripture and benefits of the inductive method is the opportunity to look at any passage in the Bible with fresh eyes, to see things that we missed before, to allow the Holy Spirit to speak to our heart in new ways.
Also be aware that these studies were all prepared as handouts for discussion groups on the various passages. The questions on the handouts are only starting points for your own study or for the discussion in your group. I doubt if any of the groups that I have led or participated in have ever followed the questions on the handout in a rigid, sequential manner.
The handouts are created using a template in Microsoft Word. Feel free to download and use the template or to modify it as you find helpful. (The downloaded file will have to be unZipped in order to extract and use the template.)
To use the handout I let the group spend the first ten or fifteen minutes looking at the passage individually, considering the questions, seeing what might be confusing or intriguing in the text itself. Usually, as I am attempting to look at the passage anew, questions will occur to me that are not on the handout. That kind of question is often my starting point in the discussion.
Feel free to use the example handouts “as is” if you find that helpful. My desire is that you will soon be setting aside my examples in favor of your own questions. Those questions and the truths that you find in the passage are more likely what God the Holy Spirit has for you and your group.
For more suggestions about methodical, inductive Bible study, go to Remember the Signs.
Examples
Ruth
Galatians
Philippians
1 Thessalonians
2 Timothy
Hebrews
James
Ruth: September 2019 – October 2019
Ruth 1:1-5 September 1, 2019
—Ruth 1:1-5 Background
Ruth 1:6-13 September 8, 2019
Ruth 1:12-22 September 15, 2019
Ruth 1:22-2:13 September 22, 2019
Ruth 2:14-23 September 29, 2019
Ruth 3_1-15 October 6, 2019
—Ruth 3:1-15 Background
Ruth 3:16-4:10 October 13, 2019
Ruth 4:9–12 October 20, 2019
Ruth 4:13-22 October 27, 2019
Galatians: September 2018 – January 2019;
This series uses several different Bible translations, and there are longer blog entries for most of the passages.
Galatians 5:25 – 6:5
Galatians 1:1-9
Galatians 1:9-17
Galatians 1:15-2:4
Galatians 2:3-14
Galatians 2:14-21
Exodus 20:1-17
Galatians 3:1-14
Galatians 3:15-29
Galatians 3:23-4:11
Galatians 4:8-20
Galatians 4:20 – 5:1
Galatians 5:1-7
Paul’s Arguments
Galatians 5:7-15
Galatians 5:5-15
Galatians 5:13-18
Galatians 5:16-26
Galatians 5:22-6:10
Galatians 6:9-18
Philippians: February 2020 –
Obadiah to Philippians? – February 23, 2020 – Blog
Jesus’ Family Values – March 1, 2020 – Blog
. (Matthew 8; Matthew 10; Mark 3)
Jesus’ Family – March 8, 2020 – Blog
. (Mark 10; Acts 2; Acts 4)
Mediterranean Family Values – March 15, 2020 – Blog
1 Thessalonians: May 2019 – August 2019
Acts 17_1-15
1 Thessalonians 1:1-10
1 Thessalonians 1:1-7
1 Thessalonians 1:6 – 2:6
1 Thessalonians 2:5-13
1 Thessalonians 2:13 – 3:5
1 Thessalonians 3:4 – 4:1
1 Thessalonians 3:9 – 4:12
1 Thessalonians 4:7 – 18
1 Thessalonians 4:13 – 5:11
1 Thessalonians 5:8-28
1 Thessalonians Refresher and Review
2 Timothy: March 2023 –
Why 2 Timothy?
2 Timothy 1:1-7
. Discussion BLOG
2 Timothy 1:7-14
. Discussion BLOG
2 Timothy 1:13-2:2
. Discussion BLOG
2 Timothy 2:1-14
. Discussion BLOG
2 Timothy 2:15-26
2 Timothy 2:24-3:9
More to come…
Hebrews: July 2020
Hebrews 1:1-6 – July 19, 2020
. Hebrews 1:1-6 OT Ref – Passages quoted
. 2 Samuel 7:14 in Hebrews 1:5b – Quoting half a verse?
Hebrews 1:6-14 – July 26, 2020
. Hebrews 1:6-14 OT Ref – Passages quoted
Hebrews: September 2021 –
Why Study (and Blog) about Hebrews?
Is Hebrews Relevant?
Hebrews 1:1-4 – September 8, 2021
Hebrews 1:4-14 – January 22, 2022
Hebrews 2:1-9 – March 4, 2022
Hebrews 2:8-18 – April 1, 2022
Hebrews 2:18-3:15 – April 23, 2022
. Hebrews 2:18-4:16 The High Priest of Our Confession
Hebrews 3:12-4:7 – May 4, 2022
. Rest, Diligence, Sluggishness, and Trust – May 25, 2022
. Psalm 95 & Exodus 17 – May 29, 2022
Hebrews 1-3 Review – August 18, 2022
Hebrews 4:1-16 – August 27, 2022
Hebrews 4:3-16 – June 4, 2022
Hebrews 4:13-5:10 – June 13, 2022
Hebrews 5:8-6:9 – September 9, 2022
Hebrews 6:9-20 – October 9, 2022
Hebrews 6:19-7_11 – January 23, 2023
. Melchizedek in Hebrews and in Hebrew Scripture
Hebrews 7:11–25
Hebrews 7:23–8_7
Hebrews 8:6–13 – May 7, 2023
. Discussion Blog A New Covenant
Hebrews 8_13–9_12 – May 21, 2023
. Discussion Blog Good Things to Come
Hebrews 9:11-22 – June 7, 2023
. Discussion Blog Turning Back or Drawing Near
. Hebrews 9:11-22 OUTLINE
. Hebrews 9:19-21; Exodus 24; Josephus
Hebrews 9:18-10_4 – June 11, 2023
. Discussion Blog The Better Sacrifice
. Hebrews 9:23 Cleansing Heavenly Things
Hebrews 10_3-18 June 18, 2023 – June 25, 2023
. Discussion Blog An Unplanned Discussion
. Discussion Blog Perfected for All Time
Hebrews 10:14-25 July 2, 2023
. Hebrews 10:19-25 OUTLINE & THEMES
. Hebrews 1-10a Exhortations & Commands
. Hebrews 10:20 – A New and Living Way
. Discussion Blog A Way Through the Veil
Hebrews 10:18-31 July 9, 2023
. Discussion Blog A Stern Warning
Hebrews 10:25-39 July 16, 2023
. Discussion Blog Remember the Former Days
Hebrews 10:18-39 July 30, 2023
. Discussion Blog Summing Up A Sermon
Hebrews 11:1-7
. Faith before chapter 10
. Hebrews 11 – “By Trusting”
. Discussion Blog Faith in the Era of Creation
Hebrews 11:8-22
. Discussion Blog Faith in the Era of the Patriarchs
Hebrews 11:23-31
. Exodus 2-4 Moses’ Story
. Discussion Blog Faith in the Era of Exodus
Hebrews 11:30-40
. Discussion Blog Faith That Endures
Hebrews 12:1-3
. Discussion Blog Anticipation Enables Endurance
Hebrews 11:39-12:13
. Discussion Blog For Our Good
Hebrews 12:11-17
. Discussion Blog God’s Holiness, God’s Grace
Hebrews 12:18-24
. Hebrews 12:18-21 at Sinai
. Discussion Blog Sinai or Zion?
Hebrews 12:25-29
. Discussion Blog Things Which Cannot Be Shaken
Hebrews 13:1–6
. Discussion Blog Theology and Persecution
Hebrews 13:7-19
. Discussion Blog Strengthened by Grace
Hebrews 13:20-25
. Discussion Blog Equipped by God through Christ
Hebrews 11:32-12:4 – March 7, 2023 (Intentional Men study group)
James: November 2019 – February 2020
Acts 15; Galatians 2 – November 3, 2019 – Blog
James 1:1-8 – November 10, 2019 – Blog
——————- Sample Observation Questions
James 1:1-11 – November 17, 2019 – Blog
James 1:2-18 – November 24, 2019 – Blog
James 1:19-27 – December 1, 2019 – Blog
James 2:1-13 – December 8, 2019 – Blog
James 2:14-26 – December 15, 2019 – Blog
James 3:1-12 – January 5, 2020 – Blog
James 3_13-18 – January 12, 2020 – Blog
James 4:1-10 – January 19, 2020 – Blog
James 4:11-17 – January 26, 2020 – Blog
James 4:13-5:6 – February 2, 2020 – Blog
James 5:7-12 – February 9, 2020 – Blog
James 5:13-20 – February 16, 2020 – Blog
James: January 2024 – August 2024
James – A Brief Introduction
James 1:1-8 – January 28, 2024
. Discussion Blog – Lacking in Nothing
James 1:1-4 – February 11, 2024
. Discussion Blog – Joy in Trials?
James 1:5-8 – February 18, 2024
. Discussion Blog – Doubts about Doubt
James 1:9-12 – February 25, 2024
. Discussion Blog – Preliminary Notes
James 1:12-18 – April 7, 2024
. Discussion Blog – Firstfruits
James 1:19-27 – April 14, 2024
. Discussion Blog – Quick to Hear
James 1:19-27 – April 21, 2024
. Discussion Blog – More Than a Bible Study
James 1:19-27 – April 28, 2024
. Discussion Blog – Putting Away and Receiving
James 1:22–2:7 – May 5, 2024
. Discussion Blog – Get Over Yourself
James 2:5-17 – May 12, 2024
. Discussion Blog – I’m Not Gonna Make It
James 2:12-26 – May 26, 2024
. James 2:12-26 Proving a Principle
. Discussion Blog – Proving a Principle
James 2:24-3:12 – June 2, 2024
. Discussion Blog – Teachers and the Tongue
James 3:10-4:4 – June 23, 2024
. Wisdom & Self Obsession
. Discussion Blog – Wisdom From Above
James 4:3-10 – June 30, 2024
. Translating James 4:5
. Discussion Blog – He Gives More Grace
James 4:6-10 – July 7, 2024
. James 4:6-10 Categories and the Cycle
. The Cycle of Spiritual Formation
. Discussion Blog – The Cycle of Spiritual Formation
Themes in James –
James 4:10-5:6 – August 11, 1024
. Discussion Blog – Slander, Planning, and Profits
James 5:1-11 – August 18, 2025
. Discussion Blog – Farmers, Prophets, and Job
James 5:6-20 – .
. James 5:6-20 Range of Meanings
. Discussion Blog – Bringing Back Wanderers
1 Peter: September 2024 –
1 Peter 1:1-2 – October 13, 2024
. Discussion Blog – 1 Peter; A Brief Introduction
1 Peter 1:1-9 – October 20, 2024
. Discussion Blog – Past, Present, Future
1 Peter 1:4b-13 –
. Discussion Blog –
More to come…