The Method

Why This Method?

  • For a long time, I came to Scripture looking for myself. I flipped through pages trying to find identity, comfort, or answers about who I was. And when I did find verses that spoke to identity, I struggled to believe them—because they were rooted in a God I didn’t fully know.

    Everything shifted when I was taught a simple but life-changing truth:

    The Bible is a book about God.

    It’s His Word, about Him, for His glory.

    And because of that, we can’t truly understand who we are until we understand who He is.

    This method matters because it corrects our starting point. Instead of reading the Bible primarily to find ourselves, we read to know God—His character, His nature, what He says is true. And from there, we begin to understand what is true about us.

    Not because of how we feel.
    Not because of our circumstances.
    But because God is who He says He is.

    When everything in my life felt unstable—when my identity, emotions, and even my health felt like shifting ground—this changed everything. I realized I had been building my identity on myself. And when I lost myself, I lost my footing.

    But God does not change.

    So if my identity is rooted in Him, then it becomes steady.

    This method isn’t what changes us—God does. But this way of studying Scripture positions us to actually see Him clearly. It trains us to ask:

    • Who is God in this passage?

    • What is true about Him?

    • And because of that, what is true about me?

    Because the only things that are consistently true about us are the things that are true because of Him.

    You can only trust a God you know.
    And you can only know Him through His Word.

    That’s why this method matters.

Before You Begin.

  • Because how you approach Scripture matters just as much as what you do with it.

    Many of us are used to going straight to application.
    We ask, What can I get out of this today?
    We look for something that feels relevant, something that answers our current situation, or something that gives us clarity right now.

    But that’s not actually where Bible study begins.

    Bible study starts with understanding what God has already said, not what we want Him to say to us in the moment.

    If we skip straight to application, we risk building our understanding on incomplete or even incorrect interpretation. And over time, that leads us to view Scripture through a lens that is centered on ourselves rather than on God.

    We also tend to take a passive approach.

    We rely on devotionals, podcasts, study Bibles, or other people to explain Scripture for us. And while those things can be helpful, they were never meant to replace personally engaging with God’s Word.

    We are called to rightly handle the Word of Truth, not just consume someone else’s understanding of it.

    So before you begin, consider this:

    • Are you coming to Scripture looking for yourself, or to know God?

    • Are you asking God to meet your expectations, or are you submitting to His truth?

    • Are you willing to slow down and do the work of understanding?

    Because this takes work.

    Sanctification is not passive.
    Studying the Bible is not always easy.
    And truth is not always immediately comfortable.

    But it is always worth it.

    The Bible is not just a collection of verses—it is a book with context, written to a specific people at a specific time, revealing timeless truth about who God is.

    So as we begin, shift your mindset:

    From “What can I get out of this?”
    To “What is true about God?”

    Because everything else flows from there.

Pre-Study: Setting the Foundation

  • This step is where we learn to sit with the text, not rush through it.

    Pre-study is about stepping back and getting a full-picture view before zooming in. It’s where we begin to notice what’s actually there; without trying to force meaning onto it too quickly.

    This is where we marinate in Scripture.

    We read the passage more than once. We pay attention to repeated words, shifts in tone, patterns, and anything that stands out or feels confusing. We ask questions. We begin to see how the text is structured and how it flows.

    At the same time, we begin to understand the world behind the text.

    Who wrote this?
    When was it written?
    Who was it written to?
    What was going on at the time?

    Because the Bible is not just a spiritual book; it is a real book written to real people in real contexts. And understanding that context helps us understand what God is actually saying.

    We also invite the Holy Spirit into this process; not to skip the work, but to guide us through it. We ask Him to reveal what is true about God as we read.

    Pre-study takes time. It can feel slow. But it builds the foundation for everything that comes next.

    Because the better we understand what the text says and the world it was written in, the more clearly we will understand what it means; and ultimately, how it should shape our lives.

Comprehension pt. 1

  • In this part of the study, you will likely read a passage anywhere from 6–12 times. That may sound like a lot, but the goal is to become mindful of what the Lord has actually written in His Word. He gave us the Scriptures, so we want to handle them carefully, slowly, and with attention. This is where we begin to understand the text in plain language before moving too quickly to meaning or application.

    Before we begin, let’s pray and ask the Lord to help us see clearly.

    One of the things I love most about this method is how flexible it is. You’ll start by assigning colors to each category, but over time you may adjust. Maybe fewer colors work better for you, or maybe you switch to symbols or underlining. That’s completely fine. The goal is not to make your Bible look a certain way—it’s to help you actually see what’s in the text.

    As you read, you’re going to be looking for several key things:

    Repeated words, key words, and phrases
    If something is repeated, it matters. Repetition signals emphasis. It’s the Spirit drawing your attention to something important. Think of phrases like “truly, truly” or repeated words like immediately in Mark—those are intentional.

    Transitions, comparisons, and contrasts
    Transitions connect ideas and show how the passage is moving. Words like but, therefore, for, and so that are doing important work.
    Comparisons and contrasts help you understand meaning by showing similarities and differences. Sometimes this looks like similes or metaphors, and other times it’s simply the contrast between godly behavior and sinful behavior.

    Times, locations, and people
    These help you understand the setting. Scripture was written in real places, at real times, to real people. The more you notice these details, the clearer the passage becomes.

    What is true about God
    This is the most important category. Everything in Scripture is revealing something about who God is—His character, His nature, His ways. This can be direct or indirect, but we always want to be asking this question.

    Promises and identity in Christ
    What has God said He will do? And what is true about you because of Him? God’s promises reveal His character, and your identity is always rooted in Him.

    What we are to do / how we are to act
    Sometimes the passage gives direct commands. Other times it shows patterns or examples of obedience. This helps us begin to see what faithful living looks like.

    Sinful actions and behaviors
    These show us what dishonors the Lord—what we are warned against and what we are called to turn away from.

    All of this helps us slow down enough to truly comprehend what the text says.

Comprehension pt. 2

  • First, look up definitions of important words.
    Sometimes a single word carries more weight than we realize, and understanding it more clearly can change how you read the whole passage.

    Second, read the passage in different translations.
    This can help you better understand what the text is saying. Scripture was originally written by human authors inspired by God, and it has been carefully translated over time. Different translations can help you see wording, emphasis, and meaning more clearly.

    Most translations fall into three categories:

    • Word-for-word (more precise to the original language)

    • Thought-for-thought (focus on clear meaning)

    • Paraphrase (more interpretive and simplified)

    When I study, I usually start with the ESV or CSB, since those are strong for close study. Then I like to compare with:

    • ESV

    • CSB

    • NIV

    • NLT

    If I’m still struggling, I may glance at a paraphrase like The Message, but I don’t use that as my primary study tool.

    If you ever find yourself stuck on a verse and not understanding it, try reading it in another translation. Often that alone can bring clarity.

    Finally, look at cross-references.
    Scripture interprets Scripture. Other passages can help explain, expand, or confirm what you’re reading.

    This whole process helps you move from simply reading the Bible… to actually understanding what it says.

    And that understanding is what everything else is built on.

Interpretation: Understanding the Meaning

  • First, look up definitions of important words.
    Sometimes a single word carries more weight than we realize, and understanding it more clearly can change how you read the whole passage.

    Second, read the passage in different translations.
    This can help you better understand what the text is saying. Scripture was originally written by human authors inspired by God, and it has been carefully translated over time. Different translations can help you see wording, emphasis, and meaning more clearly.

    Most translations fall into three categories:

    • Word-for-word (more precise to the original language)

    • Thought-for-thought (focus on clear meaning)

    • Paraphrase (more interpretive and simplified)

    When I study, I usually start with the ESV or CSB, since those are strong for close study. Then I like to compare with:

    • ESV

    • CSB

    • NIV

    • NLT

    If I’m still struggling, I may glance at a paraphrase like The Message, but I don’t use that as my primary study tool.

    If you ever find yourself stuck on a verse and not understanding it, try reading it in another translation. Often that alone can bring clarity.

    Finally, look at cross-references.
    Scripture interprets Scripture. Other passages can help explain, expand, or confirm what you’re reading.

    This whole process helps you move from simply reading the Bible… to actually understanding what it says.

    And that understanding is what everything else is built on.

Interpretation: Understanding the Meaning

  • What do I do with it?

    But this is where we have to be careful.

    Application is not about jumping straight to ourselves or asking, “What can I get out of this?”
    It’s about responding rightly to what is true about God.

    So instead of starting with ourselves, we start here:

    What does this text show me about who God is?

    Because everything flows from that.

    Next, we ask:

    What does this text say about sin and the need for a Savior?
    How does this passage reveal what is broken in us or in the world—and how Christ meets that need?

    Then we begin to bring it inward:

    How does this transform what I love, worship, and value most?
    Because what we believe about God will always shape what we treasure.

    How will this change the way I respond to God and to others?
    This is where obedience begins to take shape—not out of guilt, but out of truth.

    And finally:

    Is the Holy Spirit bringing anything to mind?
    A person to pray for.
    A sin to repent of.
    A relationship that needs reconciliation.
    A step of obedience you’ve been avoiding.

    This is where application becomes personal—but still grounded in truth.

    At the end of this, we can summarize it like this:

    Knowing that God is ________,
    shows me that I am ________,
    therefore I ________.

    This keeps our application rooted where it should be:

    Not in our feelings.
    Not in our circumstances.
    But in who God is.

    Because real application isn’t behavior modification;

    It’s transformation that flows from knowing Him.