You’ve decided you need to get more serious about your reading of God’s Word and applying it to your life. But how do you go about it?
One way I learned years ago, when I was a discussion leader in a BSF (Bible Study Fellowship) class, was a technique known as homiletics. This is one way of unlocking the meaning of a passage.
Over the years I have used other methods for learning more of God’s Word but I have found this method effective and keep coming back to it. So here, as I remember it, are the principles involved:
I. Pray, asking the Holy Spirit to help you understand God’s Word and apply it to your life
2. Divide the passage up into a number of sections and give each section a short heading.
When looking at a passage in this way, it is better to use a bible that does not already have headings for passages, so that you are allowing the Holy Spirit to guide you rather than being influenced by work someone else has already done with regard to headings. Different bible translations can have different break up of chapters and headings on passages.
What you are after is what God is saying to you. It may vary somewhat to the way God spoke to someone else about the same passage, because the Lord knows each of us individually and knows where we are at, the questions, difficulties and circumstances we are struggling with, as well as what we need to learn.
3. Write one sentence of around 10-12 words that combines all your divisions to give the main gist of the passage. Obviously you cannot cover all details, just highlight the main content.
4. If you were using this passage as a sermon or talk, what would you those listening to do when you finished speaking?
This should be something concrete, an action rather than just thinking about something.
5. Give an application for each division you have.
3-5 divisions are probably ideal.
In my next blog I will show you how this process, works in practice by taking a passage and sharing what God revealed to me.
Before then, I suggest you read Acts 3. Using the points listed above write out you own homiletics on the passage.
Please visit these related blogs
Practical lessons from Hezekiah