The Inductive Bible Study is a well-known method used in adult Bible study. It uses the Bible as the primary source of study to learn about God and what the Bible teaches.
Inductive Bible study encourages people to read a Scripture from the Bible and draw his or her own conclusions instead of depending on someone else’s interpretation or just accepting what someone says to believe.
Personal application is an important aspect of inductive study. People are guided to apply the scripture to their own lives.
As Bible teachers, we all want children to connect with God and His word. We don’t want to just tell them what to believe and deny them the joy of self-discovery. And, of course, we want them to apply what they have learned to their everyday lives. So here is a little more about the method and how it might apply to children.
Three Column Method:
The three essential Inductive Bible Study questions are:
1. What does this Scripture say?
2. What does this Scripture mean?
3. How does this apply to me?
A common application of the Inductive Bible Study is to have the children divide a paper into three columns in which they will write, reword, and apply a scripture.
Materials:
- Bible
- Paper
- pencil/pen
Instructions:
- Give each child a blank piece of paper and a pen or pencil. Have them draw two lines on their paper so that there are three columns.
- Tell the children what to put in each column, and help them as needed.
- Column One: Copy the Scripture from a Bible (You will need to re-read the passage a number of times as you write it down to help you establish God’s Word in your mind.)
- Column Two: Restate the Scripture in your own words (This can be done as if you were explaining it to someone. Understanding deepens in this step because you have to understand something to explain it.)
- Column Three: List ways you will apply and respond to this Scripture (This could be something you will do or stop doing, believe or stop believing or something you will confess. This is a natural, heartfelt response to what God has spoken.)
Adaptations:
1. Use a Pre-printed 3 Column Worksheet.
This worksheet can be used with any lesson.
2. Prepare a worksheet before class with the Scripture Pre-printed.
Although the children won’t get the maximum benefit, as they would from copying the Scripture themselves, it allows them to participate in inductive study in a shorter amount of time. Experiment with various ways of presenting this method to children. Here are a number of examples using the scripture Isaiah 9:6 for teaching the story Prophecy Fulfilled in Jesus:
- Pre-printed with Isaiah 9:6 reference
- Pre-printed with Isaiah 9:6 already transcribed for the child
- Pre-printed with Isaiah 9:6 and a focus on the names of Jesus (one way)
- Pre-printed with Isaiah 9:6 and a focus on the names of Jesus (another way)
3. Inductive Timelines:
Each time you teach, read as much as possible straight from the Bible. Place a picture depicting the story on the board and ask the children to respond using post-it notes. Add more each week to use for review. For example:
- Pink Post-it Note: A fact I learned from this story
- Blue Post-it Note: Something I learned about God, Jesus or the Holy Spirit
- Green Post-it Note: Something I should do or feel after this story
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