ANDREWS UNIVERSITY

INDUCTIVE BIBLE STUDIES

FOR USE IN SMALL GROUP SETTINGS WITH YOUTH

PROJECT FOR

CHMN 636 SEMINAR IN YOUTH MINISTRY ADOLESCENCE

INSTRUCTOR: RON WHITEHEAD

BY

COREENA BLUM

March 27, 2002

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1.	Key to Symbols

2.	Introduction

3.	How-to Article

4.	Study for Class Presentation

"I Want to See!"	Mark 10:35-52

5.	Doctrinal Bible Studies

a. The Doctrine of Salvation (The Value God Places on Man)

The Treasure and the Pearl	Matthew 13:44-46

b. The Doctrine of Salvation (Faith and Works)

The Workers in the Vineyard	Matthew 20:1-16

c. The Doctrine of the Church (The Nature of the Church)

The Church in Acts	Acts 2:41-47

d. The Doctrine of the Christian Life (The Sabbath)

The Sabbath, Part 1	Genesis 1:31-Genesis 2-3

e. The Doctrine of the Christian Life (The Sabbath)

The Sabbath, Part 2	Genesis 3:5 and John 19:30

f. The Doctrine of Last Things (The Judgment)

The Wheat and the Tares	Matthew 13:24-30 and Matthew 13:36-43

KEY TO SYMBOLS IN THE STUDIES

Hear the Word

A picture of the Bible, followed by the phrase "Hear the Word", indicates

when it is appropriate to read the passage of Scripture to be studied. There are many ways the passage can be read. If the passage is short, the leader may read the passage out loud or ask someone else to read it. If the text is poetic in nature, such as one of the psalms, the text can be read antiphonally. If the passage is long, the teacher can have each person take turns by reading verse by verse around the circle. To save time, the teacher can break the larger group into smaller groups, and have each group read the passage by itself.

The Facts–"Just the Facts, Ma'am."

A magnifying glass is the symbol for the facts. Fact questions are

foundational for the success of an inductive Bible study. The interpretation questions flow naturally out of the facts of the text. If people are not hearing the facts, they have nothing to interpret. Bible studies which end in speculation sessions, do so because people are not disciplined in listening to what the text is actually saying. Fact questions are straightforward. Their purpose is to make sure people are hearing the words of the text. The answer should be found only in what the text actually says. If people are not answering from the text, the teacher should send them back to the text to provide an answer from the text itself. Sometimes having a Strong's Concordance to look up the Greek and Hebrew definitions of the words will be wise.

Interpretation–"What Does It Mean?"

When the facts are adequately heard, people should begin to wonder, "What does this fact mean?" This is why interpretation questions follow fact questions. The question mark symbol lets the teacher know when to ask interpretation questions. Interpretation questions should be answered from the immediate text or the surrounding context. The teacher should not encourage answers that come from other places in Scripture or that appear to be rampant speculation. (When interpreting Matthew, for instance, let Matthew interpret himself rather than hearing what John or Paul had to say about the issue. Matthew had a reason for including what he did in the order it is there. It takes discipline, but it is important to stick with the passage at hand to hear it in its own context. For example, the teacher might say, "Paul has wonderful insights on this subject. I'm not against hearing what Paul has to say, but I don't want to miss Matthew in hearing Paul. Let's stick with Matthew for the time being and try to understand the message he has for us.") If a person appears to be sharing his own ideas rather than Scripture, gently ask him how he is supporting his answer from the text. When people interpret the text according to the text, enthusiasm ensues. Conviction is the natural result.

(. . . . . .)	Words in parenthesis are notes for the teacher. These are thoughts that the

people in your group are not expected to come up with. You may say these at your discretion.

The arrow, like the parenthesis, indicates side notes for the teacher. You

may choose to use these notes at your discretion.

(Groups)	If you have six or more people you are leading, at the beginning of the

study break the larger group into smaller groups of three or four people. Then, whenever you see the word "groups" in bold and in parenthesis, you should ask people to discuss the question in their groups before hearing responses as a whole group. This allows for more participation and discovery. Shy people are more likely to share in a smaller group setting than in the larger group.

Application–"Make it Personal!"

The praying hands are the symbol for the application section of the study.

This is the time when people are asked to act on what they have heard. It is the most important part of the study. As such, the teacher should leave plenty of time for application. Application will be weak if self-discovery has not taken place (If the teacher has answered her own questions, for instance.) or if the gospel did not come through clearly. The teacher should encourage personal responses (responses which include "I statements"). The teacher should also encourage responses that reflect the subject of the study. If the main idea of the study was how generous God has been to you in the cross, and people respond by saying how thankful they are that God has kept their car running or how thankful they are for this nice picture they are seeing in the Bible, invite them to make a personal response that reflects the major theme of the study. Sometimes, people need just this little invitation to take personal ownership of what they have seen and heard. Others will not be ready yet. It is important to leave space for people who are not quite ready to make personal statements. Gear your application questions to the trust level of the group. If people do not know each other well, you might ask people to write down a response to God rather than to make a public statement, for instance.

Let's Illustrate!

The paintbrush and palette are the symbol which lets the teacher know

when it would be appropriate to share an illustration. Sample illustrations are

given in each study, though the teacher is encouraged to share personal illustrations whenever possible. Personal illustrations carry with them the authority of experience. All of the stories included in these studies are true, though many of the names have been changed.

Let's Sing!

The notes indicate song options which fit nicely with the studies. Feel free to sing the songs suggested or any other song that fits the study. Singing is a wonderful way to apply the Word corporately.

The hand holding the pen lets the teacher know when it is advisable to write the indicated information on a white board or other large sheet of paper for reference throughout the study. The teacher is not limited to writing only this information down, however it takes time to write information out, so do it only when you plan to refer to it later.

Introduction

Inductive Bible study seeks to hear the Bible, usually passage by passage. In this method a seeker comes to the text to discover what the Word has to say. This can be contrasted with deductive Bible study which uses the Bible to prove an established position. The inductive method seeks to give the learner the ability to go to the Bible and interpret it for him/herself.

Most of the major advantages of inductive Bible study come from self-discovery. All too often people rely on experts to tell them what the Bible means. Unfortunately, this usually means that if a person does not like what God is telling them in the Word it is easy to say, "Well that is the pastor's interpretation, but who knows what it really means?" When one studies a passage inductively, one draws one's own conclusions and forms one's own interpretations. This makes it difficult to ignore conviction because the learner cannot say, "Well, that's your interpretation, not mine."

Self-discovery in Scripture is also very motivating. People get excited when they learn that they can understand the Bible themselves without an 'expert' telling them what it means. When they hear the voice of God speaking directly to them through His Word, they are much more likely to act on it than if they are being 'preached at' by someone else. For this reason, it is critical that the teacher not answer his own questions. When a teacher answers the questions, it not only robs the learners of self-discovery but sends the message to the learners that they are not capable of understanding the Bible themselves. When people are stumped by a question, rephrase or repeat the question, pray, or send people back into smaller groups to dig further into Scripture, but do not answer the question for the group. Doing so will only discourage group participation.

The method used in this project consists of three kinds of questions: fact, interpretation, and application questions. This model is supported in the parable of the sower in Matthew chapter thirteen. In this parable, the good soil represents hearts which hear the Word, understand it, and bear fruit. Hearing corresponds to establishing the facts, understanding comes with correct interpretation, and application is bearing fruit, or acting on new understanding. For the Word of God to be fruitful in human hearts, the learner must experience all three of these elements. If one never hears the facts–the basic information in Scripture–one cannot understand them, and if Scripture is not understood it can never affect the actions of daily life. Ultimately, the goal of inductive Bible study is to apply the Scripture to life.

The purpose of fact questions is simply to help people hear the words of Scripture. Issues of interpretation arise as people begin to wonder about the facts. Thus, hearing the facts is crucial to the success of the rest of the study. Long, protracted arguments about what a passage means usually result from not hearing what the text actually says. Following, are some sample fact questions from Matthew 4:17–"From that time Jesus began to preach and say, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'"

•	From that time on, Jesus began what kind of activity?

◦	He began to preach

•	What action did He call for when He preached?

◦	He said, 'Repent.'

•	What does the word 'repent' mean?

◦	To turn around; to reconsider (Look up in a Strong's Concordance.)

•	What reason did he give for His call to repentance?

◦	The kingdom of heaven is at hand

•	What is at hand?

◦	The kingdom of heaven

Interpretation questions lead to the exciting "aha" moments of the study. The answers to the interpretation questions are rooted in a correct hearing of the facts. There are two kinds of interpretation questions–context questions and comparison questions. Context questions shed light on one fact or detail in your text by asking what the context reveals about that fact. Comparison questions give insight into two or more facts by exploring the relationship between them. The answer for comparison questions must also come from the text–either through a deeper look at the verse under examination or from the context. Following, are sample context and comparison questions from Matthew 4:17–"From that time Jesus began to preach and say, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'"

Example context questions:

•	Why did Jesus begin to preach at 'that time?'

◦	Verse 12–He heard that John had been arrested. (This is at least a partial answer. It would be good to include a follow-up question like, 'Why would Jesus wait until John was taken into custody? Mt. 3:2-3 indicates that John had been preparing the way for Jesus by preaching that same message which. Now, John's voice has been silenced. It seems logical for Jesus to follow up where John left off.)

•	What would it look like in this context to repent (taking into account the dictionary definition of 'repent')?

◦	Immediately after this Jesus calls several men to turn from what they are doing and follow Him as he teaches, preaches and heals.

Example comparison questions:

•	How is the nearness of the kingdom related to repentance?

◦	Verse 17–The nearness of the kingdom is the reason for repentance. "Repent, for (because) the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Again, this would need a little follow-up to make sure people are hearing the significance of this. What is so significant about the fact that the kingdom was near before Jesus called for repentance? We do not repent to make God come near us. God comes near first. It is His nearness that brings repentance.)

•	How is the kingdom of heaven 'at hand'?

◦	Jesus Himself is at hand–He tells the fishermen to leave what they are doing (repent) and follow Him. His nearness is the reason for their turnaround.

◦	Verse 23–The kingdom is present in Jesus' miracles. Under God's rulership no one is sick and dying.

Application questions are the "so what?" of inductive Bible study. They ask, "What difference does this make in my life?" These are the questions that lead the learner to do something about what he or she has heard. Some useful tools for application questions include the following chain of questions:

1.	How do you feel about . . . ? (Whatever conviction or picture of God has come through in the study.)

2.	What would be an appropriate response? What would it look like if a person were to take this seriously? (Write responses on the board.)

3.	Which of these (responses on board) do you need most? Pick one and write it down.

4.	What is the first step you would have to take? (The step must be both measurable and attainable.)

5.	When are you going to do it?

6.	Who is going to hold you accountable?

Some other kinds of application ideas include:

1.	Personal response

a.	What do you have to say to God? About God?

b.	Write a prayer, a song, or create something that expresses your response.

2.	Corporate response

a.	If we were taking this seriously as a group, what would it look like?

b.	What would be our first step toward making that a reality?

c.	When will we do it?

The following are sample application questions from Matthew 4:17–"From that time Jesus began to preach and say, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.'"

•	We already noticed that repentance is a result of the kingdom coming near, and not the other way around. Jesus is near to you now. He is not waiting for you to get your act together and yet He is saying to you, "Repent." What would it look like for you to repent? Write your answer down in a sentence or two.

•	Who would like to share what you wrote?

◦	"Follow-up"–What do you plan to do with this conviction?

As noted above, self-discovery is what makes inductive Bible study so appealing. It is very difficult to lead others in a process of self-discovery if the leader has not experienced self-
discovery. What typically happens when someone tries to lead a group through a study someone else has created is the following: the leader asks a question; the group has a difficult time answering it; the leader gives the answer because the leaders thinks, "Well, I would have never discovered that, either!" If someone wishes to teach any of the studies included in this project, that person is advised to experience the study first. Ideally, that experience would take place in a group setting. If that is not possible, the teacher should work through the study by covering the answers to questions and answering those questions for oneself before viewing any answers.

This point cannot be emphasized enough. Many people are frustrated with the inductive process because they do not have the discipline to dig in the Bible for answers. Sticking with the inductive process, however, will lead to greater trust in the process itself, in the Holy Spirit to convict people of the answers that are in the text, and in the Bible as its own interpreter.

The studies in this project are intended to be used in small group settings. Inductive Bible study works best in group settings because it allows people to bounce ideas off others in the group. In this way, insights are multiplied. Studying in a group also creates a sense of community. Inductive Bible study is difficult to do on a one-to-one basis because the person answering the question might feel isolated or put on the spot.

These studies are designed to paint a picture of God that is compelling. The author believes that the doctrines of the Seventh-day Adventist Church are part of a complete system that reveals God's character and His entire plan of salvation. That is why each of the studies included in this project has a gospel focus. It is imperative that the gospel is heard clearly in every study, or conviction and application will be weak.

The studies included in this project were constructed by the author and her husband, though three studies lean heavily on the work of others. Many of the questions from the study "The Workers in the Vineyard" were borrowed from a study created by Bill Liversidge. Some of the insights from the two studies on the Sabbath were taken from Jack Sequeira's sermons on the Sabbath.

How to Lead a Small Group Inductive Bible Study

By Coreena Blum

Shelly, a sixteen-year-old, raised her hand and spoke as tears flowed down her cheeks, "I want to thank Jesus for dying for me two thousand years ago. I'm realizing today that there is nothing that I can do to mess up what God has already done for me in Jesus."

A young teen stood to her feet and said boldly, "God, have mercy on me, a sinner," after studying the parable of the Pharisee and the tax collector.

Another teen became excited after studying the parable of the prodigal son. He said, "God is saying to me today that everything He has is mine, and that He wants to celebrate with me."

These responses were made by teenagers after experiencing the Word come alive through inductive Bible study. Many teenagers are looking for a deeper experience with God. Inductive Bible study is one way to deepen that experience.

If you are interested in leading a small group inductive Bible study experience, the following tips will be helpful:

1. Begin with a sharing question.

a.	Try to match the sharing question with the study. (E.g.–The question, "Tell us of a place where you used to hide when you were small," would work well when studying the parable of the hidden treasure.)

b.	This helps people get to know the others in the group. It also gives everyone an opportunity to speak in a non-threatening way.

2.	Always pray before the Bible study begins.

3.	Break the group into smaller groups of three or four.

a.	This gives opportunity for more people to speak during break-out sessions.

b.	Those who are shy might be more willing to speak in a smaller group.

4.	Read the passage, in several translations if necessary.

a.	If the passage is short, the leader may read or ask someone else to read it.

b.	If the passage is long, you can take turns reading verse by verse around the circle or break into the smaller groups and have each group read the passage itself.

5.	Begin the study. (Every inductive study includes three types of questions–fact, interpretation, and application questions.)

a.	Fact questions–

i.	Fact questions are foundational for the rest of the study–if people are not hearing the facts, they have nothing to interpret. Many Bible studies move into speculation because people are not hearing the facts.

ii.	Fact questions are straightforward; they are to make sure people are hearing the words of the text. The answer should be found only in what the text actually says.

iii.	Sometimes having a Strong's Concordance to look up the Greek and Hebrew definitions of the words will be wise.

Example fact questions: Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

•	From that time on, Jesus began what kind of activity?

◦	He began to preach

•	What action did He call for when He preached?

◦	He said, 'Repent.'

•	What does the word 'repent' mean?

◦	To turn around; to reconsider (Look up in a Strong's Concordance.)

•	What reason did he give for His call to repentance?

◦	The kingdom of heaven is at hand

•	What is at hand?

◦	The kingdom of heaven

b.	Interpretation questions–

i.	Interpretation questions lead to the exciting "Aha" moments of the study.

ii.	The answers to the interpretation questions should be found in the immediate text or surrounding context.

Example interpretation questions: Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

•	Why did Jesus begin to preach at 'that time?'

◦	Verse 12–He heard that John had been arrested. (This is at least a partial answer. It would be good to include a follow-up question like, 'Why would Jesus wait until John was taken into custody? Mt. 3:2-3 indicates that John had been preparing the way for Jesus by preaching that same message which. Now, John's voice has been silenced. It seems logical for Jesus to follow up where John left off.)

•	What would it look like in this context to repent (taking into account the dictionary definition of 'repent')?

◦	Immediately after this Jesus calls several men to turn from what they are doing and follow Him as he teaches, preaches and heals.

•	How is the nearness of the kingdom related to repentance?

◦	Verse 17–The nearness of the kingdom is the reason for repentance. "Repent, for (because) the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Again, this would need a little follow-up to make sure people are hearing the significance of this. What is so significant about the fact that the kingdom was near before Jesus called for repentance? We do not repent to make God come near us. God comes near first. It is His nearness that brings repentance. We could not repent if He did not draw near first.)

•	How is the kingdom of heaven 'at hand'?

◦	Jesus Himself is at hand–He tells the fishermen to leave what they are doing (repent) and follow Him. His nearness is the reason for their turnaround.

c.	Application questions–

i.	Prepare to apply the "Big Idea"–the major points where people are going to be feeling conviction.

ii.	Some useful tools for application questions include the following chain of questions:

(1)	How do you feel about . . . ? (Whatever conviction or picture of God has come through in the study.)

(2)	What would be an appropriate response? What would it look like if a person were to take this seriously? (Write responses on the board.)

(3)	Which of these (responses on board) do you need most? Pick one and write it down.

(4)	What is the first step you would have to take? (The step must be both measurable and attainable.)

(5)	When are you going to do it?

(6)	Who is going to hold you accountable?

iii.	Some other kinds of application:

(1)	Personal response

(a)	What do you have to say to God? About God?

(b)	Write a prayer, a song, or create something that expresses your response.

(2)	Corporate response

(a)	If we were taking this seriously as a group, what would it look like?

(b)	What would be our first step toward making that a reality?

(c)	When will we do it?

Example application questions: Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

•	We already noticed that repentance is a result of the kingdom coming near, and not the other way around. Jesus is near to you now. He is not waiting for you to get your act together and yet He is saying to you, "Repent." What would it look like for you to repent? Write it down in a sentence or two.

•	Who would like to share what you wrote?

◦	"Follow-up"–What do you plan to do with this conviction?

6.	Be prepared to illustrate and emphasize–sometimes an idea needs extra emphasis before it will come alive for people in the group.

a.	Personal stories are the best. They carry with them the authority of experience.

b.	If someone in the group is getting excited about what they are seeing, you can invite them to explain what is grabbing them and why.