INTERACTIVE BIBLE STUDIES

Definition  Definition of interactive Bible study: It is a method used to identify, explain and reveal God’s plan of salvation to people across ethnic and cultural boundaries for the purposes of informing and convincing them to accept beliefs, change attitudes, experience conversion and eventually accept Jesus as Lord and Savior in baptism.

Dimensions of a Bible Study The major dimensions:  God- source of direct revelation  Church/Bible worker: communicator  World-context The Bible worker needs to understand the inter-relationship between the dimensions

Topic: God’s Love Letter to Man Aim: To assist the prospect in discovering that the Bible reflects God’s thoughts

INTRODUCTION Many of us have received love letters from our spouses or special friends. These letters express the persons’ thoughts and feelings toward us. Transition sentence: Just as your spouse expresses his/her thoughts and feeling to you in writing so also has God expressed His thought to you in writing or scripture.

BODY  2 Peters 1: 21  2 Timothy 3:16  Hebrews 1: 1-2  Amos 3: 7  Isaiah 55:9

CONCLUSION  Review your main points  Application questions: How are your thoughts different from God’s thoughts? How would your life be different if your allowed God’s thoughts to influence your thoughts?

Bible Study Outline  INTRODUCTION  BODY  CONCLUSION

Bible Study Outline INTRODUCTION  Attention catchers: story, shocking statements, questions, pictures, drama  Aim: directional statement of purpose  Main points  Transitional sentence to the body

Bible Study Outline  BODY- deductive format  State main point  Bible references  Illustration  Restate main point

Bible Study Outline BODY- inductive format  Read-meditate-question-share  State the main point  Illustration  Apply to real life

Bible Study Outline CONCLUSION  Review the aim of the Bible study  Restate the main points  Ask for a decision

Bible Study Methods Bible Study Methods Cooperative learning structures:  Read-meditate-question-share  Question-read-meditate-share  Read-meditate-question-draw  T-chart  Think-pair-share  Think-pair-draw-sing

Bible Study Methods  Move from the known to the unknown  Inductive and deductive learning

Bible Study Chronology Bible Study Chronology:  Conversion Bible Studies  Life Style Bible Studies  Doctrinal Bible Studies  Decisional Bible Studies

Mechanics of a Bible Study  Duration of a Bible study forty-five minutes  Four to six texts per study  Sit and dress appropriately  Arrive on time for the Bible study  Avoid socialization after a Bible study  Select carefully your Bible study setting  Keep your prospect interacting with the Bible

Human Relations and Bible Study Human relations and Bible study  Pace and Lead  Disclaimer  Attribution  Social justice/law of reciprocity  Alternative choice in decision- making  Operant conditioning in sharing decision

Supernatural Influences in Bible Study  Bible  The Holy Spirit  Intercessory prayer

Understanding the Bible References  Select your subject  Identify and select ten Bible references which give understanding to your subject  Read the references to identify themes or key words  Make a list of those themes and key words  Look for similarities and differences between themes and key words

Organizing the Bible Study Select the topic Write out the aim of your Bible study Select the Bible references to be studied Write out questions to be asked Identify and select your methods of teaching Write your application questions Select illustrations from real life Outline the Bible study for teaching

BODY  2 Peter 1: 21  2 Timothy 3:16  Hebrews 1: 1-2  Amos 3: 7  Isaiah 55:9

BODY  2 Pts 1:21 “spoke as moved Holy Ghost”  2 Timothy 3:16 “By the inspiration of God”  Heb. 1: 1-2 “Spoke through the prophets”  Am. 3: 7 “reveal secret onto His prophets”  Isa. 55:9 “His thoughts are higher”

Themes  Holy Ghost  Inspiration  God spoke through prophets  God spoke through Jesus  God reveals secrets to prophets  Divine thought transcend our thoughts

Questions  How has the Holy Ghost guided the writing of the Bible?  What is meant by “all scripture is given by inspiration of God”?  What is God communicating about Himself when He says His thoughts are higher than our thoughts?

BODY Read-meditate-question-share Read: 2 Peters 1:21 Meditate: vertical relationship Question:  How have the Holy Ghost guided the writing of the Bible? Share: horizontal relationship

BODYRead-question-meditate-share Read: 2 Timothy 3:16, Genesis 2: 7 Question:  What is meant by “all scripture given by inspiration of God”? Meditate: vertical relationship Share: horizontal relationship

BODYQuestion-read-meditate-shareQuestion: What is God communicating about himself when He says His thoughts are higher than our thoughts? Read: Isaiah 55:9 Meditate: vertical relationship Share: horizontal relationship

CONCLUSION  Review your main points  Application questions: How are your thoughts different from God’s thoughts? How would your life be different if your Allow God’s thoughts to influence your thoughts?