One of my passions is teaching and writing Bible studies. I began digging into God's Word back in the mid 90's. Since then, I have thoroughly enjoyed digging in and discovering hidden nuggets that I might have missed without deep diving. I have found that my former career as a high school Biology teacher helped me learn to dissect the Word.
I created a simple yet effective study method that anyone can implement. I call this the CLAP Method. Basically, take a chapter or even just a few passages and apply this method. You just need your Bible, paper, and a pen.
Let's start with John 1:1-5, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."
C - CONTENT: Go through the passages and identify the content. Who, what, when, where, why, what is happening, time frame, main characters, etc.
- Beginning
- Word
- Word with God
- Word was God
- He was with God in the beginning
- Through Him, all things made
- Without Him, nothing made
- In Him was life
- Life is the light of all mankind
- Light shines in darkness
- Darkness has NOT overcome it
L - LEARN: Looking at your list of content, try to identify what you learn from this content.
- The Word was with God and IS God from the beginning of time.
- He (Jesus) was with God in the beginning.
- Through Jesus, all things are made.
- He is life and is the light of all mankind.
- His light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome His Light.
A - APPLY: How do you apply what you've learned? If we can't apply what we are learning, we are missing an important aspect of Bible study.
- God's Word is my connection to Him.
- Knowing His Word helps to sustain me.
- When I stay in His Word, His light will radiate from within me.
P - PUT INTO ACTION: Here is where the rubber meets the road. Application is one thing, putting something into action requires effort.
- I will dedicate myself to studying God's Word in-depth weekly.
- I will shine His Light through my life in how I live daily.
This method, from a theological standpoint, is called homiletics. Homiletics is the art and science of preparing and delivering sermons, encompassing the study of preaching techniques, effective communication, and the application of scriptural truth to a contemporary audience.
This C.L.A.P. method is the same thing as homiletics. I think you will find this method to be easy, fun, and effective. Let me know if you give it a try. Wishing you all the best.
I will be posting the Study of John I wrote regularly. I teach chapter-by-chapter, verse-by-verse. I will post the entire study from the Introduction lesson through the last chapter. You can choose to do the study at your own pace.
Blessings as you dig into God's Word!
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