Why We Study the Bible & How do We Study It

WEEK 1 TEACHING NOTES

Primary Text: Deuteronomy 6:4–9 (ESV)

1. OPENING

VISION SETTING

Say:

Tonight is not about me explaining the Bible to you. Tonight is about learning how to read it for yourself.

This series is about learning to handle Scripture—not just hear it.

2. WHY THIS MATTERS

THE PROBLEM WE’RE SOLVING

Ask:

Have you ever read the Bible and felt confused?

Have you ever relied on someone else to explain it to you?

Then say:

Many Christians love God’s Word, but they’ve never been taught how to work with it themselves.

So tonight we answer two questions:

Why does God give us His Word?

How do we actually study it?

3. WHY STUDY THE BIBLE? (DEUTERONOMY 6:4–9)

Read Deuteronomy 6:4–9 (ESV)

Deuteronomy 6:4–9 ESV

4 “Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 5 You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. 6 And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. 8 You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. 9 You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

POINT (WHAT DO WE LEARN ABOUT GOD?)

God speaks clearly: “Hear, O Israel”

God is singular and supreme: “The LORD is one”

God desires total devotion: “love… with all your heart, soul, and might”

Say: God is not distant or silent. He speaks, and He demands full devotion.

HANDLE (WHAT DO WE LEARN ABOUT PEOPLE?)

“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart.” (v.6)

People forget God’s Word easily

People are shaped by what is constantly in front of them

Faith is not automatic—it must be formed intentionally

Say:

You don’t drift into faithfulness

you drift into forgetfulness.

LEFT EDGE (WARNING / PROMISE)

Sin to avoid:

Forgetting God’s Word

Treating it as occasional instead of central

Separating faith from daily life

Promise to believe:

God’s Word is meant to stay near, not distant

RIGHT EDGE (EXAMPLE / COMMAND)

“You shall teach them diligently to your children…” (v.7)

“You shall talk of them when you sit… walk… lie down… rise.” (v.7

“You shall bind them… write them…” (vv.8–9)

Example to follow:

Make God’s Word part of everyday life, not just church moments

Command to obey:

Keep Scripture present in daily conversation and rhythm of life

SUMMARY OF DEUTERONOMY 6

Say: God never intended His Word to be occasional.

It is meant to be:

heard

remembered

spoken

lived

4. WHAT THIS MEANS FOR US (WHY THIS SERIES EXISTS)

Transition:

So if God designed His Word to shape every part of life…

Then we need to learn how to actually handle it well.

That is what this series is about.

5. INTRODUCING THE METHOD (SOAP + SWORD)

SOAP: How We Respond To Scripture

S – Scripture: 

What does it say?

O – Observation: 

What do I notice?

A – Application: 

What do I do?

P – Prayer: 

What do I talk to God about?

Say: SOAP helps us respond to Scripture instead of just hearing it.

SWORD: How We See Scripture Clearly

Point: 

What do I learn about God? 

Handle: 

What do I learn about people? 

Left Edge: 

Sin to avoid / Promise to believe 

Right Edge: 

Example to follow / Command to obey 

Say: SWORD helps us see what is actually in the text before we respond to it.

CONNECTION

SWORD = how we see Scripture rightly

SOAP = how we respond to Scripture personally

We are learning how to both understand God’s Word and obey it.

6. PREVIEW

We will practice this every week:

Read Scripture carefully

Observe what it says

Use SWORD to understand it

Use SOAP to respond to it

7. FINAL LANDING

Deuteronomy 6 shows us that God’s Word is not meant to sit in a book.

It is meant to:

shape your heart

shape your home

shape your conversations

shape your life

This series is about learning how to actually live with Scripture—not just hear it.

8. TRANSITION TO SERIES

Next week, we will begin practicing this together in groups.

You will not just hear Scripture explained—you will learn how to open it and see it for yourself.