DIG Bible Studies
We want everyone to learn a basic skill of reading and learning from the Bible for yourself. To help with this, we use a basic pattern of Bible Study called a DIG study. This uses a 3 step skill to approach any Bible Study passage.
Below is a detailed description of how to do a DIG Bible Study. It is designed to be a very simple process which anyone can follow, so don’t get yourself bogged down with all the details below.
Keep it simple enough just to follow the 3 basic instructions.
But of course you can “dig down deeper” if you like as well.
How To Do A DIG Bible Study: A Quick Summary.
Start by opening in prayer, and reading the passage in question. Then follow the following 3 steps.
1. Describe. Ask everyone to share 3 words or one sentence which describes what the passage is saying. Perhaps they will share why they said what they said if it is not clear.
2. Investigate. Ask everyone to share a question about the passage which they feel is important to understand.
3. Grow. Ask everyone to share how they believe God wants them to grow from the passage.
A More Detailed Summary
Step 1: Describe. Select 3 words (or 1 sentence) to describe the passage.
If doing this as a group, ask everybody to share their 3 words. It is helpful also if people share why they chose their words if it is not obvious.
You may choose 3 prominent words which are found in the passage itself.
Or, you could choose 3 words which aren’t in the passage, but which summarise what you think the passage is about.
They could be 3 isolated words, or 3 words together in a phrase about the passage.
And of course, we will forgive you if you want to use 4 words instead of 3!
Occasionally, you might like to try putting together a sentence which describes the passage. But using 3 words is an easier activity for everybody to be easily able to contribute to.
Examples: From a Bible Study on Ephesians 1:1-14.
Some words: Blessed Grace Glory
God Blesses Lavishly
Why We Do This.
What we are trying to do here is to ask people to get familiar with the passage as a whole. We don’t want to miss the forest for the trees- we need to start with the big message of the passage before drilling down into the details.
When we do this as a group, often someone may mention an aspect of the passage which you may have overlooked.
Getting everybody to give three words is an easy way to scan the passage a few times over together.
You can do this at a fairly simple level, allowing even children to share in this together, or you can go deeper and express the theology and meaning of the passage with your three words.
Deeper Describing:
If you wanted to go a bit further with this first step, you could also consider the context of the passage- what came before it, and what comes after it, and how that shapes the passage.
Step 2: Investigate. Ask your questions about the passage.
If doing this as a group, ask everybody to share one question they have about the passage. If you don’t have any questions, you may list a question which you think is important that everybody knows about the passage.
Examples: From a Bible Study on Ephesians 1:1-14.
When did Paul write this letter and why?
What does it mean that God chose us before the foundation of the world?
What does it mean to be sealed by the Spirit?
Why We Do This.
Here we are asking you to consider the details of the text which are important to understand. As you wrestle with the text and meaning of the passage, you may see new insights and important truths to reflect on.
Notes:
Consider a variety of types of questions. For example:
Consider the historical context of the passage (who wrote it, and why?) ·
How does the passage fit with the passages that come before and after it (context). ·
What does a certain word or phrase mean? ·
Why does it say something rather than something else? ·
How does a certain verse relate to a certain doctrine (Eg does this verse show that God predestines us to salvation?) ·
How is a passage to be applied to us today?
You may not always have time to answer every question each time. That is okay- sometimes just asking the question is enough to help people work out the answer in their own minds.
Sometimes you may like to ask everybody to follow up a question on their own and provide an answer to a question you have raised next time you meet.
Deeper Describing:
When you get stuck with a difficult verse, sometimes it is very helpful to list all the possible interpretations of what it could mean. Then sift through those possible interpretations for the one which seems to fit the whole passage best.
You may also like to consult a commentary after doing the above, as they may raise other interpretations you haven’t considered. Sometimes you may decide that you’re just not sure about what a verse means. That is ok. You have raised the question in your mind, and can continue to research and ask God to shed light on this passage to you.
Step 3: Grow. Share how you believe God wants you to grow from the passage.
Ask everyone to share what is the one take-away which they believe is most important for them to respond to and put in practice in their life.
Examples: From a Bible Study on Ephesians 1:1-14.
v3- do I really appreciate God’s grace?
v13- I don’t share my faith with others much
v8- am I a generous person like God is?
Why We Do This.
If done correctly, this asks people to open up and share about their actual life and what things would look like if we were really to put it into practice.
It pushes us into concrete steps of obedience which is the key for actual growth to take place.
Notes:
Very often in some studies, depending on the nature of the passage, often you will spend most of the time in either Investigating OR Growing. That is fine- some studies will focus more on thrashing out the details of what it means, and others will be straightforward in their meaning, but will focus more on how you live it out.
Deeper Describing:
A great way to really go deeper into the growth section is to ask everyone to go through the Life Story questions with the passage. It works best when you simply get one person at a time to talk through all the answers to the questions in one go.
Then ask them questions about anything you would like to explore more. Probably you won’t usually have time to do this
with more than one or two within a group in one session.
Example:
What’s your purpose? Share at the basic level of what is your take-away from the passage, as stated above.
What’s your problem? Share why and how is this a problem for you? Why is it a challenge?
What’s your religion? Share any false beliefs, attachments or patterns of life you have which creates these problems.
What’s your good news? Share how the gospel is relevant in this. Reflect on who God is, what God has done, who we are in Christ, and how this relates to the issue in question.
What’s your future? Share a practical plan of action in renewing the mind with the gospel and acting out practical steps of new obedience in regards to the issue.