IBS-30 A-P-P-L-Y

 

The Big Idea: A list of five questions based on the acronym APPLY can guide us quickly to passage application.

A-P-P-L-Y the B-I-B-L-E

I like easy-to-remember lists that help me get to the point. In Bible application preachers and authors recommend various questions to ask. The acronym APPLY helps me quickly recall them when I study a passage or prepare to lead a Bible study. I am using three of the five this week in the Bible study I am currently leading on Revelation.

Remember to always ask God for His guidance as you seek to apply the Bible to your life. He wrote the book, after all!

A Admit Sin. In Adam and Eve’s story in Genesis 3 we watch mankind’s bent toward sin with a need to be restored with God . The Bible repeatedly shows real life stories with sin’s enticement and pitfalls, and a way out. Check your passage prayerfully through this lens.

P Promise Claimed. God’s Word is full of His promises. He is not our adversary when we seek Him. As we get to know the Word we see all the practical ways He cares for His children. Collect these promises and bank on them for your life.


P Principle Followed. Passages of the Bible hold principles for life. There are lists of what to do and what not to do. There are Proverbs and sayings of wisdom how to live a good life. Look for these and examine how you can live by them.

L Live the Good Example. The Bible is full of stories of real people. There are good examples and bad examples. Some of the best of characters also have pitfalls they fell into, as an example to us to be watchful not to do the same. Study these life situations and learn from them.

Y Yield to God Revealed. Always ask what a passage reveals about the attributes and character of God. Observe how God works in the world and His plan for mankind. See how He longs to gather those who love Him, be with them and guide them. Yield your will to God counting on Him to be all that He reveals Himself in Scripture to be. Consider how this loving just God can make a differences in your life situation today.



Memorize this list and practice looking at a Bible passage by asking yourself which ones apply best to your text. Then ask yourself how that applies to something TODAY. The Bible is all about the nourishment and wisdom we need for our current life situation.

Dear brothers and sisters, pattern your lives after mine, and learn from those who follow our example. Phil. 3:17 NLT

 

This is the thirtieth in a series called Practical Starter Guide for Inductive Bible Study.
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Reflect:

1. Do you have a hard time figuring out how to apply the Bible to your life? If so, why might this be.

2. Think of your favorite character in the Bible. Reflect on how this person can be an example for your life and how you can follow this example.

3. Reflect on an attribute of God that you appreciate. How can you yield to Him in this area today and lean on Him for your current life situation?