Biblical Literacy is so so needed in this world! It doesn’t come naturally. It takes training and discipline… just like anything that is worthwhile. We don’t hand our kids books when they are little and expect them to just know how to read. We spend hours upon hours and years upon years working with them… reading to them, reading with them. We sit and listen as they painstakingly (and often painfully) sound out the same word over and over again. And we stick with it because we know that to be able to read in this world is paramount. Once you can read, the world is open to you. You can access information and learn just about anything. We, as homeschoolers, place a high value on the skill and art of reading.

So… as Christian parents, shouldn’t we also place that high value on Biblical literacy… being able to not only read the Bible, but rightfully divide it, interpret it, and apply it. Just jump on any social media platform (especially Tik Tok… which I am NOT on and am NOT advocating for) and you will see misuse and misinterpretation of Scripture. The enemy is crafty and he will not stop trying to confuse and mislead our young people.

Trends have always been something that come and go. However, I’ve noticed the pace at which trends are changing these days is ridiculously fast. The styles change year to year… sometimes month to month instead of decade to decade. Music comes and goes constantly. Once you join a social media platform and think you have it figured it out, a new one pops up. In this world that simply cannot make up its mind, our kids need something constant. They need an anchor to help them stay grounded. That anchor is Scripture. It is alive and well and will withstand the shifting sands.

So how do we teach our kids to grab this anchor, study it, understand it, trust it, apply it? Pray… that’s the first thing. Model it… oh man, have I failed continually at this one! I pray the Lord takes my feeble efforts and multiplies them greatly in the lives of my children. Teach them and give them tools to use.

When I was working in youth ministry, we used two acronyms to help the students whenever we were getting into the Word. ARM and LAF. Arm- Ask, Read, Meditate. LAF- Location, Audience, Framework.

Studying the Bible can feel very intimidating. Where do you start? What should you read? What does it mean? We would encourage the students to ARM themselves. Ask the Lord to guide your time. Read the passage of Scripture. Meditate on what you’ve read. Let it sit with you. Don’t just rush it. The inductive Bible study method is fantastic for that meditating piece. Inductive Bible study usually has three components: Observation, Interpretation, and Application.

Observation: This is where LAF (Location, Audience, and Framework) comes in. What do you observe in the passage? Who is writing and who are they writing to? Where is it set? What are the keywords and phrases? You are simply noting what you observe in reading. This is not the part of the study to figure out the meaning. You want to gain context. We too often put our personal bias and modern lens. Understanding the context is a big key to understanding Scripture.

Interpretation: This is where we ask the “why” questions. Why was this written? What issues were being addressed? Where do I see this come up in other parts of the Bible? The Bible is like its own secret message and secret decoder ring. We can often use Scripture to decode other parts of Scripture. Although it may seem like it at times, the Bible does not contradict itself. It does not negate itself. It is one perfect and beautiful story of man’s fall and God’s redemptive plan.

Application: Now we get to the personal. After all the context and understanding, now we can look at how to rightly apply a passage to our personal lives. How does this passage affect my day-to-day life? How can I apply these principles as I interact with people today?

I have created two ARM Yourself Inductive Bible Studies and listed them in my Teachers Pay Teachers Shop. I plan to complete more, but for now I have Galatians and Ephesians available. These are created with certain passages in mind. They are ten day studies and have guided questions to help with the Inductive Bible Study method.

I’m including a FREE, Printable or Editable, PDF in this post. You can print it out and fill it in OR you can open it in a PDF reading app (like Adobe) and simply click the boxes to begin typing. You can use this template again and again. Simply keep one copy blank and “Save As” when you are using it for Bible study. This printable includes space for ten days of study (however you can easily add or take away). This is a self-guided study. The questions are not passage specific, but more general. You can see the sample page below:

Maybe start by picking a book of the New Testament to go through… like Romans or 1 Peter. Read a little bit each day and practice the ARM Yourself method. This study can be used with all ages… I’d recommend it for Middle School and up (yes… adults! You can use it too).

Click the link below to download your FREE copy of the ARM Yourself Bible Study Template. For personal use only.