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The Word
Meditation
AEIOU
I. Pray for the Holy Spirit’s teaching as you begin your study. (Psalm 119:18)
II. Read the verse or passage of Scripture several times. (Read in several translations if
desired.)
III. What is the context? (Look at the verses before and after to discover the “setting” of the
verse. What is the author talking about in the passage?)
Example: John 14:6
“Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one
comes to the Father except through me.’”
Context: John 14:1-7
Jesus is telling His disciples that he will be leaving to be with the Father and
He will be preparing a place for them there. He also tries to comfort them with
the promise that He will return and take them with Him. He assures them they
know the way to where He is going. Thomas then states that they do not
understand where He is going or how to get there. Jesus answers with verse 6.
Then He reveals that by knowing Him, they know and have seen the Father.
IV. Follow the AEIOU outline:
A – ASK questions about the verse and try to answer them. Use Who, What, When,
Where, Why, How; focus on verbs, nouns, adjectives, connectives; look for contrasts,
comparisons, etc.
Example:
Connective “the” is significant. Implies Christ is the only way to God. He is not a way
to God.
Who does Christ claim to be? The way, the truth, the life. The way to whom? To
the Father.
What does truth imply? There is nothing false about what He says or does. He is
believable and trustworthy.
Verb “am” is significant; implies now and ongoing; does not say was or will be.
How does Jesus say we can get to the Father? Only through Christ. What does he
mean? Foreshadowing of His death and resurrection is implied.
Baldner
[Type text]
E – Emphasize a different word in the verse each time you read it.
Example:
“I am the way and the truth and the life…” ‘The’ implies that Christ is exclusively
each of these things. No one else can make that claim.
“…No one comes to the Father except through me.” ‘No one’ implies there are no
exceptions to how anyone can get to the Father.
I – In Your Own Words
Example:
Jesus responded to Thomas’ confusion about where Christ was going and how to get
there, by claiming that He, alone, is the path to the Father and eternal life, and that
He embodies all that is right and true.
O – Other Verses
Acts 4:12 – There is no one except Jesus through whom we can be saved.
I Timothy 2:5 – Christ is the one and only mediator between God and man.
I John 5:11,12 – God has given us eternal life through His Son. If we have Christ,
we have life; if we do not have Christ, we do not have life. No
exceptions.
U – Use It (Personal application of the verse)
Definition:
A step of trusting God to build a desired attitude or behavior in my life as I walk in
obedience to Him.
“Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.
Anyone who listens to the word but does not do it is like a man who looks at his face
in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he
looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom,
and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it – he will be
blessed in what he does.”
James 1:22-25 (NIV)
Focus:
Application usually falls into two categories: things that apply to your relationship
with God and things that apply to your relationship with others. It may involve the
following:
[Type text]
-
An attitude to cultivate
A habit to form
An action to take or avoid
Plan:
-
What does the verse say? (Paraphrase the main idea.)
What do I do? (Determine a specific area in your life in which God is speaking to
you and what specific steps you will take to change.)
How am I doing? (Set a time by which you will check to see if you have followed
through. Hold yourself accountable!)
Example: John 14:6
What does it say?
Christ is responding to one of His disciples by making the exclusive claim that he is
the one and only way to the Father and to life, as well as the complete embodiment
of all truth.
What do I do?
In my discussions with my friend ( ) about Christ, he/she expresses the belief that
there can be many ways to God. I need to do the following:
- Call by Monday to set up our next time together.
- Resume our discussion and ask if he/she would like to see what the Bible says
about how to get to God?
- Share John 14:6, Acts 4:21, I Timothy 2:5, I John 5:11,12 and seek a response –
would he/she like to continue to look at Christ’s claims together in the Bible?
- I will memorize John 14:6
How am I doing?
By Sunday night, I will ask myself if I have accomplished my plan. What further
action do I need to take to complete my plan or take further steps?
Remember Ezra 7:10
“For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of the Lord, and to practice it, and
to teach its statutes and ordinances in Israel.