Observation
Interpretation
Application
This and That
What's the big idea?
100

This tool is used to summarize the contents of an entire biblical book

What is a book chart?

100

This is another name for a single-sentence summary of a biblical passage.

What is a proposition or big idea?

100

In the application step, we are seeking to answer the question, "How does the passage '. . . .' my life?"

What is "affect"?

100

This device is a means of summarizing the contents of an entire biblical book on one page.

What is a book chart?

100

A proposition or big idea may have only one of these.

What is topic?

200
These important words to notice are the "action" words in a biblical passage

What are verbs?

200

Noting important geographic details falls into this type of context study.

What is historical context?

200

If observation examies the text and interpretation explains the text, in application we are seeking to '. . . .' the text

What is "experience"?

200

A "bell curve" is a means of summarizing this kind of biblical literature.

What is narrative or story?

200

A proposition or big idea may have more than one of these.

What is assertion?

300

These critical "connector" words may indicate how one clause relates to another clause

What are conjunctions?

300

Noting how my passage correlates with the rest of biblical teaching is part of this type of context study.

What is theological context?

300
In a biblical understanding of persons, our problems originate here, not in some outside environmental influence.

What is the heart?

300

Introduction, Body, and Conclusion are the three parts of this type of biblical literature.

What is epistle?

300
This type of big idea utilizes historical and technical language.

What is time-bound?

400
This type of diagram is one way to summarize what you've seen in the observation step. . .

What is a block diagram?

400
The interpretation step is focused on both literary context and linguistic ". . . . ."

What is content?

400

A key question for developing a good application is, "How will I know when I've '. . . .'"

What is finished?

400

Both genre and the preceding/following verses are part of this type of context study.

What is literary?

400
This type of big idea tends to be shorter, less technical, and stated in universal language. 

What is timeless?

500
This type of clause is considered a "parent" and is always placed on the left margin of a block diagram.

What is an independent clause?

500

In the interpretation step, we are seeking to answer the question, "What does the passage '. . . .'"

What is "mean"?

500

This sometimes-smelly clothing article is a good reminder that we should keep applications as specific as possible

What are socks?

500
Understanding ancient culture is an important part of this type of context study.

What is historical?

500

I can often find this part of the big idea in the imperatives in a biblical passage.

What is the topic?

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