Thinking about application

Good application starts with good interpretation, once we have understood the meaning of the text then we can begin to think about how it applied to its original hearers, and then to us, it will also reflect the context of the book and the bible.

· What was the application for those to whom the book was written?


- What truths did it teach them about God?


 - How ought they to respond to that?


- What did it teach God’s people about their hearts and thinking?


- What direct application does it give concerning actions?


- Is it simply reporting or recommending actions?


· What is the same for us? What is different?


· What is the application for our Christian friends?


· What is the application for our church?


· What is the application for our unbelieving friends?

From your interpretation you will construct your main teaching point, whiich you should be able ro express in one sentence. 

From your thought about the application questions above it will help if you think about yourself and your group and construct a main sentence that expresses how the passage calls us to respond.  e.g. Gen 37 main teaching point is Sovereign grace of God in working to keep his word even through this flawed family. The main response it calls for is praise and a change in the way we judge God’s faithfulness – not by circumstance.  There are other subsidiary points of teaching e.g. – flawed fatherhood, boastful Joseph, divided family and there may be application from that. But actually they all serve to highlight all the more the main teaching and application point.

 Application Questions:

The questions will be designed to help people work through to the point of seeing the application for themselves and work it into their lives. Here are some helpful starters:

- The passage teaches us that... how does that conflict with the way society thinks?



- A friend says... how would you use this passage to answer them?



- If we grasp... what fruit would we expect to see?



- If we fail to... what thorns might we expect in our lives?



- So what?