Method:
“Let God's truth shape your mind, stir your heart, refine your motives, and direct your actions.”
by Raimer Rojas
Discovery Bible Study • The Gospel In All Of Scripture Bible Study • Inductive Bible Study • Bible Character Study • Bible Book Study
This Holistic Bible Study method helps you engage Scripture fully—not just with your mind, but also with your heart, motives and actions. This method first examines the people in the passage (how they thought, felt, desired, and acted) before applying it personally. This prevents misinterpretation, connects truth to real life, and fosters lasting spiritual growth. Through it we move beyond just reading Scripture to living it—shaped by God’s truth in every part of who we are. And finally, this method aligns with the Holistic Discipleship framework that I am promoting.
This method ensures that you:
Think Rightly - align your mind with God’s truth.
Feel Deeply - allow Scripture to stir your heart.
Desire Purely - check your motives before God.
Act Obediently - live out obedience.
It’s not just about knowing the Bible—it’s about letting it change you: “Let God's truth shape your mind, stir your heart, refine your motives, and direct your actions.”
DIRECTIONS: 1. Choose a Story – Pick a Bible story where people interact. > 2. Read the Passage Twice – Have two different people read it aloud. > 3. Retell the Story – A third person summarizes the passage in their own words. > 4. Reflect & Discuss – Use the Holistic Bible Study questions to explore the story, looking at what happened before and after the encounter. Start with STEP #1 and continue with STEP #2.
STEP #1: PEOPLE
Understand what is happening within the people in this passage
1. Shape MIND → What shaped their mind?
What assumptions or beliefs did they hold?
How did God's truth challenge or reshape their thinking?
2. Stir HEART → How did this stir their hearts?
What emotions did they experience in this situation?
How did their emotions influence their perspective or responses?
3. Reveal/Refine MOTIVES → What motivated them?
Why did they want to do what they did?
Were their desires aligned with God’s will or something else?
4. Direct ACTIONS → What actions did they take?
How did they respond to what they learned, felt, and desired?
Did their response reflect obedience to God?
STEP #2: ME
Apply the passage personally
(God may be highlighting a specific situation in your life. If you sense a connection to the passage, use it to reflect on the questions and discern His message)
1. Shape MIND → What truth is shaping my mind?
What assumptions or beliefs am I bringing to this passage?
How is God's truth challenging or reshaping my thinking?
2. Stir HEART → How is this stirring my heart?
What emotions am I experiencing in response to this passage?
How should my emotions come under Christ’s lordship?
3. Reveal/Refine MOTIVES → What is motivating me?
Why do I want to act in a certain way?
How is God refining my desires through this passage?
4. Direct ACTIONS → What action is God calling me to take?
How should I respond to what I am learning, feeling, and desiring?
What specific step of obedience should I take?