A Simple Guide to the S.O.A.P. Method of Bible Study

Scripture  |  Observation  |  Application  |  Prayer

If you’re new to Bible study and wondering where to begin, the S.O.A.P. method is one of the simplest—and most meaningful—ways to slow down, listen to God’s Word, and let it shape your daily life. It turns reading into reflection, and reflection into growth.

The name comes from four steps:  Scripture, Observation, Application, and Prayer. Think of it as a gentle rhythm that helps you hear, understand, and live out what God is saying.

Why S.O.A.P. Works

Most of us can read a passage and forget it five minutes later. S.O.A.P. helps us linger.

It encourages you to write something down, notice something important, do something with it, and finally bring it to God. This simple structure transforms casual reading into intentional discipleship.

How to Use the S.O.A.P. Method

Grab a notebook or journal (nothing fancy required) and create four headings:  

S, O, A, P

Let's walk through each step slowly and thoughtfully:

S — Scripture:  Write It Out

Choose a verse or a short passage and write it word-for-word.

There’s something powerful about copying Scripture—it forces your mind to slow down and your heart to pay attention.

Questions to help you:

• What does the passage actually say?
• Are there repeated words, commands, or promises?

O — Observation:  What Do You Notice?

Now look carefully at the text. What stands out? What surprises you? What questions come to mind?

You’re not trying to preach a sermon—you’re simply paying attention.

Questions to guide your thinking:

• What do I learn about God?
• What do I learn about people?
• Is there a sin to avoid, a command to obey, or a truth to celebrate?
• What is happening in the passage?

If you have the time and resources available, look up complex words in a bible dictionary. Use a concordance to see other passages that mention like subjects. 

These simple observations build a bridge from the Bible’s world to yours.

A — Application:  How Should This Change Me?

This step is where the Bible moves from the page into your life.

Ask yourself how this truth should shape your choices, attitudes, and actions today.

Questions to help you apply:

• What should I start doing?
• What should I stop doing?
• What should I keep doing?
• How can I live this out in the next 24 hours?

Application doesn’t have to be dramatic—often it’s one small, faithful step.

P — Prayer:  Talk to God About It

Close your study by praying over what you’ve learned.

Ask God to open your heart, strengthen your obedience, and deepen your trust.

Your prayer can be short and simple:

“Lord, thank You for this truth. Help me live it today.”

This final step, reminds us that Bible study is not just information—it’s a conversation with the God who loves us.

An Example:  Philippians 4:6–7

Here’s what a simple S.O.A.P. entry might look like:

Scripture:  “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God…”

Observation:  Paul is teaching me to trade worry for prayer. God gives peace that circumstances can’t.

Application:  Today, when anxiety shows up, I will stop and pray instead of overthinking.

Prayer:  “Father, calm my heart. Help me trust You with whatever worries me today.”

Getting Started

You don’t need a special plan or a long checklist—just start with one verse.

Open your Bible, write it down, and move through the four steps. If you do this regularly, you will begin to notice God’s Word shaping your thoughts, renewing your mind, and strengthening your faith.

Many people find S.O.A.P. especially helpful when paired with a daily reading plan or used in a Bible class or small group. The method is simple enough for beginners but rich enough to guide lifelong Christians.

A Final Encouragement

Growing in God’s Word doesn’t require perfection—just willingness. 

If you take a few minutes each day to read, reflect, apply, and pray, you will grow.

You will hear God more clearly.

And you will find His truth becoming a steady anchor in your everyday life.

Why not start today?

Pick one verse—just one—and walk through S.O.A.P. See what God does with your quiet, honest time in His Word.

1 John 1:1 - Eyewitnesses: Seeing Is Believing

1 John 1:1

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.

Imagine watching a documentary and hearing the story told not by a narrator, but by someone who was actually there—who felt the fear, the excitement, the heartbreak firsthand. That’s what makes Ken Burns’ documentaries so compelling. He uses letters, journals, and personal memories to make history real. 

The writers of the New Testament did the same thing. They didn’t just write stories about Jesus—they shared what they personally saw, heard, and even touched.

John explains this clearly in 1 John 1:1: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled…”

He even stacks the verbs here to make a point:  this isn’t secondhand gossip—it’s eyewitness testimony. John walked with Jesus, witnessed His miracles, and even touched the risen Christ. 

Eyewitness accounts like his are invaluable. They provide reliability, so we aren’t left guessing if these events actually happened. They also humanize the story, helping us imagine what it was like to be there in those life-changing moments.

Eyewitness testimony is essential in history. Without it, stories can be exaggerated, forgotten, or distorted. The New Testament preserves these firsthand experiences, giving us confidence that Christianity isn’t built on rumor or legend—it’s built on real events, observed and recorded by people who lived them.

In short, John’s words remind us:  the gospel is grounded in truth. We can trust it, not just because it inspires, but because it was seen, heard, and handled by those who were there.

Acts 2: 47 - What God Wants - Not What I Prefer

Acts 2:47

And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.

In a world where nearly everything revolves around personal preference, it feels natural to approach church the same way we approach restaurants, stores, or entertainment. We form a list of what we want:  good music, friendly people, engaging preaching, strong programs, or convenience. None of those things are bad in themselves — yet when they become the basis for choosing a church, we may be thinking more like consumers than disciples.

The Bible makes something abundantly clear:  God has always cared about how His people worship Him. The Old Testament repeatedly records Israel’s struggle not with abandoning worship, but with reshaping worship according to their own desires. During the time of Hosea, God used shocking language to describe their unfaithfulness — Israel had become like an unfaithful spouse chasing other lovers. They claimed to belong to God, but their actions revealed that their own preferences meant more to them than God’s instructions.

That picture is uncomfortable because it moves worship out of the realm of personal taste and places it in the realm of obedience. The real question for Christians today is not, “What do I want in a church?” but “What does God want in His church?” These two questions do not always lead to the same destination.

Modern religious culture tells us to “pick the church that fits you.” Scripture, however, paints an entirely different picture. The church is not a brand, not a denomination, and not a group of people who simply decided to follow Jesus. According to Acts 2:47, “...the Lord added to the church those who were being saved.” That means the church is not a human creation — it is God’s creation. He adds the saved to it. He determines its design, its doctrine, its worship, and its purpose. We do not join the church of our choice; God adds the obedient to the church He built.

Because of that, how we respond to God’s instructions matters deeply. We do not have the right to alter God’s plan simply because we do not agree with it or because another version feels more comfortable. The call of Christianity is not self-expression — it is self-denial. Jesus said, “If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself, take up his cross, and follow Me” (Matthew 16:24). Following Jesus means learning to want what God wants, even when it challenges us.

The church, according to Scripture, is not a place to be entertained — it is a family, a body, and a fellowship. Families do not function based on personal preference; they function based on commitment. In the same way, the church thrives not when everyone demands their own way, but when everyone seeks God’s way together. Our goal is not to find a church that pleases us, but to become a church that pleases God.

The heart of the matter is simple:  one day we will not stand before God and be asked whether we attended a church that matched our tastes. We will be asked whether we loved Him enough to obey Him — even when our preferences pushed in a different direction. The consumer mindset is temporary; the kingdom mindset is eternal. And the blessing is that when we pursue what God wants, we discover something better than convenience, comfort, or personal preference — we discover truth, unity, belonging, and salvation.

May we be humble enough and courageous enough to say, “I don’t want a church built around my desires. I want the church built around what God desires.”

If our hearts adopt that commitment, and we live by it, God will not only add us to His church — He will someday welcome us into His eternal kingdom.

Matthew 22:34-40 - The Greatest Commandments

Matthew 22:34-40
34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’  40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

When the Pharisees gathered around Jesus in Matthew 22:34–40, one of them—a lawyer—asked, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” His question was an innocent question. He and they others were testing Jesus, hoping to trap Him with His own words. But Jesus’ answer didn’t just silence their debate—it cut straight to the heart of what it means to follow God.

Jesus simply replied, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”

In just a few short sentences, Jesus had summarized the entire Old Testament. Everything God had ever commanded— every rule, every principle, every prophet’s message—was rooted in these two simple truths:  love God completely, and love others sincerely.

Jesus placed the love of God first for a reason. Before we can love anyone else rightly, we must love God fully. Loving God “with all your heart, soul, and mind” means giving Him first place in every part of life—our emotions, our choices, our thoughts. It’s not a partial or convenient love. It’s wholehearted devotion.

When we love God this way, obedience stops being a chore and becomes a joy. As Jesus said, “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments” (John 14:15). Genuine love for God changes how we worship, how we spend our time, and how we treat other people.

Then Jesus added, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Real love for God overflows into love for others. John wrote, “He who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:20).

This love isn’t about convenience or preference—it’s about compassion, humility, and service. It’s the kind of love that forgives, helps, and gives even when it’s hard–especially when it’s hard! Jesus modeled that perfectly for us, laying down His life not just for His friends, but for sinners (Romans 5:8).

If we can understand these two commandments, everything else will fall into place. These commands guide our relationships, our worship, our priorities, and our purpose. The Christian life isn’t just a checklist—in a sense, it’s a love story:  God loved us first, and our lives are meant to reflect that love back to Him and to others around us.

In a world filled with complexity and distraction, Jesus brings us back to the center:  Love God. Love people. If we can do those two things faithfully, we will fulfill everything God ever asked of His people.

Acts 9:1-4 - What Paul Saw on the Road

Acts 9:1-4

Meanwhile, Saul was still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. He went to the high priest and asked him for letters to the synagogues in Damascus, so that if he found any there who belonged to the Way, whether men or women, he might take them as prisoners to Jerusalem. As he neared Damascus on his journey, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

One of the stories that always amazes me in Scripture is Paul’s conversion. Paul was then known as Saul of Tarsus, the man who once hated Christians. He was stopped in his tracks by the risen Christ on the road to Damascus. In that blinding light, his physical eyes were closed, but his spiritual eyes were opened. What Paul came to see in those days of blindness can still teach us something about following Jesus today.

The first thing Paul realized was that he was a sinner. That’s never easy to admit. Paul had always thought of himself as a righteous Pharisee, doing the will of God. But now he could no longer hide behind his religion or his good deeds. He realized had been fighting against the very Son of God. That’s a humbling moment we all need—to stop pretending we are better than we are and honestly admit, “I have sinned.”

Paul also saw that the religion of his fathers couldn’t save him. Tradition is powerful. Many of us grew up with faith passed down from our parents or grandparents, and that’s a blessing. But we don’t inherit faith like eye color. Each of us must come to Christ personally and develop our own obedient faith. Paul had to realize that his upbringing and heritage, as valuable as they were, weren’t enough without obedience to Jesus.

Another lesson Paul learned is that his conscience wasn’t always reliable. He had always followed his conscience, even when persecuting Christians—but he was still wrong. That’s sobering, isn’t it? Sometimes people say, “Just follow your heart,” but Paul’s story warns us that our hearts can mislead us. Our conscience needs to be shaped and corrected by God’s Word, or it will never point us in the right direction.

Paul also discovered that prayer, as important as it is, could not wash away his sins. He had spent three days praying and fasting, but it wasn’t until he obeyed the command to be baptized that his sins were forgiven (Acts 22:16). Prayer is a gift for God’s children, but for Paul (and actually even for us), forgiveness only came through obedience.

And perhaps most encouraging of all, Paul saw that it was no disgrace to change. He had been wrong—terribly wrong—but instead of clinging to pride, he humbled himself and allowed God to transform him. The man who once tried to destroy the church became one of its greatest servants. That’s what grace does—it changes us from the inside out.

Paul’s story reminds me that it’s never too late to admit we’re wrong, never too late to repent, never too late to obey Jesus. On the road to Damascus, Paul lost his sight, but he gained his vision. And maybe that’s what we need too—not just to see the world with physical eyes, but to see our lives clearly through the eyes of Christ.

Ephesians 5:19 - Singing: Worship God in His Way

Ephesians 5:19

“Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”

When you think about worship, what comes to mind? A choir, an organ, a guitar? Or the simple voices of Christians singing together? The real question isn’t, “What do I like?” but “What does God want?”

Paul answers in Ephesians 5:19:  “Speaking to one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord.”

Notice he doesn’t say “play” or “strum.” He says “sing.” The Greek word (ado) means to sing with the voice. When God wanted instruments in Old Testament worship, He commanded them (2 Chron. 29:25). In the New Testament, He commanded singing. Paul makes the “instrument” clear:  the heart.

This shows us worship isn’t about what pleases us, but what honors God. If Noah had used cedar instead of gopher wood, would God have been pleased? No—because God had specified. In the same way, when God specifies singing, adding instruments changes what He asked for.

Jesus said, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth” (John 4:24). Worship in truth means worship on His terms.

History agrees. For centuries, Christians sang without instruments. Clement of Alexandria warned they belonged to pagan feasts, not the church. Augustine said the true instrument is the heart. Even the word a cappella means “in the style of the church.”

So why does it matter? Because worship is a gift for God. If your spouse asks for something simple and heartfelt, but you give something flashy instead, who are you really thinking about—you or them? The question in worship isn’t, “Do I like it?” but “Does God want it?”

Ephesians 5:19 makes it clear:  God wants His people to sing, making melody in their hearts. This is worship that is simple, spiritual, and centered on Him. When we lift our voices this way, we offer the kind of praise the apostles knew, the early church practiced, and God still desires.

So, the next time you sing, remember—you’re holding the only instrument God ever asked for:  the heart. Play it well, and He will be pleased.

Romans 8:6 - Life, Peace, and the Trouble with Carnal Thinking

Romans 8:6
The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.

Paul wrote, “For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace” (Romans 8:6 NKJV). That’s not just religious talk — it’s a reality check. What we set our minds on truly shapes our lives. And let’s be honest:  sometimes what we see in ourselves (and in the church) looks a lot more like carnality than spirituality.

You can spot the difference pretty quickly, though. Ever notice how some folks will go to a ball game in the pouring rain, but a drizzle on Sunday morning is enough to cancel worship? Or how we can feel “too sick” for church, but somehow well enough to drag ourselves to work Monday morning? That’s not dedication — that’s our priorities showing up.

Spirituality isn’t about checking a box or showing up when the weather’s nice. It’s about valuing God more than comfort, convenience, or culture. It’s about setting our minds on “things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:2).

When we’re spiritually minded, we see worship not as optional but essential. We notice the brother or sister who’s drifting and reach out to restore them (Galatians 6:1). We understand our whole life is meant to be a “living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1), not just an hour on Sunday.

The truth is, carnality always weakens the church and turns people away from Christ. But spirituality breathes life, strength, and peace into both our souls and our community. And here’s the best part: it’s not reserved for “super saints.” It grows in ordinary Christians who are willing to stay in God’s Word, pray, and walk daily in the Spirit (Galatians 5:25).

Carnal thinking leaves us empty, but spiritual living fills us with life and peace. And honestly, who doesn’t want more of that?