The one-on-one discipleship meetings center on discussion and application of a spiritually rich book or Bible passage, checking on each other's mind, body and soul well-being, followed with a time of prayer. One-on-one discipling acts as a catalyst to Christian growth, helping us bear one another’s sorrows and joys. As you meet together, consider the COMA bible study method described in David Helms bool "One-to-One Bible Reading". Click link to purchase.
C.O.M.A. Bible Study Method
This is how it works:
First read the passage you want to study.
C – Context
First study the context of the passage by answering the following questions:
- What sort of writing is this?
- What circumstances surround the writing?
- What has come before this?
- What comes after this?
- Any other passages connect to this?
O – Observation
Focus on making good observations in your study text. The following questions might be helpful to you.
- How does the text divide into sections?
- What is the main point or points?
- Any surprises or ironies? Key words?
M – Meaning
Now we want to search out the meaning of this passage. What is the “heart message” of this text? What does God intend for us to know? Consider answering the following questions:
- How does this portion relate to other parts of the book it is in?
- What does it teach about God, Jesus, man, sin, salvation, the church, etc.?
- How could we sum up the meaning in a few words?
A – Application
We don’t want to solely read God’s Word but we also want and need to apply it to our life. We want God’s Word to work in us and change us. Here are a few questions that help us apply this passage to our life.
- How does this change or strengthen my understanding?
- Is there some attitude I need to change?
- How must I change the way I live?
The COMA Bible Study Method is a great method to help us dig deeper into God’s Word and to avoid misinterpreting it because it requires us to study a Bible passage in its context. So it goes from a bigger picture of passage to digging deeper and deeper into it.