Here’s a framework to help us make the most of what we read each time we open the Bible. We call it ‘Head, Heart, Hands’. Over the next few conversations, we’ll go deeper into each one. For now, here’s a quick overview.
This is where we ask questions to help us understand what we are reading. Asking Head questions helps us to examine what the word of God shows us all. But it’s not going as far as asking questions of how it applies to us just yet.
Examples of Head questions might be “What is the passage saying?“, “What do I see happening here?” and “What are the characters doing?“
Write down what you come up with.
Heart questions draw out our response to what we read. We want to consider what’s going on inside of us. Has a chord been struck? Is any emotion being stirred up? Why might that be? Until we allow God to deal with our heart, we can’t move into an appropriate response.
Examples of Heart questions might be “What hits home?“, “What am I feeling about this?” and “What excites me?”
Add it to your list.
Hands questions help us consider how we could live out what the Bible has shown us. They help us see ways our lives might need to change because of what we’ve read.
Examples of Hands questions might be “How will I let this impact me?“, “What will I do based on what I’ve read?” and “How can I grow in what I’ve learnt?”
Write these down too.