SOAP Method of Bible Study with Kids
* This post may contain affiliate links or sponsored content. *
If you’ve never tried the SOAP Method of Bible study with kids (yours), I’d like to strongly encourage you to do so. I think it is probably most effective with kids who are reading fairly independently and for whom writing would not be a laborious chore, but any age could still benefit.
Not sure how to do it? No problem! Here’s some info to get you started!
How to Do the SOAP Method of Bible Study with Your Kids
We tried this method a bit last year, without the journaling, and picked up it again this year with the journaling, which, in my opinion, makes it much more meaningful.
If you’ve got younger kids, Jolanthe has some great printable SOAP journal pages, but we’ve just been using some composition books that we found on sale for $0.50 at Walmart.
If you’ve never heard of the SOAP method, the premise is simple. SOAP is an acronym to help you remember:
Scripture
Observation
Application
Prayer
First, we read a passage of Scripture. Then, we pick out a particular verse – or group of verses – that was especially meaningful to us. We write that verse at the top of our journal pages.
Next, we make observations about the verse. For this portion, we focus on facts. Answering the usual who, what, where, when, why, and how questions helps us figure out what God may be teaching us based on the context of the Scripture.
Third, we talk about application. In other words, we discuss how what we’ve learned applies to us and how we can put it into practice in our lives.
Finally, we write out our prayer based on what we’ve learned. The kids have the option of either writing out their prayer or jotting down ideas they want to be praying about. For my personal journal, I write out my prayer.
What We’re Learning Through the SOAP Method of Bible Study
I have been blown away by the insight my kids have shown, by the things that God is teaching me, and by the things He’s showing us as a family. A common theme we’ve found ourselves discussing lately is that introducing people to Christ starts with personal relationships.
When Andrew met Jesus, he went and got his brother, Simon, and brought him to Jesus. When Philip met Jesus, he went and got Nathanael and brought him to Jesus (John 1). Later, when Jesus met the woman at the well (John 4), she went and told all the townspeople about Him and brought them to Him.
We’ve spent a lot of time discussing the fact that we’re to love people, cultivate relationships with them, and bring them to Jesus. Where the relationship goes from there is between them and Jesus, but it’s up to us to make the introduction.
We’ve also been talking a lot about loving people and showing Christ’s love to them because that’s a precursor to making the introduction. I’ve just started reading through the gospels again because we’ve been talking a lot about how Jesus ate with the “sinners and tax collectors,” but I want to know how He interacted with them. I want to look for a pattern to model my actions after.
(Not that I am, by any stretch of the imagination, Jesus in that scenario, but I do want to know how to best show His love to everyone with whom I come into contact, including – or especially – those outside my circle of Christian friends.)
The biggest difference between the sinners and the tax collectors and the Jewish leaders and Pharisees is that the sinners and tax collectors recognized their sins, while the Jewish leaders and Pharisees were living in denial about theirs and hiding behind their laws and traditions.
I don’t want to hide behind my faith. I know I’m sinful and a long way from where God would probably have me to be, but I want to learn to truly love people and introduce them to Jesus. I want to be used by Him. I’m not very good at it yet, but God is still molding me.
I love the Casting Crowns song, What This World Needs. This is my favorite verse (because, honestly, I need to be worried more about God changing my shirt, figuratively speaking, than hers):
What this world needs
Is for us to care more about the inside than the outside
Have we become so blind that we can’t see
God’s gotta change her heart before He changes her shirt
What this world needs
Is for us to stop hiding behind our relevance
Blending in so well that people can’t see the difference
And it’s the difference that sets the world free
I want people to see the difference in me and I think the difference has to be love.
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames,but have not love, I gain nothing. – 1 Corinthians 13:1-4
And, the very words of Jesus:
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. – Matthew 22:37-40
What has God been showing you lately?
To learn more about the SOAP Method of Bible study, read What Is Soap on Mom’s Toolbox.
NOTE: This article was written by Kris–the former owner of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers.
Kris Bales is a newly-retired homeschool mom and the quirky, Christ-following, painfully honest founder (and former owner) of Weird, Unsocialized Homeschoolers. She has a pretty serious addiction to sweet tea and Words with Friends. Kris and her husband of over 30 years are parents to three amazing homeschool grads. They share their home with three dogs, two cats, a ball python, a bearded dragon, and seven birds.
I love the SOAP method of Bible Study with the kids. I think I will try this with my Sunday School kids. My youngest son is 14 and may be going to public school this year. But maybe not. If he is home I will try this out on him too. Thanks for sharing!
I worked in the office for our church for several years before my twins were born (almost 10 years ago), and our pastor at the time gave all the staff members a special journal and this was our assignment each week (SOAP). When we gathered at staff chapel each week, some of us were called upon to share our journaling. I really love this method! Now, years later, it has been so helpful to look back into my journal for inspiration.
Thank you for posting this. In planning for the next year, this method kept popping into my head… I knew about it from you posting about it previously. I just visited your blog today expecting to search for it;)
Just a question…. I have young ones… 8, 6, 5! I’m thinking about tweaking the journaling part. Maybe having them draw or just do it orally for a bit until we all get the hang of it?? Or no changes at all?? How would you try to use the SOAP method with little ones?
We did SOAP orally last year and that worked pretty well, though I like using the journals much better. Of course, my kids are older. Connie, at Smockity Frocks, explains how she uses it with both older and younger kids. Having your kids draw a picture is not a bad idea. I’d suggest playing around with it a bit until you find what works well for your family. HTH!
We are going to be using this for our year. We have done devotionals over the years. I even looked at bible curriculum this past month. But, when I found this I had a huge aha moment. The best thing I ever did for my walk is to just read the bible all the way through. God showed me things I needed to know. So, using this gives me some guidance with my children. And, I pray it really gives them something to dig into.
I was looking for a post about this method to share on my blog! Going to use yours.
How often do you use this method? Is it once a week or daily?
Thanks so much for sharing what your family uses for devotionals. I was looking for different ideas and I think this would be a great fit for our family.
We do it three days a week and use the Keys for Kids devotionals the other two days. I’d do it every day, but the kids have requested that we do something “easier” a couple of days a week. Since I want them to enjoy our Bible study time, I’ve given in on that regard.
Enjoyed this post…
Learned this at an adult bible study. Thought hey lets add this to our school day…
So we did…it’s dramatically changed our lives and family.
Found this article when searching for a way to share this way to study the Bible with a friend.
I would encourage u to try this method.
We do this daily its the first thing we do in the morning….before any other book/school work
Cuz really isn’t knowing Our Lord and his word the Bible THE most important thing to know?
Isn’t a relationship with Christ the only thing that will last….for…
Eternity? All else will fade away….
I’ve never heard of the SOAP method. I will be using this for myself and grandbabies. Thank you for sharing.
Hello. Thank you for sharing this. It will be great for teaching my homeschool co-op.