The F.I.S.H. Method - “Catching” the Truth as You Journal from God’s Word
As the pastor responsible for discipleship at Oakhill Baptist Church, I consistently face the challenge of vetting authors and reviewing various resources and materials. I feel a profound responsibility to ensure that the people of God engage with content that is both true and beneficial. One effective way to achieve this is by making the Bible our central resource for discipleship, as it provides “all we need for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3). The approach to studying God’s Word that I am introducing alleviates the need to search endlessly for new resources. Additionally, it helps us be better stewards of our time and finances by focusing on the most valuable resource available to us: the Scriptures.
When you read the title, you might have thought, “Wow, that’s a very cheesy or corny name.” And you’re right—it is! However, isn’t it memorable? Have you ever hoped for a helpful tool to assist you in reading God’s Word in a way that allows you to understand context, meaning, and application without immediately turning to a source or commentary? That’s the purpose of F.I.S.H.: to provide an easily remembered acronym that equips you with a tool for studying God’s holy and inerrant Word. When you approach the Scriptures, guided by the Holy Spirit, the Word can speak into your life and bring about genuine change. And since the goal of a Christian is to become more like Christ, this transformation happens through reading and applying the Scriptures to our lives.
Reading, studying, and applying the Scriptures in our own lives is just the beginning. Once we gain a solid understanding of how to study the Bible, we have to move past ourselves and share God’s Word with others to fulfill the call to make disciples (Matthew 28:18-20). A well-known example illustrates this, where: “Jesus, while walking alongside the Sea of Galilee, saw Simon and Andrew, who were casting nets into the sea because they were fishermen. Jesus said to them, Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men. Immediately, they left their nets and followed Him” (Matthew 1:16-18). This is precisely why the F.I.S.H. method – to encourage the people of God, to study the Word of God, follow the Son of God, and become disciples who are “fishers of men”.
Catching fish requires several essential elements, one of which is time. You need time to prepare your equipment, to cast your net for bait, and to simply go fishing. The same principle applies to studying God’s Word. If we desire to “grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ” (2 Peter 3:18), we must dedicate the necessary time to it. I hope you find this F.I.S.H. method encouraging, and I am confident that if you commit to using it as a tool for studying and journaling through the Word, real transformation will occur. Here it is, and I hope you find it helpful to you as you read, interpret, study, and allow the Holy Spirit to lead you in your journey through God’s Word.
F.I.S.H. – “Catching” the Truth of God’s Word
F – Find and Focus
Uncovering the foundation of the passage.
Find and Focus on 1 to 3 verses from the passage by writing them in your journal.
Begin asking questions about this biblical text you have written out, such as –
Who wrote it? To whom? When and why?
What type of writing is this (letter, law, history, prophecy, or poetry)?
What was happening within the culture and world at the time the verses or passage were written?
What is the context before and after the passage you have written down?
(We find the facts so we can stand on solid ground.)
I – Interpret
Understanding what the text meant to the original audience.
What was the author’s intent?
How does this passage point to Christ and the gospel?
How does this connect to the bigger story of Scripture?
(We interpret carefully so we don’t twist God’s Word but hear it clearly.)
S – Study
Rest in the truth of God’s Word personally and practically.
Re-read and meditate on the passage.
Journal (write down) how you can apply the truths of this passage to your life.
Worship God (writing down) what He has revealed to you through His Word.
Connect the biblical text to your own life—your relationships, decisions, and ministry.
(We study deeply so the Word shapes who we are and what we do.)
H – Help
Rely on the Holy Spirit, our “Helper”, to help you apply the passage of Scripture in your life.
Pray through the biblical text alone with God and with others.
Ask the Holy Spirit to write His truth on your heart and memory.
Invite the Lord to help you live it out today.
Share and rejoice (writing out) about what the Lord has done in your life by studying these verses.
(We depend on the Helper so the Word moves us from information to transformation.)
To help you on your journey, here are a few commentaries that I highly recommend: The ESV Study Bible, The MacArthur Study Bible, The Reformation Study Bible, and Grace and Truth Study Bible (NIV).
