How Inductive Bible Study Shapes Faithful Bible Teachers - Shaun Sells

Dec 2, 2025

In this engaging conversation, Shaun Sells, a seasoned pastor with nearly thirty years in ministry, imparts his expertise on inductive Bible study. He emphasizes the importance of letting Scripture guide teaching rather than personal opinions. Shaun covers essential practices like the three-step method of observation, interpretation, and application. He introduces practical tools like the 7-Letter Rule and urges careful reading to deepen understanding. Ultimately, he stresses that faithful study shapes both teachers and their communities, fostering Christlike transformation.

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ADVICE

Begin Study With Prayer And A Three-Step Path

Pray before studying to open conversation with the Author and invite the Holy Spirit as your teacher.
Follow the three steps: Observation, Interpretation, and Application to let the text drive your study.

ADVICE

Observe Carefully: Outline And Ask Questions

Read actively with a pen, outline paragraphs, and note main clauses to build a passage outline.
Ask who, what, when, where, why, and how while noting repeats, lists, illustrations, and connections.

ADVICE

Interpret By Genre, Context, Then Words

In interpretation, identify literary genre and context before drawing conclusions.
Start literal unless context says otherwise and define key words using the author's usage first.

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Recorded live at the Expositors Collective training event at White Fields Church in Longmont, Colorado, this session features Shaun Sells teaching the core principles and habits of inductive Bible study. Designed to equip Bible teachers to handle Scripture with accuracy and integrity, Shaun’s message lays out the essential path of observing the text carefully, interpreting it responsibly, and applying it faithfully.

Shaun shows why the message must come from the passage rather than the personality of the preacher, how poor observation leads to poor interpretation, and why interpretation is the stage where most problems arise. He introduces practical tools like the 7-Letter Rule, demonstrates how to use word studies without drifting off course, and urges teachers to read widely so they grow in wisdom and depth. Throughout the session, Shaun emphasises that the way we study the Bible shapes who we become, warning teachers to guard their hearts from becoming more like the Pharisees than like Christ.

The training concludes with a reminder that patient, honest inductive study fuels clear and confident proclamation of the Word, serving both the teacher and the church.

About Shaun Sells
Shaun has served in ministry for nearly thirty years, including twenty four at Calvary Chapel Cheyenne, where he was youth pastor, assistant pastor, and senior pastor for eighteen years. His leadership began in the unexpected transition after the founding pastor stepped away, forcing him to learn the breadth of pastoral ministry firsthand. That experience produced a long standing desire to help pastors grow without facing those same burdens alone. Shaun now serves with Poimen Ministries, investing in the health and strength of pastors and churches around the world.

Listen to an interview with Shaun Sells here: https://cgnmedia.org/podcast/expositors-collective/episode/ministry-in-motion-guest-preaching-mentorship-and-sermon-application-with-shaun-sells

For information about our upcoming training events visit ExpositorsCollective.com

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