In this episode of 119 Bible Bootcamp, we explore two simple and powerful Bible study methods—topical Bible studies and word studies—and how they naturally work together.
If you’ve ever wondered where to start when studying Scripture, or felt unsure whether to zoom out to a bigger theme or zoom in on a single word, this episode will help you get oriented. You’ll learn what each method is, when to use them, and how following curiosity can turn Bible study into a genuine treasure hunt with God.
This episode is designed for listening audiences and pairs with separate, step-by-step walkthrough videos on YouTube.
- Topical Bible studies help you look across Scripture to see what God says about a theme or subject as a whole.
- Word studies help you slow down and explore the meaning of a single word that keeps standing out.
- These two methods often work best together, not separately—one naturally leads to the other.
- You don’t need to follow every step every time; small, Spirit-led steps still count.
- Bible study isn’t about mastering information—it’s about noticing what God is inviting you to see and respond to.
It’s one thing to read Scripture.
It’s another thing to pause and ask, “Why does this word—or this theme—keep tugging at me?”
Today, we’re talking about two simple Bible study methods—topical studies and word studies— simple ways to move from reading the Bible to recognizing patterns, meaning, and the ways God speaks through repetition.
Hey there friend, and welcome BACK! It feels like it’s been forever but I’m ready to get back to the Bible Bootcamp.
And if you’re new around here, welcome. We’re in a special series called 119 Bible Bootcamp, where we’re learning all the things that help us not only study God’s word more effectively, but actually fall in love with it.
You can think of this as a Bible Study Bootcamp with the heart of a treasure hunter. We’re several weeks into the bootcamp (after a Christmas break) but no worries. There’s no such thing as behind around here. All the episodes and resources are still there for you, and you can explore them anytime you’re ready, in any order. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure kind of thing.
And in case we haven’t met yet, I’m Rose and this is Beneath The Fig Tree podcast & YouTube channel and I’m SO GLAD you’re here.
Today, we’re talking about topical studies and word studies. And let me tell you, for me, this is where digging into God’s Word get’s really fun. It’s where Scripture becomes a genuine treasure hunt that was designed by the Father, who loves these adventures with us.
It’s also where we finally start using the Bible study tools we talked about before the break. I’ll link to those episodes and video walkthroughs in the show notes in case you missed them.
What are Topical Studies & Word Studies
Though they seem pretty self-explanatory, let’s talk about what topical and words studies are.
They are both a way of taking the whole scope of scripture and digging into the finer details.
If we were on a physical treasure hunt, the Bible would be the big map. Study methods like topical studies and word studies, which we’ll talk about today and character studies, chapter studies, and book studies (which we’ll talk about in the next few weeks) are the smaller clues along the trail. They help us notice where to slow down and look more closely.
What it is a Topical Bible Study?
As the name suggests, a topical study starts with a specific subject or theme—a topic.
It may be something God has already been whispering to you or something you’re curious about. Topics could include things like living a holy life, how to love others, or prayer.
And instead of staying in one passage of Scripture, a topical study looks across all of Scripture to see what God says about the topic as a whole.
What it is a Word Bible Study?
A word study takes a deep dive into just one word like holiness, salvation, or righteousness. Often, it’s a word that’s repeated as you’re studying a topic, emphasized in a sermon, or one that has grabbed your attention in some way.
I call that a tug. And I’m a firm believer that those tugs are personal invitations from the Holy Spirit.
Topical Study vs Word Study: What’s the Difference?
These two methods are really similar, and it isn’t important to memorize the difference. I promise, you won’t be tested on this.
But basically, topical studies are more wide-angle and word studies are more zoomed-in.
That’s really all you need to remember.
Now let’s talk about when you might use each one—and a quick, listener-friendly how-to.
When to Use a Topical Bible Study
A topical study can be especially helpful when:
- You’re walking through a real-life situation and you want to know what God says about it.
- A decision you need to make
- Want to grow as a wife or mom
- Leading a team with kingdom principles
- You notice a theme keeps showing up in sermons, in your Bible reading, in the songs you’re hearing. Remember that “tug” we mentioned earlier? This is a tug.
- You’re just curious about a topic and want to understand it more deeply.
How to Do a Topical Bible Study
This will be a quick listener-friendly overview. The step-by-step, click-by-click lives on YouTube in a separate video.
- Choose your topic, although, that’s often already chosen for you.
- List 4-6 related words because the topic may show up differently in different passages and in different Bible translations
- Use one of the online tools, like YouVersion, to search your topic and related words.
- Jot down any passages that come up and then read through them. Make note of any that resonate and seem to fit what you’re looking for.
When to Use a Bible Word Study
A word study might be the perfect next step when:
- A particular word keeps popping up in your topical study
- A word keeps coming up in church, in the Bible, and on the radio
- You’re engaging with your Word of the Year. A word study is the perfect way explore your word. (If Word of the Year is part of your rhythm, I’ll link more resources in the show notes.)
How to Do a Bible Word Study
Again, this will be a quick version suited for listening audiences, but join me for the video walkthrough for more.
- Choose your word. If Holy Spirit hasn’t already nudged you with a word, any word will do. Any time you spend engaging with Scripture is time spent with God.
- Check original-language tools like Strong’s concordance or a lexicon.
- Compare what word different translations use. This alone can really help your understanding.
- Look up the word in Bible dictionaries and regular dictionaries.
HOW TOPICAL STUDIES LEAD TO WORD STUDIES
As I mentioned when talking about Word studies, often, a topical study will lead you to a word study.
In the walkthrough videos, we explore the topic of “studying scripture.” The bootcamp, after all, is all about learning to study scripture.
As we follow the trail on that topic, several words repeated:
- meditate
- obey
- reflect
- keep
- delight
- establish / hide / treasure
The big takeaway?
Studying Scripture isn’t about holding information long enough to pass a test.
It’s about what we do with it—obeying, keeping, reflecting, delighting.
And that lead us to a word study on delight.
That’s often how it works. Studying a topic leads to honing in on a specific word. That may lead to other words which then send you on another trail…or topic. This is the TREASURE HUNT.
BIBLE STUDY TIPS FOR BEGINNERS
A few reminders regardless of what type of study you’re doing.
- There are no rules here. So don’t rush. You don’t have to “finish” in one sitting.
- You don’t need to follow every step, every time. Follow where Holy Spirit leads. That’s what make it fun.
- You’re “done” when you feel a peace, when you feel like you understand whatever God wanted to show you.
And don’t forget to grab the free companion toolkit linked in the show notes.
It’ll give you these simple steps and a place to practice.
And speaking of practice, I have two opportunities for you to do just that:
- Through the video walk-throughs on YouTube that I’ve already mentioned.
- Inside the Figs Community Facebook Group where you can practice in community with others.
As we wrap up, I just want to remind you of this:
You don’t need to master Bible study methods.
You just need to know how to follow curiosity when it shows up.
- Topical studies help you see the bigger picture.
- Word studies help you linger with what matters.
And both are simply ways of making room for God to speak to you—personally.
So wherever you are today, start there. One verse. One word. One small step.
Let’s cultivate a devotional life you love—like, really love—
because it is possible, and it’s often simpler than we think.
