Main Idea: The Center of the Circle
How to Discover the Main Idea in Scripture
If someone asked you to describe yourself in five words, what would you say? Maybe you’d list your roles—husband, wife, father, mother, pastor, friend—or maybe qualities like steady, helpful, creative, busy, or beloved. Each of these words carries meaning and gives shape to your life. But what if you had to put one word at the center—the word that everything else revolves around?
Imagine drawing a circle and placing those five words inside. Which word goes in the middle? That word becomes your anchor. Everything else flows from it. But if we’re honest, many of us struggle with this. Who are we? What’s our purpose? What drives us? Without clarity, we can drift into despair or distraction, pulled in a thousand directions without ever finding our true center.
The same is true when we study the Bible. Every passage of Scripture is filled with rich details, powerful images, and profound truths. But in every chapter, every verse, there’s always one main idea—the center of the circle. Finding it brings clarity. It anchors our understanding and shapes our application.
Why the Main Idea Matters
Think of it like buttoning a shirt. Have you ever started with the wrong button? If you misalign the first one, every other button will be out of place. But when you start with the right button, everything else falls in line. In Bible study, the main idea is that first button. If you miss it, everything else feels crooked and disjointed. But when you find it, every observation and application falls into place.
God’s Word gives us this clarity. In Deuteronomy 6:4–9, God commands His people: “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” That’s the center of the circle. Everything else—teaching our children, speaking truth in our homes, walking in faith—flows from this central command.
So, how do we find the main idea when studying Scripture? The same way we identify our life’s purpose: by paying attention to Lightbulbs, Bookends, and Echoes.
1. Look for Lightbulbs
Sometimes, the main idea is crystal clear. It’s like someone turned on a spotlight and said, “Here it is!”
Think about a football team. If you’ve ever played on the offensive line, you know your job isn’t glamorous. You’re not scoring touchdowns or basking in the spotlight. But your role is clear: protect the quarterback. Coaches repeat it constantly because the team’s success hinges on it.
In the Gospel of John, the writer gives us a lightbulb moment at the end of his book:
“But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31)
John isn’t shy about his purpose. He didn’t write his Gospel just to tell interesting stories or inspire us to live better lives. His goal was belief—deep, life-transforming belief in Jesus Christ. When Scripture gives us a lightbulb moment like this, we need to pay attention.
2. Look for Bookends
Sometimes, the main idea appears at the beginning and end of a passage, like two sturdy bookends holding everything in place.
Have you ever written a thank-you note? You probably started and ended with the same sentiment: “Dear Grandma, thank you for the generous gift…” and “Again, thank you for your kindness.” The core message is bookended by gratitude.
We see this pattern in 1 Samuel 22. David is on the run from Saul and finds refuge in a cave. At the start of the chapter, we read:
“Everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became commander over them.” (1 Samuel 22:2)
At the end of the chapter, David says to a priest who escaped Saul’s wrath:
“Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you shall be in safekeeping.” (1 Samuel 22:23)
Both the beginning and end emphasize the same theme: Suffering people found refuge and safety in the presence of the true king. The bookends reveal the main idea.
3. Look for Echoes
Sometimes, the main idea isn’t spelled out in bright lights or neatly packaged at the start and end. Instead, it echoes throughout the passage—repeated words, phrases, or ideas that keep surfacing.
Picture your mom giving you a “speech” about responsibility. She starts with your full name (“John Paul Sibley!”) and then repeats the same theme in a hundred different ways: “You need to take responsibility for your room. You’re responsible for your laundry. Are you responsible for these candy wrappers?”
In Philippians 3:12–14, Paul writes:
“I press on to make it my own… I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
The words “press on” and “strain forward” echo throughout the passage. Paul’s main idea becomes clear: Keep pressing forward in your pursuit of Christ.
When you notice repetition, you’re often hearing the heartbeat of the passage—the main idea echoing again and again.
Putting It Into Practice: Psalm 23
Let’s apply this to Psalm 23.
Is there a lightbulb moment? A clear statement that jumps out as the main idea? “The LORD is my shepherd.” It’s powerful, but as a metaphor, it might not fully capture the main idea.
Are there bookends? The psalm begins with “The LORD is my shepherd” and ends with “I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” These are two beautiful ideas, but they’re not identical bookends.
What about echoes? As you read, you notice a repeated theme: The LORD provides. The LORD leads. The LORD comforts. The LORD prepares a table. His goodness and mercy follow. Over and over, the psalm echoes one central truth:
The LORD loves me and takes care of me.
That’s the main idea of Psalm 23. Every image, every phrase, every promise flows from this truth.
The Center of the Circle
Finding the main idea in Scripture is like buttoning that first button—it aligns everything else. The Bible is filled with treasures, but without clarity on the main idea, we can miss the heart of the passage.
At the center of every passage, every chapter, every verse is one grand story: God’s love for us in Christ Jesus.
The Lord is our Shepherd. He loves us. He takes care of us. And through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, He invites us to love Him with all our heart, soul, and might.
That is the main idea. And that is the center of the circle.
**New City Fellowship’s COMMA Bible study method is a modified version of the COMA method found in One-to-One Bible Reading by David Helm, published by Matthias Media and Holy Trinity Church in 2011.**
Imagine drawing a circle and placing those five words inside. Which word goes in the middle? That word becomes your anchor. Everything else flows from it. But if we’re honest, many of us struggle with this. Who are we? What’s our purpose? What drives us? Without clarity, we can drift into despair or distraction, pulled in a thousand directions without ever finding our true center.
The same is true when we study the Bible. Every passage of Scripture is filled with rich details, powerful images, and profound truths. But in every chapter, every verse, there’s always one main idea—the center of the circle. Finding it brings clarity. It anchors our understanding and shapes our application.
Why the Main Idea Matters
Think of it like buttoning a shirt. Have you ever started with the wrong button? If you misalign the first one, every other button will be out of place. But when you start with the right button, everything else falls in line. In Bible study, the main idea is that first button. If you miss it, everything else feels crooked and disjointed. But when you find it, every observation and application falls into place.
God’s Word gives us this clarity. In Deuteronomy 6:4–9, God commands His people: “Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.” That’s the center of the circle. Everything else—teaching our children, speaking truth in our homes, walking in faith—flows from this central command.
So, how do we find the main idea when studying Scripture? The same way we identify our life’s purpose: by paying attention to Lightbulbs, Bookends, and Echoes.
1. Look for Lightbulbs
Sometimes, the main idea is crystal clear. It’s like someone turned on a spotlight and said, “Here it is!”
Think about a football team. If you’ve ever played on the offensive line, you know your job isn’t glamorous. You’re not scoring touchdowns or basking in the spotlight. But your role is clear: protect the quarterback. Coaches repeat it constantly because the team’s success hinges on it.
In the Gospel of John, the writer gives us a lightbulb moment at the end of his book:
“But these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:31)
John isn’t shy about his purpose. He didn’t write his Gospel just to tell interesting stories or inspire us to live better lives. His goal was belief—deep, life-transforming belief in Jesus Christ. When Scripture gives us a lightbulb moment like this, we need to pay attention.
2. Look for Bookends
Sometimes, the main idea appears at the beginning and end of a passage, like two sturdy bookends holding everything in place.
Have you ever written a thank-you note? You probably started and ended with the same sentiment: “Dear Grandma, thank you for the generous gift…” and “Again, thank you for your kindness.” The core message is bookended by gratitude.
We see this pattern in 1 Samuel 22. David is on the run from Saul and finds refuge in a cave. At the start of the chapter, we read:
“Everyone who was in distress, and everyone who was in debt, and everyone who was bitter in soul, gathered to him. And he became commander over them.” (1 Samuel 22:2)
At the end of the chapter, David says to a priest who escaped Saul’s wrath:
“Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you shall be in safekeeping.” (1 Samuel 22:23)
Both the beginning and end emphasize the same theme: Suffering people found refuge and safety in the presence of the true king. The bookends reveal the main idea.
3. Look for Echoes
Sometimes, the main idea isn’t spelled out in bright lights or neatly packaged at the start and end. Instead, it echoes throughout the passage—repeated words, phrases, or ideas that keep surfacing.
Picture your mom giving you a “speech” about responsibility. She starts with your full name (“John Paul Sibley!”) and then repeats the same theme in a hundred different ways: “You need to take responsibility for your room. You’re responsible for your laundry. Are you responsible for these candy wrappers?”
In Philippians 3:12–14, Paul writes:
“I press on to make it my own… I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
The words “press on” and “strain forward” echo throughout the passage. Paul’s main idea becomes clear: Keep pressing forward in your pursuit of Christ.
When you notice repetition, you’re often hearing the heartbeat of the passage—the main idea echoing again and again.
Putting It Into Practice: Psalm 23
Let’s apply this to Psalm 23.
Is there a lightbulb moment? A clear statement that jumps out as the main idea? “The LORD is my shepherd.” It’s powerful, but as a metaphor, it might not fully capture the main idea.
Are there bookends? The psalm begins with “The LORD is my shepherd” and ends with “I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” These are two beautiful ideas, but they’re not identical bookends.
What about echoes? As you read, you notice a repeated theme: The LORD provides. The LORD leads. The LORD comforts. The LORD prepares a table. His goodness and mercy follow. Over and over, the psalm echoes one central truth:
The LORD loves me and takes care of me.
That’s the main idea of Psalm 23. Every image, every phrase, every promise flows from this truth.
The Center of the Circle
Finding the main idea in Scripture is like buttoning that first button—it aligns everything else. The Bible is filled with treasures, but without clarity on the main idea, we can miss the heart of the passage.
- Look for Lightbulbs: Clear, bright statements.
- Look for Bookends: Themes that frame the passage.
- Look for Echoes: Words and ideas that repeat.
At the center of every passage, every chapter, every verse is one grand story: God’s love for us in Christ Jesus.
The Lord is our Shepherd. He loves us. He takes care of us. And through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, He invites us to love Him with all our heart, soul, and might.
That is the main idea. And that is the center of the circle.
**New City Fellowship’s COMMA Bible study method is a modified version of the COMA method found in One-to-One Bible Reading by David Helm, published by Matthias Media and Holy Trinity Church in 2011.**
For Further Study
Click here to listen to messages from our 2022 sermon series, "The Sword of the Spirit." We dove deep into how to study and interpret God's Word.
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