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Abide Discipleship Program

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Benson Academy is a free online discipleship training ministry offering the Abide Discipleship Program — a structured, Scripture-saturated course that equips believers to read, study, interpret, and obey God's Word through inductive Bible study methods. Founded by Jeffrey Benson.

Meditate & ObeyStudy & ApplyHear & Do
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Published March 27, 2026 · Updated October 6, 2026

An Overview of the Biblical Mandate
The Biblical Mandate · Slide 1 of 18
For Ezra had set his heart to study the law of Yahweh and to practice it, and to teach His statute and judgment in Israel.— Ezra 7:10 (LSB)

What is Abide about?

  • Mandate Pt 1Abide 101 — The Biblical Mandate Overview
  • Mandate Pt 2Abide 101 — Stop Staring at the Parachute and Jump
  • Series PremiereAbide 101 — Series Premiere
  • Leadership PracticumAbide 101 — Practicum Leadership
  • SlidesAbide 101 — Abiding in the WordSlides

Available Courses

Abide 101

Awaken

The Biblical Foundation for Discipleship

Abide 101: Awaken is where the journey begins. Before learning a method for studying Scripture, every disciple needs a firm foundation: why God gave us His Word to be studied, and how to read it faithfully.

The first two lessons lay out the biblical mandate. God calls His people to meditate on His Word and obey it, and to study it as workmen who accurately handle the word of truth. Lesson 3 introduces the seven guardrails of biblical interpretation, and Lesson 4 lays out the inductive method (observation, interpretation, and application) with ten diagnostic questions that carry you from the page to your life. Lessons 5 through 11 then take the guardrails one at a time: literal, contextual, linguistic, exegetical, one-meaning, progressive, and harmony. Each one keeps us close to what God actually said. The course closes with a capstone on the Suffering Servant, putting every guardrail to work as we trace how God revealed His redemptive plan across the centuries.

12 Lessons Available

Lessons

  1. Lesson 001The Biblical Mandate to Meditate and ObeyPsalm 119:1–8 · John 1:1–18 · John 15:1–11 · James 1:22–25 · Matthew 7:21–27 · Deuteronomy 6:4–9 · Joshua 1:8–9 · Psalm 1 · 2 Timothy 3:14–17 · 1 Corinthians 2:10–14 · John 14:15–31 · Matthew 28:18–20 · Isaiah 55:6–11
  2. Lesson 002Study to be Approved to God as a Workman2 Timothy 2:14–18 · Psalm 119:129–130 · Luke 10:30–37 · Hebrews 1:1–2 · Ezekiel 33:30–32 · 2 Timothy 4:9–13 · Philippians 2:12–13 · Psalm 119:18
  3. Lesson 003The Guardrails of Biblical InterpretationDeuteronomy 4:1–2 · Psalm 19:14 · Psalm 23 · Matthew 6:22–23 · 1 Timothy 6:6–10 · Luke 10:36–37 · Mark 7:18–19 · Romans 3:28 · James 2:24 · Deuteronomy 5:32–33
  4. Lesson 004Thinking Like Sherlock HolmesProverbs 18:13–17 · Proverbs 2:1–5 · Matthew 7:1–6 · Luke 6:36–37 · John 7:24 · Luke 24:44–45
  5. Lesson 005The Literal GuardrailJohn 17:17 · John 15:4–5 · Psalm 1:1–3 · 2 Timothy 3:16–17 · 2 Peter 1:20 · Psalm 19:14 · Proverbs 22:6 · Proverbs 2:1–5 · Matthew 18:8–9 · Proverbs 26:4–5 · Philippians 4:11–13 · John 14:25–26 · Ezekiel 36:26–27 · John 16:13 · Psalm 86:11 · Psalm 19:7–10 · Psalm 1:1–2 · James 1:25 · Luke 11:28
  6. Lesson 006The Contextual GuardrailRomans 15:4 · 2 Peter 1:20 · Psalm 37:4 · James 1:18–25 · Genesis 15:9–10, 12, 17–18 · Philippians 2:5–8 · Deuteronomy 22:8 · Jeremiah 31:31–33 · John 14:25–26 · Psalm 86:11 · Isaiah 55:10–11 · James 1:25 · Luke 11:28
  7. Lesson 007The Linguistic GuardrailPsalm 111:1–2, 7–8 · 1 Timothy 4:13 · John 16:13 · Philippians 2:1–8 · John 21:15–17 · Ephesians 4:20–21 · Psalm 86:11 · John 13:17
  8. Lesson 008The Exegetical GuardrailColossians 3:16 · Hebrews 5:13–14 · 2 Peter 1:20–21 · Psalm 37:4 · John 14:12 · Jeremiah 29:11 · Philippians 4:11–13 · John 14:25–26 · Matthew 18:15–20 · 2 Chronicles 7:12–14 · Revelation 3:14–20 · Proverbs 22:6 · Psalm 46:1–11 · Isaiah 55:10–11 · James 1:25 · Luke 11:28
  9. Lesson 009The One-Meaning GuardrailHebrews 4:12 · John 14:21 · 2 Peter 1:20–21 · John 10:7–10 · 1 Corinthians 13:8–10 · Matthew 16:15–18 · Isaiah 7:14 · Matthew 1:22–23 · John 3:3–5 · Psalm 22:1, 16–18 · Matthew 27:35, 46 · John 16:13 · Isaiah 59:21 · Psalm 112:1 · James 1:25 · Luke 11:28
  10. Lesson 010The Progressive GuardrailIsaiah 59:21 · Hebrews 4:14–16 · Romans 15:4 · Genesis 1:29 · Genesis 9:3 · Exodus 19:5–6 · Leviticus 11:4–8 · Mark 7:14–23 · Acts 10:9–16 · Ephesians 2:8–10 · Deuteronomy 7:9 · 1 John 5:1–5
  11. Lesson 011The Harmony Guardrail1 John 1:5–7 · Matthew 5:19 · Ephesians 2:8–9 · James 2:24 · Isaiah 7:14 · Matthew 1:22–23 · Philippians 4:9 · Psalm 86:8–13
  12. Lesson 012The Guardrail Capstone: The Suffering ServantGenesis 3:15 · Genesis 15:9–10, 12, 17–18a · Philippians 2:5–8 · Deuteronomy 18:15–20 · John 12:49 · Matthew 17:5 · Acts 3:22 · Exodus 32:30–32 · Hebrews 3:1–6 · Job 19:25–27 · Leviticus 1:3–4 · Leviticus 16:21–22 · Hebrews 9:11–14 · Hebrews 9:24–28 · Hebrews 10:11–14 · Psalm 16:8–11 · Psalm 22:1–2, 6–8, 14–18 · Matthew 27:46 · Isaiah 42:1–4 · Isaiah 49:1–7 · Isaiah 50:4–9 · Isaiah 52:13–53:12 · Matthew 12:18 · Zechariah 9:9 · Matthew 21:5 · Zechariah 12:10 · John 19:37 · Matthew 8:16–17 · Luke 22:37 · Acts 8:34–35 · 1 Peter 2:21–25 · Acts 3:13 · Revelation 5:5–7, 9 · John 1:18

The path ahead

  1. 1Abide 101AwakenThe Biblical Foundation for DiscipleshipOpen now
  2. 2Abide 102IlluminateTranslations as Tools for ObservationComing soon
  3. 3Abide 103SharpenOverview of Inductive Bible StudyComing soon
  4. 4Abide 201–202EquipForensic Tools for Reading ScriptureComing soon
  5. 5Abide 203–204DeepenStructural Logic and Bearing FruitComing soon
  6. 6Abide 205MultiplyLeading Others to Abide in the WordComing soon