There are few things better than a bowl of warm soup on a chilly evening. Paired with some fresh bread and butter, that’s close to a perfect meal.
Soup is an odd food, though. Most dishes are best fresh and then decent or tolerable as leftovers. Not soup. Many soups are better on the second day than the first. And if they last until the third day, they’re even better. The absorption and combination of flavors somehow doesn’t reach its peak for that first serving.
Application Takes Time
In the OIA model of Bible study, application follows observation and interpretation. And as the most effective Bible study leader is the one transformed through personal study, leaders must be committed to application.
But application takes time.
Application doesn’t take time as measured in minutes and hours. Like soup, application often needs days to mature. We don’t know how our ideas about applying a passage may encounter obstacles in our hearts and lives until some serious time has passed.
For this reason, I recommend that leaders complete the application portion of their study several days before their small group meets. (I hope preachers reading this will translate this advice to their own callings, because it is just as relevant for them.)
Time for Confession
I write this advice out of my weakness. I see an acute need for improvement in my own Bible study leadership, and I’m hoping that by broadcasting my shortcoming, it may help others excel where I have not. (And, as I’m planning to write a follow-up post, I’m hoping that accountability helps me!)
My habit in preparing Bible studies is to use my devotional time the week beforehand. My small group meets on Sunday evenings, so ideally I would complete my personal study of the text by Wednesday. This would give me four days to try on the applications that have come out of my study before I see my group. (In that time, I would also prepare my comments and questions for the meeting.)
Instead, I’ve recently been finishing my studying on Saturday. And as I rush to prepare for my group, I’m not engaged enough in personal application of the text to be helpful to my friends. I usually have a decent understanding of the passage, but my life does not often reflect the changes the main point of the passage demands.
Adjusting the Schedule
I realize this advice will not win me any popularity contests. I’m telling people who have little margin in their lives to finish their preparations earlier.
My own preparation schedule cascades from one meeting to the next. So it’s hard to simply declare that I’ll finish earlier this time around. Instead, I need to reset my “preparation calendar,” which means I need a break from leading for at least one meeting.
I’ve done this in different ways in the past. My group has met for fellowship and prayer but not for Bible study for a week. I’ve cancelled a meeting. And, I’ve asked a friend within the group to lead for a week. (This is a great opportunity to start or continue to train others to lead Bible studies!)
Grace for Leaders
As Bible study leaders read my suggestion, I hope they do not feel another burden landing on their shoulders. I’m not advocating for more work, just a shift in the preparation timeline that sets leaders up for greater effectiveness.
And we dare not lose sight of the gospel as we ponder these matters. Because of the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, Christians are righteous, forgiven, adopted, and prayed for by the Son of God. Following my advice will not endear anyone more to God, and rejecting this advice will not make God love anyone less. God is committed to us, and he is transforming us by his Spirit as we walk with him.
The more we talk about and show that personal transformation to our Bible study friends, the more we will encourage them in their own transformation.
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