Good questions are at the core of good Bible study planning. And the best questions are crafted to relate both to the text at hand and the people in the group.
However, there are some general questions I ask during just about every Bible study I lead. Sometimes I’ll modify these questions slightly, but mostly they can be used as is. These questions almost always help my group look closely at the Scriptures, work to understand its meaning, and draw out its implications.
What Do You Notice?
The people in my Bible study group know this question is aimed at observation. I’m not fishing for anything specific; I’m genuinely curious what they observed when this passage was read aloud.
With some planning, I can usually (though not always!) anticipate some answers to this question, directing the conversation to further observation or interpretation.
Alternate versions of this question: What jumped out at you? What are some important details in this text?
What’s the Flow of Thought?
To understand the author’s main point, we must determine what he is saying and how he is connecting his ideas. When the logic connecting one paragraph to another is obvious, I don’t need this question. But when the transition is more subtle, this question does wonders.
This question forces people to identify or remember the main points of the smaller units of thought and think about their connections. When we can link these ideas together and follow those connections through the passage, we’ll almost always be able to sniff out the main point.
Alternate versions of this question: How do these paragraphs connect? What’s the logical flow? Why does this paragraph come before/after this one?
How Can We Apply This?
After we have observed and interpreted, we want to apply the text of Scripture. We don’t want to look into this mirror and remain unchanged. We want to be hearers and doers of the word (James 1:22–25).
This is an open-the-door question, asked to see what work the Holy Spirit might be doing in the hearts of my Bible study friends. I try to have more pointed questions prepared in case this doesn’t draw any responses. But sometimes a generic question is all we need—the conviction or comfort a person needs may have already come to them powerfully, and this question kicks off a fruitful conversation aimed at genuine application.
Alternate versions of this question: What does this mean for us? How might we live differently because of this text?
Not My Only Questions
A Bible study leader’s plan cannot consist of only these questions. However, sometimes the best questions are the ones most likely to get people talking. We can take advantage of the interaction for which a Bible study group is designed when we make it easy for our friends to enter the discussion. And these three questions are a good start.
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