Leading | Knowable Word

How Delightful to Study the Bible with Middle Schoolers

January 21, 2022 By Peter Krol

At my church, I have been teaching Sunday school for the middle schoolers (ages 10-13) so far this academic year. Now I am not the world’s most creative teacher, and there are many others in our church who do a better job with activities, puzzles, and other creative ways to keep the kids engaged. But I have really enjoyed simply doing Bible study with these young people.

We don’t use a snazzy curriculum. I just ask everyone to bring their Bibles so we can teach them how to use them. We have been studying the book of Job together. While we haven’t covered every chapter, we have made sure to cover every major section and phase of the book’s argument.

A few weeks in chapters 1 and 2 set the stage. Then we dwelt on Job’s private lament in chapter 3 before launching into the arguments with his three friends. That’s where we didn’t cover every passage, but I made sure to select certain chapters to study instead of giving them a generalized, disembodied summary of what I thought was taking place. As we read select speeches of Eliphaz, Zophar, and Job, the kids had to wrestle through a number of issues: What is the primary conclusion of this speech? How does the speaker support his argument? What is he saying that is more specific than “you are are suffering because you have sinned,” or “No, I haven’t”? Is this speaker right or wrong? Partially right and partially wrong? How so?

The goal has always been to wrestle with the text itself, giving them the skills they need to read the Bible’s poetry.

My favorite class so far had to be the one on chapter 28, which is probably the most important chapter in the book. I told them of its importance, and they knew we had already reached the end of the first set of debates with friends. But I didn’t give them any hints about the message of chapter 28. So we read it out loud, one stanza at a time, and I just asked them “What is he saying here?” I would not allow them to stare at the sky and tell me how they felt. I required them to stare at the text and show me specific lines and phrases that captured the text’s meaning or argument.

And they did it. They really did it!

With only a few questions from me, they were able to nail down the train of thought: Humanity can dig out of the earth treasures (Job 28:1-6) of which the animals are oblivious (Job 28:7-11). But the treasure of wisdom (Job 28:12) cannot be dug up from the earth (Job 28:13), dived for in the ocean (Job 28:14), bought with money (Job 28:15-16), or traded for jewels (Job 28:17-19). You can’t find it among the living (Job 28:20-21), nor will you find it in the realm of the dead (Job 28:22). God alone knows the way to it (Job 28:23-27) and grants it to those who fear him and turn away from evil (Job 28:28). The kids came up with all of these ideas; I just helped them to put them in words they could remember.

We then discussed what this poem has to do with the rest of the book to this point, drawing connections to the description of Job in chapter 1 as one who feared God and turned away from evil. We spoke of how Jesus shows us such wisdom, and we discussed applications for our own search for wisdom, especially when life falls apart on us.

In short, we had a fabulous study. Believe it or not, 10-to-13-year-old kids can learn how to do really great Bible study, even in strange parts of the Old Testament.

Big Bible Words: Atonement

December 3, 2021 By Peter Krol

Stephen McGrath (2009), Creative Commons

I have a dream. Not a compelling-vision-for-the-future sort of dream, but a sleeping-in-my-bed sort of dream. And I have this dream often.

In my dream, I am my current self (married with children), but I’m also a full-time college student. The semester is half-over, and I come to realize that I’ve forgotten a class. I’ve been faithfully attending most classes, but there’s one course I completely forgot. I never went to class. I haven’t taken any exams. I haven’t read the books or written the papers.

And I missed the deadline for dropping the class. So I’m now stuck with an abysmal grade.

But that’s not all. In my dream, when I discover the neglected class, I try to rectify the situation by attending the next scheduled class period. And when I arrive, something else comes to my attention.

I’m wearing nothing but my underwear.

We Need Covering

I cannot overstate the relief I feel when I wake from this dream. Few things are worse than an I’m-neglecting-significant-areas-of-responsibility dream. One such thing is an I’m-utterly-exposed-and-can-do-nothing-about-it dream.

When Adam and his wife ate the forbidden fruit, they knew their guilt and felt exposed. Their gut instinct was to cover up. So they tried fig-leaf briefs, and they ran and hid (Gen 3:7-9).

The Lord exposed them further so he could help. He coaxed them out from hiding and talked through the problem. He promised to deliver them. Then he covered them. He took their pitiful fruits of the loom and replaced them with his own fur and leather body suits (Gen 3:21). He uncovered their coverings that couldn’t cover and covered them instead with coverings that truly covered.

And so began humanity’s need for divine covering. Because of sin, exposure brings shame. But the Bible paints picture after picture of God’s merciful act of covering.

Noah’s sons cover the shame of their senseless father (Gen 9:23).
God allows Moses to see his glory, but only after covering him with a protective hand (Ex 33:20-23).
David didn’t cover his own sin (Ps 32:5) but trusted God to cover it for him (Ps 5:12, 27:5, 32:1).
One mark of a loving friend is the covering of offenses (Prov 10:12, 17:9).
Those who reject Christ will feel so exposed that they’ll seek any covering they can find (Luke 23:30, Rev 6:16).
True believers are clothed with Christ (Gal 3:27).

The primary Old Testament word for this covering is “atonement.” Can you explain atonement in plain language?

We Need Atonement

The Old Testament uses the term “atonement” often to describe the covering of sin and shame or guilt. Sometimes we use “atonement” interchangeably with “reconciliation” or “restoration,” but its primary meaning has to do with covering (though reconciliation is the general result of atonement).

The best place to look at the concept is Leviticus 16, which describes the annual Day of Atonement.

On the Day of Atonement, the high priest would take a bull to “make atonement” for himself. He would kill the bull for his own sin (Lev 16:11), burn incense (Lev 16:12-13), and splash the bull’s blood on the ark of the covenant in the most private room of the tabernacle (Lev 16:14). The incense would create a cloud to cover the ark, so the priest would not be exposed and die (Lev 16:13). The splashed bull’s blood substituted for the priest’s own blood. When there’s sin, someone must die. But the priest was covered.

Then the purified priest would get two goats. One would live; one would die.

The dead goat would also be taken into the private chamber and splashed on the ark of the covenant (Lev 16:15). Then the priest would go back to the outer room and splash the blood on the altar where he burned the incense (Lev 16:16-19). This ceremony would “make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleannesses of the people of Israel” (Lev 16:16). With everything sufficiently covered, he’s ready for the live goat.

He’d put his hands on the live goat and confess all the sins of Israel. This goat, figuratively covered with the sins of all the people, would be taken out and set free in the wilderness (Lev 16:20-22).

All throughout, the priest must be very careful about his clothes (Lev 16:4, 23-24). The priest must not be improperly covered.

What is the point?

Atonement involves the covering of our impurity so we can be reconciled to God.
This covering must come from God and not ourselves. Even the Old Testament priests needed to be covered themselves before they could help to cover the people.
This covering requires a substitute.
This substitute must be both dead and alive (thus requiring two goats).

Jesus Our Atonement

All these things teach us about Jesus. Jesus came and took our place. He both died and was raised. He now covers us with his righteousness so our sin won’t ever be held against us.

And he didn’t need his own covering (Heb 7:27). No, he was stripped naked so he could provide our covering (John 19:23-24).

Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness (Heb 9:19-22). And those who have been covered by Christ’s blood wait for him to return and bring their final salvation (Heb 9:27-28).

Trust in Jesus, and his promise of atonement is: “I’ve got you covered.”

Show, Don’t Just Tell

August 20, 2021 By Peter Krol

It’s a key principle of educational philosophy: Show, don’t just tell. Communicating ideas is a good thing. But it’s even better if you can show your work, present persuasive argumentation, explain it clearly, and illustrate it vividly. The show-don’t-just-tell principle has many applications for teachers and leaders of all stripes. And I would like to zero in on one particular application of the principle to any who seek to teach the Bible: Show them how you arrived at your conclusions so they can repeat the process for themselves.

crop unrecognizable woman holding vase with pink ranunculus — Photo by Алекке Блажин on Pexels.com

Last week, I suggested that the best response you can hope for from those to whom you teach the Bible is, “What a great text, that shows me our great God!” Now I propose that one of the most important means for producing such a response is to show your work, and not merely tell them your conclusions. Here are some examples.

You can tell them that God loves them. Or you can show them the “for” in John 3:16 and show them the logical connection in the verse between the first clause and the second clause. Now they can forever see for themselves that God sent his son, not because he was mad at the world, but because he loved it.
You can tell them that the Christian life is hard, but that it will be worth it. Or you can show them the context of Romans 8:28, how the “good” all things work together for is the “good” of conformity to the Son’s image (Rom 8:29)—which is a promise not of a healthy and wealthy life, but of crushing pain yielding to resurrection glory (Rom 8:17-25).
You can tell them the story of God’s great power demonstrated over Egypt in nine plagues. Or you can show them the structure of three groups of three plagues, each group with a unique emphasis, proving Yahweh to be the judge, the divider of peoples, and the destroyer of worlds. Once you have shown them this structure, they won’t be able to un-see it when they read these texts in the future.
You can tell them that chapter divisions are not part of the inspired text and should be taken with a grain of salt. Or you can show them Isaiah’s repeated refrain that clearly links the four stanzas of Isaiah 9:8-10:4 into a single poem, forcing us to read the text across the chapter break. “For all this his anger has not turned away, and his hand is stretched out still” (Is 9:12, 17, 21; 10:4).

Now I am not saying that Bible teachers should show all their work. There are always more observations to be made than can be included in a sermon or Bible study. We can’t include everything, and we ought not explain everything that happened to excite us in our preparation. One key principle I communicate when I train teachers is this: Do only as much observation as you must do in order for them to see how what you’re saying is rooted in the text. As soon as they have seen it from the text, move on. Explain it. Illustrate it. Show them Jesus. Apply it.

But sadly, teachers often show too little of their work. They may move their people to tears or inspire them to take drastic action. But ask those people after the sermon or discussion why they should take such action, or how this Scripture moved them so, and too often they can’t explain it. It just “is.”

Let’s show them a better way.

What Response are You Going For?

August 13, 2021 By Peter Krol

As a Bible teacher, I believe I have failed if my students’ chief reaction is, “What a great teacher!” While it makes me feel great in the moment, it does little to help others to know God through the Lord Jesus Christ. A better reaction would be, “What a great God!” This would reflect a proper honor toward the Lord whom I seek to represent when I teach his word.

But follow me for a moment. At the risk of sounding unduly provocative, let me propose that there is another response that would be even better than “What a great God!” And that is the response, “What a great text!” And less I be misunderstood, let me expand on what I mean, because a fuller expression of this best reaction would be, “What a great text that shows me our great God!”

If all people get from my teaching is “What a great speaker,” then I have sadly made the teaching more about me than about the Lord. And believe it or not, if all they get from my teaching is “What a great God,” then I may still have put myself at the center. Because if I’m not careful, they will have to return to me time and again in order to behold how great their God is.

But if their response is “What a great text (that shows me our great God),” then I have succeeded at equipping the saints. You see, I don’t want them to remember only how I made them feel, or how inspired they were. I don’t want them to remember the stories I told or the personal application I drew for them. No, I want to teach in such a way that people can’t help but see the presented Scripture text in such a clear way that they will never be able to read that text again without seeing the chief message pop off the page for them. I want them to gain confidence that, when they study this passage, they can arrive at the same conclusions I have presented to them. I want them to trust that, when they study this passage, they can meet with the same God I have showcased before them. I want them to expect that, when they return to this passage in the future, they will be able to apply the same message in new and fresh ways to address whatever new circumstances they have come to face since they sat under my teaching.

In other words, I don’t simply want them to be fed or inspired by what I tell them. I want them to be equipped by my example to feed themselves and gain ongoing inspiration with the help of God’s Holy Spirit. This requires me not only to proclaim the truth, but also to show them how I arrived at that truth. If my methods are not transparent to them, they will never be able to imitate them. And if they can’t imitate them, they’ll be like scientists attempting to replicate my published lab results. If they can’t replicate those results on their own, they are likely to eventually question the validity of my conclusions altogether.

This goes not only for preaching, but for teaching Sunday school, leading a small group, and even leading family devotions. What response are you going for?

Why Interaction is Good for Small Group Members

April 26, 2021 By Ryan Higginbottom

Small groups are everywhere in churches and Christian ministries. And there are almost as many kinds of small groups as there are ministries.

We write with some frequency about small group Bible studies on this blog, and it’s worth defining our terms from time to time. My aim in this article is to describe the sort of Bible study we advocate and explain why this structure helps Christians get to know the Bible better.

An Interactive Group

When we write about “Bible studies,” we have this in mind: a group of people who “are actively engaged in mutual study and examination of the text of Scripture.” This definition comes from the first post in Peter’s series on leading Bible studies.

The “mutual study and examination” part of this definition is important. We’re not talking about a lecture or a presentation. Every group member thinks, reads, and prays along, wrestling together with the text.

The main benefit of this kind of group is the interaction that cannot be replicated in private devotions, a Sunday sermon, or a theology class. Peter has written about the many advantages of this type of group for leaders, but this is also a fantastic group setup for those who attend.

Hearing From Others

At a healthy interactive small group study, there is bountiful discussion. And this means that everyone present hears not just from the leader but (likely) from everyone else as well.

Why is this important? We all bring different angles and experiences to the Bible, and hearing a diversity of perspectives helps us understand God’s word more fully. To take one passage specifically, think about how a study of the promise of a resurrection body (in 1 Corinthians 15) might land differently if a small group contained people of several generations. Someone who has chronic pain or who has been diagnosed with cancer will add much to this conversation that a healthy twenty-five-year-old couldn’t provide.

We also benefit from hearing the questions, interpretations, hesitations, and affirmations of others. The road to truth is rarely smooth and straight. Charitable pushback—even disagreement—is not to be feared or avoided. God’s word is sturdy and can handle all the interrogation we can muster. Others help us think and see things in the Bible that we would not glimpse on our own.

Actively Engaging the Text

If you’ll permit it, I’m going to wear my educator hat for just a moment. It is now a well-established fact, that from kindergarten through graduate school, the most impactful kind of learning is active learning.

Active learning is what is sounds like—learning in which the student participates actively. This is contrasted with the passive learning of the traditional 45-minute lecture. In terms of effectiveness, it isn’t close. Active learning beats passive learning like an NFL team drubbing a high school squad.

Hopefully you can see it now—interactive small groups are active! Everyone is reading, asking and answering questions, thinking deeply about the Bible, offering alternate interpretations, and sharing different ways to apply the truths they’ve learned. Participants in the best small groups burn a lot of mental calories!

This interaction helps us learn and retain information, it deepens conviction and hope, and it solidifies our thinking. Our engagement during our Bible studies accelerates our journey on the road of Christian growth.

Speaking to Others

While technically this benefit could fit under the umbrella of active engagement, I want to call it out separately. In a healthy small group, all members speak several times during the meeting. And this is of great value to everyone present.

The process of expressing our thoughts or questions verbally often brings a clarity we miss if we keep quiet. Our brains shuffle, combine, and file information in a new way when we form words for others to hear.

Additionally, your group benefits when you speak! Just as you need to hear from others, others need to hear from you. This is an essential part of what it means to be part of a community.

This doesn’t mean everyone is a born teacher or scholar. Your questions, requests for alternate explanations, or personal applications can help move your group toward deeper understanding and more lasting change.

How to Find Such a Group

My advice regarding joining a small group Bible study is simple. Find a group that is committed to studying the Bible. And seek a group with plenty of lively engagement with the text. Start with these criteria and add others as appropriate.

And if you can’t find such a group, perhaps you should start one of your own!

A New Worksheet for Bible Study Leaders

March 29, 2021 By Ryan Higginbottom

Recently, I’ve been writing about leading small group Bible studies. In particular, I’ve tried to help leaders minimize the chances that their questions fall to the ground in silence.

As a result, I’ve been thinking about the importance of questions. Aside from studying the Bible text itself, writing good questions may be the most important, difficult work of a Bible study leader.

I’ve created a worksheet which contains the fruit of this labor. My hope is that some small group leaders may find this helpful as they write questions for their groups. (In the future, you can find a link to this worksheet on our Resources page.)

The Worksheet

At the top of the worksheet, there is space to write the main point of the passage under consideration. This can act like a compass for all question writing; most questions will either lead to the main point or flow from it.

The largest section of the worksheet is the space to write discussion questions. On the right side of the page, I have listed the characteristics of a good question, about which I have written previously. I have found this helpful in my own study preparations—having these qualities nearby is a great reminder.

Finally, I have space at the bottom of the sheet for a study leader to work on a launching question. Though this usually begins a small group meeting, I frequently write it last because I want to get a sense of the whole discussion before thinking about how to kick it off. The characteristics of a good launching question are taken from Peter’s first post on the issue and a follow-up that I wrote.

At Knowable Word, we aim to help ordinary people learn to study the Bible. I offer this worksheet to small group leaders as a tool for your work bench.

When Small Group Members Are Reluctant to Participate

March 15, 2021 By Ryan Higginbottom

Many small group Bible study leaders face long periods of silence during their meetings. They ask a question. They get no answer.

This awkwardness may be due to the quality of their question. Asking a good question that provokes thoughtful responses is hard! Unanswered questions may also be due to an atmosphere in the group that stifles interaction.

The last reason I’ve offered for these silent stretches is the people in the group. Some people are simply reluctant to participate.

Let’s be clear: People are not a problem to fix. Rather, it is our job as leaders to love our people.

Outside of Group Meetings

There are scores of reasons for people to be hesitant to engage in discussion about the Bible. These reasons may spring from bad experiences, feelings of inadequacy, or even social anxiety.

A small group leader should not guess or assume what’s going on. They should get to know their group members outside of the group meetings.

Relationships take time and effort, but a little can go a long way. Phone calls, emails, and conversations over coffee can help to break down barriers and build trust, friendship, and understanding.

With specific attention to small group discussion, these outside-the-meeting conversations can offer a lot of missing information. Group members can open up about their experiences, and they may be willing to share why they don’t often engage in the conversation.

If you are a small group leader trying to get to know their people outside of the group meetings, I have two broad pieces of advice. First, emphasize how much you value their presence in the group. Whether or not they participate, their membership in your small community counts.

You might also ask how you could make the discussion more helpful to them. The quiet members of your group may have insights about the group and your leadership that you haven’t considered.

These reluctant friends should know that you value any contribution they make and that you are eager for them to engage more—if and when they are comfortable doing so.

During Group Meetings

Getting to know members of a small group is a huge step forward, and it will help leaders during small group Bible study meetings.

It’s not hard to find gradual ways to involve members in the conversation. We can ask them to read portions of Scripture, to summarize the conversation from the previous meeting, or to answer some easier/observation questions. In this way we can build up the confidence of our quieter friends and help them feel more comfortable in the group.

Another strategy for involving quieter group members is to call on them by name (instead of throwing a question out to the whole group). We should only do this if we know in advance this won’t embarrass anyone, and we can even contact the person ahead of time and ask for permission and/or share the question we plan to ask them. When calling on a person by name, I usually include an easy way for them to politely decline to answer.

If our group members know that we love them, and if we’ve created a good climate in our group, then regular, gentle encouragement will go a long way toward bringing people into the conversation.

While some people can and should be encouraged to take risks and participate, others should not. Part of getting to know the people in our groups involves knowing why they don’t often speak and whether or not that reason is an area for encouraging Christian growth. For example, a young woman who doesn’t speak because she is afraid of being wrong is different than a thirty-something man whose reluctance springs from persistent migraine headaches. We should work with and encourage the former while being understanding and patient with the latter. Love and leadership takes many forms!

Conclusion

Small group Bible studies come in a thousand different forms, and each group member offers something different. The best group leaders will get to know their friends well and encourage them to contribute when they are able.

Creating an Atmosphere for Discussion in Your Small Group

March 1, 2021 By Ryan Higginbottom

Most Bible studies are marked by periods of silence that last just a little too long.

These silences usually happen when the group leader asks a bad question. I’ve recently written about the characteristics of a good question, and I’ve provided some examples.

Now we turn to another reason for unanswered questions: a group atmosphere that discourages interaction.

A Bad Atmosphere

The culture of any group takes a lot of time and effort to create, but after the culture is established a lot of decisions and behaviors become automatic. When everyone is expected to share prayer requests or stay afterward to play Backgammon, those activities develop into part of the routine.

A small group leader should aim to create a group atmosphere in which deep, vibrant conversation is expected. When this is the air we breathe, few good questions will go unanswered.

Creating a Good Atmosphere

A small group leader has an enormous influence on the group’s culture. There are at least four ways a leader can work to create a climate that encourages good discussion.

A Leader Must Value Discussion

Perhaps this is obvious, but a small group leader needs to value discussion in order for it to happen. They need to be convinced it is actually good—both for the group and for the leader—to have conversation in the group.

Many leaders know that the question-and-answer model is expected, but deep down they resent it. They think the group would be better off if they could share their knowledge without interruption—and a brain-to-brain download would be even more efficient!

Having attended classes and small groups for twenty-some years, I can tell when a leader values discussion and when they are just playing a part. And, if you’re a leader, trust me—your friends can tell whether or not you want to hear from them.

Hear this, leaders: Conversation is the best way for your group members to learn and grow. And discussion is also better than lecturing for you, as a leader. Your friends are not the only ones who need to listen, engage, and learn!

A Leader Must Invite Discussion

Inviting discussion is different than tolerating or even welcoming it. Leaders who value discussion will invite it from their group members—regularly and emphatically.

How does a leader invite discussion? They ask for it. They work hard to write good questions. And they thank their group members (both during and after the meeting) for their participation.

A small group leader should also look forward to conversation with their group, and they should say so. They should note the ways they learn and benefit from their friends’ insights, comments, and questions.

A Leader Must Engage in Discussion With Love

A great indicator of how much a leader values discussion is the way they listen and react when discussion actually happens. If conversation serves only as filler in the leader’s mind, they will be impatient or inattentive when others are talking. If this sort of leader is listening at all, it’s only to spot another opportunity to speak.

Our posture, our eye contact, our expressions, and our engagement with answers from our friends all communicate our desire (or lack of desire) for discussion.

Now, leaders need to be prepared to field some off-the-wall comments. We should be gracious in response, praising what is praiseworthy without affirming every point. This takes care, because a leader’s bad reaction to an answer will squash any further discussion during that meeting (and possibly for meetings to come).

When a small group member hijacks the conversation or shuts it down, the leader may need to speak with that person privately to explain how their behavior is affecting the group. And if this persists, that leader may need to ask questions targeted at (or away from) specific members of the group.

A Leader Must Pray

Though this item is last in my list, it is first in importance. A good small group leader should pray about all aspects of their group, and this includes the in-meeting discussion.

If we believe that the Holy Spirit is needed to understand and benefit from the Bible, and if we believe that the interaction offered in a small group study is vital for gaining this benefit, then we should regularly bring this request before the Lord.

Clearer Skies

The atmosphere in a small group Bible study can be like smog in a big city, choking out all possibility of vibrant conversation. But with some adjustments, a leader can aim for the blue skies and fresh air of wide, open spaces, where discussion will flourish and Christians can grow mightily in the Lord.

Asking Good Small Group Questions: An Example

February 15, 2021 By Ryan Higginbottom

You can tell me what qualities you like in a dessert all you want, but eventually I’m going to ask you to get specific.

Similarly, laying out principles for good questions to ask in a small group Bible study is all well and good. But leaders need examples for clarity and motivation.

1 Thessalonians 1

Today I’m sharing a Bible study I led on 1 Thessalonians 1 for my church small group. I am far from a perfect example, so please take this simply as one man’s effort to point in a helpful direction.

As evidence of how much I have to learn, I made several improvements to the study in the process of writing this article! Thinking carefully about good questions has been stimulating.

After the study, I’ll explain how these questions illustrate the six characteristics I described in my last post. I’m numbering my questions here in order to make later referencing easier.

Bible Study Plan

Here’s the outline of the study.

Launching question: Can anyone tell us about an experience you’ve had sharing your testimony of coming to faith in Christ?
Give background on the Thessalonian church. It was a young church!
What do you observe about Paul’s thanksgiving in verses 2–3?
- Follow-up: What is significant about the items Paul mentions?
What evidence does Paul give that God has chosen the Thessalonians?
- Follow-up: Does the power and conviction in verse 5 refer to Paul or the Thessalonians? How do you know?
Why does Paul mention God’s choice?
Note that Paul is speaking of the Thessalonians’ experience chronologically.
What happened to the Thessalonians after the gospel came to them? (See verses 6–7.)
- Follow-up: What is the difference between the way Paul uses “imitator” and “example”?
What is significant about the locations Paul mentions? (See verses 7–8.)
What were people saying about the Thessalonians? Why does Paul highlight these things?
The main verbs in verse 9–10 are “turn,” “serve,” and “wait.” How are these actions important for young Christians?
- Follow-up: How are these actions important for more mature Christians?
Does Paul intend verses 9–10 to be a summary of the Christian life? How do you know?
How does the gospel relate to verses 9–10?
- Follow-up: How do verses 2–8 relate to verses 9–10?
What is Paul’s main point in writing chapter 1? How do you know?
What implications does this have for us? What implications does this have for our work making disciples?

Reviewing These Questions

I have tried to write these questions with my list of six characteristics in mind. Let’s see how those qualities affected my questions.

A good question is asked in a natural order.

While my launching question is personal, none of my other questions get personal until the end. I’ve also tried to ask easier, observational questions (like questions 3 and 4) before harder, interpretive questions (like questions 5, 8, or 11).

A good question is honest.

While I have studied this passage quite a bit, I know that others in my group have much to teach me. So I want my questions to be open and inviting (like the follow-up to question 3 and questions 8 and 10). I also avoid fill-in-the-blank questions–it’s actually for this reason that I state some observations (see #6 above) instead of asking about them. I don’t want my group to feel they must read my mind.

A good question is tethered to the text.

In many of my questions, I use specific language from the passage or verse numbers. In other places, when I ask, How do you know?, that is my effort to direct my friends back to the Bible for their reasoning.

I have made room for people to speak from their different perspectives and experiences (see questions 10, 12, and 14). But ideally all such discussion will spring from the words of God.

A good question is understandable.

I’ve tried to avoid long or complicated questions. My longest question above is question 10, and I would ask this twice before inviting responses.

A good question is purposeful.

When putting this study plan together, I wrote down the main point of the passage and then wrote the questions to lead my group toward that conclusion. My hope was that when I asked question 13, my group would have a solid answer.

A good question is prayerfully considered.

In my planning I tried to imagine the responses that each question could provoke. If the question was ambiguous or unclear, I tried to write with more focus. This lead to several inquiries with immediate follow-ups prepared.

I’ve written this before, but it’s worth repeating. Preparing good questions is time-consuming, demanding work.

Encouraging Conversation

This two-post series on good questions is part of a larger effort to help Bible study leaders encourage conversation in their meetings. In my next article, I’ll write about creating an atmosphere within a Bible study that invites interaction.

6 Characteristics of a Good Small Group Question

February 1, 2021 By Ryan Higginbottom

A bad question is one reason for lingering silence in a small group Bible study. So, for small group leaders, it is worth our time to think about what makes a good question.

Learning how to ask good questions is a lifelong pursuit. It pays dividends in almost every setting and every relationship in life. But there are few gatherings in which this skill makes a greater difference than in teaching or leading a small group.

What Makes a Good Question?

I have taught and led small group Bible studies for many years, so I’ve had plenty of occasions to ponder the quality of my questions. The observations below are the fruit of my experience, though I know I have much more to learn. I welcome additional contributions in the comments.

In my experience, good questions in small groups share these six qualities.

A good question is asked in a natural order.

What is true in one-on-one conversations is also true in small groups: Accelerating too quickly makes things awkward. Learning and respecting the natural progression of questions is a concrete way for leaders to love their group members.

Questions should generally move from easy to difficult and from objective to personal. It is also usually advisable to ask questions in the observe-interpret-apply progression that we suggest as a Bible study framework.

A good question is honest.

I’ve written an entire post about honest questions, so I will offer only a quick summary here.

Having studied the Bible passage in depth before the meeting, a leader should have a point of view and a direction in which they want to lead the conversation. However, the best questions are asked in humility, understanding that even the most studied Christians have much to learn from others.

Asking simplistic fill-in-the-blank or guess-what-I’m-thinking questions is often more an activity than an invitation to interaction. These questions rarely supply enough oxygen to sustain a conversation.

A good question is tethered to the text.

There are certainly times to probe our friends’ thoughts, experiences, and feelings. After all, our group members’ backgrounds and perspectives are part of what makes small groups so valuable. But within a small group Bible study, discussion should flow from the Scriptures.

If the purpose of our small group is to study the Bible, we should ask questions about the Bible. Our human tendency is to look away from Scripture, so many of our questions must gently remind our friends to look back at the text.

Application questions are the most personal and individual questions we can ask, but even these should originate in the text. Having talked through observations and interpreted the passage as a group, the author’s main point should drive all application questions.

A good question is understandable.

When we are excited about a Bible passage, it is easy to get carried away when writing questions. We must break our questions down into small, manageable steps.

Good questions should not be too long. They should not introduce fancy concepts or big words. Usually, they should not consist of multiple parts.

A good question is concise and clear. It asks people to consider something specific. If our friends can’t understand what we’re asking, we’ve no chance of a good discussion.

A good question is purposeful.

When putting notes together for a meeting, a leader should have a defined plan. They should have a considered idea about the main point for the passage, and they should put a question plan together to help their group gather the information to arrive at that destination.

This means that some interesting features of the passage may not make it into the discussion. With a limited amount of time, a leader needs to choose their questions carefully.

A good question is prayerfully considered.

As leaders, we should pray about all aspects of our Bible study meetings. This includes our questions and the conversations they spark.

A key ingredient of planning our questions is considering possible responses. If we envision the answers, we can evaluate the quality of our inquiries and anticipate the need to rephrase or follow up in a particular way. And the better we know our small group members, the better we’ll be able to predict how our questions will land on them.

Worth the Effort

A low-quality question is just one of the explanations for silence in a small group. But it may be the most common. (I will write about bad group atmospheres and reluctant group members—the other reasons I gave for unanswered questions—in the coming weeks.) Next week I’ll provide an example of small group questions that have the qualities I’ve listed above.

Planning helpful questions is slow, difficult work and it takes time to get better. But it’s worth it—for the good of our meetings and the growth of our friends.

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