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Helping ordinary people learn to study the Bible

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How to Start a Bible Study

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Perhaps you’ve never led a Bible study because you didn’t know how to get started. Be encouraged; it’s not rocket science. If you meet with at least one other person, read the Bible, and discuss the text, you’re off to a great start. God can use you, even if you have no idea what you’re doing!

Jake and Lindsay Sherbert (2011), Creative Comons

Jake and Lindsay Sherbert (2011), Creative Commons

As you go, you may find a few more tips helpful to increase your effectiveness.

1. Know the group’s purpose

Are you reaching out to new people or building relationships with existing friends? Will you focus on what the Bible says (communicating the gospel), or on how to study it (training others in OIA skills)? Will you target a certain audience (men, women, teens, couples, retirees, etc.)?

2. Clarify your expectations

Do you expect people to prepare for the meeting, or is it okay if they simply show up? Do you want them to commit to attending, or will you keep commitment low?

3. Communicate your expectations

As you recruit people to the study, you should communicate your expectations to them. You don’t want people to show up expecting a movie night, shocked when you pull out a Bible and begin asking questions. Depending on your expectations, you may communicate along these lines:

  • “A few of us will get together to discuss the Bible. We’ll just read a passage and discuss it. You don’t have to talk. You don’t even have to agree with what the passage says. You just have to be honest about what it says.”
  • “I’m starting a Bible study for people who want to get deeper into the Word. We’ll meet every other week for 6 months, and we’d like to have some consistency from meeting to meeting. We’ll all read the passage at least once before we come so we can dive right in to the discussion. Would you be interested in joining us?”
  • “Our group will focus on learning how to study the Bible. We expect people to treat it like a class, with homework before each meeting.”

4. Give it a clear start and end time

You can include these details as part of your expectations. People often want to know what time the meeting will begin and end so they know how to plan. It can be tempting to say, “what time works for you?” but I don’t recommend it unless you’re meeting with a key person one-on-one and you just need to work out your schedules. It’s usually better to give a specific time, and—if nobody can make that time—change the time as needed. This gives people clear direction.

In addition to starting and ending times for each meeting, it can be helpful to have starting and ending dates for the group. People might be less motivated to attend if the commitment feels endless. And with a determined end date, you’ll be able to end the group and re-evaluate the group’s direction. You could always have a 6-week or 6-month study, followed by another 6-week or 6-month study, followed by another.

5. Recruit!

People often need multiple invitations before they will come. As you recruit, you can build your relationships with people and embody Christ’s love to them. Let them know how much you care and how much you want them to attend. Let them know of the group’s vision and how the group will help them (to figure life out, to draw closer to Christ, to learn how to study the Bible, etc.). Jesus didn’t simply announce openings for disciple positions, hand out a flyer, and wait to see who would show up. He passed alongside the Sea and recruited those whom he wanted (Mark 1:16-20). Paul followed the same approach (Acts 13, 14, 16, 17, etc.).

Think about your first Bible study or church experience. Did you just show up on your own, or did others recruit you?

John Piper’s Desired Legacy

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Desiring GodI couldn’t be more thrilled with the new direction of John Piper and Desiring God ministries. From Piper’s blog post last week called “The Legacy I Want to Leave“:

For most of my pastoral life, I heralded the wonders of what I saw in the Bible.

I tried to do this in such a way that people could see that the wonders really did come from the Bible, and not from me. But I seldom focused on how I saw the spectacular truths of Scripture. My preaching and writing aimed mainly to bring people to a banquet, not take them into the kitchen.

When I think of the coming generations, I am not content to only leave them a deposit of books and sermons that celebrate the glories of God and the wonders of Christian Hedonism…

Underneath all the arguments is the Book. The Bible. If future generations only learn what we saw, and not how to see it for themselves, they will be second-handers. And second-handers cannot last. They grow bored and boring. Powerful, truth-preserving, God-glorifying, Christ-exalting, soul-ravishing, mission-advancing ministry is sustained by the power to see for yourself the glories of God’s word.

So I have a new and focused passion to help people really see the riches of God’s word for themselves.

http://vimeo.com/88838646

Please check out the rest of the post and Piper’s short video explaining his vision. And let’s pray that God would use this influential man of God for incredible good for Jesus’ sake. Let’s pray that his legacy would truly be more than a deposit of books and sermons, but a generation of Christians who know how to look at the Book and mine its riches for themselves.

And while you pray, please pray for me. I imagine Piper will write a book about how to study the Bible. I’m sure it will sell better than my recently released book on the topic. Please pray that I would resist any petty jealousy and delight in the Lord’s word going forth.

Check it out!

Another Way to Think About Bible Studies

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Hector Alejandro (2010), Creative Commons

Hector Alejandro (2010), Creative Commons

Sometimes I think of Bible studies not according to who will attend, but according to what I expect of those who attend.

  1. Low Commitment Bible studies work best for situations where we need to make it easy as possible for people to get into the word. The leader expects people simply to show up and take part in the discussion as they have thoughts. Such studies work well as a 5-minute introduction to a business meeting, a short investigative study, or as the very first introduction for people to the OIA method of Bible study. In many situations, low commitment is a good thing.
  2. Moderate Commitment Bible studies work best for situations where people want more out of the Scripture, but they still need a lot of guidance. In such studies, the leader expects people to commit to attending the study and at least to read the passage beforehand. At the meeting itself, the leader might not even read the text but can dive right in to the discussion.
  3. High Commitment Bible studies work best for situations where people need to be challenged beyond what they might find comfortable. In such studies, the leader expects people to spend 1-5 hours studying the passage personally before each meeting. The leader may expect group members to come to the meeting ready to share what they think is the author’s main point. At a meeting for one such study, I once prohibited participants from using their Bibles. I expected them to have spent enough time studying the text that they could discuss it from either their notes or their memory. (Note: I did that for only one meeting, and it was a wild ride, but my purpose was to stress the commitment required, not to direct anyone’s attention away from the text itself.)

The key to increasing commitment is to give homework. It’s really pretty simple. I know I’m talking about a Bible study, and such things are usually free and easy because we want more people to attend.

But people will get out of it as much as they put into it. And they’ll place higher value on things that cost them more. So why can’t we ask them to prepare for each Bible study meeting?

One significant danger here is that we may have different group members ready for differing degrees of commitment. In a single Bible study, we’re likely to ask too much of some people and too little of others. At such times, it may be helpful to split the group into different studies with different commitment levels. Or we may need to feed a ready-for-higher-commitment person with an opportunity to co-lead the study or receive more training outside the study.

As I lead Bible studies, I ask myself if I’m calling people to a commitment level proportional to their maturity and to Christ’s expectations for them (Matt 11:28-30, Luke 9:57-62). And I make frequent changes based on what will be most helpful at the time. Bible studies that never change year after year may just be a recipe for complacency.

Question: In what contexts do you think differing degrees of commitment are warranted?

How Many Long-Time Christians Can’t Study the Bible?

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Gospel CoalitionLast week, the Gospel Coalition posted this terrific article by Jen Wilkin. She writes of the frequent confession she hears that maddens but no longer surprises her:

I’ve been in church for years, but no one has taught me to study my Bible until now.

She goes on to reflect:

We continue to tell people this is what you should believe about marriage and this is what you need to know about doctrine and this is what your idolatry looks like. But because we never train them in the Scriptures, they have no framework to attach these exhortations to beyond their church membership or their pastor’s personality or their group leader’s opinion. More importantly, they have no plumb line to measure these exhortations against. It never occurs to them to disagree with what they are being taught because they cannot distinguish between our interpretation of Scripture and Scripture itself, having little to no firsthand knowledge of what it says.

And they’ve been in church for years.

Yes! And then:

We must teach the Bible. Please hear me. We must teach the Bible, and we must do so in such a way that those sitting under our teaching learn to feed themselves rather than rely solely on us to feed them. We cannot assume that our people know the first thing about where to start or how to proceed. It is not sufficient to send them a link to a reading plan or a study method. It is our job to give them good tools and to model how to use them. There is a reason many love Jesus Calling more than they love the Gospel of John. If we equip them with the greater thing, they will lose their desire for the lesser thing.

Wilkin writes of women’s Bible studies, but her points are equally valid for either gender. I wish I could quote the entire article for you, but the best I can do is to send you over to TGC’s site.

Check it out!

What Kind of Bible Study Should You Lead?

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Not all Bible studies are created equal. Some are more effective than others with particular groups of people. So how do you decide what sort of study to lead?

Georgia National Guard (Creative Commons), 2013

Georgia National Guard (2013), Creative Commons

One common approach is to define your Bible study group based on what sort of people you expect to attend. The strength of this approach lies in the process of putting yourself in other people’s shoes and designing your Bible study in a way that best serves the group. Expert marksmen will choose the best model to fit the people God has given them.

So you might think in categories like this:

  1. Investigative (or Evangelistic) Bible Studies introduce unbelievers to the claims of Jesus in the Gospels. We might even call these groups “Bible discussions” to make them sound more approachable to unchurched people.
  2. Growth Bible Studies help professing believers to deepen their walks with Christ.
  3. Training Bible Studies teach people how to study the Bible for themselves and thus equip mature believers to use careful OIA skills in their personal Bible study.
  4. Leadership Bible Studies encourage church or small group leaders with biblical principles for shepherding others with the word.
  5. Devotional Bible Studies help committee members or retreat participants to ground their meetings in truth from God’s word.

Thinking in such categories help us to lay down our lives for others and tailor our approach to their needs. We think proactively about who will attend, and we work to create a positive user experience for group members.

However, there are also a few dangers to this approach.

  • We might tend to think of some Bible studies as “OIA studies” and other studies as “not OIA studies.” But no matter who attends our studies—believer or unbeliever, mature or immature—we should always do thoughtful OIA study. OIA is the best method we can use whenever we approach the Scriptures.
  • We might be led to believe that some Bible study groups need to focus on the gospel, while others need to focus on the Christian life or discipline or growth. But we should see the gospel of Jesus Christ in every passage of Scripture, regardless of who attends the study.
  • We might expect some Bible studies to focus on application and other studies to focus on education. But God wrote the Scripture to produce change in all who read it. No Bible studies should be mere intellectual exercises.

As you figure out what sort of Bible study to lead, another set of categories may help you avoid these dangers. Next week I’ll offer another proposal.

Question: What other kinds of Bible studies could we add to our list?

Is Your Bible Study Group-Centered or Christ-Centered?

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The main goal of group Bible studies is to help people know God through his Son Jesus Christ. And the chief advantage of the group format is interaction.

Sometimes that chief advantage can steal the limelight, and the main goal unintentionally becomes the understudy. Or for the non-theatrical types: that chief advantage can steal the ball, and the main goal gets benched.

In other words, we can get so excited by the positive interaction between group members that we subtly slide our focus from knowing God to knowing each other. And since knowing each other is a great thing, we might not notice the shift.

Marco Belluci (2005), Creative Commons

Marco Belluci (2005), Creative Commons

Here are some questions to help you evaluate where your group’s gaze lies.

  1. Do group members spend more time sharing about their problems or testifying to God’s grace in their lives?
  2. Does your Bible study always land on the same applications, or is there a sense of forward movement and change?
  3. Do people depend on the leader to do all the thinking, or do they actively engage in the study?
  4. Is there general agreement and affirmation on most things, or do people feel free to challenge and disagree with one another?
  5. If the leader had to stop leading the group, would the group have another leader trained and ready to take over?
  6. How long has it been since new people joined the group?
  7. Would someone new have a hard time fitting in?
  8. If any unbelievers unexpectedly showed up, is there a chance they might meet God among you (1 Cor 14:24-25)?
  9. Does your group see Jesus in every passage?
  10. If your group discussed a book other than the Bible, would the discussion be any different?

What other diagnostic questions might help you to evaluate your group’s focus?

10 Good (but not Great) Reasons to Join a Bible Study

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Though the chief advantage of Bible studies (in contrast to sermons, classes, and personal study) is interaction, this advantage does not necessarily give us a strong purpose. We rightly ask, “Why should we interact together about the Bible?” What is our goal? What are we after? We could do many activities in groups; why might we choose to study the Bible instead of doing something else?

And while some people might join a Bible study for evil or foolish reasons—such as “to learn how to tear down the Bible and everything it stands for” or “to find someone to hook up with”—I think such motives are pretty rare. What’s far more common is for people to join Bible studies for pretty good reasons.

Good reasons are good reasons and not bad reasons (duh); that’s why they motivate reasonable people. They become problematic, however, when they supplant the best reasons. Thus, missing the bullseye, we give our time and attention (that is, we give glory) to things other than the Lord, and we become guilty of idolatry.

Brian Barnett (2007), Creative Commons

Brian Barnett (2007), Creative Commons

Beware these good reasons for holding or attending Bible studies:

1. To get to know people

2. To learn about the Bible

3. To support my church or the people in the study

4. To sit under a gifted leader

5. To be a part of something great

6. To make new friends, or to deepen existing friendships

7. To be in a supportive environment

8. To build a tightly knit community

9. To develop more theological insight or biblical understanding

10. To grow as a Christian

Let me repeat: these reasons are all good. We should have Bible studies for reasons like these.

But let’s keep the best reason front and center. The good reasons are good only when they serve the best reason. What is the best reason?

To know God through his Son Jesus Christ

God spoke his Word to show himself to us. And God’s Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). Though God spoke in many ways to the prophets, he has now spoken his Word in these last days by his Son, the glory of God, the imprint of God’s nature, the only purification for sin, and the supreme power in all the universe (Heb 1:1-4).

We lead Bible studies to introduce people to Jesus (Acts 17:2-3). And we attend Bible studies to find eternal life by knowing God and his Son Jesus Christ (John 17:3). God has made himself knowable, and we study his knowable word so we might know Jesus, the living Word.

Winsome community and cogent education are beautiful recruiters. But let’s make sure we give people something that will last forever and address their deepest needs.

Why have Bible studies?

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Bible studies—as I use the term—are groups of people actively engaged in mutual examination of the text of Scripture. Bible studies differ from sermons, classroom lectures, and informal instruction in that they primarily consist of group discussion. Bible studies can be terrifying, because you never know what people will say. There’s always inherent potential for losing control of the discussion. And for this reason, many people fear them.

But though it’s unscripted, the discussion doesn’t have to be uncontrollable. Though open-ended, it doesn’t have to be directionless. Though interrogative, it can still be powerfully declarative.

Bible studies have something going for them that few sermons or personal quiet times can achieve: Interaction. This is the chief advantage of Bible studies.

Interact SpA (2009), Creative Commons

Interact SpA (2009), Creative Commons

Because of interaction, we can identify what part of the teaching is hitting the mark. We can adjust on the spot to make better use of what’s connecting with people’s hearts. We can jettison whatever is unhelpful in the moment.

Because of interaction, we can measure how people are responding to the text. We get a good idea of what to follow up on in personal conversations.

Because of interaction, we can see the fruits of faith or unbelief. We can often gauge where people are in their walks with the Lord as we see them directly interacting with his word.

Because of interaction, we can directly address difficult topics. Some issues are considered impolite for pleasant conversation, but they may find safe harbor in an engaging Bible discussion. For example:

  • “What are some bad spending habits that we should repent of?”
  • “How can you be a more Christ-like father or mother?”
  • “Last week you mentioned how stressed out you were. How does today’s passage speak to your stress?”
  • “What does Jesus say about how to receive eternal life? How would that affect your life if it were true?”

Because of interaction, we get VIP access to the greatest show on earth: the softening of human hearts. Sometimes we’ll see people change their minds or their convictions over the course of a single discussion. At other times, it will take place over weeks or months. Sometimes we’ll simply see the change in attitude or character, and the changed person won’t even be aware of the difference yet.

Because of interaction, we can multiply our ministries. Through discussions, we can teach people how to study the Bible for themselves. We can train assistant leaders who will eventually lead their own Bible studies. We can coach people in particular skills like small talk, asking questions, listening attentively, or sharing vulnerably.

Because of interaction, people often feel respected and appreciated. This encourages higher levels of commitment and risk.

Because of interaction, we can better understand and help others to feel understood. God, who knows all things, chose to interact with Adam and not merely declare truth to him: “Where are you?” (Gen 3:9). Jesus, who knew what was in the heart of a man, chose to interact and draw out others’ thoughts: “Are you asking yourselves what I meant?” (John 16:19).

As we consider further how to lead effective Bible studies, let’s not lose sight of our chief advantage.

Question: What other benefits derive from the interactive nature of Bible discussions? I appreciate your interaction on this topic!

7 Mistakes in Women’s Bible Study

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I don’t claim to be an expert in women’s Bible studies, but I really appreciate what Keri Folmar wrote about them at the Gospel Coalition a few weeks ago. She lists 7 common mistakes we make in women’s Bible studies, which are:

  1. We lose sight of the goal
  2. We allow wrong answers
  3. We rely on the wrong materials
  4. We neglect the gospel
  5. We elevate method over meaning
  6. We jump to application
  7. We divorce study from the church

Under point #3, she writes:

The primary text required for a Bible study is . . . a Bible. There is nothing inadequate about getting together for a discussion through a book of the Bible with just a Bible. Study guides can help, but not all study guides are created equal.

The best study guides help women dig deeper into the Scriptures without spoon-feeding them answers before they have a chance to think for themselves. They are centered on God and cause women to know him better. They explain verses in context and encourage women to keep the big picture of the gospel in mind. The right guide will lead women to sit at the feet of Jesus and listen to his teaching. The fruit will be a deeper knowledge of the Savior that causes women to trust him more in their daily lives.

I made a similar point last week, and I don’t think women’s Bible studies are the only ones who can learn these things from Ms. Folmar. May we all learn to sit at our Savior’s feet.

Check it out!

 

What is a Bible Study?

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Crazy LoveHave you ever had this conversation?

What do you have going on tonight?

I’m going to Bible study.

Oh, great! What part of the Bible are you studying?

Francis Chan’s Crazy Love.

Now, I’m no Chan-hater. I’ve never read his book, and shame on me for it.

But let’s be honest. A discussion of such a book is not really a Bible study. Why not call it a book discussion group or a reading group? Why “Bible study”?

With this post, I’m launching a new series about how to lead a Bible study. In this series, I’ll assume you already know how to study the Bible for yourself, and I’ll give more specialized tips on how to lead others in Bible study.

I plan to write about the unique opportunities and objectives of Bible studies. I’ll explain kinds of Bible studies (for both believers and non-believers). I’ll give tips on how to get started, how to prepare, and how to lead a discussion. I’ll warn you of the many pits I’ve fallen into along the way, and I’ll cast vision for training others to lead after you.

Let’s just make sure we’re clear on definitions up front: A Bible study is a group of people who study the Bible. When I use the term “Bible study,” I’m not referring to a book club. Nor to a prayer meeting, hymn sing, or revival service. Nor to a sermon or classroom lecture. I’m thinking of a group of people (could be small or large) who are actively engaged in mutual study and examination of the text of Scripture.

And while such Bible studies may occasionally involve using a pre-packaged study guide or curriculum, I propose that the best studies will be unmediated. That is, we train people to study the Bible itself and not only what others have said about the Bible.

Of course, we shouldn’t ignore what others have said about the Bible. We’re a part of the community of faith, and we’re not so much better than everyone else that we can study the Bible in a vacuum and have a corner on the truth. But we must always—yes, always—again, I repeat, always—evaluate what others say in light of what the text says. If we never learn how to know what the text says, we’re no different from the blind leading the blind. And, well, I hope you know how that will end up (Luke 6:39).

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Disclaimer: If you plan to lead a book discussion on Crazy Love, and you’d like to help cover this blog’s expenses at no extra cost to yourself, please click one of the affiliate links in this post and buy stuff.