Humility

Ask Honest Questions

February 24, 2025 By Ryan Higginbottom

CDC/Dawn Arlotta (2009), public domain

A teacher asks a question. And then, silence.

The students shift in their chairs; they squirm; they avoid eye contact. More silence. This question has jumped out of the nest, tried to flap its wings, and fallen to the ground with a thud.

Too many questions by teachers and leaders go unanswered. They’re often too vague, too personal, or unclear.

So what makes a good question? Specifically, how can a small group Bible study leader ask good questions?

The Job of a Small Group Leader

A small group leader should be a persistent and skilled question-asker. Good questions are the key to helping a group understand a Bible passage, encourage interaction, and apply the main point of the text.

I put a lot of energy into writing questions for my small group. It is difficult but essential work. My group’s engagement and discussion usually rises or falls with the quality of my questions.

I want to ask my group honest questions. In other words, I want to know how my friends are thinking about and processing the text. I’m not just looking for them to agree with me.

Far too often, I’ve simply wanted confirmation of my conclusions. Through my questions—or my posture or reactions—I communicated that I was looking for just one answer. And that stopped the discussion cold. No one likes to feel manipulated.

Asking honest questions requires a mega-dose of humility. It takes a work of God’s grace within the heart.

After all, as the group leader I put a lot of time into preparation. I pray, study the text, read commentaries, and work hard on my notes. I meditate on the passage for at least a week before we meet. It’s natural for me to approach my group with confidence in my conclusions.

But I can still be wrong! My study hours don’t guarantee infallibility. I may have missed the main point of the text.

Here’s the good news: My mistakes do not doom my group. After all, God’s truth doesn’t depend on me!

If I believe the Holy Spirit lives within each Christian in my group, and if I know he gives wisdom and understanding as he pleases, then I need to hold my conclusions with an open hand. I’m not an omniscient teacher; I need to approach my group as someone who still has much to learn.

I can help my friends look carefully at the text and ask for their understanding. I can continue to seek the meaning of the text myself. God can still teach his people the truth of his word.

Handling Disagreement

To be clear, I’m not advocating for a small group free-for-all. There is immense value in a leader’s preparation.

But we must acknowledge God as the ultimate authority. We submit to him in his word. We also submit to each other as the Spirit works and opens eyes. If I arrive at my small group convinced of one interpretation but my friend convinces me otherwise from the text, I should rejoice.

Asking honest questions means I must prepare for disagreement. I might be contradicted. Hopefully the atmosphere and the people in my group mean those discussions will be gentle and loving. But I need to prepare—my reaction to a dissenting opinion makes a huge difference.

By looking surprised or offended or dismissive, I may shut down my friend and even the rest of the group. But if I am curious and welcoming and humble, inviting my friends to observe and interpret the text honestly, I communicate how much I value them and trust the Spirit to lead his people.

For me the crucial question is: Will I trust in the Lord or in my preparation?

I’ve found it rare that a Bible study leader is wildly wrong. It’s more likely that input from the group add angles and nuance the leader didn’t see at first. (Greater diversity within the group will help with this.)

For Whose Glory?

What is the focus of your small group?

Are you hoping your friends will leave your meeting raving about your teaching? Or are you committed to helping your friends understand and apply the Bible at all costs, regardless of whom the Spirit chooses as his messenger?

Give yourself to serious, prayerful study and preparation. But then ask honest questions of your group, knowing that you may have as much to learn as they do.

This post was originally published in 2018.

The Arrogance of a Little Bible Reading

July 3, 2024 By Peter Krol

Jacob Crouch has a really important point to make: Those who read the Bible only a little tend to become arrogant people, looking down on those who do not read the Bible.

One sure sign that someone hasn’t read their Bible for very long, is that they are arrogant. That might seem surprising, but it is almost universally true that someone who has spent a little time in God’s word always seems to have the answer for any situation…

When I was freshly seeking the Lord, I seemed to have all the answers for finances, marriage, and children, all while I was a broke single man. I had lots of verses in my arsenal, but I had only really been seeking God for a few years.

The cure, of course, is not to stop reading the Bible, but to read the Bible excessively. This strategy is rooted in God’s requirements for kings called to shepherd his people.

Check it out!

A Word to Those who Wish to Help Others Apply the Bible

March 15, 2024 By Peter Krol

Lately, I’ve been unpacking the process of Bible application. I’ve presented tools and exercises to help you exercise your application muscles. Your application should not sound the same for every passage. And application ought never to be boring or lifeless. Robust Bible application is precisely the sort of fruit Jesus is looking for when he comes to inspect his vineyard (Matt 12:33-37, 21:33-46).

The tools I’ve presented are especially useful to those aiming to apply the Bible for themselves. But I expect and hope that many will pass those tools along to those they lead. When God grants gifts of insight, learning, and resources, he doesn’t do it for the sake of the recipient alone. He does it so the recipient can benefit the larger body of which he or she is a member (Romans 12:4-8).

So, please do try this at home. And please also teach others how to apply the Bible.

But whether you are a preacher, Sunday school teacher, small group leader, instructor, coach, parent, discipler, or friend, you must never forget one crucial principle:

Do not try to help others to apply a Bible passage without first applying it to yourself.

I’m not saying that you must put into practice the exact same applications as the people you’re trying to lead. I’m only saying that the passage must have been applied to yourself in some way before you seek to apply it others in some way. The text must impact you before you use it to impact others.

If you fail to do this, you are a hypocrite. Not according to me, but according to Jesus.

Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother’s eye.
Luke 6:39-42

If the text has not yet opened your eyes and given you sight, anyone you lead will fall right into a pit with you. Those you teach will be like you. So if you have not applied the text, your disciple will not, either. You are not qualified to remove another’s eye-speck until you have cleared out your own eye-beam.

Only after you have applied the text will you see clearly enough to help others apply the text. How can you ask others to do something you haven’t done or won’t do yourself?

One of the most common sins of preachers and teachers is our sanitized hypocrisy that makes excuses for failing either to apply a text personally or to share vulnerably (when appropriate) how we have applied it. As believers in Jesus Christ, we must open ourselves not only to God’s word but also to one another. For a biblical defense of this idea, and an exceptionally thorough explanation of how to put it into practice, see Transparency: A Cure for Hypocrisy in the Modern Church by Joseph W. Smith III.

We require the preachers at our church to submit a worksheet to the team of preachers, detailing their study of the text they are preaching two weeks out. One of the questions on that worksheet says:

How will you personally apply this passage’s main point to your life? (You may or may not share these particular applications in your sermon, but if the text hasn’t moved you, you’re not yet ready to try to move others by preaching it.)

May practices like this become common among all who teach the Word of God to others.

Disclaimer: As my application of Paul’s command in Romans to be subject to the governing authorities, I must notify you that clicking the Amazon link above and buying stuff will provide a small commission to this blog at no extra cost to yourself. Thank you for your support.

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.

Saying, “I don’t know”

November 27, 2020 By Tom Hallman

I remember the first time he said, “I don’t know.”

The setting was my very first Bible study, or at least the very first one I took seriously. The group was small; maybe 4 or 5 of us. The book was John. The “he” I mentioned was Dave, the Bible study leader who was teaching us all how to know Jesus through the Scriptures. I was just a baby Christian at the time, but I knew that Dave knew everything about Jesus. Everything!

And that’s when it happened.

Somebody asked a question about the text. I don’t remember exactly what it was. Maybe it was why Jesus responded the way He did to His mother in John 2:3-5. Or whether John 3:16-21 was spoken by Jesus or was John’s commentary. Regardless, Dave’s answer astounded me.

“I don’t know.”

That impacted me for several reasons. First, Dave was suddenly more human. I now had the slightest bit more hope that maybe one day I could lead like he leads (though to this day he’s still a lot better at it than I am!) Second, most of my experience with Christians involved watching them get offended, angry, and/or frightened when they didn’t know something. Instead, here was Dave modeling real humility! And third, it was simply an honest answer to a good question! No shame in that.

Now, this blog is called Knowable Word, and we really do believe (and plan to show why we think this) that the Bible is knowable, that Jesus is knowable, and that you can experience a great deal of joy as you grow in knowledge of God.

However, I do hope we can also be humble enough to say, “I don’t know.” There’s a lot of hard-to-understand stuff in the Bible. The apostle Peter says that Paul is hard to understand in 2 Peter 3:15-16. Paul says that God is hard to understand in Romans 11:33. Are we wiser than they? Aren’t there many passages where we too scratch our heads and basically have to confess, “I don’t know”?

Perhaps this is what the author of Proverbs 3:5 had in mind when he penned,

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. (ESV)

Maybe! I don’t know.

Context Matters: Do Justice, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly With God

November 23, 2020 By Ryan Higginbottom

Perhaps you’ve heard that Christians should do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with God. Even people outside the church have seen and heard these phrases.

Some people take this verse (Micah 6:8) as the theme of the book of Micah. Others claim this is even more important—that it’s the central message of the entire Old Testament, or the whole Bible.

This verse has made its way into mission statements for organizations of all types. You can see it everywhere from Christmas cards to protest banners.

But does the current use of this verse honor its context? God has given us paragraphs, chapters, and books—not just sayings and slogans. When we learn to read the Bible as God intends, we may find that our most quoted verses play a different role than we assumed.

The Immediate Context

The immediate context of Micah 6:8 is an indictment of the Lord against his people (Micah 6:2).

God reminds his people what he has done for them. He brought them out of Egypt and redeemed them (Micah 6:4). He turned the intended curses of Balak and Balaam into blessing, and he brought the people across the Jordan into the promised land (Micah 6:5). The people of God should not act as though God has wearied them (Micah 6:3).

Micah asks what sacrifice would be acceptable to the Lord—burnt offerings? Thousands of rams? Rivers of oil? A firstborn child? (See Micah 6:6–7.)

We read Micah 6:8 after these questions. No specific transgression or sin (Micah 6:7) has been mentioned, so Micah 6:8 is the charge against the people to which verses 6 and 7 are a response.

Yes, Micah 6:8 sets out God’s desires for his people in heart and action. But God is not merely giving a mission statement, he is leveling a legal charge. As the rest of the book of Micah makes clear, Israel has utterly failed to do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with their God. This failure is detailed (and the deserved punishments are outlined) in Micah 6:9–16.

Needed: A New Leader

We must not only locate Micah 6:8 in its chapter but also its book.

Micah spends much of the first three chapters of the book warning Israel and Judah about the coming judgment for their sin. And many of these warnings are pointed at those in leadership.

The rulers of the nations should know justice (Micah 3:1).
The prophets lead the people astray, motivated by self-interest (Micah 3:5).
The rulers of Israel detest justice and fill Jerusalem with sin. Their officials, priests, and prophets are motivated by money, and they do not see that disaster awaits their city (Micah 3:9–12).

The famous passage about the coming Messiah (Micah 5:2–5) is a direct consequence of these terrible failings. Israel needs a new ruler and a new shepherd; Israel needs peace. God will provide.

Because God is going to bring a new king for Israel, and because God’s king will be completely faithful in his ways, we can read Micah 6:8 through this lens. The Messiah will do justice, the Messiah will love kindness, and the Messiah will walk humbly with God. The Gospels show how beautifully and perfectly Jesus fulfilled these predictions.

Look to the Lord

After the indictment of Micah 6, readers naturally wonder where to find hope. Micah knows his own sin and admits that he cannot find any righteous on the earth (Micah 7:2). There is so much evil and corruption around that he cannot trust anyone (Micah 7:3–6). He must look to the Lord and wait for the God of his salvation (Micah 7:7).

Micah knows he has sinned against the Lord, but he knows just as surely that the Lord will vindicate him (Micah 7:8–9). In the end, Micah can hope and trust in God because of his steadfast love and compassion.

Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity
and passing over transgression
for the remnant of his inheritance?
He does not retain his anger forever,
because he delights in steadfast love.
He will again have compassion on us;
he will tread our iniquities underfoot.
You will cast all our sins
into the depths of the sea.
You will show faithfulness to Jacob
and steadfast love to Abraham,
as you have sworn to our fathers
from the days of old. (Micah 7:18–20)

Conclusion

The way many people use Micah 6:8 is not exactly wrong, but it is incomplete. In this prophetic book, this verse serves as the law leveled by God against the people of Israel. And the judge brings a guilty verdict.

The guilt of the people reflects the guilt of their leaders, and God has promised a Messiah. We cannot depend on ourselves or anyone else except this one who will “be great to the ends of the earth” (Micah 5:4).

This Messiah—Jesus—will do justice, love kindness, and walk humbly with his God. And he will do it for us.

Context matters.

For more examples of why context matters, click here.

We Need Humility to Study the Bible

May 11, 2020 By Ryan Higginbottom

A man lacking humility will want nothing to do with the Bible.

Perhaps that’s obvious, but it’s worth repeating. Our pride lurks in the shadows, ready to spew lies about our independence, our capability, and the fact that we’re not really so bad after all.

In fact, we are finite and fallible, with hearts full of corruption and self absorption. How could we possibly know about a holy God? How could we begin to approach him?

The very existence of the Bible should fill us with gratitude. How wonderful that God has made himself known! It should also kindle humility within us—we need him to reach to us because we could never reach him ourselves.

Humility must be the beginning—indeed, the ongoing foundation—of Bible study. But it is also necessary in each stage along the way.

Humility in Observation

Familiarity is a great enemy of observation—when we think we already know a passage, our hearts cool and our eyes glaze. We think that we have noticed everything before, that we have already wrung out the sponge. And since observation gathers the wood for the fire of interpretation and application, this strain of pride can blunt the force of God’s powerful word.

Familiarity is an avenue for pride, but it may also be a fact. Some Bible passages come up frequently! So how do we cultivate humility in observation?

We may need to prevent ourselves from getting comfortable. We can turn to different translations of the Bible. We might also consider different Bible formats (audio, print, digital, reader’s versions) to see a passage with fresh eyes.

Humility in Interpretation

All Christians come from certain traditions and perspectives, even if we don’t recognize it. (As they say, a fish might not describe itself as “wet.”) As a result, we might find ourselves in a rut, drawing on a narrow interpretive framework to answer important questions.

This is precisely the problem that fueled the explosive conflict between the Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei and the Catholic church in the early 1600s. Based on his astronomical observations, Galileo promoted a heliocentric (sun at the center) model of the solar system. The church opposed this view based on Biblical texts that seemed consistent with a geocentric (Earth at the center) model. The church could not fathom that Galileo’s scientific perspective could be reconciled with the Bible, so he was accused of heresy and lived the end of his life under house arrest.

One of the best ways to cultivate interpretive humility is to reject our cozy Biblical echo chambers. It is easy to think we’re always right when no one ever disagrees! There is great value in joining a Bible study group with Christians of different ages, ethnicities, traditions, and genders. We can also seek out diversity in the books we read and the sermons we download.

Humility in Application

Humility is the basis of all application. If we see no need to change, we won’t.

Those who would be humble appliers of the Bible must be courageous, because this humility requires a terrifying prayer: God, please show me my sin. Bring people and situations into my life that show me my need to change.

Bigger Than You

Humility does not demand that we belittle ourselves or our contributions. We are not called to deny the gifts or talents that God has given.

We are called, however, to seek the Lord first and love him most. Humility follows naturally when we focus less on ourselves and more on God and his plan for the world and our neighbors.

And with this preparation, we will be more faithful students of God’s word.

Take the Obvious Step

March 18, 2019 By Ryan Higginbottom

Mahkeo (2017), public domain

If you need refreshment or encouragement, schedule some time with a new Christian. The recently-reborn often have a clarity and passion lacking in those who are older in the faith.

A friend was recently telling me about a new Christian he knows. I was thrilled to hear the steps this young man was taking! He heard biblical teaching on stewardship and finances, and he asked for helping making a budget. He was convicted about church membership, so he looked for a local body to join. He read the Great Commission and began inviting his unbelieving friends to an evangelistic Bible study.

For this young man, there is great power in recognizing and submitting to Jesus as Lord. When the master’s commands are clear, there is no room to argue.

How We Mangle Application

As we study the Bible, we often come up short when it comes to application. This is both understandable and regrettable.

Our flesh is fiercely resistant to the Spirit, so it is natural to omit application. It’s the hardest step in the Bible study process precisely because it is the most personal. Application requires repentance and faith and change, all of which are hard.

But stopping short of application is also a great tragedy. In fact, many unbelievers would be comfortable observing and interpreting the Bible. We show and pursue the fruit of the Holy Spirit when we apply God’s truth personally and corporately.

Even those familiar with solid Bible study principles may wriggle out of applying God’s word. Seasoned Christians, tired of “read more, pray more” mantras, may dig and brainstorm instead. They end up distracted by a countryside hunt when the treasure was sitting on their doorstep.

Different Kinds of Application

In an effort to seem original or deep, our chase for applications can dodge the undeniable thrust of a passage of Scripture. We approach the gold mine with a shovel and end up buried under a pile of nuance.

It’s worth re-orienting ourselves. Peter has urged us to consider two directions (inward and outward) as well as three spheres of application (head, hands, and heart). Though this makes six total combinations (our worksheet can help), not every passage will land on every person or group in all six ways.

However, dividing possible applications into these categories may lead you away from actually applying the main point of a passage. Resist this temptation! Sometimes the next steps are obvious, and instead of spending time checking boxes, we should direct our prayer and planning toward the clear application.

There may be something obvious we should believe (head application).

There may be something obvious we should embrace or love (heart application).

There may be something obvious we should do (hands application).

A Recent Example

My small group is studying Luke, and at a recent meeting we read Luke 14:1–24. In part of this passage (verses 7–11), Jesus tells a parable about a wedding feast. Jesus insists that his followers should not assume a place of honor but rather the “lowest place.” This way, if anyone is in the wrong chair, the public re-seating would be honoring instead of shameful. Jesus ends the parable with his main point: “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:11).

In our meeting, we talked about humbling ourselves. How can we remember our standing before God on a regular basis?

In the moment, I thought of an obvious application: confessing my sins. In remembering my sins and taking them to God, seeking and receiving his forgiveness because of Jesus’ work, I have a plain application of this passage. I have been trying to work this into my regular devotional life.

Find the Next Step

Not all passages have obvious applications, but some do. If you have been following Christ for many years, you may instinctively resist what seems easy and obvious. However, these applications are abundant in Scripture for a reason: We need to hear them. Often.

And, as always, remember Jesus as you apply his word. Walk toward that application in the Spirit’s power and with the understanding that—as a Christian—you are already loved and forgiven.

3 Essential Ingredients for Understanding the Bible

February 18, 2019 By Ryan Higginbottom

Nadya Spetnitskaya (2018), public domain

It’s not popular these days. So many people are counting carbs and dodging gluten. But it’s true: I love bread.

Bread is one of God’s great gifts—a gift so great that even someone with my paltry cooking skills can throw together a passable loaf.

While there are thousands of variations, the core bread recipe is remarkably simple: flour, water, yeast, and salt. That’s it.

Experts can punch up the flavor with add-ins and fancy baking techniques, but those four ingredients are essential. Without them, you might whip up something delicious, but you don’t have bread.

It’s the same way with understanding the Bible. There are a few essential elements that must be present if we’re to learn from God’s word.

The Bible

This may be obvious, but it must be said. In order to understand the Bible, we need to actually read the Bible!

We don’t need to be Hebrew or Greek scholars. God has been generous in providing plenty of quality English translations. And for most of us, these translations are easy to access.

But we do need the actual words of the Bible. Not study notes or a friendly devotional or a commentary. Not at first. We need time to read, hear, and meditate on the words of God.

The Bible is meant for Christians to read and understand. God is not trying to hide its meaning from you. You are smart enough to read and study the Bible.

Humility

If we aim to understand the Bible, we must approach it with humility.

What is true in our personal relationships is also true in our approach to the Scriptures—in order to learn, we must be convinced that we have things to learn! When we draw near to the Bible, we are submitting to an authority. We approach the bench in handcuffs, we do not bang the gavel. The posture of the Christian disciple must be one of open hands, bowed head, well-worn knees.

As we meet with God in his word, we acknowledge that we are naive and foolish. Ignorant and forgetful. Frail. Incomplete in our understanding.

But God is wise. He is experienced. All-knowing. Never forgetting. Strong. On top of all that, he loves to communicate about himself and his world through his word.

When we call the Bible “God’s word,” this is not just a synonym. This is a reassuring, bulls eye-accurate description. We must come humbly to the Bible because the God of the universe stands behind these words.

The Holy Spirit

Finally, we need help to understand the Bible. This is help that God loves to give, but we cannot understand the Bible on our own.

God helps us grasp the Bible by coming to us himself in the person of the Holy Spirit. We need the Spirit’s work and power to give us both insight and the gift of repentance.

The Holy Spirit is described as our helper and teacher (John 14:26). Paul writes that we have received the Spirit of God “that we might understand the things freely given us by God” (1 Corinthians 2:12), and that, because of the Spirit, “we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16).

If you are a Christian, the Holy Spirit dwells within you. Pray and ask for his help as you read the Bible.

Closing

There is more to say about studying the Bible, of course. This website is devoted to saying more about studying the Bible! But this article is about the essentials.

Remember this the next time you seek out God in the Scriptures. Read the Bible. Approach with humility. Ask for the Holy Spirit’s help. And God will give you hearty, nourishing, sustaining food that will bring deep satisfaction to your soul.

You Can Lead with Influence

August 27, 2014 By Peter Krol

Innovate 4 Jesus recently re-published my article “You Can Lead with Influence.”

When a teacher has influence, students seek a relationship outside of class and ask advice on topics outside of the curriculum. When a manager has influence, employees pitch in on projects without being asked. When a pastor has influence, Christians find any excuse to join his Sunday morning coffee hour conversations. When an older sibling has influence, the closeness lasts well into adulthood. In each case, we follow influential leaders, not because we have to, but because we want to.

An aspiring leader might start off with this vision for influence, but over time the rookie’s eagerness can fade into a fog of authority and experience. Experience assures the leader that entrenched behaviors can’t be broken, touchy people need more leeway, and elder meetings must be boring. Thus, forfeiting influence, the former idealist starts to rely on his own authority to get results.

Consider the difference between authority and influence in this simple illustration. An authoritative parent might compel his teenager to keep her curfew. But only an influential parent can trust his daughter won’t sneak out when he’s asleep.

The article goes on to explain from 1 Thessalonians how the recipe of influence has two key ingredients: humility and hope.

Check it out!