Leading Bible Study | Knowable Word

Bible Study Leaders Should Not Have All the Answers

February 9, 2026 By Ryan Higginbottom

Picture it. There’s a pause at your small group Bible study, and one of your friends asks a question. In that moment, all the heads in your group will likely turn in one of two directions.

Do the group members look up, at the leader? Or do they look down, at the Bible?

No Bible study leader can have the answer to every question. After all, leaders are finite and there are a myriad of potential questions, both relevant and—ahem—less relevant.

But even though leaders can’t logistically have all the answers, I don’t think that should even be a goal. As an ambition, that’s harmful for at least two reasons.

Bad for the Leader

When a leader plants the seed that they will have all the answers for their group, it bears bad fruit.

It can make the leader fearful of questions that emerge in their group or resentful of those who ask. After all, the leader might think, questioners are causing more work and giving another opportunity for the leader to fail.

This mentality can also lead to a misplaced trust. If a leader is good at anticipating questions and answering them in the moment, they might start to depend on their preparation, intellect, or persuasiveness instead of on the Lord.

Finally, when a group expects their leader to have all the answers, it can lead to pride. A capable leader who rises to this challenge may enjoy the attention they receive as their reputation grows.

Bad for the Group

There is clear spiritual danger for a small group leader when they are expected to answer every question. But this setup is unhealthy for the group as well.

A group structured in this way may start to trust in their leader instead of their Lord. Their confidence and assurance in the faith may rise and fall with the ability and mood of their small group leader. We must avoid this error and anchor our assurance to the rock-solid work of Jesus.

Members of this sort of group may also flounder when faced with studying the Bible on their own. Because they are not challenged to answer questions from Scripture, they may become content with the cotton candy of light, spiritual aphorisms instead of rich, filling meals from God’s Word.

This type of group may also experience stunted growth. Vibrant, healthy small groups often grow and split, as an apprentice from within the group (ideally) emerges. But if a leader is expected to have all the answers, this puts unreasonable weight on potential apprentices. That expectation also eliminates opportunities for group members to learn and grow into that role.

Guard Against Gurus

To train, lead, and empower small group members, leaders should guard against the urge to be a know-it-all or Bible guru.

There is one easy step to ensure a small group is focused on the Bible and not on its leader. This short response to any question will point people in the right direction.

“Good question. What does the text say?”

This is the simplest way I’ve found to point my friends back to the Bible. When I hear a question, I turn either to the questioner or to the whole group and invite them to look back at the text.

Sometimes the text at hand doesn’t answer the question, but other passages do. (A leader needs to decide whether or not that answer is worth chasing down.) Sometimes the question isn’t addressed in Scripture at all. But as much as possible, I want to point my group members away from my answers and into God’s Word.

The Danger of Being a Pastor

Within small groups, there’s a particular danger in being a pastor or anyone else with a seminary degree. I’ve seen how people defer to these leaders. They are often expected to give answers even when they’re not the leader of the group.

To them I offer the same advice I’m giving to small group leaders (as well as my sympathies). You shouldn’t have all the answers. As much as possible, resist being the crutch for your friends. They won’t learn to ride their bike until you let go and urge them to pedal.

Citing Other Resources

Finally, we should note that in the face of legitimate, difficult questions, it’s okay for small group leaders to admit they don’t know the answer. It’s also okay for leaders to a refer to resources that have helped them understand the Bible.

But even the best commentaries should not be appealed to as authorities themselves; commentaries should make the case for their interpretation from the text. And if a leader is not persuaded from the text by a commentary, “I don’t know” may be the best and most honest answer to give.

Note: this was originally posted in 2019.

5 Characteristics of a Great Small Group Leader

January 26, 2026 By Ryan Higginbottom

What do the best small group Bible study leaders have in common?

Yes, there are certain things they do. We have provided a guide for those steps, from planning the group, running the study itself, and training a new leader. These actions are vital.

But no one wants to be in a group where the leader takes the right actions but has poor character. In this post, we won’t look at what a leader should do as much as who they should be.

Five Qualities

This list isn’t exclusive; there are many other qualities we could add. But when I think about a leader whose study I’d like to attend, these characteristics come to mind.

A great leader is diligent

Putting together a solid small group Bible study takes a lot of work, and this requires diligence. A good leader will study the passage thoroughly using a trusted Bible study method. (We have written about the OIA method here.)

Turning that personal Bible study into good questions for the group can also be a challenge. First-rate leaders set aside enough preparation time to write questions that will help their group find and wrestle with the main point of the passage.

A great leader is vulnerable

The best small group studies are lead by a person who has already been changed by their study of the Bible. When preparing, an exceptional leader will be vulnerable with God when thinking through the application of a passage. They will prayerfully consider areas where they need to change.

This vulnerability will also carry over into the meeting time. They will talk with the group about their own sin, their efforts to repent, and the grace God extends to them. A great leader will provide a potential map for their group members by sharing their own applications of a text.

A great leader is curious

A terrific leader is hungry to know God through his word, so they ask difficult questions as they read the Bible. They love God and understand that he makes himself known through this book.

While a good small group leader will put in a lot of preparation time before the study, they know they do not have a monopoly on God’s wisdom. They understand that different perspectives, approaches, and life experiences can help them both understand the text and grow in love for others. They want to know how their small group friends see the Bible text, so they ask honest questions during the meeting.

A great leader is humble

All the preparation in the world does not make a leader self-sufficient. A great leader is aware of their dependence on God, and they seek God’s help in prayer as they work to prepare for the group.

A humble leader is open to correction. They study the Bible aware that they need the discipline that God gives as a loving father. They also know that God may correct them during the group meeting itself, so they listen to their friends’ interpretations and look back to the text. An outstanding leader is not afraid to be wrong, because they know that the real authority is the Word of God.

A great leader is loving

This may be the most important characteristic of all. A great leader loves their small group members and wants the best for them. They want them to grow in the ways they know and trust God.

Love motivates a good leader in their preparation, in their activities with their group members outside the group, and in their prayers. During the meeting, a loving leader will not be concerned with their image or reputation, but with God’s glory and their friends’ growth.

God Makes a Leader

Does your small group leader have these characteristics? If so, thank God! And encourage your leader that you see this fruit in their leadership. Pray that God would help them abound all the more in these qualities.

If your leader lacks some (or all) of these characteristics, pray for them!

Finally, if you are a small group leader, pray for yourself, that God by his Spirit would grow these characteristics in you.

God is the only one who can change hearts. Let’s look to him for the character of our small group leaders.

This was first published in 2019.

What a Conversation Between Authors Taught Me About Leading a Bible Study

December 1, 2025 By Ryan Higginbottom

writer — Brad Neathery (2017), public domain

I listen to a lot of podcasts, and a newer one I’ve been enjoying is called Table of (mal)Contents. The show is mostly about reading, and I’ve gotten some great book recommendations by listening.

On a recent episode, two of the hosts were talking about writing. Both of these men have written multiple books, and they were discussing their writing habits, how they come up with book ideas, editing, and other writing topics.

As they were talking about editing, one of the hosts (Barnabas Piper) said something that got me thinking—not so much about writing, but about preparing Bible studies for my small group. (A link to the episode is here; this quote begins at the 30-minute mark.)

People want to have 100% satisfaction with their written work, and you just won’t. You just come to the place where you’re like, “this was my best effort, my best contribution to ….” So I did a book on pastor’s kid, I did a book on faith and doubt, a book on curiosity. Are any of those the definitive word on those things? No. My hope is that they are the right kind contribution to connect with the right kind of reader and that I didn’t say anything terrible or stylistically just crappy. […] I think perfectionism is a terrible bane for writers.

I was struck by his comment about his books not being the “definitive word” on any of those subjects. I’ve grappled a lot with perfectionism when preparing to lead my small group.

Not a Seminary Class

In a Bible study meeting, my time is limited. We might have 45 or 60 minutes to look at the passage together. And I have a specific goal during that time: I want to help my friends see the main point of the passage and think about the implications for their lives.

We cannot do in a small group study what can be accomplished in a seminary class. Some passages are so rich that to dive into all of the connections and theological implications would take hours. And some small group members do not have the background or interest to cover all of those (sometimes complicated) topics.

A small group study will rarely cover everything associated with a Bible passage. But the study will be a success if we can read, understand, and apply the Scriptures in a faithful way.

A Check on My Ego

It is tempting for me to design a small group study as the definitive word on a Bible passage. Not only do I like the idea of being complete, but I like the recognition that comes from leading a profound discussion.

Perhaps other leaders face this same temptation. I want others to praise me as their small group leader. I like sounding smart and impressing people with my learning. The more theological richness I can wring out of a passage, my thinking sometimes goes, the better my reputation.

Of course, this posture is self-focused and wicked. Leading a Bible study is an opportunity to serve others and help them encounter the God of the universe. It is not a venue for shining a spotlight on myself. And exploring doctrine just for the sake of a sophisticated conversation is rarely the best way to serve the people in my group. When I am more concerned about my own praise than the way my friends worship and follow God, I am a glory thief. And I should shudder.

But the gospel says there is good news for glory thieves. For Christians, God is a loving, faithful Father. Because of the work of Jesus, he offers forgiveness and the power and motivation to change.

Keep it Simple

Bible study leaders, let’s remember that we don’t need to prepare the definitive study on our passage. We should study the passage ourselves, let the message change us, and then work hard to lead our group to the main point of the passage. Let’s aim for the “right kind of contribution that connects” with our friends.

God’s word is powerful and his Spirit is at work. He will bring about the fruit he wants from our efforts. We don’t need to craft the perfect study to make this happen.

This was originally posted in 2019.

Help Your Small Group See the Big Picture

December 2, 2024 By Ryan Higginbottom

Jiuguang Wang (2010), Creative Commons License

When I find myself in a new city, it takes me a while to get my bearings. I need an idea of a city’s structure before I can move around with confidence.

In Pittsburgh—the biggest city near me—everything is organized by bridges and neighborhoods. If I feel lost, I look for signs for the closest bridge, stadium, or college campus. Knowing the big picture keeps me moving.

When studying the Bible, a book overview serves this same function. Knowing the themes, structure, and main point of a book is a great help when you wade into the chapters and verses. We’ve written before about how to do a book overview in your personal Bible study; today we’ll address leading a small group through the process.

Homework is Required

A fair warning: This particular small group meeting requires homework. Your group members may balk, but without homework, a book overview discussion will become a lecture. Nobody wants that.

My small group recently started Luke, and we kicked things off with a book overview meeting. Here’s what I expected my group to do before the meeting.

Read the whole book. I asked them to read it at least once, and two or three times if possible. I encouraged them to jot down thoughts on the book’s structure and major themes as they read.
Watch two videos. We’ve written before about The Bible Project’s book overview videos. They’re excellent. Here are the two videos that were produced for Luke. (This was the easy part of the homework!)
Read an overview article. Either in a study Bible or an online source, I asked my group to find an article about the big purpose and themes of the book. (Here is one article I recommended for Luke. And here is another great resource on Bible book overviews.)

My group had five weeks between meetings to accomplish these tasks. Stating my expectations up front made leading the book overview meeting a snap.

The Meeting Itself

I told my group we’d discuss five simple questions at the meeting.

Who wrote this book?
To whom was this book written?
Why did this person write this book to these people at this time?
What are some key themes of the book?
How is the book structured?

We hit all five questions, and because my friends had prepared, we had a lively discussion.

The goal of a book overview meeting should be to come up with a main point for the book you’re studying. Once you agree on this as a group, you can return to it to make sense of smaller passages. Even if you don’t hit on application during this meeting, you’re laying the foundation for future discussions.

Like a Compass in a Storm

The book overview won’t solve all of your Bible study problems. But it is a wonderful exercise for both personal and small group Bible study. When you know what an author is trying to do with the book as a whole, sometimes smaller sections of the book click into place.

Next time you start a new book in your small group Bible study, take a week to talk about the big picture. You won’t regret it!

Thanks to Peter for his help in preparing this article.

This was originally published in 2017.

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3 Questions I Ask During Every Bible Study

August 12, 2024 By Ryan Higginbottom

Good questions are at the core of good Bible study planning. And the best questions are crafted to relate both to the text at hand and the people in the group.

However, there are some general questions I ask during just about every Bible study I lead. Sometimes I’ll modify these questions slightly, but mostly they can be used as is. These questions almost always help my group look closely at the Scriptures, work to understand its meaning, and draw out its implications.

What Do You Notice?

The people in my Bible study group know this question is aimed at observation. I’m not fishing for anything specific; I’m genuinely curious what they observed when this passage was read aloud.

With some planning, I can usually (though not always!) anticipate some answers to this question, directing the conversation to further observation or interpretation.

Alternate versions of this question: What jumped out at you? What are some important details in this text?

What’s the Flow of Thought?

To understand the author’s main point, we must determine what he is saying and how he is connecting his ideas. When the logic connecting one paragraph to another is obvious, I don’t need this question. But when the transition is more subtle, this question does wonders.

This question forces people to identify or remember the main points of the smaller units of thought and think about their connections. When we can link these ideas together and follow those connections through the passage, we’ll almost always be able to sniff out the main point.

Alternate versions of this question: How do these paragraphs connect? What’s the logical flow? Why does this paragraph come before/after this one?

How Can We Apply This?

After we have observed and interpreted, we want to apply the text of Scripture. We don’t want to look into this mirror and remain unchanged. We want to be hearers and doers of the word (James 1:22–25).

This is an open-the-door question, asked to see what work the Holy Spirit might be doing in the hearts of my Bible study friends. I try to have more pointed questions prepared in case this doesn’t draw any responses. But sometimes a generic question is all we need—the conviction or comfort a person needs may have already come to them powerfully, and this question kicks off a fruitful conversation aimed at genuine application.

Alternate versions of this question: What does this mean for us? How might we live differently because of this text?

Not My Only Questions

A Bible study leader’s plan cannot consist of only these questions. However, sometimes the best questions are the ones most likely to get people talking. We can take advantage of the interaction for which a Bible study group is designed when we make it easy for our friends to enter the discussion. And these three questions are a good start.

Bible Study Leaders Must Be Flexible

February 12, 2024 By Ryan Higginbottom

As a college professor, I’ve taught the same material dozens of times. And while the main ideas of calculus don’t change drastically from one semester to the next, those classes are not the same.

Each iteration of the course is different because each class roster is different. If I ignored the particular students in my classes and focused only on the material, I wouldn’t be doing my job as a teacher.

Leadership is Always Local

This same truth holds when leading a Bible study: the audience matters. What is appropriate and powerful in one setting may fail spectacularly in another. This isn’t an original insight, but it does highlight a principle many ignore.

Leadership never exists in a vacuum. Leaders are leaders because they lead people. Even “organizational leaders” are leaders of people, because what do we suppose organizations are made of, heads of lettuce?

This doesn’t mean that good principles for leading are a fiction—they aren’t. However, good principles still need to be worked out locally; they are incarnated face-to-face in relationships with real people.

Flexibility in Study Meetings

When a Bible study leader prepares for a meeting, he should do the hard work of observation and interpretation, letting the text dig into his flesh and change him before he attempts to bring change to others. Nailing down a main point for the passage is a vital step before a Bible study meeting.

However, that same leader needs to be prepared for the actual people that walk through the door. They will arrive with different moods, experiences, and histories, and those differences may dramatically affect the discussion. This is especially true when it comes to application.

Examples

I’ll illustrate this point with two examples. While these examples are fictitious, I’ve led Bible study meetings in the past where similar issues came up and affected the mood and direction of the conversation. (It’s also worth mentioning that we call the small groups at my church Home Fellowship Groups. Bible study is an important component of our meetings, but we also share times of prayer and fellowship.)

Scenario 1 — Dwayne is a faithful member of your group. His work situation is consistently the most difficult part of his life, and he speaks openly about his troubles with his boss. His direct supervisor consistently belittles him and ignores his good performance. At the Bible study meeting in question, Dwayne has had an especially hard week, as he has been passed over for a promotion for the third straight time. If the application of the Bible study is focused on loving one’s neighbors, Dwayne’s background will have a huge effect on his participation, and if he participates, it will color the rest of the discussion.

Scenario 2 — Nicole is a single woman attending your Bible study, and her sister has asked her to move back home to help care for their aging father. Nicole does not have a good relationship with any of her family members, as they have distanced themselves from her since she has become a Christian. This move would take her hours away, and there is no good church in the town where her family lives. If the Bible study is about honoring one’s parents or the importance of a local church congregation, Nicole’s situation may change the conversation in big ways.

People Are Not an Interruption

For a new or inexperienced Bible study leader, these examples could seem frustrating, as though the life situations of these group members might derail a perfectly-planned study. But this Platonic ideal of a Bible study does not exist.

Leading real Bible studies means that the Bible comes into contact with real people, and the lives of real people are often messy and difficult. But these difficulties are not interruptions to our plans—this is what it means to lead people and help them apply the Bible in their lives.

Let’s go one step further. God never puts people together by accident, so these “challenging” cases that crop up in Bible study are not just opportunities for leaders to help their friends apply the Bible. We are meant to apply the Bible in community, so leaders may have a lot to learn personally (and not just as leaders) from these hard situations.

Don’t Forget the Gospel During Bible Study

November 6, 2023 By Ryan Higginbottom

This is not a post about connecting the interpretation of a Bible passage to Jesus. I won’t dwell on considering the work of Christ when applying the truth of Scripture. By God’s grace, you should do both of these things. Today I want to stress the importance of the gospel as it relates to the Bible study process.

Success and Failure

At Knowable Word, we’re big fans of the Observation-Interpretation-Application (OIA) Bible study method. It is our goal to help ordinary people learn to study the Bible. We advocate for steps that help you find the author’s main point, connect it to Jesus, and apply that truth to all the musty crawlspaces of your life. Our suggestions are not perfect, but we believe these are sound principles that help us to know God better through his son Jesus.

But what if you forget? How do you react if you jump too quickly to interpretation and don’t spend enough time in careful observation? What happens when you get excited about a pet application and miss the main point? What should you do when you mishandle God’s word?

On the other hand, suppose you follow all of our suggestions to the letter. How do you feel about your personal Bible study then? How does God think about it? Or maybe the Bible study group you are leading had a wonderful meeting—do you carry yourself as though you got a heavenly promotion?

We Always Need the Gospel

The good news of Jesus Christ is not just information that brings us into a relationship with God; we need to know and act on this news in every moment of our Christian lives. Neither is the gospel merely the dessert cart wheeled out at the conclusion of the Bible study meal. We need the gospel from soup to nuts and back into the kitchen.

We tend to hear this exhortation about remembering the gospel and think immediately of our moral behaviors—our successes or failures in the realms of pride, anger, lust, jealousy, and the like. But we need reminders about God’s love, Jesus’s work, and our new identities throughout our lives, and we need to connect these truths to our every endeavor, including studying the Bible.

So as you study the Bible yourself or with a group of other people, here are some ways to remember the gospel.

Our successes do not take us closer to God — If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, God’s love for you is full. You cannot do anything, including following sound Bible study principles, to make God prize you any more. All the proper method, careful listening, and prayerful application in the world will not draw God any closer to you. In your place, Jesus has offered to God all of the obedience you will ever need to be accepted. Interpreting the Bible accurately and applying it thoroughly will lead you into further obedience and greater joy, but God cannot be on your side more than he already is.
Our failures do not cast us away from God — In the same way that God does not love you any more for your successes, he loves you no less for your failures. Whether your errors in Bible study are small or large, you cannot drive God away from you, not even a little. If you have spotted a mistake, you should repent and make efforts to set things right. But God is not distant from you in the meantime; indeed it is his grace that leads you to repentance (Rom 2:4).

I need this exhortation most as a small group leader. Hours after a study ends I will think of several ways I failed my group. I didn’t connect our interpretation to Jesus; I didn’t make time for specific applications; I talked too much and didn’t ask enough questions. It’s easy for me to be overcome with regret.

But I need to remember the gospel at these moments. Instead of dwelling on my shortcomings, I try to focus on Jesus. God doesn’t look at me as subpar and inadequate because of my performance; he sees Jesus’s perfect record instead of mine and is completely satisfied. God’s grace is lavish and powerful—strong enough to lift my chin and help me trust him even when my flesh tugs me toward despair.
We are free to offer the grace we’ve been given — Have you ever caught someone yawning or nodding off during your Bible study meeting? Are you frustrated to see your friend fighting the same battles against sin he fought a year ago? Does one member of your small group seem clueless despite your efforts to teach the Bible? Because God has loved you deeply, you are free to pass along love in the same manner. In his love God is patient, long-suffering, and full of forgiveness. Despite your flesh’s desire to complain or lash out in anger or frustration, remembering the gospel will help you to be patient with others in their sanctification even as God is patient with you.

Bible Study Leader Tip #33: Let the Spirit Lead

June 16, 2023 By Tom Hallman

Back in college I led a number of Bible Studies, each very well-intentioned and some even mildly well-done. One of the biggest struggles I had, however, was that I led the studies as though I were the one on whom everything depended.

Dumb.

Here are three suggestions for how to be smarter than I was by letting the Spirit lead:

Suggestion #1: Pray

You’d think this would be obvious, but I neglected it often. Rather than acknowledging on my knees that I was a Bible Study leader in desperate need of grace, I’d spend hours preparing, I’d use free time for recruiting and I’d survey people afterwards for feedback. Notice the repeated word? I…

Dumb.

Did I author these verses…?

For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven
and do not return there but water the earth,
making it bring forth and sprout,
giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;
it shall not return to me empty,
but it shall accomplish that which I purpose,
and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.
(Isaiah 55:10-11 ESV)

Nope. The Spirit did (2 Peter 1:20-21). So pray, then let Him lead.

Suggestion #2: Be satisfied with who shows up

I remember one time a guy I’d been inviting to come to the study for weeks finally showed up. In fact, he was the only one who came that night. Know what I did? I canceled it.

He never came back.

Dumb.

If only one or a handful of people show up to your study, take full advantage of the dynamics and relational opportunities that avail themselves to small groups. Don’t assume that a group of 5 or 13 or 20 will mean that you’re godlier somehow or that you’ve arrived. Jesus had a Bible study of 5000+, but not many of them panned out.

And don’t forget the corollary to this suggestion: Be satisfied with who doesn’t show up – even if you’ve been inviting them for months or years. If the Spirit is leading, He’ll bring just who He wants just when He wants them.

Suggestion #3: Throw out the script

I used to spend a ton of time trying to come up with just the right sequences of questions to help those in my study really “get” the Bible. Yet without fail, by the time I got about two questions in, someone would make a comment or ask a question that steered me off my “script”. I’d usually end up frustrated and/or staring like a deer in headlights as I tried to come up with a way to get the study back on my agenda.

Dumb.

If the Spirit is working in the hearts of those who come, you needn’t rely on your perfect planning. Yes, you should lead them through the basics of observation, interpretation and application, but the specifics of what that looks like needn’t be precisely pre-planned. After all, the Spirit has already been working to “convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.” (John 16:8 ESV). You’re basically just along for the ride.

One sure-fire way to see what the Spirit is revealing to the group after reading the text is to ask the simple question, “What stood out to you?” You might assume it would be verse 2, but someone says, “Wow… verse 4 is amazing… I never realized that God loved me that much…” In those moments, you’ll be delighted that you weren’t the One “leading”.

Your turn: what other suggestions would you give in regard to letting the Spirit lead?

Bible Study Leader Tip #12: Use The Text

June 9, 2023 By Tom Hallman

As we’ve noted previously, good Bible Study involves making observations, interpreting those observations and then making applications based on those interpretations. Thus the key to unlocking Bible-based life-change begins with making Bible-based observations. To do this, we need to utilize the Scripture text itself.

That may sound obvious, but it is often overlooked. To see what I mean, take your study group to Matthew 13 and ask them, “Why does Jesus speak in parables?” Then take note of how many people look down at the text for the answer. Of those, how many reference the actual text in their answer?

Lord willing, all or most of your study group will do this – and especially if they have been well-trained in understanding the importance of careful observation. However, many times I have noticed that people stare at me or off into space. The unchurched rarely do this; rather, they rightly assume that the answers are in the Bible itself. This is what you ought to encourage!

Note that this is most critical in the observation phase. It may also be important for interpretation and application phases if the text itself offers those answers, but it doesn’t always.

Some practical suggestions:

If you find someone staring at you rather than diligently searching the text, direct them there instead.
If someone gives you an answer (correct or not) without reference to the text, ask them where they got their answer from.
If you’re feeling sneaky, you can occasionally ask questions that the text does not answer. See if they notice! (Note: I wouldn’t recommend this when working with young or frightened believers… let them get used to studying the Bible first.)
Make sure that you yourself are not contributing to the problem~ When you ask a question, is the answer in the text itself?

What would you add to that list?

Against Springboard Studies

April 24, 2023 By Ryan Higginbottom

How can a Bible study go wrong when the entire focus is on the Bible? How can a Sunday school class or sermon be steeped in God’s word and leave us feeling empty?

Springboard Studies

Some Bible studies are springboard studies. The Bible study leader reads the passage and identifies connected biblical themes. Then the group time becomes an opportunity to teach on or discuss those themes.

I call these “springboard studies” because the leader takes the given passage as a jumping-off point—a springboard—to a different discussion. Springboard studies have the appearance of being faithful to the text of Scripture because the group is reading numerous Bible passages and talking about theology and doctrine. However, at the end of the hour, participants rarely have a good idea about the meaning of the discussion’s “text of origin.”

This is common for teachers, speakers, and preachers, too. People serving those in those roles should read on with their domain in mind.

What Drives Discussion?

Springboard studies can be lively and engaging. This is often because the leader jumps from the passage to a topic about which they are passionate or interested. As such, the leader puts a lot of energy into defending a doctrine or explaining some theological development close to their heart.

The problem with this approach is that it almost by definition misses the main point of the passage. People attending the Bible study may leave with a better sense of the leader’s allegiances and theological preferences but without an understanding of why the original text was written.

Bible interpretation is hard work, and we often need to fight to understand what the author was trying to communicate. But if a Bible study group claims to be studying a certain book of Scripture, the goal should be to observe, interpret, and apply that text.

Building a Theological Framework

Please don’t misunderstand me. Theology and doctrine are of great importance, and we sometimes build portions of our theological frameworks on the smaller points or assumptions of the Biblical authors. (Although, it is worth asking how devoted we should be to doctrines which are not the main points of any Bible passage.)

My issue is with Bible studies (or sermons) that claim to be expositional, verse-by-verse examinations of Scripture passages which may better be described as “inspired by the text.”

How to Avoid Leading a Springboard Study

Springboard studies come about, in part, because we don’t think the Bible is interesting or important enough to hold our attention for 45 minutes. So we map a word, phrase, character, or scene from the Bible onto something “more relevant” that will sustain a longer conversation. As though merely having a conversation—any conversation at all—were the goal of Bible study!

The main way to avoid leading a springboard study is to let the text of Scripture drive the discussion. After observing the passage, we fire every related question we can think of at the text. The Scripture in front of us may not have answers to all (or many) of these questions, but the work of interpretation is to keep asking and answering questions until we identify the author’s main point.

There is an important place in the church for classes, lectures, and conversations about Biblical topics which are not rooted in a single passage. But let’s not confuse this with Bible study.