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A Check-Engine Light for My Small Group Preparation

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Sigmund (2020), public domain

Preparing for a Bible study meeting can take a lot of energy. But the amount of time it takes can vary from passage to passage and leader to leader.

Since we can always put in more time to read, pray, and think, how do we know when we’re done? How can we tell when the study is ready?

I’m not sure there’s a universal answer to that question. However, I think there are indicators that show up when we haven’t prepared enough. In this article, I’ll share one of my indicators in the hope that it might help others to discover theirs.

The Relationship Between Preparation and Explanation

My small group preparation falls into two phases. First I study the passage; then, I think through the discussion about the passage I hope to have with my small group.

If my preparation time is shortened in any given week, it’s likely the second phase that suffers. And while I’m seldom conscious of how much focused time I’m spending on my study, I have identified a helpful litmus test for under-preparation.

For me, there’s an inverse relationship between my preparation time and how much talking I do during the Bible study meeting. The less prepared I am, the more I talk, and the more prepared I am, the less I talk.

Perhaps this is surprising. After all, if I’m more prepared, wouldn’t I have more to say?

Drawing on the Strength of Small Groups

Let’s not forget, the chief advantage of a Bible study is interaction. The discussion and conversation we have as a group can turbo-charge our engagement with a passage of Scripture.

Therefore, as a leader, I prepare with the goal of interaction. I try my best to write questions to draw my friends into the Bible and help them see what I have seen.

The less prepared I am, the less time I’ve likely had to spend on my questions. So, my explanations take the place of discovery and learning among my group members. I’m serving my friends a filet instead of helping them wrestle the fish into the boat.

It’s often the interpretation phase of Bible study that gets short-circuited. In my head, I know the interpretive dots must be connected, so I connect the dots myself instead of posing the questions that help my friends draw the line between points A and B.

The result is not always a disaster. Some people in my group might not even notice. But I can tell, and our application never seems quite as sharp when we haven’t arrived together at the author’s main point.

A Light of Your Own

Talking too much—trying to give too many explanations myself—is my check-engine light. It tells me that I didn’t spend enough time on the right things as I got ready for my small group. For future meetings, I’ll need to carve out focused time to plan for the small group discussion. (For those with similar struggles to me, you might find this question-writing worksheet helpful. I still do!)

Your indicator light might be different from mine. One way to make progress thinking through your own leadership is to meet with a trusted friend from the group after the Bible study. Specific, loving feedback can go a long way toward helping you grow.

The Power of Real Application Experience

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Nguyen Dang Hoang Nhu (2022), public domain

There are few things better than a bowl of warm soup on a chilly evening. Paired with some fresh bread and butter, that’s close to a perfect meal.

Soup is an odd food, though. Most dishes are best fresh and then decent or tolerable as leftovers. Not soup. Many soups are better on the second day than the first. And if they last until the third day, they’re even better. The absorption and combination of flavors somehow doesn’t reach its peak for that first serving.

Application Takes Time

In the OIA model of Bible study, application follows observation and interpretation. And as the most effective Bible study leader is the one transformed through personal study, leaders must be committed to application.

But application takes time.

Application doesn’t take time as measured in minutes and hours. Like soup, application often needs days to mature. We don’t know how our ideas about applying a passage may encounter obstacles in our hearts and lives until some serious time has passed.

For this reason, I recommend that leaders complete the application portion of their study several days before their small group meets. (I hope preachers reading this will translate this advice to their own callings, because it is just as relevant for them.)

Time for Confession

I write this advice out of my weakness. I see an acute need for improvement in my own Bible study leadership, and I’m hoping that by broadcasting my shortcoming, it may help others excel where I have not. (And, as I’m planning to write a follow-up post, I’m hoping that accountability helps me!)

My habit in preparing Bible studies is to use my devotional time the week beforehand. My small group meets on Sunday evenings, so ideally I would complete my personal study of the text by Wednesday. This would give me four days to try on the applications that have come out of my study before I see my group. (In that time, I would also prepare my comments and questions for the meeting.)

Instead, I’ve recently been finishing my studying on Saturday. And as I rush to prepare for my group, I’m not engaged enough in personal application of the text to be helpful to my friends. I usually have a decent understanding of the passage, but my life does not often reflect the changes the main point of the passage demands.

Adjusting the Schedule

I realize this advice will not win me any popularity contests. I’m telling people who have little margin in their lives to finish their preparations earlier.

My own preparation schedule cascades from one meeting to the next. So it’s hard to simply declare that I’ll finish earlier this time around. Instead, I need to reset my “preparation calendar,” which means I need a break from leading for at least one meeting.

I’ve done this in different ways in the past. My group has met for fellowship and prayer but not for Bible study for a week. I’ve cancelled a meeting. And, I’ve asked a friend within the group to lead for a week. (This is a great opportunity to start or continue to train others to lead Bible studies!)

Grace for Leaders

As Bible study leaders read my suggestion, I hope they do not feel another burden landing on their shoulders. I’m not advocating for more work, just a shift in the preparation timeline that sets leaders up for greater effectiveness.

And we dare not lose sight of the gospel as we ponder these matters. Because of the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, Christians are righteous, forgiven, adopted, and prayed for by the Son of God. Following my advice will not endear anyone more to God, and rejecting this advice will not make God love anyone less. God is committed to us, and he is transforming us by his Spirit as we walk with him.

The more we talk about and show that personal transformation to our Bible study friends, the more we will encourage them in their own transformation.

When You’ve Led a Bad Bible Study: Preparing

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Matt Botsford (2018), public domain

You’ve led a bad Bible study and tried to learn from the mistakes you’ve made. What comes next?

Well, usually there’s another study to lead! As you prepare for that meeting you have an opportunity to avoid the problems that turned your last meeting sour.

Remember the Gospel

Coming out of a recent bad experience, it’s easy to approach your next Bible study meeting with an unanchored heart. On the one hand, you might take this as an opportunity to prove yourself, to show the last meeting was an aberration. On the other hand, you might limp into the meeting, wounded and wearing failure on your sleeve.

There’s a better way. The gospel of Jesus keeps you from both extremes. When you know the love of God deep in your bones, you don’t have anything to prove. An outstanding Bible study this time around doesn’t earn you any points with God. The gospel also reminds you that Jesus came for sinners. Your mistakes are not a surprise to God; the price has already been paid. That penance you are trying to complete by wallowing in your sin is unnecessary.

Hear this loud and clear: You cannot lead well enough for God to love you any more. And you cannot lead poorly enough for God to love you any less.

You are God’s precious child, adopted and perfectly loved. This should give you confidence to face your next Bible study with hope and excitement, knowing that God is at work in you and in your friends as you read and discuss his Word.

Use What You’ve Learned

In my previous post, I suggested there might be valuable lessons to learn from that bad Bible study meeting. As you think toward your next meeting, now is the time to turn those lessons into actions.

If your bad meeting was a result of leader error, make sure you budget extra preparation time. Be sure to study the text carefully and ask God to change you through his Word. Approach your group with humility, knowing that even though you’ve studied the passage more than others, you might still have a lot to learn. Take the necessary time to write out good questions, leading your friends through the text to the main point (as you understand it).

If your last Bible study flopped because of conflict in the group, be sure to have any necessary conversations (no matter how uncomfortable) before the group meets next. As much as it depends on you, make sure the air is clear. You might also prayerfully consider where difficult questions or sharp opinions might arise during the upcoming study and develop a plan for handling touchy situations.

Pray

My first post in this series was all about prayer, so this might sound redundant. But, like Paul (Phil 3:1), I don’t mind repeating myself.

The whole process of leading a small group Bible study should be submerged in prayer from start to finish. Pray as you study the Bible on your own. Pray as you write your leader’s notes and your study questions. Pray as you drive to the meeting! Pray after the meeting ends.

No effective Bible study leader will neglect this essential part of the ministry.

Talk it Through

When my math students ask for advice about studying for exams, I tell them to talk to someone about the problems they’re completing. I think there’s something in the brain that snaps into place when we speak out loud what we had previously only been thinking.

In the same way, I’d encourage every Bible study leader to talk through the goals of their upcoming meeting with a friend. Describe the main point of the passage and how you plan to help your group make the connections. Explain the applications you’ve made personally and the reasons behind the specific application questions you’ve planned.

Learn and Improve

That Bible study you led? We don’t need to pretend it was good. But the God who brings life from death may have something important for you in it.

By praying, learning, and preparing for the next Bible study meeting, you can make the most of that experience you’d rather forget.

When You’ve Led a Bad Bible Study: Learning

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Kyle Gregory Devaras (2017), public domain

If your last Bible study meeting was a clunker, all is not lost. It happens! Take some time to pray and sort things through with God.

After you’ve prayed, you might be tempted to bury that meeting deep in the forest. But don’t get out your shovel just yet; that bad meeting might offer some lessons as you look to improve as a Bible study leader.

Diagnosing the Problem

A Bible study can turn sour for many reasons. In my experience, bad meetings fall into two main categories: leader error and group conflict.

Leader Error

When I look back at Bible studies gone wrong, I often spot my own lack of sufficient preparation.

  • not enough study time — Sometimes I simply haven’t spent enough time in the text of Scripture. And if I haven’t wrestled with the text myself, I shouldn’t be surprised if I struggle to help others understand.
  • no personal change — To prepare for a meeting, I need to apply the passage to my own head, heart, and hands. And yet leaders often skip this crucial step. This may be due to a lack of time, but it may also be due to an unwillingness to face some hard parts of life that need to change.
  • unhealthy expectations — God speaks through his Spirit and through his Word. And sometimes he uses other Christians (aside from me!) to explain the truth of the Bible. If I assume that my interpretation is perfect and I expect everyone to see what I have seen and agree with me immediately, I’m likely to be disappointed. I need to pray for and welcome observations and correction from others.
  • poor questions — For my small group leadership, the top predictor of a bad Bible study is a lack of good questions. The less I prepare, the more I talk (instead of encouraging discussion), and this often results in vague or rambling questions that drop to the floor like an anvil. Preparation needs to involve not just understanding the text but drawing a clear line from text-based observations to the main point of the passage. If I’m unwilling or unable to put the work in on this level, I shouldn’t expect a good study.

Perhaps the way to correct these mistakes is clear: leaders need to address any deficiencies in their own preparation.

Group Conflict

Sometimes the bad Bible study didn’t have as much to do with your preparation as it did with interaction among the group during the meeting. This isn’t unusual—any time sinners (which is to say, humans) gather, there’s a potential for conflict or misunderstanding. These usually show up in two ways.

  • the leader fumbles — A Bible study leader needs to know how to handle questions, silence, unexpected answers, and criticism. If you’ve dropped the ball on any of these matters, you’re not alone! I’d suggest seeking counsel from someone in your church who knows you and others in your group; they might be able to suggest how to prepare for these aspects of the meeting and respond with grace. And if you’ve sinned against any of your friends out of impatience, frustration, or self-protection, you should ask for their forgiveness as soon as possible.
  • conflict among group members — On rare occasions, a Bible study meeting might be compromised by a conflict between group members. Regardless of the cause of the flare-up, the tension caused by a vocal disagreement can spoil the night. In this situation, you’ll need to talk to the people involved and encourage them to resolve their conflict in a way that squares with the Bible.

Always Learning

The steps to learning after a bad study are familiar: identify the mistake or problem, think through its cause, address the root concern, and seek wisdom to move forward.

When we lead a bad Bible study, we can view it as a setback or an opportunity. If we take the time to learn, we may just become better leaders who help people walk more closely with God.

How Leaders Read the Bible

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I’ve written before about how we must learn from the Bible before we’re qualified to teach it. Seminary professor Dan Doriani has similar thoughts. He writes to pastors, but his words apply equally to Bible study leaders, Sunday school teachers, and parents.

I especially appreciate the section where Doriani explains the stages of a ministry leader’s devotional life:

  1. Naive and devotional – new Christian, or new to the Bible, and excited about every word.
  2. Sophisticated and devotional – learning basic principles of Bible study, reading in context, etc.
  3. Technical – becoming an expert in language and interpretive techniques.
  4. Technical and functional – expert interpreter who considers how to communicate these truths to others.
  5. Technical and devotional – expert interpreter who considers applying these truths to himself or herself.

As we spend more time in ministry, we’ll be tempted to separate our study from our own application. We must not do this. We must keep pushing ourselves into that fifth stage.

Doriani’s article is worth reading for anyone who feels the tension between “ministry prep” Bible study time and “personal devotions” Bible study time.

Check it out!

Sharpen Your Axe: Prepare for Your Small Group

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A woodsman was once asked, “What would you do if you had just five minutes to chop down a tree?” He answered, “I would spend the first two and a half minutes sharpening my axe.”1

JJMustang_79 (2008), Creative Commons License

JJMustang_79 (2008), Creative Commons License

Preparing to Move

I recently helped a young couple move. When the truck arrived, we loaded their boxes and furniture in almost no time. We made such quick work of the job that we called off the reinforcements who were coming later!

What made the move so easy? My friends had packed and organized everything. They told us what needed to go, and we jumped right in.

In short, they were prepared.

If it’s Important, We Prepare

While you might not need extensive plans to brush your hair, you wouldn’t take the same approach to a career change. It’s simple: we prepare for events and tasks in proportion to their importance.

So, how important is your small group Bible study? On the one hand, this gathering should be a low-stress get-together. This is no job interview, first date, or keynote speech.

But a casual event can still be significant. When we study God’s word, we should expect him to reveal himself. He will teach us how to love and obey him through his son, Jesus. Can you think of a more monumental activity?

You lay the groundwork for God’s work in your midst when you prepare for your gathering. Some planning may appear ordinary, but it is all vital to the success of your Bible study group.

Physical Preparations

If the physical aspects of your meeting are in order, you won’t notice. They will blend into the background like jazz at a coffee shop. But if a detail is overlooked, it will stand out like a gong.

  • Host — Every group needs a place to meet. Could you provide a comfortable place for your friends?
  • Organize the practical details — Some groups rotate child care and/or food duties among group members. If your group has such a need, consider arranging these schedules.
  • Lead the communication — Between gatherings, build your group’s sense of community. Keep everyone in touch using email, Facebook, phone calls, or text messages. Remind the group of the next meeting’s details and, if everyone signs on, consider a weekly distribution of prayer requests.
  • Invite others — If your small group welcomes visitors, prayerfully seek people to invite. This is especially encouraging in groups designed to introduce unbelievers to the claims of Jesus.
  • Build anticipation for the meeting — Talk to other group members, rejoice at God’s work, and express your excitement for the next get-together. What applications of the Bible are you working to implement that came up at the last meeting?

Spiritual Preparations

When the physical arrangements are made, the soil is tilled for a spiritual crop. Here are some ways to plant seeds and prepare for the harvest.

  • Study the passage — Your small group leader may prompt the group with questions ahead of time. Even without prompting, you will contribute more to and learn more from the discussion if you study the Bible passage in advance. While God can (and does) give in-the-moment insight, think of all the observations, interpretations, and applications you will bring if you work ahead!
  • Pray for the leader — Your small group leader’s job is difficult. Ask God to reveal the main point of the passage and how to guide the group there. Pray that your leader would allow the message to change him/her before teaching.2
  • Pray for the group — Pray for the individuals in the group, not just for their recent requests, but also for their growing trust in and love for Christ. (Consider praying Ephesians 3:16–19 for them.) Ask God to give the group understanding into his word through their interaction at the next meeting.
  • Pray for yourself — In small groups, you have the opportunity both to bless and be blessed. Pray for openness to the ideas and suggestions of others. Think of someone in your group with whom you haven’t connected recently; pray for an opportunity to encourage them.

During some weeks, the busyness of your life may keep you from preparing for your small group. Go to the meeting anyway. These are probably the times you need to go more than ever!

But if you’re able to prepare, you will be a blessing to your group. And you just might find that God teaches you in the process.

  1. A version of this quote is commonly attributed to Abraham Lincoln, but it appears that is not true.  ↩
  2. This series of posts is focused on those who attend small group Bible studies; if you lead such a study, we have lots of resources for you.  ↩

Six Bad Habits in Leading Bible Study

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This is a guest post by Andy Cimbala. Andy has a passion for college students to become committed disciples of Jesus Christ, and he loves seeing them lead great Bible studies! Andy & his wife Melissa are the lead campus staff for the DiscipleMakers ministry at Shippensburg University, and he blogs for The Relentless Fight. If you’d like to write a guest post for Knowable Word, please see the guidelines page.

Dennis Larson (2012), Creative Commons

Dennis Larson (2012), Creative Commons

If God can use a silly donkey to speak his word (2 Peter 2:16), he can use anybody. But the wise of heart will use sweetness of speech to increase persuasiveness (Prov 16:21).

Thus, even when truth is present, a bad Bible study can leave participants confused, wondering if they’ll ever understand what the Bible says. But as leaders we can prevent Bible studies from being dull by learning how to study well and how to lead well—and by avoiding at least six bad habits.

1. Winging It

The Spirit of God works as we lead Bible study, and he also works as we prepare for it. Before you lead, spend time in prayer and preparation to discern the main point of the text and to generate some helpful questions to guide the time.

2. Being Vague

When God speaks, he means to communicate something knowable and specific, and what he means is not a matter of one’s own interpretation. Your job as leader is to direct people to the text to discern what the author is saying. Clarity is a rare but precious commodity. Strive for it as you frame the time and ask good questions. Feel free to guide the group by taking tangential discussions offline.

3. Talking a Lot

The answers are in the text and not your brain. Direct the group back into the Bible, and ask questions to help them seek and find the truth there. Be quick to listen and slow to speak. By all means, draw the group out, and dominate the time with God’s voice, not yours.

4. Keeping it Academic

What good is it to understand the point of a passage but never have it change our lives? James says this is like looking in the bathroom mirror but having to pull down the car visor 15 minutes later because you forgot what you looked like (James 1:23-24). When you lead a Bible study, reserve time for application and push folks to grapple with the text’s connection to their lives. Don’t be satisfied with purely cognitive but apparently spiritual answers.

5. Sputtering to the Finish

Leaders are servants, and a great way to serve people is to communicate start and end times—and hold yourself to them. Also, a strong way to end the study might be to restate the main point, summarize a few applications, and close with prayer. You may want to sneak any announcements in before the closing prayer. What you don’t want is for people, who sacrificed time to attend, to wonder whether it was worth it.

6. Neglecting Prayer

Since the Holy Spirit wrote the Scripture, sensible leaders ask his help to understand it. While prayer might not fit your goals for the discussion time itself (particularly if the group’s purpose is outreach to unbelievers), prayer during your preparation expresses dependence on the Lord and gives him the honor he deserves.

May God strengthen you to be an excellent Bible study leader! May you lead with consideration, clarity, and confidence in the author and perfecter of faith. And if your study doesn’t go well, remember that our gracious God can still speak through anyone.

To Prompt or Not to Prompt

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This summer I met a professional (minor league) baseball player. I asked him if he still uses a tee for batting practice, and his response confirmed my suspicions: “Every day.”

A good Bible study guide is like a baseball tee. While it is not part of the actual game, it performs a critical function in training all players, be they youngsters, pros, or anyone in between.

Similarly, while Bible study guides should not be the heart and soul of our Scripture study, they are invaluable for refining, training, and conditioning our study skills. This goes not only for printed guides—workbooks, commentaries, etc.—but also for oral guides like discussion questions and prompting from a leader. In this final post on preparing to lead effective Bible studies, I’d like to reflect on something I often wrestle with: Should I give people specific questions to help them prepare for the next meeting?

Ken Bingham (2009), Creative Commons

Ken Bingham (2009), Creative Commons

What I Mean by Prompting

Last week, my small group was planning to study Romans 1:1-17. We had just discussed a book overview at the previous meeting. A few days before the meeting, I emailed participants with a few questions to help their preparation:

  1. According to this passage, what is the gospel?
  2. Why is Paul so excited about it?

That’s it. I didn’t put a huge effort into crafting a careful study guide. I just wanted to give a few open-ended questions to stimulate their thinking in the right direction. Is it helpful to do this?

Reasons to Prompt

There are many good reasons to prompt people in their preparation:

  • People who have never studied the Bible before won’t know what to do without some help. They’ll sit and stare at the passage (if they have the fortitude to do even that) before giving up hopelessly.
  • Some who have studied can still get in ruts. Familiarity may cause them to presume on the text’s meaning. A skilled leader can prompt them in the right direction.
  • People eventually learn how to ask good questions after they’ve had good models to imitate.
  • Such prompting sets the meeting up for success:
    • It enables the group to begin the discussion farther down the road toward the main point.
    • It may limit the number of rabbit trails.
    • It provides structure for the group discussion.
  • Prompting shapes expectations and communicates key ideas.
  • It helps people to begin meditating on these key ideas before they get to the meeting. Such advance notice often makes interpretation and application discussions more fruitful.

What are some other good reasons for prompting?

Reasons Not to Prompt

I don’t have a long list for this category; just one chief danger. Prompting can short-circuit people’s ability to interact with the text directly.

When I ask (good) questions, people will (usually) answer. But how can they learn how to ask their own questions if I never give them the chance? The first step of interpretation is to ask questions of our observations, and Bible study participants should have opportunity to practice this skill as much as the rest. Though I may succeed at communicating the truth of the text, will I succeed at showing people how to find that truth in my absence?

Conclusion

To prompt or not to prompt? Like most areas where we need wisdom, the answer is: It depends.

It depends on who the people are. It depends on how much experience they have with Bible study. It depends on what my goals are as I lead them. It depends on what the people are ready for. It depends on what they want. It depends on whether they’ll feel stretched or broken.

I believe neither that we must always prompt nor that we must never prompt. But I believe we must at least think about it if we want to lead effectively.

Does Your Bible Teaching Hijack Your Bible Learning?

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Personal study time is costly, especially when there’s a flock to shepherd.

The Scenario

Afghanistan Matters (2009), Creative Commons

Afghanistan Matters (2009), Creative Commons

You might be a teacher, with lessons to prepare. You might be a mentor, with students who need direction. You might be a parent, with children who need constant nurture. You might simply be a friend, with confused or inquisitive companions who have questions about Christianity.

Whatever the case, your personal Bible study time perpetually drifts toward “teaching prep(aration)” time.

You can’t read a passage without envisioning how you would teach it. Your mind focuses on what might help your students. Your parental concern drives your application. Your study consists of finding answers to your friend’s latest questions.

What’s Good

Part of your struggle is really healthy. You should seek the good of others. Application of Scripture can go in two directions: personal growth and influential leadership. Many people focus on the former and exclude the latter. You have the opposite tendency.

God may have given you – and your teaching ability – as a gift to your church (Eph 4:11-14). Talk to your elders to see if they confirm the gift and have opportunities for you to exercise it more in the church.

Whatever you do, keep growing as a teacher, mentor, parent, and friend. Just because you’re good and gifted at something doesn’t mean you can’t get better at it. Hone that skill. Shape that passion. Refine it to the glory of God.

And don’t ever feel guilty by your inclination to help others. It does not make your Bible study any less personal or acceptable to God.

What’s Not So Good

However, part of your struggle might be pretty unhealthy. You may need to revisit your definition of how to teach or lead others.

Sometimes leaders feel the need to schedule separate time just for personal growth. They think, “I’m going to have time to study the Bible so I can learn from it – not just so I can teach it.”

But the failure here is not actually a failure to learn from the Bible. It’s a failure to understand how to teach the Bible.

You can’t teach the Bible effectively without first learning from it. And your teaching ought to embody your learning. The teaching and the learning are not and cannot be exclusive to each other (as though you can do one without the other).

Look at some of Paul’s ministry methods:

  • He committed himself to sharing not only the gospel of God, but his own life, with his people (1 Thess 2:8).
  • His own example was his most influential persuasion (1 Cor 10:31-11:1).
  • His teaching affected him personally long before he expected it to affect others (Gal 1:11-2:10).
  • He taught only what he had learned. His own life – not just his ideas – provided the model to shape his students (Phil 4:9).
  • He didn’t hesitate to use both his strengths and weaknesses as illustrations of God’s grace (2 Cor 11:16-12:10).
  • He wouldn’t ask someone to do something unless he had been there and done it first. And he didn’t mind drawing attention to it if it would motivate the student (2 Tim 2:1-2, 4:1-8).

What do these things mean for our teaching?

First, don’t feel guilty if your “teaching prep” time invades your “personal study” time. Your teaching prep should include personal study and application, so why not combine the tasks?

Second, when you teach other people (whether formally or informally), share how the principles have affected your life. People need more than ideas; they need role models. When God wanted to teach us, he became one of us and lived out his teaching among us. We ought to follow his example.

Unless people see how you’ve learned what you teach, your teaching won’t have any bite. Your principles will sound like platitudes. Your education will feel empty. Your recommendations will ring hollow. Your learnedness will lose its luster.

I’ve seen it happen over and over. I’m counseling someone on an issue, and it doesn’t “click” for them until I share how I’ve struggled with the same issue. My children respond best when they understand that I need to grow in Christ as much as they do. My small group’s application discussion hits 5th gear after I’ve shared my own failures and my hope in the grace of Christ.

I’m not saying it’s easy. It’s the most difficult part of my “teaching prep,” as it requires me to hope in Christ and not my performance.

But I’ve got to share my life with those I lead. My effectiveness depends upon it.