Knowable Word

Helping ordinary people learn to study the Bible

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Help Your Small Group See the Big Picture

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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.

  1. Who wrote this book?
  2. To whom was this book written?
  3. Why did this person write this book to these people at this time?
  4. What are some key themes of the book?
  5. 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.

Image source

A Great Launching Question is Worth the Effort

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SpaceX (2016), public domain

If old shampoo commercials have taught me anything, it’s that you never get a second chance to make a first impression.

This advice isn’t just for job applicants. Your first moments with your Bible class or small group are critical as well.

A Great Way to Begin

Some teachers begin a class with a review. Others jump right into the passage.

But most skilled teachers use a softer opening. They create a transition period where people can settle, adjust, and get on the same page. Launching questions are great for this.

What is a Launching Question?

A launching question is asked at the beginning of a class or study. It launches the group toward your goal, gathering as many people on board as possible. (We’ve written about launching questions before, and Peter has provided some great examples.)

Much of the power of small groups (and smaller classes) lies in the interaction between the people. A good launching question encourages participation, showing that conversation is welcome, safe, and valued. The best questions are also linked to the topic or text of the meeting.

Common Mistakes with Launching Questions

I’ve seen and made lots of mistakes at the beginning of a Bible study. Most of these mistakes fall into four categories.

Too Heavy/Personal

Some questions ask for too much too soon. Someone who just sat down might not be ready to summarize Genesis or talk honestly about their sin. Asking a question that demands too much often results in silence, and nobody wants that!

In my small group we aim for honest conversations and personal applications of the Bible, but these discussions often happen toward the end of the study, not the beginning. I ask for more depth (both cognitively and emotionally) as the meeting progresses.

Disconnected

It’s easy to get people talking—sports, weather, or politics should do the trick. But if your interaction isn’t connected to the subsequent material, that launching question can seem like a waste.

Fill in the Blank

Some questions have only one answer. These are fine in an elementary school classroom, but in a small group they promote the illusion of interaction without the reality.

Try to craft a launching question which is open-ended and easy for everyone to answer. Instead of fill-in-the-blank questions, state the truth you’re fishing for and follow up with why or how.

Not Clear

The specific wording of a question is critical, and I’ve found that improvising doesn’t work. I encourage every teacher to write down their questions verbatim and in an easy-to-spot place in their notes.

Without a scripted beginning, my launching questions end up being too long, vague, or confusing. A clear, straightforward question is most important in those opening minutes.

An Example: Idolatry

Suppose you’re teaching on a passage which centers on idolatry. You plan to steer application toward personal and corporate idols in the church.

Let’s discuss some possible launching questions.

  • Can family be an idol? — This is a yes/no question, so by itself it won’t generate any conversation. Instead, start by defining an idol and then ask how a good thing like family could become an idol.
  • Is family a prominent idol for people in our church? — This puts some distance between the responder and the response, which encourages answers. But the flaw in this question is asking people to confess the sins of others. Because this could lead to gossip, I’d avoid this question.
  • What is an idol? — Depending on the maturity of your group, this could be a great place to start. To encourage multiple people to participate, follow up by asking for examples.
  • What is one of your personal idols? — This is too personal for a launching question. Build up to questions that call for revealing answers like this one.
  • What are some common idols in the modern church? — If your group is familiar with the definition of an idol, this is a great launching question. It isn’t personal, it gives people some detachment in their answers, and it encourages talk about general trends instead of specific people.

There are other ways to begin a study like this; drop your suggestions in the comments!

Worth the Effort

I write my launching question at the end of my study preparation. I need to know the end of the story before I take aim at the beginning. (It’s one of the hardest parts for me!)

Remember that every group and class is different, so what works for me might not work for you. If your small group shares a meal before your study, or if your class always follows a focused time of prayer, you can handle the beginning of your meeting differently.

A slam-dunk launching question won’t make up for poor study preparation. But a good question will pave the way toward a productive, fruitful discussion. It’s worth the effort!

This post was first published in 2017.

How Not to Apply the Bible

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Kenneth Berding describes a sort of Bible study that is not too difficult to find.

Last week we learned that the Philistines brought the prisoner Samson into a celebration dedicated to their god Dagon so that he could “entertain” them. Lindsay, would you mind reading our passage for this week, Judges 16:28-30?”

“Yes, I’d be glad to.” [Reads the text]

“Thank you for reading, Lindsay. Alright, let’s discuss this passage together. How do you think this passage applies to your life?”

“Well, this passage really spoke to me while Lindsay was reading it.”

Berding’s parable describes an application discussion that completely bypasses observation and interpretation. Then he goes to show how it could be managed far more usefully.

Check it out!

A Check-Engine Light for My Small Group Preparation

By

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.

A Sensible Approach to Difficult Small Group Members

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Have you ever had a difficult small group member? It could be someone who dominates the conversation, or who lacks restraint from being a gossip or busybody. What do you do in such a situation?

Too often, I find, leaders are afraid to address the matter directly and instead resort to hints and innuendo in hope that the person will simply catch on to others’ displeasure at their behavior. But this will not do. It is neither kind nor truthful.

Rachel Bailey offers some refreshingly sensible and biblical advice:

  1. Set firm boundaries
  2. Extend grace
  3. Have a conversation

Bailey’s piece is filled with biblical support and practical guidance. I urge you to check it out!

Asking Better Small Group Questions

By

Small Group Network (2021), public domain

The longer I lead and attend classes and Bible studies, the more convinced I am of the importance of good questions.

Good questions cannot make up for sloppy study or errant understanding. However, without good questions, the Biblical truth that should pierce like an arrow may land like a jellyfish instead.

Questions are the delivery method, the interface between leader and participant. Assuming the leader does not want to lecture (please don’t!), questions are the primary way to fuel the discussion and learn what the Scriptures say.

Every leader and teacher can improve in their question-asking. Like anything else, this takes practice and training. Below, I offer three suggestions for those who want to grow in this area.

Envision Possible Answers

Here’s my recipe for level 1 improvement: As you write your questions, think of the specific people in your small group and how they are likely to hear and answer what you ask.

This depends on a leader knowing their small group members and having experience talking with them about the Bible. Every group is different, so a set of questions that work well in one setting might not fit in another—even with the same Scripture passage.

When I draft a question, I imagine trying to answer it myself. Then I picture the possible answers my small group members will give. This step sharpens my questions, helping me to discard any vague and ill-formed inquiries. I am better able to point my friends toward what matters in the text.

Review the Meeting

We can unlock the next level of progress by reviewing the small group meeting with a friend afterward. Ideally, this is someone who attended the meeting, though that isn’t completely necessary.

The goal is to think carefully about the questions after the fact. Did they accomplish what you wanted? (You did have a goal for each question, right?) Were they clear? Try to hang onto your meeting notes and go through the questions one by one.

The best time to debrief is while the meeting is still fresh in your mind—optimally within a day or two. I find that if too much time passes, it’s hard for me to remember the responses to individual questions.

A Pre-meeting Discussion

The most intense way to upgrade your question-asking skills is a hybrid of my first two suggestions: Meet with a friend in advance of the meeting to talk through and plan your questions.

After you have studied the relevant Bible passage and made a plan for the study, get together with a friend and discuss the questions you plan to ask. This friend can draw out your intention behind each question. They can also answer your questions, and you can learn how someone in your group is likely to interpret and respond to them.

No Perfect Plan

These strategies come with no guarantee. Asking good questions in a small group is a learned skill; it is something we can practice and improve. However, because people are unpredictable, one of the other skills we need is improvisation. No study will ever go exactly according to script, so we need to be ready to reframe, drill down, or pull back.

The job of the small group leader is to understand and apply the Biblical text and then help group members to understand and apply it as well. Because questions are central to the second part of this goal, it is worth the effort to ask the best questions we can.

The Surprising Glory of Small Group Bible Studies

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Small group Bible studies are not flashy, but then God’s majestic glory is typically not very flashy either. Of course, there was once a fiery typhoon on sinners dwelling in a plain (Genesis 19). And there was the blast of divine nostrils that blew a sea apart through the night watches (Exodus 14). And, of course, there was the traumatic thundercloud on the mountain (Exodus 19). But some of the shock value of those happenings was on account of their extraordinary rarity.

All that glory was bottled up, after a fashion, into a vessel that could be seen without burning out people’s retinas (John 1:14). And it continues to reside within the fragile clay pots known as the redeemed (2 Cor 4:5-12). The glory has become such that eyes of faith are required to see it at all.

Photo by Vlada Karpovich

So with such eyes of faith, you may perceive the imperceptible glory of gathering with a handful of people in someone’s living room—or a factory’s break room—opening this holy book, reading what’s on the page, and discussing how God might use it to change the world. His immeasurable glory, his majestic name in all the earth, is best seen when babies and infants declare his praise (Ps 8:1-2). When that happens, the “important” people learn to shut up (Matt 21:14-17).

How much more is God’s majestic glory present when sinners confess their sin and turn to trust Jesus (Ps 19:14). It may take place in your living room. It may take place in a coffee shop. It may take place in the unlikeliest of places. All you have to do is open your Bibles and get people talking about it. Such is the surprising glory of small group Bible studies.

If you’d like to learn more about how to leverage the glorious power of interactive small group Bible studies, you may be interested in my newest book: Sowable Word: Helping Ordinary People Learn to Lead Bible Studies.

Announcing 1.5 New Books!

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https://www.cruciformpress.com/product/sowable-word/
https://www.cruciformpress.com/product/knowable-word-helping-ordinary-people-learn-to-study-the-bible-2d-ed/

I’ve blogged long enough that most of my ideas now lie buried deep within this site’s bowels. I’ve done my best to make the most important posts accessible in the main menu, but there’s only so much I can do without exhausting new visitors. And some of those ideas deserve to stay buried. After all, didn’t the Sage of Israel once say something about the making of many blogs (Eccl 12:12)? It’s in the Hebrew, I assure you.

Well, I’ve done my best to assemble all the really important stuff in one (or two) places for you. And the nice people at Cruciform Press offered to blow off the dust, spiff it up, and publish these babies. I must say it’s made my life much more interesting of late.

Knowable Word has been out for a number of years, but we just released a revised and expanded edition. That’s why it counts as only half of a new book. Sowable Word is brand new and is all about how to do all that terrific OIA stuff in an interactive small group setting.

If you’d like to learn more about either book, keep reading. At the bottom of this post, I’ll publish the introduction to Sowable Word. But first, let me explain what exactly has been revised and expanded in Knowable Word. You can also click either book image in the blog sidebar to go to some lovely marketing pages with everything you ever wanted to know about these books, including what some important people have had to say about them.

You can grab these books now from Cruciform Press or Amazon.

Revisions and Expansions in the Second Edition of Knowable Word

What Has Changed in the Second Edition?

In addition to improving the prose in various ways, this second edition expands substantially on the topics of structure, context, and literary form (which now includes not only what the first edition called “genre” but also a new concept called “text type”). In the years since the first edition was published, I have come to a deeper understanding of each of these concepts and what role each plays in the OIA method. Structure has become, in my opinion, one of the most important things to observe, as it, more than any other observation, surfaces the contours of not only the artistry but also the very argument the author seeks to make. Context really matters; without an eye for it, Bible readers are prone to go in so many different directions, which would likely have been unrecognizable to the Bible’s original authors. And text type provides a complement to genre, as a parallel way to view a text’s literary form; in fact, I’ve found that text type often provides students an even more useful set of tools than those provided by observing the genre.

I’ve also given more specific steps to help you follow an author’s train of thought, identify the weightiest segment of a passage, and thereby be more likely to discover the author’s main point. In my personal training of others, I find the greatest challenge for most is to gain a healthy suspicion of their familiarity with the text so they might learn how to truly observe it. But once that milestone has been reached, the next most difficult skill is determining the author’s main point. Our ability to perceive that main point requires us to know how to think and how to follow an argument. So I’ve expanded the instruction at that point to help you master these crucial skills.

What Almost Changed in the Second Edition?

The most frequent feedback I have received on the book is the request for an “answer key” to the Your Turn exercises found throughout the book. To date, I have staunchly refused providing one to any inquirer on the ground that the act of providing my own answer key would undermine the entire purpose of helping you gain the confidence you need to study the Bible for yourself and to believe you are approved to do so.

However, I have become persuaded that the climb—from spectator of my ongoing demonstration of the OIA method with Genesis 1 to practitioner of the self-guided study questions for Genesis 2—is a bit too steep for those who have never before tried this at home. So I have decided to now let people know how I would answer the questions I pose in those Your Turn exercises.

But I will do so only if you promise not to view those answers as the only “right” answers. And if you don’t look at those answers until you’ve first tried to answer the questions for yourself. I offer them not as an authoritative or impeccable way to study Genesis 2:4–25, but simply as a potential measuring rod by which you can evaluate whether you’re on the right track in practicing the skills laid out in this book.

That is why the answer key “almost” changed in the second edition. You won’t find it in this book. I couldn’t make it too easy for you to flip right from the exercises themselves to my guidance on the exercises, could I? If you would like to read my answers to the Your Turn exercises, you’ll have to first try them yourself. Then if you want to see if you’re on the right track, you can visit the Your Turn page at the blog and find the Guidance for Your Turn Exercises. It wasn’t ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator or anything like that, but perhaps it will provide some suitable help and courage.

Now, are you ready to begin? May every word of God prove true, as he proves to be a shield to those who take refuge in him (Proverbs 30:5).

Introduction to Sowable Word

When God’s Word falls on good soil, he promises the results will astound (Mark 4:8). That’s why there’s a surprising glory in leading a group of ordinary people to open their Bibles, read what’s on the page, and discuss how God might use those words to change the world.

Perhaps you fear “getting it wrong” without expert guidance from a workbook or study guide. Is it possible to lead fruitful and engaging groups that actually study the Bible?

You might be familiar with the OIA method of Bible study (Observe, Interpret, Apply), but is it safe for you to lead others in OIA Bible study? (If you are not familiar with this method, have no fear. Chapter 2 will bring you up to speed.)

I wrote this book to encourage you in this task. I will present the unique opportunities and objectives of Bible studies. I will suggest ways to lead Bible studies that speak to both believers and non-believers. I will explain how to start a group, how to prepare for meetings, and how to lead a discussion. I will warn you of potential pitfalls, and I will cast a vision for training others to lead after you. Whether you are a new Bible study leader or a pastor who’s been doing it for years, I trust these ideas can help you to hone your craft.

The first part of this book will build foundations for Bible studies that actually study the Bible. I’ll provide definitions and goals, such as what Bible studies are and why we have them. Then I’ll summarize the Direct-OIA Bible study method, which equips us to lead others in Bible study. Finally, I’ll address the basic skills required to get a group started.

I commend you for embracing this mission to lead others in study of God’s Word. Through that Word, you might introduce some to the Lord Jesus Christ for the first time. And through that same Word, you can shepherd others unto maturity of faith. Your ministry may have seasons of planting and seasons of watering, but God alone is able to save souls and cause growth (1 Corinthians 3:6). He does such work through the implanted Word (James 1:21).

Therefore, there is something indescribably wonderful that happens when people learn to engage with God directly through his Word. People who are used to merely being told what to do learn to hear God’s own voice. People afraid of messing up gain the confidence to take up and read. Consumers of content develop into distributors of truth. Committed disciples grow into influential disciple-makers.

And you now get to be a part of it. Let’s see how.

You can grab both books now from Cruciform Press or Amazon. (Note: Amazon link is an affiliate link. If you click it and buy one of the books I wrote, my ministry will receive a small commission. And while I’m stating the obvious, I’ll go ahead and remind you that if a tree falls to the south or to the north, in the place where the tree falls, there it will lie – Eccl 11:3.)

You Need Only Two for a Small Group

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Laura Denny has some encouraging thoughts on the usefulness of studying the Bible one-on-one.

First of all, one-on-one Bible study opens up opportunities to study the Bible with someone who may not be able to fit into a larger group. Consider those whose schedule is not conducive to a weekly study, who may have social anxiety or concerns, or those who are housebound (like many of us experienced this past year!). If someone is new to the idea of Bible study, they also may be more likely to say yes to an invite if it’s just you, someone they’re comfortable with already.

While larger groups may have the advantage of more input and interaction, a one-on-one setting provides more opportunity—in time and attention—for asking questions and fully understanding difficult ideas and passages. I’m less afraid to admit that I came up completely blank on an answer, or that I’m really struggling to understand or agree with something I’m learning, if it’s to only one person and not a whole group. Yet I also found I’m more likely to put more thought and effort into my study and come up with more thorough answers when I know there’s only two of us in the group.

Check it out!

Show, Don’t Just Tell

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

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

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

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

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

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

Let’s show them a better way.