I read a great article on reformation21 (HT:Challies) about Effective Group Bible Study. My main focus at Zondervan is to tell the world about our fabulous small group curriculum, so naturally I was interested in how to help people have an effective small group. Pastor William Boekestein, who wrote the article, has some great points about effective group study, but one that really rose to the surface for me was to keep the Bible first. Now this sounds like a given, but too often in our groups, we rely on the study material and use the Bible as extra credit work.
Scripture studies are almost always aided by a well-written guide. Some of the best guides are commentaries, especially those that began as a sermon series. Homiletical commentaries combine the best of careful exegesis and pastoral application.(1)
One of the dangers, though, of using a study guide is that the Bible can become eclipsed by a lesser book. It is easy to subconsciously begin to treat the Bible as the “raw materials” and the study guide as the “finished product,” favoring the latter.
To avoid misusing supplemental materials, make them the last part of your preparation for the group study. First, work through the scripture passage in focus. Ask questions about the text. Note observations and applications. Use the study questions to stimulate thought before turning to the “answers” in the commentary. In this way the commentary becomes a sounding board for your ideas and conclusions rather than a source book. The Bereans took such an approach. They “…received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true” (
Acts 17:11).
A related principle is that group discussions should be guided by Scripture not by personal opinion. This does not mean that a question or comment is inappropriate just because it is an opinion. It does mean that conclusions that are reached and counsel that is given should be biblically based.
Much of the curriculum we produce has been used as sermon material that was preached in the pastors church:
What I appreciate about our video curriculum is that each teacher grounds what s/he has to say in the Bible. Our participant’s guides have Scripture discussion, and point people to the Bible. But in our groups, we cannot view that as bonus or “if we have time”. No matter how good a communicator the teacher is, or how well written the participant’s guide is, they are all just commentary on the Bible. The Bible must remain the central focus in all our small groups and Bible studies.
In addition to what Pastor Boekestein mentions in his article, here are some other thoughts:
- make sure everyone in your group brings a Bible to small group
- read all the recommended passages in the participant’s guides
- consider standing as you read Scripture as a reminder of the weight of it’s words
- before you share an opinion, know how you would back it up with Scripture
*Above I have linked the full first sessions for those curriculum. To see more full first sessions on YouTube, go to the curriculum playlist here: http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL592D0CEC3F56A982
Have you ever watched a trailer for a movie and then watched the movie and realized that the trailer was either the best part of the movie, or that it told you nothing of the real plot of the movie? well, curriculum trailers are not like that, but sometimes watching the 90-120 second trailer isn’t just enough to know if you want to spend 4-12 weeks with an author, topic, or study.
