8/31/2023 0 Comments Small group bible studyStudy Bibles often have themes in the introduction to the book. It is quite simple to find resources where the themes of a book have already been identified for you. How does this passage call on me to change the way I live?Ĭhoose a book of the Bible and identify major themes throughout that book.Is there some attitude I need to change?.How does this passage challenge (or confirm) my understanding?.How could we sum up the meaning of this passage in our own words?Ĥ.How does this text relate to other parts of the book?.What are the key words? What words or ideas are repeated?.Are there any major subsections or breaks in the text?.Are there clues about the circumstances during which it was written?Ģ.What sort of writing is this (e.g., narrative, letter, poem?).This method is helpful in helping you ask good questions of a text and examining the text itself before applying it to your life. If you find that you like this method, “ One to One Bible Reading” has COMA questions that are specific to each genre of Scripture. After reading the passage, work through the following sets of questions. This method asks questions to help you engage contextually and personally with a passage of Scripture. Here are a few very simple Bible study methods. This is great since it teaches you skills for lifelong Bible reading as an individual or in a group setting. You can also pick a Bible study method or two to learn and use together and choose any book of the Bible to apply it to. Some are thematic or topical while others go through one book of the Bible. There are many good Bible studies out there. Though you may want to decide as a group what content to study, it will be helpful if someone from the group presents a few ideas. While shared leadership can work well, you will likely still want to identify one person who will help keep the group on track with communication, reminders for meetings and setting up the virtual meeting. While you can identify one person to lead the group, shared leadership of a small group can also work! This is especially true if you are working through the content together and are seeking dynamic discussion as opposed to listening and responding to teachings. Reach out to the people who come to mind and ask if they would be interested in studying Scripture with you in a small community. Remember that while meeting through an online platform makes it easier to have more participants, it also can make it more difficult to navigate communication and have a conversation. Typically, a good size for a small group is six to eight people. You may have a natural group of friends that come to mind, but try to think through a few others who you aren’t as close with and would like to get to know better. The first thing you need to do is find the people who will make up your small group community. We hope you will find these tips and resources helpful in overcoming some of the typical roadblocks to participating in a small group Bible study! JOIN A GROUP “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another-and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” -Hebrews 10:25 In the “ Spiritual Disciplines Handbook,” Adele Ahlberg Calhoun notes that beyond transformation, other God-given fruits of small groups are “keeping company with God and others, being known in a safe and supportive community, being part of something larger than your own independent journey, caring for others beyond your personal family and immediate friends, and increasing openness to people who are different than you.” What great fruit to reap during this season! Reading, studying and applying God’s Word together in a small group is a spiritual discipline that, through the work of the Spirit, has the power to transform us as individuals and communities. This season requires increased intentionality to be in community with others and to grow in our faith and understanding together. Though a difficult reality, this longing is not all that surprising since we were created to be in community with each other. In this unique season of social distancing, you may be feeling the drain of not being able to be with others. Where do you even start when considering joining or organizing a group to study the Bible together? There is an overwhelming amount of studies to choose from.
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