Instructions

The instructions must be clear and concise. The activities should be explained well enough so that there will not be a lot of questions throughout the study, thus slowing it down. However, it must be concise enough so that time is not wasted at the beginning. By giving brief directions every week, it becomes normal and is not awkward if you do it only when new people arrive. Directions should also be on a handout so that they can be referenced throughout the study. At the end of this introduction, it is time to split everyone into smaller group of 4-5 people (ideally) and then open in prayer. This will set the mood of the study. It is important to be serious in getting everyone ready for the study.

Discussion Time

Finally, after all the hard work of preparing the lesson is over and after the study has been completed by everyone present, it is time to discuss what has been discovered in the Word! This time should be opened with instructions on how the discussion time is led. There should be very few limitations placed on how people should share and most of the talking should be done by those that spent the time studying the passage for the last hour. However, the leader must be seen as such. Here are ways to be the leader without doing most of the talking.

Guiding statements: Guiding the discussion is much better than monopolizing it. Always having a place to go next is a good idea. However, make sure the conversation is organic. Sometimes this means a few rabbit trials, but that is better than being so structured that people feel like their Bible questions and comments do not belong. When there is a lull in the conversation, do not be too quick to say something. The silence puts pressure on others to share. It does get uncomfortable after awhile and should be dealt with. Here are some guiding statements that help move conversation along.

1) “What are some questions people had when studying this?”
2) “I heard something good about this in the groups. Who can tell us about it?”
3) “Let’s look at the next section. What are some thoughts from here?”
4) “How does any of this apply to our lives?”
5) “Who has something to share from the ____ activity?”

Other questions/statements: Sometimes simple statements or questions should be thrown at someone else’s statement. This keeps the ball rolling and helps conversation to not hit a lag. Mastering the use of these can help move a conversation along in an organic fashion that keeps the studiers talking and keeps the leader in control of the conversation.

1) “What scripture are you thinking of?”
2) “Excellent idea! How does that relate to us now?”
3) “What other passages say something similar?”
4) “Good; keep going with that idea.”
5) “That’s a good statement! Does anyone have anything to add to that idea?”
6) “Good question. What do you all think?

Asking questions: Questions are a marvelous thing that allow the person answering to do all the talking but the person asking to actually lead the person in whatever direction they want with their questions. When the conversation is becoming unfocused or is getting off course, asking a good question can fix everything. Make sure the questions are higher level that directly relate to what was studied. It is frustrating to be asked questions that have nothing to do with what you spent the last hour thinking about.

Answering questions: When a question is raised that is relevant to the study, it should not be directly answered by the leader, even if it is directly asked to the leader. Make sure that it is first opened up to the entire audience. Asking what everyone thinks concerning the question first allows others to contribute. After that, if no one has a sufficient response, tell them where to look. If they are still struggling with providing an answer, then the instructor can give an answer to the question. If this process is completed and the leader does not have a satisfactory answer for the question, the leader should admit that it is a tough question and that they will look for an answer that week.

Dealing with issues: During a Bible study, there are countless things that could happen, questions that could be asked, and personalities that can shake things up. It would be impossible to prepare for every single issue that may present itself. Experience and trial-and-error will be the best teachers in this department. However, I think there are a few step-by-step principles that can help guide interaction throughout this process.

1) Pray. This is the most important part of the Bible study. If the leader is not going to the Author of the book they will be studying and praying that He would send our Teacher to instruct us, then the study is not starting off on the right foot. Pray for spiritual growth and discernment. Pray for the members and that the Lord would keep them safe from the lies of the wicked one. Pray that the study would go well. Pray for wisdom. Pray that studying the Bible would become enjoyable to all those in attendance. Pray.
2) Any issue that can be dealt with before the group discussion is a preemptive strike. If you hear a small group discussion that is edging toward something that is false or you know of a group member that will have trouble with a particular topic, talk with them before it makes it into the big group discussion time. The small group allows you to monitor the thoughts of the group members. Use that time to direct and gauge the thinking of each person.
3) If a distraction comes up in the big group discussion, it is ok. The conversation is organic and will travel a few winding roads. Simply pulling the group back onto the topic will keep things productive.
4) If there is someone pushing an agenda or will not leave a rabbit trail, things need to become a little bit more abrupt. If this were to happen, it is important to stop those that are talking, state the reason why they were not allowed to continue in a polite way, invite the conversation at another time, and remind the group that there is a prescribed topic and that there is only a limited amount of time to complete the discussion.

If any issues come up with certain clashing personalities or reoccurring problems, continue to pray about the situation and try to consult a godly influence in your life that may help provide guidance into how to settle the situation. Try your best to keep the environment friendly so that all know they are welcome to come and study the Bible, but do not make allowances for false doctrines just to keep things friendly. In the years of having a Bible study, I have had many interesting people come through the doors that believed many interesting things. However, there have been next to no instances where items needed to be addressed in the large group discussion. Praise the Lord! Many times I feared about going through a passage that was tricky, but after fervent prayer the issue never even popped it’s head up.