How to Lead a Discovery Bible Study
WELCOME to The Seedhead from Alex and Hannah at Dandelion Resourcing -
a weekly confidence booster to help you step into naturally
supernatural discipleship and mission!
In this issue of The Seedhead we’re looking at a tool for developing disciples of Jesus through learning from the Bible!
As you’ll see, Discovery Bible Study works with people at all stages of their faith, whether far from Jesus or seasoned believers.
It’s simple to remember, yet powerful to release.
Let’s dive in…
“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”
Psalm 119:105
We both love reading and studying Scripture! There are always fresh insights and nuggets of revelation as we dig in there.
Some days it might be a simple word of encouragement or refreshing, other times it’s a wow theological insight, and sometimes it’s a deeper awareness of God’s goodness and love for each one of us.
Truly, the Bible is the living Word of God!
When we teach on prophecy, we make clear that the #1 way God speaks to us is through the Bible. It’s those moments when a verse or phrase or story seems to have Holy Spirit highlighter all over it, and we encounter God afresh.
In addition, the Bible is the #1 yardstick against which any prophetic word must be assessed. If there’s ever any conflict, the Bible (which is for all people at all times in all places) will always trump a prophetic word (which is for a specific person(s) at a specific time in a specific place).
Discipling in the Word
However, a lot of the ways the church teaches people to study Scripture are not helpful. Too often it’s presented as primarily an intellectual exercise, where the goal is the absorption of content, with far less emphasis on lifestyle impact.
In the various Jesus-centered groups that we’ve led, we’ve always valued helping everyone (including kids and our friends who are on the journey to faith) to feel that they can pick up the Bible and meet with Jesus. It is vital that we present the Bible as something that anyone can read/ listen to and expect to hear from God.
Academic and theological tools have their place, but they must never unintentionally intimidate others from expecting to encounter God as they engage with Scripture.
Whether it’s 1-1 or in group life, we must ensure that discipleship occurs in ways that are simple for that person to grasp and and in turn replicate. That’s how multiplication happens!
Discovery Bible Study
We have found that Discovery Bible Studies are a powerful way to achieve this goal.
They work very simply:
READING
We read the passage together, everyone following along in their Bibles (on paper or online).
One person reads the same passage again, but this time everyone else just listens and doesn’t read.
The third time, everyone closes their Bibles and someone tries to retell the key parts of the passage from memory. The group can help fill in any gaps.
STUDYING
If we are in a group context, at this point we tend to break into groups of 3-5 people, usually of the same sex. We will also do a kids’ group (which might be larger in size).
Now back with our Bibles open, we ask the 4 key questions of DBS:
What do we discover about God as we study this passage?
What do we discover about being human as we study this passage?
In light of this passage, how am I going to live differently this week?
Who do I know who needs to hear the message of this passage this week?
The key is to keep every answer located in the actual text you’re in. This is especially important if you have unbelievers or new Christians mixed in with long-standing Christians, since if we’re all solely taking our responses from this one passage, we create a level playing field.
The next time you meet, you start by reviewing the previous DBS and how people have lived out what they committed to do. This brings loving accountability into the process. If people don’t follow through, we don’t shame! Instead, we encourage them to put things into action after this meet-up.
PASSAGES
You can pick anything! If you do a web search for ‘DBS passages’ you’ll find lots of ideas. Some that we’ve done include:
The parables in Luke
The 7 ‘I Am’ sayings in John
Creation and the Fall
In this video, we give you more content on the why and how of DBS…
Reflect and Act
When are you most prone to over-intellectualize Bible study? How can you make sure to keep a high value on application and life-change?
Which Christians could you test out doing a DBS with? (Even just a couple of sessions would be a help!)
Who of your lost friends could you invite to do a DBS with you? Then pray like crazy ahead of asking them!
Let us know how you get on with this tool. And if it’s something you’re already familiar with, what other tips do you have? Just send us an email - we’d love to hear from you and help/ encourage you if we can!
Let’s have faith to believe that our lost friends can truly encounter Jesus in the words of the Bible!
Blessings,
Alex + Hannah
ALEX AND HANNAH ABSALOM
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