Planning a Successful Bible Study
Preparing for a Bible StudyP
Introduction
Welcome to our online Guide for Bible Study Leaders!
As a Bible study leader, you have my utmost respect and appreciation. Yours is an extremely important ministry to the Christian church, because it contributes to another person’s discipleship and to a deeper understanding of God’s word.
If your study is evangelistic in nature or incorporates those with a non-Christian background, then your joy is multiplied since you will contribute to a better understanding of Scripture and may have the privilege of seeing someone come to faith through your efforts.
And so I commend you for taking on such a wonderful responsibility. I have no doubt that the Lord will use your leading of a study to greatly strengthen or increase the numbers of his church.
It is my hope that this guide for Study Leaders can help in those efforts.
Helpful Advice for Leading Bible Studies
The following information provides an important foundation for the leading and facilitating of any Bible study. In order to make this guide a little more manageable we have split the advice into five separate lessons. We consider them to be five invaluable rules for Study Leaders:
Lesson #1 – You should be well prepared
In this lesson we talk about about how to prepare for a Bible study. You do not have to become a Bible expert. Rather, you simply have to know how to make your way through a few key Bible resources.
Lesson #2 – You must do justice to the text of the Bible
In this lesson we comment on the importance of understanding the message of the Scriptures without reading any old meaning into the text.
Lesson #3 – You must make the passage relevant
At the end of the day, people want to know how the Bible speaks to their particular life situation. Thus, it is important that you seek an application for the things you are studying.
Lesson #4 – Don’t forget that you are a facilitator and not a seminary professor
Your goal as a Bible study leader is to facilitate, not lecture. People don’t want to hear you speak for 40 minutes. They want to participate.
Lesson #5 – Love covers a multitude of sins
Some people may get the Bible’s message incorrectly. That’s OK. You can lovingly correct or disagree.
Being gracious and really caring for people is as much a part of Bible study as is trying to understand what the Bible is saying.