Developing Bible Study Questions

Read this first.
Scenario: It is that time again.

Rick has been leading his small group for the past six weeks using curriculum from a well known source. The sessions have been good for the most part, but the material wasn’t quite right. Something was missing.

Rick knew that the topic was quality, and when he prepared for the sessions, the material seemed good. When the actual sessions began, though, the questions seemed lame and did not touch the group members.

Consequently, participation was not as active as he would have liked.

Now he was only two weeks away from needing a new study. Not wanting to make the same mistake again, Rick decided that he would set out to find the perfect study, one that had great questions and would probe the participants with powerful application questions. The question haunting him was, "Where can I find the perfect curriculum for my small group?"

Guess what? There’s no mystical Bible study that can claim to be a “one size fits all” study.

Let’s look at a few basic truths about Bible studies and see how we can write and enhance the material available to us so that it might better fit our needs.

"Begin With The End In Mind."
Stephen Covey coined this statement in his 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. It is a wonderful starting point for us.

1. What type of small group do you have? Choosing topics to study can be tough, especially if you try to match material with group members. Have you thought of these questions?

- How much Bible knowledge do my group members have? One end of the scale might be this, "Genesis is the name of a rock band from the 1980’s." The other end might be, "Genesis is the Hebrew transliterated word from the Greek meaning beginnings, first evidenced in pre-Christian LXX material." Both of these are extremes. Most small group members would fall somewhere in the middle. A wonderful way to find out where your group is is to ask them to tell their story (how they came to the faith or to be in the group). Another way is to use your eyes. Do they have a Bible? Does it look used, or when they open it do you hear the "crack" of a new book opened for the first time? A simple way is to ask point blank. "How would you rate your experience in studying the Bible?"
- If the collective group experience with the Bible is low, then a beginners type of study is in order. If it is high, then a more mature study may be in order.
- If a group is new, the best type of study is one that causes members to interact with one another so that they can get acquainted easier.

2. What are the goals of your small group? What do you want to accomplish in the time you have together? You should decide this and place it in your covenant. Three stages in a Christian’s life:

- Rote knowledge
- Comprehension
- Changed Life

3. Use our curriculum guide to help you find some decent material to share in your group. We have some material on a cart in the library for your examination. Please feel free to ask the small group staff. We all have an opinion!

Leading For Application.
Adapting material is an important element in making your group life exciting and productive. But before curriculum should be used, let’s review some basic principles for a great study.

Leading for application
Leading for application is the process of helping small group members identify and follow through possibilities. Remember, application is essential for Bible study. James 1:22 states, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” Dr. Terry Powell, in his book You Can Lead a Bible Discussion Group, suggests three basic phases in developing a study that will help people apply God’s word to their life.[1]

- Stage one: Observation
  A close inspection of the Bible passages looking for basic facts within the text. What is said? Who said it? What words stand out?
- Stage two: Interpretation
  Identifying timeless truths implied or illustrated within the passage or content. What is meant? What issue(s) should be discussed?
- Stage three: Application
  Obedience to those timeless truths stemming from your awareness of its practical implications for your life. What must I do? Our response to the passage? How might I use what I have learned? What choices do I have, now that I have studied the passage?

Writing Great Questions – Just Do It!

1. Begin with stage one.

- Read the passage completely. Our example is John 6:1-15 (the feeding of the 5,000).
- Read the chapters before and after the passage so that the reference is clear.
- List words with special significance or words that stand out.

2. Have a commentary nearby if possible. Perhaps use a NIV Study Bible.

- Look up the passage and read all the notes for the passage, underlining facts and word meanings as listed.

Interpretation:

1. Timeless truths and big picture items go here.

- What is obvious? List them all here.

2. Thoughts, illustrations, and things learned.
3. Sum up the verses. Give a big learning or take-away from the passage.

Application Discovery Questions:

1. What must I do? What choices do I have now that I have studied the passage?

2. What is my response to the passage? Is there any action I should take? How do I feel about what is being taught?

3. How might I use what I have learned in sharing this passage with others?

4. What part of the passage encourages me?

5. What can I share with others about my learnings? Family? Friends? Co-Workers?

6. How does this passage help you have a relationship with Jesus?

7. There anything or anyone I can relate to in the passage?

See, you have written some great questions! Try it out on a few passages and get used to developing your thoughts in a cohesive manner through curriculum development.

dev'g Bible study questions

11.Sept.03