• What is the significance of each component of the Discovery Bible Study?

• How has this format for Bible study helped you?

• What are its advantages and disadvantages?

• Why does a Discovery Bible Study promote engagement in the process and the ownership of outcomes?

• Why is a group Discovery Bible Study an ideal way to teach individuals how to feed themselves as they read Scripture on their own?

• Sometimes to get a good Discovery Bible Study going all you need to do is ask the first Dig In question: “What stands out to you in this passage?” It sort of takes off from there. It still is good though to ask the final three Dig In questions to summarize your discussion:

  • What does this passage say about God (The Father, His Son Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit)?

  • What does this passage say about people, including ourselves?

  • What does this passage say about the life God invites us to live?

Prepare

• Read and pray through the passage several times during the week.

• You could consult the NIV Study Bible or the Life Application Study Bible.

• You could consult with a commentary like Enduring Bible Commentary.

• You could consult the Serendipity Bible for Groups for additional questions to ask.

• The goal is not to teach but to lead to personal and group discovery through leading questions.

• There may be times when you need to put your teacher’s-hat on to explain something, but those should be few and far between. Put your discovery-facilitator -hat back on as quickly as possible by asking more questions.

• The key is to ask good questions. In fact, in true rabbinical style answer questions with questions. “Good question Tom. What do you think? Or what do others think?’’

GOOD THINGS HAPPEN WHEN YOU ASK GOOD QUESTIONS.

• For additional help in interpreting the Bible see the extra session on Discover called Hermeneutics.

Lead

• Don’t be afraid to lead your group at the weekly gatherings.

• Direct, but don’t dominate. Don’t monopolize the conversation.

• Your role isn’t to teach, but to ask good questions, to direct your group to God’s Word and to actively listen to their responses and the Spirit’s leading.

• Be The Way combines Bible readings and discovery questions. Use the questions provided, rewording them and adding follow-up questions as needed.

• Note rabbit trails and pull your group back to the main path.

• Here are some simple guidelines for your group:

  • Everyone gets to participate, but no one is allowed to dominate.

  • What’s shared here, stays here.

• When someone shares something sensitive, remind the group of the value of confidentiality.

• It’s important for you to quickly get on top of someone who is dominating the gathering. And it’s not hard to do. Just break in and say, “Thanks for that, Sue. Juan, what do you think?”

• If Sue continues to dominate, the next time you ask a question, don’t leave any space for her to chime in. Direct the next question to someone else. “Nigel, how would you answer our next question?”

• Nothing will kill your gathering like a domineering person. So be direct and protect your group.

Correct

• What do you do when someone answers a question in a way that is clearly wrong or headed in the wrong direction?

• For example, someone may say, “God the Father had sex with Mary and that’s how Jesus was conceived.” Okay, that may be a bit over the top, but you get the idea.

• Here’s a possible way to handle it. “Thanks for taking a shot, Tom. What about the others? What do you think the passage says about that?”

• Here are the priorities:

1. Get back to the Bible. Ask, “What does the Bible, specifically this passage, say?”

2. Draw in others to help correct the person and the thought.

3. If no one else is quite getting it, this is where you can step in and show how the passage speaks to the issue.

4. The point is you’re not there to win an argument, but to guide your group in biblical truth and obedient living. Besides, how you handle someone who is clearly going in the wrong direction will model to the others how they can do the same when they get into their own discipling relationships.

• Bottom line: Be prepared for this sort of thing to happen. It will. So ask God to guide you. He will. And keep in mind, some of the best breakthroughs happen when there is some tension to push through.

Discovery and Kids

• Depending on the age and maturity of the children, they may be able to join in our your Discovery Bible Study. Some MicroChurches may want to have a separate Discovery Bible Study for the children. You could have them study the same passage that the adults are or you may want to find a children’s Bible study curriculum designed just for them. Here are some to consider:

  • Pebbles and Stones

  • VineyardKidsUSA

LIVE / LEAD

• What did you discover in this training session?

• What is your “I will …” statement flowing from this training?

• If you’re working through Be The Way as a group, who will facilitate the next session on Community?

Extra Session on Discovery

• Hermeneutics

PRINTABLE PDF

• Discovery