Bible Study Resources

The greatest times of spiritual growth in my life have been as a result of being vulnerable with a small group of believers who regularly got into the God's Word and took steps of faith together. And leading Bible studies causes me to desperately depend on the Lord and gives me an oppotunity to see Him come through for me and bear eternal fruit in others peoples lives.  On every level, small group Bible studies are just plain awesome. I imagine you have been part of one. If not, why not start?

I imagine the statistics for those who have lead a Bible study are much smaller. Will you pray and ask God if He wants you to start one? Because really it's all about Him. He knows what is best in every situation and what is best for you. 

Are you afraid you can't do it? I totally think you can! If you are a believer, you have the very spirit of God in you, who created the universe and raised Jesus from the dead. Surely He can help you start and lead a Bible study. Will you pray about it? Will you intentionally take some time and ask God if He wants you to lead a study this fall?

Here's a Few Tips on leading a Bible study

 As a leader your role is to stimulate group members to discover biblical truths for themselves. Leaders don’t need to know all the answers, but they need to know enough to guide the group to the answers.  They also need to be skilled in asking good questions to draw group members into lively discussions about biblical truth.  As everyone contributes, new discoveries will be mad that individuals would not have thought of on their own.

 *Self-discovered learning is different than simply sharing opinions.  A good small group discussion on a passage in the Word should help people discover biblical truth through observing, interacting, studying and processing the content together.

 *Leading a group can be frightening if you focus on the millions of things that could go wrong. Don’t worry. God takes pleasure in using people who don’t have all the answers, but who are in process.  The Bible is full of stories of how God used imperfect people to accomplish His great purpose.  What then does it take? Perfection is not required.  If it were, none of us could lead a small group.  But all small group leaders need to be in the process of developing certain qualities: godly character, compassion, competence and commitment.

 *Don’t pretend that you are perfect. Be real and model an eager desire to grow in your own walk with the Lord.  You have the same needs as those in your group: the need to be in God’s Word, the need to confess your sins, and the need to daily seek to honor God with your life.

There are a lot resources available to you under the Life on Mission Tab.  

Here is a study that already has the discussion questions thought through and will be an encouragement and inspiration to you and your group. Here's what others have said about it.

Designed for group OR individual use, Beholding  Him, Becoming Missional: Awakening to the Mission Through the Study of 1 Samuel offers women the opportunity to behold the King and be transformed  into living uniquely purposeful and missional lives. By the end of the study,  women will walk away with minds and hearts that have been transformed through an  intimate relationship with the King, and lives uniquely reflecting the King’s  heart and mission for the world.

It has a “come alongside  and let’s do life together” flavor and feel and like 1 Samuel, it is packed full  of relevant 
stories—stories of people bravely living out God’s heart and  passion, stories of utter failure and embarrassment, stories of redemption,  victory, and partnering with others to live out God’s very heart. It is set up  in two sections. The first six weeks will move you into a more authentic  relationship with God. The second six weeks move you to the point of action, of  living on purpose for the glory of God, reflecting His heart for the world. 

You can order it at any Christian bookstore or find it on Amazon or Barnes and Noble. Since it is a twelve week 256 page study, it is a bit pricey (I wish I had some say in that.) But you can think of it as supporting a ministry that is sharing the gospel with young girls who have been sold into and rescued out of the sex trafficking industry and are being given skills to be able to support themselves. 100% of the author proceeds go to Women at Risk and Agape International's Rahab's House.
 

Top Photo Credit- Life Way