Read part one of this article here.

Studies That Sparked Something Special

[Editorial Note: The Bible studies mentioned below were written by Pastor Berger for use in his congregation. An example study for reference has also been provided.]

Genesis: Recently, my congregation spent a couple of months working through the first few chapters of Genesis. The approach was simple: Read a section and discuss using some pre-established questions to guide us. Genesis is familiar to many, and yet the truths of especially chapters 1-3 are critical to developing and strengthening a Christian worldview that can speak like nothing else to many cultural trends today.

Revelation: Similarly beneficial (yet admittedly more confusing for many) was our study of Revelation. We walked through most of the book with the goal of understanding the big picture message and learning how to properly interpret it. There is great value in helping folks frame their Christian lives through the lens of certain opposition and suffering and yet guaranteed victory and blessing—in Christ.

Church mission and vision: One of my favorite studies of the past few years explored what Scripture teaches about Christ’s New Testament church, especially what it means to belong to a local body of believers. This was part of a larger mission and vision exercise at Ascension and, I hope, was a useful way to build consensus and shape culture here.

Several Things I Do Differently Now

Presenting scriptural truths to position the group for productive discussion and application: While I certainly still utilize direct instruction (asking and answering questions with a specific, correct answer in mind), I also commonly use an approach that presents some scriptural truth and then asks the participants to explore and apply that truth. This allows for discussion that engages the unique perspective of each participant but is yet properly grounded in the objective truth of Scripture. I’ve found this particularly helpful for small group Bible studies.

Focusing less on handouts: I’m all in for well-formatted and visually appealing documents, but I spend far less time developing handouts than I did early on. Now, I’m commonly drafting several questions and utilizing our whiteboard to present them and explore answers. I’m not suggesting this is the best way, but it does save time.

A Technique You Can Try This Week

Most people have smartphones today. Utilizing them in a study can be a helpful way to engage learners—for example, asking them to search for a specific topic and report back what they find. Of course, you have to be sensitive to those who may not have that technological capacity, but you can always pair up folks to work around this.

This article in Devote Yourself was contributed by the team that previously created and distributed the e-newsletter, Teach the Word. For nearly ten years’ worth of archived teaching-related articles, tips, and advice, visit nph.net/teach-the-word.