Happy Riches, requested by anonymous
Conducting a group Bible Study is really a simple matter. All one has to do is open a Bible and begin expounding the Scriptures within. But is this the best way to run a Bible Study?
Bible studies can be run in the form of a lecture where a person stands in front of a class or audience and talks about what the Bible means. The participants can take notes and then go home and study them at their leisure.
If everybody who attended a Bible Study, that was a lecture, took notes and then found the time to meditate and reflect upon their notes at home, we would be probably living in the ideal world. The reality is people might take notes but, just as likely, they will not find the time nor the motivation to meditate upon those notes when they get home. Usually there will be various distractions and other people demanding their time.
Bible studies, where people come together to sit in an auditorium or even in somebody’s lounge room and listen to somebody impart his or her understanding of what the Bible means are not as effective as having a small group of between three and six people sharing an experience as participants in a Bible Study.
It is often said that we recall ten per cent of what we hear, thirty per cent of what see and sixty percent of what we do. Acquiring skills may involve listening and watching, but action is how they are really acquired. Likewise, we learn more from active participation in a discussion than from observation or listening. This is because when we are actively participating in something, more of our faculties are involved in the learning process. Consequently, we automatically concentrate more in order to make sure that we are being understood and that we are understanding what other people are communicating to us.
When we are actively involved in a group activity and not on the sidelines, as a passive observer, we focus more on our participation and thereby benefit more. This is because we are engaged emotionally, intellectually and even physically, rather than as an observer of proceedings or a spectator at someone else’s performance or a bystander with casual curiosity.
When running a Bible Study, the aim should be for everybody to gain the utmost benefit possible for each participant and allow the Word of God to become something that can be meditated upon at the time discussion is taking place, and not something to be done at a later date. Life does not work this way. Life is lived in the now. What we experience is in the now.
The enemy of mankind is not waiting for a future date to foul our cisterns, which are created for the waters of life, with the filthy waters of the world. The Devil and his agents are doing their best to get everyone of us to drink of the world’s sewers at our peril. We are under constant spiritual attack. When we are discussing Scripture and what it means to us, we need to be reflective during the conversation, not put it off until a later date. A soldier who goes into battle without his armor is at the mercy of the enemy.
Devotional application of the Scriptures during a group Bible Study is equivalent to hammering out the iron for the breastplate of righteousness, the helmet of salvation, and the shield of faith—as well as sharpening the sword of the Spirit. This is best done in small groups consisting of three to six people, where everybody is encouraged to express their views and thoughtfully ponder each other’s experiences in respect to the Word of Life. When available obtain a copy of How To Have An Effective Bible Study. A draft is available here at Child of Abraham Child of God.
