Spiritual Growth

October 16, 2020

Five Bible Studies for Fall

We need the Word of God. One way we learn about the Bible is through trusted Christian leaders who have spent years studying the Scriptures. To resource you in this way, LifeWay features many Bible studies made in partnership with thought leaders such as Tony Evans, Derwin Gray, Vance Pitman, and more.

As you search for a Bible study for your group or for your own personal development this fall, consider the timely and insightful options below:

1. The Life of a Jesus Follower

Does Christianity ever seem like a burden to you? Following Jesus is not just about obedience. It’s all about relationships! It is a daily, intimate relationship with the Father overflowing into fellowship with other believers. And that moves us to cultivate relationships with others who don’t know Jesus and share Christ with them. This Bible study will help you rise above the exhausting and burdensome rules of religion and return to the simplicity and purity of following Christ. (8 sessions)

2. The Church and The Racial Divide

In light of racial tension in America, many Christian leaders are talking earnestly about racial reconciliation. The average Christian may not fully understand why racial reconciliation is a gospel imperative. And the average pastor may not know how to pursue it. This Bible study features a multi-voice video series from evangelical leaders that sheds light on issues of race, culture, and the gospel, and equips small groups to take action. (6 sessions)

3. The Good Life

Everyone wants to be happy. We spend our money, time, and energy chasing our version of the good life. And on the way, we run ourselves into physical, mental, and emotional exhaustion. But what if the happiness we’re all striving for isn’t the happiness we were created for? Pastor and author Dr. Derwin L. Gray believes there is a better road to happiness, and it is found in the Beatitudes of Jesus. In this section of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus revealed the shocking, countercultural path to true flourishing. It comes not through wealth, fame, or laughter but through poverty, obscurity, and mourning. (8 sessions)

4. The Prodigal Son

At some point we have all asked, “Is following Jesus really worth it?” But why are we so tempted by the allure of a life outside God’s design? Thankfully, Jesus addressed this question through the well-known parable of the Prodigal Son from the gospel of Luke. This Bible study walks through the parable verse by verse, showing us what it means to follow God and walk with Him in a relationship of love and commitment, and ultimately illustrating that the best life is found in the love of our Father. (8 sessions)

5. Pathways

The story of Esther appears to be a series of coincidences that deliver the Jews from certain death. However, God selected Esther for a particular purpose at a particular time in the history of His chosen people. These resources will help you discover the power of God’s providence in the midst of your personal pain, fear, gain, loss, and love. You’ll see that God has a purpose for your life, and He uses every action and event that occurs in it to make that purpose a reality. (8 sessions)

Group Leadership

October 15, 2020

Sharing News With Your Group

By Group Ministry

by Jared Musgrove

Recent events have tuned the eyes and ears of Americans toward news sources in ways we have not seen for quite some time. As ceaseless reports of disease outbreak, brutal violence, and political fights plaster our screens, believers must be mindful of how we receive our news and what we choose to do with it.

How Do You Get Your News?

As a journalism student, I was told repeatedly that there is no such thing as objective reporting—an accurate assessment. Every person approaches events from a certain perspective—an existing worldview or set of assumptions that shape how they perceive and share those events. A reporter’s approach is no different. Because this is true, Christians must practice discernment when filtering through news updates.

Ask yourself: Am I reading that something happened (an event) or what someone thinks about something that happened (a commentary)? Most of the news we receive today is a mixture of both, if not heavier on the commentary side, with the expectation that you take a side. This kind of reporting often buries whatever truth it contains in conjecture and opinion.

Just as very human reporters craft news stories, very human editors make value judgments about which stories to feature and promote. The decision of what goes on the front page and what leads the evening newscast is a worldview decision.

Understand this when you consume news reports and ask yourself:

Why is this story the lead or on repeat?

Is this report concerned with facts?

Is there good research that solidly supports this report?

Am I being shown what is happening or being told what to think about it?

A journalist’s job is to ask questions, but that’s also our job as thinking Christians reading, hearing, or watching a report. Ask questions of the report, the reporter, yourself, your neighbor, and your worldview, and then make a decision about what to do.

What Do You Do With Your News?

Christians hear news reports through the filter of an objective standard of truth. Having answered the biggest question of all, “Whose world is it anyway?” we’re able to apply the lesser questions that sift fact from commentary—all with an eye toward discerning truth, or at least wisdom and kindness—as we navigate information.

While the bottom line for Christians is truth, the bottom line for networks and newspapers may not be. Journalism is a business, meaning the dollar is often a media corporation’s bottom line. This reality heavily influences reporting. Chasing scandals and political gaffes buffers the bottom line, sometimes at the cost of the truth. So, what should we do to ensure we’re well-informed?

Keep digging.

Steer clear of entertainment news traps and go to the sources most likely to bring you the bottom line of truth. These may feel few and far between and they probably aren’t trending on your Facebook feed. Begin to identify trusted sources by humbly engaging in several. Consult news sources across the liberal-conservative spectrum to better understand how stories are being shaped. How is one network, newspaper, podcast, or magazine reporting this story differently than another? Before reflexively sharing with others something that looks and sounds like a news story, check its source. If the source or the article itself is sensational, treat it with healthy suspicion.

We must also bear in love with compassion (and patience) those in our groups who may be sharing or posting news or “news.” Lead out in asking open-ended questions: What have you heard? What do you know? Where have you found good information on this? How does this align with what the Bible teaches? How will we honor the ‘one another’ commands as we discuss this piece of news?

Even more, we must pray as events scroll across the screen. Develop this discipline. Let your news intake lead you out of yourself and toward prayer, and then act as you are able. Let the news be a catalyst to get you involved in all that God is doing in this world that belongs—without hype, sensationalism, or slant—to Him.

Dr. Jared Steven Musgrove is Groups Pastor at The Village Church in Flower Mound, TX and co-founder and Executive Director of communityleadership.org. He is married to Jenny and father to Jordan and Joshua.

Group Leadership

October 8, 2020

Infusing Your Groups with Encouragement

By Group Ministry

Why it’s imperative and how to implement it

By Reid Smith

We all need encouragement! We need people who speak hope and build confidence into our lives so that we can consistently live in a manner that’s worthy of the gospel of Christ (Php 1:27). This is why God commands us to encourage one another and build each other up (1 Thes 5:11). Encouragement is one of the spiritual gifts explicitly referenced in the New Testament and it’s so important that God tells us it should be a daily practice (Rom 12:8; Heb 3:13).

Human beings are hardwired for encouragement and there’s no shame in this. The Apostle Paul expressed how encouragement was a primary goal of his ministry and how it is a fundamental responsibility of God’s people (2 Cor 13:11; Col 2:2). Encouragement is fuel for our faith enabling us to run with perseverance and overcome hurdles as we run the race marked out for us (Heb 12:1).

Encouragement has empowering effects for our faith and how we live it out. Here are three reasons why we should be intentional and proactive about encouraging our pastors and group leaders:

It reminds us we need one another. The flame of faith needs to be repeatedly stoked by encouragement. Throughout the New Testament, we see how the early believers supported and emboldened one another. Paul commented on how he was personally encouraged and how encouragement filled the felt needs of others (2 Cor 7:13; 1 Thes 3:7).

It strengthens our faith. There is a real connection between the fellowship of the saints and the encouragement we need to live out our faith in Kingdom-advancing ways (Ecc 4:9-12; Heb 10:24-25). Our faith grows stronger in the company of spiritual friends who love Jesus and want to live for Him (Prov 27:17; Rom 1:12).

It helps us overcome sin. Hebrews 3:13 says, “Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” This reveals how one of the side-effects of sin’s deceitfulness is hardened hearts. Encouragement, on the other hand, counteracts this and softens our hearts so that we can be more attune to the leading of the Holy Spirit in our lives, hear God’s truth, and walk in obedience. Sin speaks lies whereas encouragement speaks life that is found in God’s truth.

For these reasons and many more, find a way to build encouragement into the way you regularly communicate with your group leadership and create a delivery system for them to do the same with people in their groups. For example, at my church we train our group leaders to do four things with their group members every time they meet together. We use the acronym E.S.P.N., which stands for Encouragement, Scripture, Prayer, Next Steps. In other words, we challenge group leaders to speak life and Scripture over their group members, pray for them, and encourage them in their next steps every time they gather.

You’re echoing God’s heart and words when you call your group leaders to be people who are deliberate about speaking life into others. There are countless practical ways to do this whether your words are delivered in-person or online, by mouth or by text:

Remind others of God’s Presence, power, and promises.
Affirm virtues you see in others and the impact they have on others.
Challenge people to exercise their God-given spiritual gifts in new ways.
Talk about God’s grace, Jesus’ sacrifice, our deliverance and redemption.
Help people develop an eternal perspective and think about excellent and praiseworthy things (Php 4:8).
Let people know you’re praying for them and find practical ways that you can actually carry their burdens with them (Gal 6:2).
Sometimes an uplifting note, a gift, or gesture of love showing another person you believe in them and you’re thinking of them goes a long way.

God is the source of faith-building encouragement and He calls each and every believer to be a conduit of His love in this way (Rom 15:5). Encouragement has a way of reminding us that we are known and not alone. It’s a light that penetrates the darkness of sin’s lies and ushers us into deeper expressions of community where we can be fully known and fully loved. For these reasons and more, it’s imperative you find a way to infuse your church’s community life with this empowering practice!

Reid Smith has been equipping leaders in churches of all sizes and stages of growth for effective disciple-making since 1996. He lives in Wellington, Florida where he serves as a Groups Pastor at Christ Fellowship. You can find more of his helpful resources at www.reidsmith.org.

Group Leadership

October 5, 2020

9 DIFFICULT—AND BEAUTIFUL—TRUTHS ABOUT LEADING A GROUP

By Group Ministry

By Taylor Combs

If you’ve been a part of a local church in the last generation, chances are you’ve been involved in some sort of small group ministry. Or at least you’ve been invited (several times) to be a part of a group, or to even lead one.

While small groups/community groups/home groups/life groups/missional communities (or whatever your church calls them) aren’t essential to the Christian life, they usually prove to be a fantastic vehicle for community and mutual discipleship.

I’ve been involved in groups for years, and for the last six years have had the privilege of leading basically the same group (although it has evolved and shuffled and moved around through the years).

After having our first child and moving into a busy season professionally, we’ve decided to step away, which has brought an opportunity for reflection. The Lord has taught me much during these years of leading.

At times it has been fun and easy, at times awkward, at times painful and difficult. But through it all, God has taught me invaluable lessons about ministry.

So, here are nine things I learned from six years of leading a community group.

1. SUSTAINED TIME IN THE WORD WITH OTHER BELIEVERS IS UNBEATABLE.

In our six years, we’ve worked together through 1 Peter, 2 Peter, Daniel, 1 Thessalonians, Romans, Matthew, and Zechariah.

Yes, it took six years to get through seven books of the Bible. Is that a slow pace? Absolutely. But sanctification moves at a slow place. And to get anywhere close to a thorough understanding of a passage of Scripture takes time.

Evangelicals are, historically, people of the Word. But most of our study of Scripture is done individually. But for some reason when we come together in groups, we think our time needs to be topic-focused or driven by a shared life-stage.

I’ve found that nothing replaces this slow, plodding, methodical progression through books of the Bible with other saints—young and old, men and women, mature and new believers alike.

2. EVERY GROUP GATHERS AROUND SOMETHING; WE MAY AS WELL MAKE IT SCRIPTURE.

As I alluded to above, most of our groups seem to gather around a shared life-stage or some topic of interest. Or, conversely, they gather around meals or prayer.

None of these things are bad in themselves, but are they best? The apostle Peter, in one of his better moments, noted that Jesus alone had “the words of life.” In Scripture, we have these words of life, our daily spiritual bread.

Let’s gather around them and feast together on every word that comes from the mouth of the Father.

3. COMMUNITY IS ESSENTIAL TO DISCIPLESHIP.

In most of today’s churches, joining or leading a small group is the best way to get community. Is it convenient? Not always. Is it awkward? Sometimes. Will it require something from you? Absolutely.

But it’s not good for us to walk alone; indeed, we cannot. You need the people in your church, and the people in your church need you.

This community has sustained me through good times and bad, and I hope, through it, I’ve helped sustain others.

4. YOU’LL GET PUSHBACK ON YOUR LEADERSHIP STYLE.

You cannot please everyone. The first three years of leading, I constantly made adjustments—asking more general questions to broaden the potential answers, then asking more specific answers for the sake of clarity.

Later, I asked higher-shelf questions to encourage hard thinking and vulnerability, then asked lower-shelf questions to create an open and welcoming environment.

Then I tried more teaching and talking with fewer questions, then more questions with less teaching and talking.

Perhaps this is why the first direct pushback I got about my leadership style hurt me so much—because that person had no idea how hard I tried to improve the environment and my own leading for years before she was even a part of the group!

My pastor gave me great counsel about this: “Maybe that person just needs to be in a different group where she meshes more with the leadership style.” I then suggested this group member join another group, and she did.

Everyone survived.

5. YOU MUST COMMIT TO WHAT YOU BELIEVE WORKS (BUT BE OPEN TO FEEDBACK).

There’s a difference in humble leadership and non-leadership.

Humble leadership listens to feedback; non-leadership is held captive to the opinions of others and is too scared to make a choice.

Related to the last lesson I mentioned, you have to remind yourself: I am, under God, the leader of this group. My pastors and church have entrusted me with this task. The Holy Spirit is empowering me for this task.

And, if you lose some people along the way, that’s okay; you’ve been humble, courageous, and faithful.

6. GOD WILL SANCTIFY YOU WHEN YOU FEEL UNDER-APPRECIATED.

My pastors and church staff do a wonderful job thanking and celebrating those who serve in the various ministries of our church.

But, until the night I announced I was no longer leading our group, I never once, in six years, was thanked for leading.

Now, it’s embarrassing to even type that—because it means I know it, which means I’ve been looking for applause.

And I’d be terrified if I learned anybody in my group read this! My pride and sin are exposed by admitting it.

But I’m not alone. We all minister with mixed motives, and part of my motives have always been to be applauded and thanked. God, in His mercy, used this lack of expressed gratitude to sanctify me over these past six years.

If you minister for the applause or the gratitude, ministry will eventually become your god, and it’ll kill you.

7. CONFLICT MAY COME, BUT IT WILL SHAPE YOU FOR THE BETTER.

The hardest season of ministry I’ve ever experienced came with the best of intentions.

In seeking to serve a close friend and member of our group, I jeopardized the friendship. A yearlong conflict, which never fully resolved, ensued.

The couple involved stopped attending our group, then left without telling us. It was gutting. But when you lead people for any amount of time, conflict is inevitable.

Again, be humble. Be willing to learn from mistakes and apologize if necessary.

Take the potentialities into consideration before acting. But eventually, with a humble, Spirit-filled confidence, do what you think is best.

Walk forward with courage; Jesus is with you.

8. LEADING WITH SOMEONE DIFFERENT FROM YOU WILL SHARPEN YOU.

This is perhaps the best way to mitigate some of your less popular leadership tendencies.

I’m a good teacher, but not the best conversation facilitator; my co-leader hasn’t been to seminary or been trained to teach the Bible, but he’s a fantastic conversation facilitator and studies and leads through the text faithfully.

I’m a bit more serious; he’s a bit more lighthearted. I’m infamously incapable of asking a decent icebreaker; he does a great job opening our time together.

Over the years that we’ve led together, we’ve balanced each other out wonderfully, which has been a grace of God.

Our group probably couldn’t have weathered two of me as their leaders!

9. FRIENDSHIP AND MUTUAL DISCIPLESHIP ARE WORTH THE HARD PARTS.

You may have read some of these lessons I’ve learned and think, I’m not sure group ministry—let alone leadership—is right for me. It sounds hard!

And you’d be right.

But group ministry is essential for friendship and mutual discipleship in local churches, and for group ministries to happen, someone has to lead the groups—a calling and a privilege that’s absolutely worth it.

This article appeared originally at Facts&Trends.net

TAYLOR COMBS (@combstaylor_) is an associate publisher for B&H Publishing and is active in the teaching ministry at Grace Community Church in Brentwood, Tennessee. He holds a master of divinity degree from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, and is currently a Ph.D. student at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Group Leadership

September 28, 2020

Three Ways to Improve Your Bible Reading

By Group Ministry

By Susan Hill

Charles Spurgeon said, “Nobody ever outgrows Scripture; the book widens and deepens with our years.” Sadly, biblical literacy is on the decline. A poll in Christianity Today revealed that only 19 percent of church-going Christians read their Bible every day.1 Tape-recorded readings of the Bible have proven that an individual can read through the entire Bible in seventy-one hours. That means it would take no more than 15 minutes each day to read through the Bible in less than a year.2 Perhaps you already engage in Bible reading every day and want to make the most of your time in God’s Word. Or maybe you’ve not been in the habit of spending time in the Scriptures, but would like to start. Here are three suggestions for getting the most out of Bible reading.

Pray before you read. The Psalmist wrote, “Open my eyes so that I may contemplate wondrous things from your instruction.” (Psa. 119:18) One of the roles of the Holy Spirit is to illuminate the Scriptures for us in a way that helps us understand them (1 Cor 2:14). When I approach the Scriptures, I want to learn things that I couldn’t know apart from the Holy Spirit revealing them to me. So before beginning my Bible reading, I often pray, “Holy Spirit, I pray you will teach me things I could not know apart from you.” Also, as I come across things in the text that I don’t understand I ask God to reveal the meaning. The answer doesn’t always come right away, but I’ve learned that if I continue to pursue the meaning of a text and pray for guidance, the answer comes.

Meditate on the text. There’s a time and place for reading large sections of Scripture in one sitting, but it’s also beneficial to read a small section (perhaps a chapter or two) and choose a key verse upon which to meditate. Unfortunately, many Christians in the West have abandoned the practice of meditation because it has become associated with Eastern religion. But meditation is a thoroughly biblical concept. Psalm 119:15 says, “I will meditate on your precepts and think about your ways.” Meditating on Scripture will increase our understanding of the text. People often claim they don’t know how to meditate, but that’s not true. If you are capable of worrying you already know how to meditate. To meditate is to turn something over and over in your mind and to think about it from every possible angle.

Interact with the text. As we read the text it’s crucial that we ask ourselves, “What did the original author intend to convey in this passage?” It’s important to take note of the context and look at the surrounding verses. Be sure to ask questions of the text. What is God revealing about Himself in the passage? Does the passage contain truths about God that prompt you to praise Him? Are there imperatives in the text that motivate you to pray for the grace to obey? Does the passage lead you to confession because it sheds light on your sin? Incorporating God’s Word into your prayer life will bring vitality to your prayers like nothing else. Hebrews 4:12 says, “ For the word of God is living and effective and sharper than any double-edged sword, penetrating as far as the separation of soul and spirit, joints and marrow. It is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart.”

As Christ-followers we are called to be people who study and obey the Word of God—and in doing so, we’ll come to know the Author. There’s nothing more satisfying than pursuing a relationship with Christ through the study of God’s Word, so let’s be people who are immersed in the Scriptures.

http://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2014/october/biblical-illiteracy-by-numbers.html
Donald S. Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines For the Christian Life, (NavPress, 1991, 33).

Susan Hill is a writer, Bible teacher, and full-time editor at LifeWay. She is the author of Dangerous Prayers: 50 Powerful Prayers That Changed the World, as well as numerous devotional books. She and her husband John live near Nashville, TN with two unruly Golden Doodles.

Church Leadership

September 18, 2020

Three Creative Ways to Encourage Distanced Group Members

By Deborah Spooner

Small groups are meeting in many forms right now.

Some have resumed meeting in person but maybe not in the typical locations or as frequently. Others are meeting only online and meeting more frequently than before. And still others meet partially in person and partially online.

What does staying connected look like in this environment? Whether you are beginning to see your group members in person again or not, we all need unique encouragement as we journey through this unusual time. Here are three creative ways to make steps in this direction.

Use Reminders
Much occupies our time and mental space, but we can schedule interruptions. Choose a different group member for each day of the week, and then set an encouragement reminder for a specific time on your phone. Each day when you receive your reminder, text one of your group members with three things that you specifically appreciate about them and that you are praying for them that day. Using something simple like the reminder app on your phone can be a means of regular encouragement to your group members.

Challenge Up
Sometimes the best way to receive encouragement is in the form of a challenge. In this strange season, challenge your group members to step up. Ask them to share a verse that they read that day or week with another person in the group via text or phone call. This will not only challenge group members to continue digging into the Word but will also help them focus on the truth of those verses that they might share with someone else.

Memorize More
Group members might be dealing with various levels of doubt, insecurity, instability, exhaustion, and more. It can become easy to give an undue amount of attention to these thoughts and feelings. But, we can fight discouragement through the truth of Scripture. To give your group encouragement, pick a passage to commit to memorizing as a group during the next month. As your group members work on remembering the verses throughout the day, this can replace the fears, doubts, and other discouraging feelings they face with the deep encouragement of the Bible.

We must commit to encouraging each other throughout this time. As you step up as the group leader and challenge others to do the same, we will all learn to love Christ more deeply and experience the encouragement found in Him.

If you need additional resources to aid your group in encouragement, check out Derwin Gray’s Bible study “The Good Life” about finding true happiness through the Beatitudes.

Group Answers Podcast

September 16, 2020

Group Answers Episode 170: Multiplying Disciple-Making During a Pandemic

By Group Ministry

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 30:47 — 42.4MB) | Embed

Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Android | Email | RSS

On this episode of Group Answers, Chris, Brian, and Brandon discuss how churches and groups can multiply disciple-making during this pandemic.

Tips:

1. Redefine the disciple-making environments.
2. Expand who the disciple-makers are.
3. Equip the disciple-makers with training.
4. Release control of disciple-making.
5. Create a disciple-making pathway.

The Group Answers Podcast is a weekly show designed to resource, train, and encourage small group leaders. Each episode considers current trends and resources as well as timeless truths and methods of discipleship. It is hosted by Brian Daniel, a Bible study and discipleship expert in LifeWay’s Groups Ministry, and Chris Surratt, the small group and discipleship specialist at LifeWay and author of Leading Small Groups.

Group Leadership

September 14, 2020

Five Ways to Know You Need to Join a Small Group

By Group Ministry

By Susan Hill

Small groups play a vital role in discipleship because they are the place where believers have the opportunity to come together and build close relationships within the context of the local church. In a perfect world, every church member would be an active member of a small group. But maybe you’re still on the fence about joining one. Here are five ways to know if you need to join a small group:

You want to study the Scriptures at a deeper level. One of the primary benefits of participating in a small group is studying the Scriptures with other believers. In a group study, you’ll have the opportunity to learn from other people, ask questions, and discuss how to apply the Bible to daily living. Also, you’ll probably study portions of Scripture that you might not read on your own. As Christ-followers, we should have a growing knowledge of the Scriptures, and one of the most practical ways to grow in our understanding of the Bible is to study among a community of believers.
You long for community. It’s often been said there are no “lone rangers” in the Bible. God designed people for community, and it’s impossible to become the person He created us to be apart from the local church. Being an active member of a small group provides the opportunity to build relationships with other believers. If you commit to being an active member of an ongoing small group, over time, there’s an excellent chance you’ll meet many of your closest friends there.
You want a place to serve in your community. Many Christians want to serve in their community but don’t know where to start. Small groups provide an excellent outlet to locate needs in the town you live and serve in those places. Areas to serve might include local homeless shelters, soup kitchens, non-profits, hospitals, nursing homes, universities, or anywhere in your community where there’s a need. As Christians, we are called to love God and our neighbors (Mark 12:30-31). Our communities should be better off because of the presence of the local church. Small groups serving together in the community are an excellent way to achieve this.
You want friends who will pray with you. We all need prayer. Being a part of a small group means you already have a group of believers in place who are willing to pray on your behalf. In most small groups, there’s a time for people to share prayer requests. As you become familiar with people in your group, you’ll share phone numbers and email addresses. When something comes up during the week, and you need someone to join you in prayer, you’ll have a group of people to contact.
You want brothers and sisters in Christ who will be there for you through thick and thin. No one joins a local church with the intention of falling through the cracks. Everyone longs for a place to worship in the local church where they know people and are known by others. Attending worship on Sunday mornings is a crucial part of the Christian life, but involvement with our church family shouldn’t be limited to one hour a week. In many churches, it’s easy to come into a worship setting on Sunday mornings and leave without being seen or speaking to anyone. A small group is the best place to nurture deeper relationships. Small groups allow believers to genuinely get to know one another and build relationships that last through every season of life.

Group Leadership

September 11, 2020

Six Reasons Why Personal Study Guides are More Important Than Ever

By Ken Braddy

We’re six months into our country’s attempt to slow down the spread of the Coronavirus. Many of us were sent home to work. Our churches moved to online worship and group Bible studies. Some churches have now begun to meet again on campus for worship, and others have reopened their Bible study groups with safety precautions in place. But there are a good number of churches that cannot meet because of guidelines given by their state or local leaders. “One size doesn’t fit all” is certainly true of how churches are responding to the need to get their people back together. But there is a way for churches to continue to encourage group members to press on in their journey to be more fully obedient disciples. And the plan involves a Bible study tool that has been around for over 100 years!

I work for LifeWay, a company that produces discipleship tools called Personal Study Guides (some people still refer to them as “quarterlies” because they last 13 weeks before a new series begins). Each session introduces a biblical text, has a main point, helps the reader understand the biblical background, customs, and practices of the times, and is a tool that helps growing Christians self-feed on God’s Word. There are also key word studies and application suggestions to help people live out the Bible in their daily lives. These personal study guides are used in a group Bible study, and they are also studied by individual group members in between their group times.

COVID-19 has proved challenging for churches. As we slowly return to our church campuses and some semblance of normalcy, personal study guides are more important than ever before. Even while people are separated and cannot meet, they can still use the personal study guide to learn and apply God’s Word in these tumultuous times. Here are some reasons why personal study guides are more important than ever before.

Reading the Bible and other Christian literature daily is critical for year-over-year growth. If you don’t believe me, read the book The Shape of Faith to Come by Dr. Brad Waggoner. It was demonstrated through research that the number one factor and predictor of a person’s growth as a disciple is whether they self-feed on God’s Word or not. During the days of “shelter in place,” curfews, and “safer at home” guidelines, this is the perfect time for a sequestered believer to have a discipleship tool in their hands that God can use to comfort them and speak to them daily.
Because of social distancing and the rise of virtual groups, a personal study guide will give people a common focal point. When groups get together online, they are going to want (and need) to talk. Having a personal study guide that you read, study, and respond to gives every member of the group a common point around which to study and share insights. What could be better for churches than placing a discipleship tool in the hands of every adult member and guest, knowing that people are sheltering in place, working from home, and finding themselves with some amount of time on their hands each day? Now more than ever, adults are going to want and need something on which to focus besides COVID-19. What better to focus on daily than God’s Word?
Because personal study guides are available digitally, each person in a separated group can have a study guide without any physical contact. Virtual classes need virtual curriculum, and the personal study guides produced by LifeWay come in the form of E-books. With a few keystrokes, personal study guides can be in members’ inboxes in a matter of seconds, making distribution a snap.
A personal study guide provides group members with an interactive and engaging experience. Personal study guides produced by LifeWay have excellent authors who write each session. They bring their education, ministry experiences, and much more to the pages of the personal study guides. Questions placed throughout each session help people think critically about spiritual matters. Anyone using a personal study guide benefits from the author’s expertise, training, and background. Places to write responses and journal thoughts further enhance the experience.
A personal study guide is based on a wise discipleship plan crafted by experts. It takes painstaking work to create complex plans for a Bible study series (those plans determine the scope and sequence—the topics and the order in which they are studied—of the studies). These plans have been developed by specialists with advanced degrees in theology and Christian education, working together to determine what topics are studied and in what order.
A personal study guide is an affordable way to disciple people. Did you know that you can purchase a study guide for each group member for only $3.15 each? That’s just $.03 per person, per day! What an investment opportunity for every church. Personally, I consider this to be the absolute best value when it comes to disciple-making.

Yes, COVID-19 has changed us as a nation, and it has changed our churches. But I believe it is going to change us for the better! We are already realizing how important group Bible studies are to God’s people. And we are relearning that people need a trustworthy tool and a well-crafted plan for helping people grow as disciples. Making disciples was one of the final things Jesus told His church to do (Matthew 28:18ff). Today, personal study guides are more important than ever in the disciple-making process.

Group Leadership

August 28, 2020

Leading Your Group Members to Question Their Doubts

By Deborah Spooner

In many ways, we’ve been here before.

Your group members are feeling and thinking… a lot of things. These likely include anxiety, loneliness, depression, miscommunication, lack of motivation, exhaustion, boredom, and much more.

When plans for the future seem uncertain and past milestones are easily dismissed, many groups experience renewed questions and even doubt.

Where is God during a season such as this?

I know He cares about my situation, but how could He let me face this many disappointments? I thought I was following His plans for my life, but even those seem disrupted… Did I miss something? I’m tired. I’m worn out. Is He really a good Father to ask us to endure this long?

But doubt is not a new place for group members to find themselves and we can take steps to help others (and ourselves) walk through such a challenging season.

Ask the What

It might seem simple, but group members may have a more difficult time pinpointing what they are actually struggling with or feeling than we might initially imagine. It could be that they think they are doubting God’s plan for their lives, but might actually feel guilt that they seemingly haven’t worked hard enough, and thus are afraid that they are missing God’s best. In this scenario, group members are doubting that they are enough, not that God’s plan is enough. Getting deeper into the core of what group members are thinking and feeling in their doubt is the first step in order to start helping. You can simply remember to “ask the what”—from what a group member is telling you of their experience, what might actually be going on within them? Is the “what” they’re struggling with deeper than what they might perceive?

Identify the When

Once you’ve worked to dig deeper into what someone might be struggling with, you can now begin to help them pinpoint the when. Maybe their “what” is that they doubt whether their inadequate effort has caused them to miss God’s best for their lives. You can look for the when by asking: when—at what times of day, after what activities, during what conversations—do you find yourself feeling this way? For instance, your group member might identify that they feel the most doubt about their inadequacy (and thus God’s plan) in the hour before dinner, when they have finished a work day and are transitioning to focus on their family or friends. Finding the various times or circumstances when the group member begins to struggle with doubt can begin to empower them to avoid becoming debilitated by their doubtful thoughts or feelings but instead look to make a change.

Search for the Who and How

After knowing “the what” and more closely pinpointing “the when,” now you can encourage your members to ask for “the who & how.” Ultimately, “the who” is Christ and He makes a true impact in our lives. For instance, as the busy mom finishes her work day and starts to prepare dinner for her family and friends, she might begin to doubt her adequacy, and by extension, even God’s goodness. At this moment, she can ask, “Who is Christ, and how does that change my situation, right now?” Christ is her Lord, and He’s brought her into His family with brothers and sisters that love her. Families recognize that mistakes will happen, and she is still loved even when she isn’t “enough,” as none of us truly can be. Remembering that Christ is the one who welcomes us into this family of believers changes her situation. How? This reminds her that she isn’t meant to perform but to show Christ’s love. She’s to help people see more of Jesus, regardless of her adequacy or inadequacy. And that won’t change. The reality of who Christ is brings larger perspective and truth into our moments of doubt. He has the power to truly impact and change our perspectives on these situations.

Our group members are experiencing difficulty. But, there’s help and hope for the here and now. We can ask the what, the why, and the who and how in order to get our doubts back on track. Yet sometimes, we all need further assistance as we ask questions and face persistent doubts about God, His goodness, and faith. Thankfully, we’ve teamed with Barnabas Piper to provide you with additional guidance. If you or your group members are struggling with doubt, check out the Help My Unbelief Bible study to take your next steps.

Five Bible Studies for Fall

Infusing Your Groups with Encouragement

Three Ways to Improve Your Bible Reading

Six Reasons Why Personal Study Guides are More Important Than Ever

All Ministry Sites

Digital Resources

LifeWay Network