If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. 2 Cor 5:17

Investing in God’s people from life to life

These pages are designed to aid study or investigation for Christian discipleship through individual Bible study, Cell groups, Home groups, or meeting one to one.  The questions could be used alone allowing each person to use their own Bible.

Introduction

Occasionally there is a need to write one’s own material.  Any material that is used should set out to serve a number of different needs.  For instance it is good if the material will help people to engage with God.  It is good if the material considers the spiritual maturity and knowledge of the users.  Finally it is good to have some experience with those using the material in order to know what their strengths and weaknesses are in preparing.

Help Zone

The heart of creating your own study is that you are serving the group who will use it.  The temptation is to show off your amazing insights into the Bible.  The following questions are aimed at helping you to engage with God and the users of the material such that you are helped to serve.

• Who is it aimed at?  Meet their need, not your own.
• Where is the Lord?  - Seek God in prayer to understand what He desires.
• What type of study?  There are many forms of study.  What serves this situation?
• Process of development
• Example - An exercise based on Psalm 1.

WHO IS IT AIMED AT?

These questions are to look at the audience.  It is best to have a group member in mind while answering these questions.

1. What issues are real for them?
2. What Level of interest?
3. How much Time Available?
4. What level of Biblical Understanding?
5. What Bible versions used? !!
6. What characterises their Spirituality?
7. Any Relational Dynamics issues?

WHERE IS THE LORD?

Any study of the Bible can become academic.  The key need we have in preparing a study is prayer to meet with God and to be vulnerable to Him.  It is in this vulnerability that God is able to breath in life.

1. How am I engaging with the Lord in the preparation?
2. What is the Lord already doing with these people?
3. How will this study contribute to what He is doing?
4. How are people going to lift their eyes to the Lord?
5. How do I help them?

WHAT TYPE OF STUDY?

Groups have a particular ethos.  In our age, most are concerned more with the mind than with the heart.  It is good to occasionally shake things up and address the heart issues.

1. Head or Thinking
2. Bible Study types
3. Book, chapter
4. Topic
5. Character
6. Heart or emotion
7. Meditative
8. Imagination

PROCESS OF DEVELOPMENT

This is the sequence I would go through in developing a study.

1. Engage with the Lord in prayer.
2. Rough Plan
3. Who aim at (and so, depth needed).
4. Type of Study
5. Engage with the Context
6. Biblical background
7. Your own study
8. commentary
9. What could be used?  - Don’t be tempted to put in too much.
10. What is Biblical?  - There can be a temptation to teach.  Stick to the Bible.
11. What is appropriate? - Sometimes in view of maturity and hurts, issues are best skirted round.
12. How has the Lord Blessed me?
13. Engage with Lord for your life!
14. Structure of a study
15. Questions for a study?

EXAMPLE

Here is an example sequence to prepare a study for Psalm 1.  It would be worth doing it, even if you will never use the study.

• What is the outline structure of the Psalm?
• Are there key words that need definition?
• What questions are begged by the text?
• Cross References?
• In the book
• In the Scriptures
• What would each of the phrases mean in practice?

• Use the structure from your outline to be the structure of the study.  Begin each section with an open question for observation -  (‘What’ type questions)
• Convert outline phrases into open questions.
• For each section you will need understanding questions -
• Select an assortment of relevant questions to go with the outline
• How can you finish off with an application question?

WRITING STUDY GUIDES