It is not uncommon for people to try to jump ahead of you. You may also have to field interpretive and application responses and hold them for later if you are not finished with the observation responses. That is acceptable if it fits the progression you desire. As you logically develop your thought, you might find yourself going back and forth between observation and interpretive questions. When you ask questions, avoid asking those that can be answered with a “yes” or “no.” Those questions usually don’t generate discussion. How do you reconcile a God of wrath and a God of love?.What is the connection between faith and hope?.What is the difference between mercy and grace?.Why was it significant for the writer to use the word, _?.What did Jesus mean when he said, “You must be born again?”.What is the definition of faith given in verse 1?Īfter you have had the group discover all the pertinent points, move on to the second set of questions, those designed to understand the meaning of the things observed.What attributes of God are mentioned here?.What are the action verbs in verses 4-7?.Who are the people involved in the story?. Questions and calls for responses in this category might look like this: These questions should be relatively easy to answer and will serve the purpose of getting people to engage in the self-discovery process of talking. As you ask the observation questions, direct the people to first give responses right from the text, using the very words of the text. Your series of group discussion questions should follow the same pattern you used in your personal study: observation, interpretation, and application. It might even include a statement regarding the approach you will be taking, perhaps stating the main point of the passage and the truth you are extracting (if the purpose of the study is to understand the rationale behind the truth). Consider telling the group only those facts-from your study or reference books-they could not be expected to uncover simply with their Bibles, such as background information or a specific meaning you uncovered in a dictionary you want to use as a springboard for the discussion. The crucial question the leader needs to consider in the shift from personal study to leading the group is this: “Of the things learned, what should be told to the people and what should they discover for themselves?” As Bible study leader for the week, take the time to formulate questions that result in self-discovery. Therefore, the leader needs to see himself or herself as a facilitator, not as a lecturer. Researchers continually point out that people retain truth and information that they discovered themselves at a much higher rate than if they had simply been told that same truth or information. The type of Bible study that OCF seeks to encourage is one where people approach God’s Word and discover for themselves the truths contained in it.
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