In the past we have used small group curriculum from Lifeway or Gospel Project, while at times venturing into writing our own curriculum. Certainly we are grateful for the godly men who serve the church through writing these curricula, but Parkwood has determined sermon-based material is the best method for our Growth Groups as well as the best overall approach to Bible interaction. Sermon-based material is the greatest opportunity to accomplish our Growth Group’s four-fold purpose of community, maturity, multiplication, and ministry; and it holds the most potential for encouraging and equipping the greatest number of people in personal study of God’s Word.
As we begin to publish sermon-based Growth Group material, we are also communicating a process for Bible study in five annotated steps.
First, observe. In this first step, the student of God’s Word is encouraged to answer the question, “What do I see?” Practicing the step of observation teaches you not just to read but to read well, to take note of what is obvious while also seeing the detail in the text. Think of the context, the writer, the audience, and the relationship of the passage to the unfolding of redemption and the communication of the gospel. You want to see the main point and take note of what is said less directly.
Second, question. Question the text to gain further understanding. Instead of being satisfied with information gained from reading quickly or reading once, ask questions concerning what you do not know or what is not clear. For example, if the text reads, “He went up from there to Bethel…” (1 Kings 2:23), ask both the obvious and the less obvious questions, Who is he? Where is there? Why is here to there said to be going up? and Where and of what significance is Bethel? Answering these questions will lead to greater understanding of the text. Also, intentionally asking and taking time to look for questions will help the reader recognize lack of understanding that may otherwise be overlooked.
Third, gospel. In this step, look for the gospel in the text. What does the text say about sin, about man, and about God? Consider whether the text is in the context of the Old Testament or the New Testament, in the context of the covenant of works or of grace, and then consider the corresponding implications for the gospel. The text may indicate a reason for the gospel, a result of the gospel, or an explanation of the gospel. Taking time to reflect on the gospel in various texts will allow the Scripture to inform your understanding, to see the gospel across the Bible, and to thereby increase your admiration for what God is making available in the good news.
Fourth, apply. Apply the text to your life. The task of Bible study is not at once completed but fulfilled over time as it is applied to the reader’s life. We study God’s word to know God. Study without application is simply gaining knowledge, which alone puffs up, but knowledge with application is humility and spiritual growth. First read the text and seek understanding. Then pursue application. Ask yourself how you can apply the text at home, at work, in the church, at school, and in recreation.
Fifth, share. Having completed steps to understand and apply God’s Word, consider with whom you might share it. I recall a story once told by David Platt. He was teaching internationally and recounted people crowded shoulder to shoulder into a room, even pressing against him, and looking intently at him waiting. Significantly, he never saw the whites of their eyes once he began teaching. The reason, the men gathered were not theologically hungry merely for themselves; they were hungry to hear God’s Word that they might write it down and retell it to others. Let us do the same. Let us hunger after the Word, but then let us be hungry to tell others also.
So I would encourage you, embrace the study of God’s Word. In doing so, you can prepare for the sermon, for your Growth Group, and for sharing with others. Should you need help, consider using the steps above: observe, question, gospel, apply, and share. Get a journal and start today!
