Starting a Bible study group is a fun and interesting idea set forth with a group of friends and mates alike. Studying the Bible in smaller group settings is usually more rewarding than large gatherings. And, here are some basic formats and ideas for the same.

Hearing Other’s Experiences and Tips

Before you decide to dip your toes into a new habit you should understand how this has worked for others. A lot of beginner videos and habits that help make this easier are available for free online. Here is a short 15 min video which talks about Bible study and how it can be fun.

  • Before starting your personal journey, you might want to attend some seminars and meet-ups and discuss the ideas or simply listen to other speakers.
  • Now, you can visit lots of blogs and video sharing sites, including social media, and learn more about others’ experiences as a beginner.
  • Starting a small Bible study group means deciding whether it would be an online group or in-person experience, and both have their merits and demerits alike. You would want to read more about the distinction here.
  • While online groups are easily accessible, need not be local, and can function at any time of the day, physical gatherings are more engaging, distraction-free, and useful in the long-term.

Look for Different Media Platforms for Starters

Try finding and replying to queries like “How to start a Bible study online”, “How to start a Bible study on Zoom or Teams”, and “How to start a Bible study on your own” and there are tons of different things you can do here. Different platforms offer different options and functionalities, so check them out first.

  • As of right now, the best thing is to start a Bible study group from home and then continue with it later when you are able to see everyone again, once the air is free and restrictions loosen up.
  • The best thing is to gather a group of friends who share and like the same thing and get the group something to involve with and find interesting about the idea.
  • Start by sending out some group texts, then follow up with individual texts to people you think are more available, and just see who is interested.

Discover Goals and Find Common Boundaries

  • See how they want the group to be and what they want out of the group, how they like to go forward, and so on.
  • Find out mutual interests and studies with different structures. This will help decide what format is best for your study group.
  • You might first want to join various Bible study groups with different formats and see how it feels, what things you see you can improve.

Note Down the Formats You See More Often

When you join different Bible study groups and ask them how they do it, you are going to hear about certain specific things. The groups have their own way to study the Bible, whether open or not to all.

  • There are Bible study groups where people would read a verse of passage from the Book together. Then, they discuss it or read it one by one.
  • There are Bible study groups where you pick a chapter randomly and then read it in parts till it is complete. You may discuss following it and end it there.
  • Then, there are study groups where a specific chapter or verse is assigned to someone to read and explain on specific dates. There is a rolling mechanism where each member gets a chance.
  • Then, Bible study groups are also there that are pretty open and you could just come and speak about what you read or talk about an experience and so on.

Start a Study Group that Shares

The easiest thing to do is to form a group that shares their best verse of the week and explain it to everyone else. Then, maybe engaging is discussing what you understand from it, what you think general about it, and so on.

  • Starting a group strictly to study the Bible right away may not find a lot of members. Many won’t find it interesting enough.
  • So, pick some friends and discuss something philosophically from a verse from the Bible, and tell things you relate them to in real life.
  • You can share some experiences that help you relate whether in favor or in a debate of the verse and ask others if they think that is true and is right.
  • Engage the group! It doesn’t have to be Bible in the first week itself; it can be a one-liner from a famous movie.

Movies are the Best Way to Share Thoughts

This playlist on YouTube tells some of the Bible verses that made into movies. One of the ways to inspire a young generation is to use them in the media and tell a story to emphasize it or, for example, Hacksaw Ridge, where the power of the Bible shines the light.

  • There are tons of movies, but a handful of them are so inspirational that starting a Bible study group would be a lot easier. Watching them gives meaning to the lines written in black over a white paper.
  • These are different from documentaries or movies that are on the Bible or Lord Jesus; theosophical in nature, but these are stories that relate a verse or a quote from the sacred book to a real-life truth.
  • This makes a greater impact for discussion, when you are discussing what you saw in the movie, you are also discussing with the group a famous Bible verse.

Start Slowly with One Passage at a Time

When you are leading a study group, the study goes verse-by-verse but takes some time to divide the book into sections and combine them. Such that your group completes the whole passage all the way through.

  • Dividing the passage into sections of 4 to 10 verses and dividing them with the members, each with some of it is a wonderful idea.
  • While Paul’s letters or Jesus’s teaching require less text, decide ahead of time how much you want to give to how many.
  • Then, keep Q & A sessions, discussion time, and talk about the things you read. Talk about a change in reading the Bible brought in your life last week.
  • Continue this henceforth and combine ideas from above now and then.

Tips

  • Starting a Bible study group online is a great way and initiating a group chat or texting individually is quite useful. Then, take it to physical meetings.
  • Discussing something you are going through and topics like “faith”, “Bible”, even questions like “Is God watching over us” are astounding discussion topics.
  • Topics of discussion help find minds and individuals that like talking on the same topics and that can form the basis of starting your Bible study group.

What do you need for a Bible study?

5 Essential Tools for Personal Bible Study
  1. Bible. All right, this one is obvious, right?
  2. Bible Dictionary. Using a Bible Dictionary (Vine’s is popular), or even a regular English dictionary is crucial to making sure you understand what you are reading.
  3. Concordance.
  4. Bible Atlas.
  5. Commentary.

What book of the Bible should I study first?

1. The gospels. One good place to start is in the New Testament with one of the gospels. By starting in a gospel, you can get to know Jesus and his character and see what he is like as a person.

How do I start a small Bible study group?

Today I’m going to share what we learned during the process and give you some ideas for how you can start your own small group.
  1. Prepare for a Group.
  2. Find a Community.
  3. Study Together.
  4. Do Life Together.
  5. More Resources for You.

How do I start a small group?

7 Tips to get your started with your small group:
  1. Decide on the purpose for gathering. Will this be a book group, a Bible study, a prayer group or something else?
  2. Choose a leader or facilitator.
  3. Create an inviting atmosphere.
  4. Ensure confidentiality.
  5. Be authentic.
  6. Commit to pray.
  7. Have fun.

How do I start a Bible study with my family?

4 Steps to Make Family Bible Study a Reality In Your Home
  1. Step 1: Pray About It. Ask God to give you the strength, wisdom, and determination that you will need to make family Bible study a priority.
  2. Step 2: Start Small.
  3. Step 3: Make it Age Appropriate and Engaging.
  4. Step 4: Approach the Bible as the Living Word of God.

What does a godly family look like?

Every family has the potential to be a Godly Family.

A family that know, fear and serve God. A family that train his children and generation the ways of the Lord. As written in 2 Chronicles 7 verse 14, if a family is humble and call to God, He will heal that home.

What makes a good Bible study leader?

At their core, good Bible study leaders are learners who are ready to see what God can do on a weekly basis. Good leaders prepare – Members understand when a leader’s week gets unexpectedly busy, but good leaders prioritize preparation. Just as enthusiasm for the Bible is contagious, being prepared also catches on.

How can I enjoy Bible study?

How do I make more Bible?

  1. Obtain a Bible you are comfortable reading. Hundreds of biblical translations are available.
  2. Read or listen to the Bible every day. Daily reading of the Bible, even only a couple of verses, pays in the long run.
  3. Quiz yourself regularly.
  4. Listen to Bible-based sermons.
  5. Join a Bible study group.

How can I get closer to God?

3 Ways to Grow Closer to God When You Feel Far Away
  1. Reach Out. It can be easy to become overwhelmed by life, but instead of holding everything in, reach out for help.
  2. Limit Distractions. Life is full of so many distractions and unfortunately there are many things that can hinder our walk with God.
  3. Be Intentional.

What is the soap Bible study method?

SOAP is an acronym to help you remember:

First, we read a passage of scripture. Then, we pick out a particular verse – or group of verses – that was especially meaningful to us. We write that verse at the top of our journal pages. Next, we make observations about the verse.

Can you read the Bible in one day?

It takes just 70 hours and 40 minutes to read the Bible through “at pulpit rate,” and aloud! It takes only 52 hours and 20 minutes to read the Old Testament, and just 18 hours and 20 minutes to read the New Testament. ‘One could read the Bible through in a year by reading less than 12 minutes a day!

Is the Bible meant to be read in order?

Originally Answered: Is the Bible meant to be read in order? No, the Bible is meant to be read, and not necessarily in any particular order, but it will be difficult to understand without the Holy Spirit residing inside of you.

How much does the Bible read a day?

As much as you can. If you’re just getting started, why not at least 15 minutes of reading per day. If your goal is to read the whole Bible in a year, I think you should read 4 chapters per day and that will get you through in roughly one year.