Preparing Group Studies?

[Kehaar]

Hello all

My house/cell group has bible study as part of our weekly fellowship and occasionally the leader will ask if anyone wishes to lead a study. It is not a requirement to lead but I would like to do this.

Trouble is, I've never done this before and I'm not sure how I go about preparing? How do I select what 'length' of passage to study? How much should I prepare? Is there any advice anyone can offer?

Thank you!

 

[LegomasterJC]

Ask God to lead you in preparing, what to read, what to talk about and for the Holy Spirit to give you the words to speak.
Then from there open your Bible to whatever you are led. If you don't feel any leading Open your bible and read something randomely and continue seeking until you are led.

 

[sandman]

I can still remember my first teaching in a home fellowship. The coordinator had car problems and since I was the assistant I was responsible. There were only about 25 people, but I was, in a word… terrified.

Here I am a young school kid and there were several older people in the group plus I was an awful public speaker…. really, I mean it when I say awful. Somehow I was always able to get around any type of presentations or anything that involved me getting in front of the class. You know that feeling of embarrassment when your can feel your face just turning red, that was me every time I did a formal presentation.

Twenty minuets to fellowship time and I am praying “Jesus if ever there was a time for you to come back …this would be it”.

Fifteen minuets to go and I realized there was the distinct possibility that Christ may not be coming back before fellowship so I better get it together…..Lord help me!

I got peaceful……. Several things transpired in those few minuets but what I learned that night I have used ever since. In essence this is what I learned:

*This is your family you are teaching to, you will not find a more understanding group of people as those in the fellowship.

*You are there to give, to share with them the words of life, words that can change their lives as Isaiah 58:6 states “loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke?”

*Share what you know: 99.9 of my teachings in a fellowship setting is sharing what I have been studying or learning, and it will meet their needs because as a member of the body of Christ, whatever you are going through whatever you are studying is most always what others in the body of Christ are feeling also

*Don’t write down verbatim what you want to share. I use a 3x5 for scripture references and some sticky notes placed at the scripture references in my Bible with cute little one liners or specific points I want to make.

*Allow God to work in you: This ties in with not writing down verbatim, leave room for God to work within you. As an aside there are times that I will go to teach and never once go to my notes. I will do my best to prepare but God knows the hearts of the people and He may have me go in a totally different direction.

*Stories, especially life stories are always a great way to start out or inject throughout your teaching

*Know where your going and where you are going to conclude, do a basic wrap up of what you covered at the end, and when you end…end, don’t ramble on.

*Keep in mind the average attention span of people is about 20 minuets

· Most important is love. You are doing what you are doing out of love…it never fails.



Those are the key elements I learned that night to one degree or another. By the way my teaching went fine that night I taught on the “Renewed mind” something I still work on each day.

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God Bless

sandman

 

[Kehaar]

Thank you for your answers, they've been very helpful!

 

[HumbleBee]

Hi Helen!

People are eager, hungry for heart food! Since one purpose of a group study is the opportunity to be more personal. Do just that, share from your heart an experience when God made His Word living in your life! A situation that group members could relate to... This will help them to better identify God's willingness to work in their own lives, as well as encourage them to feast daily on Scripture for fresh manna. To spur group involvement, maybe ask each to think of how the Word you shared has applied to them or to read other related verses. Even though you the leader, be sure to draw groupies into the discussion.

Object lessons are wonderful for making a message memorable! Such as this one...to remind people of God's ever-present Help and urge them to meditate on the Word day and night...look at a clock, always easy to find...and pray for a Scripture verse with the same address! I been astonished countless times, at the to the moment timeliness of the Bible verses quickened to me from the numbers on a clock!