Small Group Leader’s Training: 24 hours!

hours!
Purpose:
To quickly provide an overview of the skills and job description of a small group
leader for students interested in leading a Bible study.

Goals:
• Students will improve their inductive Bible Study skills
• Students will be introduced to the Communal Bible Discovery Method
• Students will understand that the role of the SGL includes more than leading
the Bible study
• Students will be introduced to the 4 components of a good SG

When I first designed this training, the goal was to quickly develop more small
group leaders who could fill some leadership gaps on campus. I used the
Urbana ’03 Bible study materials so that the students attending 24 hours would
be prepared to lead small groups at Urbana. These materials worked well for us,
and I think would continue to be helpful for introducing students to the Communal
Bible Discovery method of Bible study, although certainly other passages could
be substituted.

I found donors to cover the cost of the training so I could offer it for free to
interested students. I was also able to give the students who attended the
training copies of The Small Group Leader’s Handbook, Transforming Bible
Study, A GIG guide, 2+ Cards, and a Two Ways To Live pamphlet.

This training is not intended to replace the SGLT week long training held during
Chapter Focus Weeks for GLW & GLE regions. It is an introduction or a
refresher, but is not comprehensive. If it is paired with a mentoring program
where a student attending this training is an assistant leader or co-leader with an
experienced small group leader, it could become a sufficient substitution. I also
developed SGLT “level 2” weekend materials that dovetail with this 24 hour
training, but is aimed at students with some experience leading a small group.
Friday
6:00 pm introduction to each other and the weekend:
Prior to the weekend, sort a deck of playing cards into #/face value (i.e. all the 8’s
together, all the kings together, all the 3’s together, etc.). Pick out sets of cards
to equal the number of students in your group. If the number of students
attending the training is not divisible by 4, add one extra set of 4 or toss in (from
another deck of cards) doubles of 1-3 of the #/face value sets you’ve chosen
(depending on the number of students). Every student receives a playing card
as they arrive; these cards will be used to split the students into small groups
through out the training.
(Bonus idea: have the students’ names and school printed on address labels.
Put this name sticker horizontally on the center of the face of the card so the
number and suit are still showing in the corners. Then punch a hole in the
horizontal center of the card and use a safety pin through the hole to attach to
the student’s clothing as a name tag. These playing card nametags may also be
slipped into reusable plastic name tag holders.)

For the introduction, have students get into groups based on the following and
discuss the designated question.

By suit (all spades, clubs, diamonds, hearts): Introduce yourself
(name, school, year, major) and briefly share your best small group
experience and what made it the best. – doesn’t have to be about an IV or
Bible study group.

By even, odd, and face cards: Introduce yourself (see above) and briefly
share your worst small group experience and what made it the worst. –
doesn’t have to be about an IV or Bible study group.

By #/face value (should be in groups of 4): Introduce yourself (see
above) and tell why you want to be a SGL and/or why SGL’s are
important.

Bonus sorting option: you could also have the students put themselves
together into “poker hands” (full house, straight, flush, 2 pair, etc.) or other
card game sets (i.e. a solitaire row (black-red-black-red-etc. in
consecutive numbers).

Tell the group that they will have 1 minute per person to share, and closely watch
the time. Give warnings every minute “move on to the next person”. This will
give them a sense of urgency and will get them sharing quickly. When the time
is up, ask “who needs more time?” Most groups should say that they do, and
then give them another 5 or 10 minutes (depending on group size) for the first
two questions.

For the 3rd question, tell them that they will have 2 minutes per person to share,
and only give an additional 3 to 5 minutes to discuss. It is better to stop the
group while they are still interested in the topic than when they have faded and
gotten off track. Encourage them to continue these discussions during free time.
After the 3rd question, gather everyone together and have them as a whole group
share some of the responses to each of the questions. There are usually some
strong themes that emerge – make note of these, and be sure to reference them
throughout the study.

Then give a brief overview of the schedule and goals for the weekend (5
minutes)

Make everyone stretch and shake out their wiggles before moving on…

6:45 pm Urbana ’03 Bible study #1 (led by staff)

Go over “Guidelines for Good Bible Study” handout – talk through each step and
make sure everyone understands the guidelines. Refer to them again as
necessary throughout the study.

Follow these guidelines for leading the group through the Bible study:
• Give a brief introduction to Communal Discovery Method and to manuscript
study. Transforming Bible Study by Bob Grahmann has a great chapter on
manuscript study. It may be helpful to have the students read this chapter, or
summarize it and point out that it where the info can be found.
• Ask the intro question from the Urbana ’03 Bible Study and give 5 minutes for
observation in the manuscripts.
• As a large group, have students share observations and questions. Be sure
to redirect them if they start to move into interpretation or application during
this time. It’s important to help the students focus on observations here! Add
in a few key observations and questions if they are not mentioned by
students. Make note of any questions the students raise that are not included
in the Urbana ’03 notes for the Bible study.
• Have the group split into 4 groups based on suit of their cards (hearts, clubs,
spades, etc.). The study is split into 4 sections. Assign each section to one
of the 4 groups, and give them the questions for their section – including
those the students asked. Give 20 minutes for the groups to discuss and find
answers to the questions for their sections. Circulate among the groups,
giving assistance, clues, and advice on where to look – make sure you have
appropriate reference books handy as this is a great time to introduce
students to their use!
• After 20 minutes, have the students get into their #/face value groups of 4 –
there should be one person from each of the previous 4 suit groups in these
face value groups. Each person should, in order of verse #, go through what
they have discussed in their suit group, giving opportunities for the other
people to ask questions. This should take about 20-30 minutes.
• Call the group back together and tell the students to summarize each section
in 1 word to 1 sentence, and then summarize the entire passage in 1
sentence – not a run on sentence, either! Give 5 minutes for this, then have
some students share with the whole group (volunteers). Share your
sentences as well, then share the summary paragraph.
• Ask 2 of the application questions, and give students 5 minutes to journal in
response. After 5 minutes, have students get into pairs and pray for each
other. Tell them to very briefly share their prayer request before praying, and
if they want to share more to do so after their prayer. After they pray,
students should leave the room and take a brief break.

8:30 pm debrief Bible study – evaluate staff leader

Ask – What did you like about the study? What would you like to be improved?
Have copies of a SGL/SG evaluation form, and walk through it together. Give
the students permission to critique you, and model how to accept critique!

8:30 pm SGL job description

• Have the students get into their “suit” groups again. Give each suit group a
set of the “characteristics of SGL’s” (I typed up some key characteristics of
small group leaders taken from a “small group leader job description” handout
I have. I think I used 12-15 characteristics. I typed them in a large font, and
printed out 4 copies. I cut apart all the characteristics, and then glued one
complete set on red construction paper, then another complete set on blue,
etc. until I had 4 different color sets of SGL characteristic cards.) and tell them
to keep the stack turned upside down (don’t read them yet!).
• Tell the groups that they will have 5 minutes to rank these characteristics of a
SGL in order of importance. They should be prepared to defend their
decisions to the rest of the group after the time is up.
• Give them warnings when time is half up, when 1 min. remains, when 30
seconds remain, and do a 10 second countdown to time up. Then ask “who
needs more time?” – most groups will say they do – give them another 5
minutes, and do the same thing with the countdown.

(note: this little trick of telling them they have less time than you are actually
going to give them and then doing a countdown and giving more time is a way of
getting the students to more quickly discuss. If you tell them they will have 10
minutes, they will waste some of that time. When you tell them they only have 5
minutes and then do a countdown, you create an artificial sense of urgency that
jolts them to action. Just don’t overdo this – it loses its effect if you use this trick
too frequently!)

• Have each group read out the order of their list and explain why they put the
characteristics in the order they chose. Give groups an opportunity to defend
their positions to the other groups and discuss between themselves.

• Ask: “Did any of you feel overwhelmed looking at this list of characteristics?
Anyone wonder how you could ever fit all of this into your schedule? Even
feel resentful of these “demands”? Too often we view our lives like a train –
we are the engine, the Holy Spirit is a coal car that powers us (maybe – some
 of us operate like we power ourselves!), and everything else is a car attached
to that train. We end up feeling like we have so much that we have to pull
around after us that when we get tired, we think the solution is to shorten our
train and cut things out of our lives.”
• Now have the students put “has regular time with God” in the center, and fan
all the other characteristics around the center like the petals on a flower or
rays of the sun.
• Say: “When we put God at the center of our lives, all the rest gets ordered
around Him. He directs us, our time, our resources, our money, our energy –
we don’t have to “pull” everything after us – God carries everything and gives
to us the “next thing” we need to be focused on in each moment.” – etc., but
don’t talk for more than 10 minutes.

9:00 pm “How Not To Lead a Small Group” video

How Not to Lead A Small Group
Humorous and practical training for your small group leaders
By Laurie Polich
This video is from Youth Specialties (www.youthspecialties.com)
and is aimed at adult leaders of youth groups, but it has some very
funny scenes and some great principles. It is a little bit cheesy, but
that just adds to the fun! The video features “Eddie”, the adult
leader, with his small group of high school students. There are 5
segments where Eddie leads the group poorly – he’s too talkative,
he’s unprepared, he’s insecure, he’s inflexible, and he’s walked on
by the students. Then there’s a segment where Eddie leads the
group well, followed by a discussion of what he did well this time.

• Watch the 30 minute video together

• Ask: “Which of these leaders have you experienced in the small groups
you’ve been in? Which of the pitfalls are you most likely to experience
yourself?” Talk more about the video – what did they like? What didn’t they
like?

• Give instructions for the rest of the evening and the next morning – Breakfast
& QT at 8am – use “Daily Passion for the Word” as guide – the passage is the
Urbana ’03 Bible study #4. Tell students they should get to bed in time to get
up and have a QT in the morning as their personal study will be crucial for the
group study later in the morning.

9:45 pm Games & Fun! (Pizza)

Have games and pizza – encourage students to have chapter (or small group)
prayer time for part of the next couple hours. Have some rooms available for
prayer, and give some suggestions on how to use that prayer time.
Have games available that can involve more than 4 players
Some suggested games:
• Christian-ese Taboo (make your own game – have “Christian-ese” words that
students have to define/get the group to name without using any other
“Christian-ese” words)
• Pictionary
• Outburst
• Pit
• Yhatzee
• Uno

12:00 pm Quiet hours

I’ve found it helpful to designate some areas “quiet zones” starting at 10:00 for
people who want to go to bed early. Make sure these “quiet zones” are the
farthest from the game zones and encourage the students to be respectful of
each other’s desired noise level.
Saturday
8:00 am breakfast & Quiet Time
Set out Bagels, cream cheese, juice, fruit, etc. – students use the “Daily Passion”
Day 1 guide with the Urbana ’03 Bible study #4. (I formatted the “Daily Passion”
guide to be a half-page, 2 sided handout printed on card stock and laminated –
that way it could fit in the students’ Bibles.)

8:45 am gather for prayer, reading psalms, pray through hymns,

singing, etc.
I tried to model an “alternative” worship – something that a “non-musical” person
could lead. I used the daily plan for that day from A Guide to Prayer from Upper
Room Resources. It includes an opening prayer, a psalm, a scripture reading,
some readings for reflection (I picked out 2 to read), prayer for ourselves, our
community, and our world, a hymn to read or sing, and then a closing
benediction all centered around one theme that corresponds with the liturgical
calendar.

9:15 am Inductive Bible study:

Walk though a Communal Discovery Method
9:15-9:35 - Walk through “Bible Study Prep 101”, explaining Observation,
Interpretation, and Application. Be sure to get questions from the group and
make sure everyone understands the importance of each step. I have the
students look at the “Ask Not” sign during the discussion on application. I use
the SGL Handbook to show the students where they can find more info in the
book.
• I like to model OIA visually with unit blocks. Unit blocks are those wood blocks
used in so many preschool classrooms. I bring in a whole bunch of one-unit
blocks, ¼ as many two-unit blocks, and one 4-unit block. I represent
observations with the one-unit blocks, interpretations as the two-unit blocks,
and application as a 4-unit block. I build a wall with the blocks, with
observations on the bottom, followed by interpretation, then the application as
a capstone. I point out how unstable the interpretations & applications will be
if you base them on only one or two observations. I explain that Deductive
study is more like putting the application as the base, followed by the
interpretation, then the observation units. Note that with Deductive study, you
only use the interpretations of observations that can follow the application. If
the observation/interpretation doesn’t match the application, you discard it.
This can lead to a pyramid shape rather than a “wall”.

9:35-9:45 - Next, define Communal Discovery Method. Show the students how
OIA fits into the CDM. Use the Transforming Bible Study book at this point – be
sure to highlight the outline for a 1 hour CDM study. Explain that after the break,
you will once again work through an Urbana Bible study using the CD Method.
Have them review the evaluation form used the day before, and tell them that
they will need to be ready to evaluate their study at the end of the time.

9:45 – Break to 10:00

10:00- CDM – Urbana ’03 Bible Study #4 – led by staff

• Pretend that this is a new group as everyone comes together. Open with
prayer, then give some background info on the passage you will be studying.
• Split into “face value” groups (using the cards again). Have students work on
the intro question in their groups, then come together and share what they
created. Give them 10 minutes to create, and each group gets 2 minutes to
share.
• Have students briefly share observations and questions – make note of all
their questions and toss out a few of your own.
• Next, walk through answering the questions together as a large group.
• When you get to the question of “was the 3rd slave correct in his view of the
master” split into red cards and black cards. Assign one group to be the
defense and argue that the slave was wrong, and the other group to be the
prosecution and argue that the slave was right. Give each group 5 minutes to
prepare their arguments and choose their legal team. Then each team gets 3
minutes to present their case, then give them each another 3 minutes for a
rebuttal.
• Then ask the whole group – what do you think? Hopefully they’ve arrived at
the right conclusion, and you can laugh at the scripture twisting that just
happened! Point out where their arguments were scriptural, and where they
were twisted or supposition.
• Finish up by reading the summary, and then offering one or two application
questions. Again encourage time to process, then pray in pairs for each
other.

11:30 – Debrief study and go over the evaluation again

12:00 pm Lunch

1:00 pm Group Game!

Don’t tell the students what game you are going to play until you have split the
groups and sent one volunteer from each group out of the room.

The game I used is “Party Quirks” from “Whose Line is it Anyway” (Comedy
Sports type). The basic premise is that one person is the “host” of a party. The
other people have chosen “identities” that they act out at the “party”, and the host
must guess who each of the others is pretending to be. It’s best if guests “enter”
the party one at a time, giving the host time to interact with each quirky person
before having the next one added! Quirky guests can interact with each other to
give more clues…

• You choose how they split – by suits or by face value or some other way. Get
one volunteer from each group to leave.
• Tell the remaining students that they will be playing “Party Quirks” (from
“Whose Line is it Anyway”) but with Biblical characters in strange situations –
Noah building a flume log ride on the Ark, Mary in a Lamaze class, Joshua
practicing the trumpet, Miriam rehearsing the worship band, etc.
• Tell the remaining students that they have only 10 minutes to come up with
characters, or, to save time, have characters ahead of time and give an
envelope with different characters to each group and let them decide who will
be each person. Be sure to provide scripture references for students to look
up their character.
• Go to the volunteers and explain that they are the hosts in Party Quirks, and
that their guests will be Biblical characters in strange situations.
• When people are ready (or you decide they should be), call everyone
together and have each group go one at a time. Be sure to help out any
struggling Hosts or actors. Make sure that there are several people all at
once – not one person coming in and interacting with the host until he/she
gets it and then the next person comes in – “guests” should all be arriving
within a minute of each other.

After each group has gone, debrief:

• “Hosts, what was hard about your task? What made it easy? What made it
difficult?”
• “Guests, how did you feel?” etc.
• “How is this like starting a new small group?” “How might this be like how a
new person feels in coming into a new group?” “How does this represent the
challenges a leader faces in getting to know the people in their small group?”
• Discuss, share, etc.

1:45 pm Four Components – philosophy/vision

For each of the 4 components, describe/define it, and then model some ideas.
Highlight which of the activities you have done so far fit into each area. If you
have time or can make time, do some fun and/or unusual activities in each area.
When sharing ideas in each component, have students share ideas they have
seen, experienced, thought of, heard, etc.

• 2:00 pm Community:
o What is it?
o Why is it important?
o Ideas for SG’s (There were a lot of students with examples of
community builders from their experiences in SG’s)

• 2:30 pm Worship:
 o What is it?
o Why is it important?
o Ideas for SG’s (We discussed how to incorporate worship for non-
musical people as well as some ideas for prayer)

• 3:00 pm Nurture:
o What is it?
o Why is it important?
o Ideas for SG’s (one of the ideas I shared was the “16 books of the
Bible are hidden in this paragraph” exercise as a way of teaching
observation)

• 3:30 pm Mission:
o What is it?
o Why is it important?
o Ideas for SG’s (I discussed different strategies for outreach for on-
campus vs. off-campus small groups)

4:00 pm – Break

4:15 pm Putting it all together: planning a SG meeting

Split students into their “face value” groups. Assign each group a short passage
(no more than 10 verses) from Luke or Mark. Tell them that they now have 1
hour to prep a small group study with the following elements:
• Their personal study – have a plan for this (using “Daily Discovery?” other
method?)
• Prepare the study – have at least 5 key questions that they think are essential
to understanding the main point of the passage and 2 different possible
application questions
• Planning for the 4 components – including an order for the meeting
• Publicity & invitations!
Students should give most of their time to understanding the passage before
planning the study – a good 30 to 40 minutes.
Be sure to circulate and help them in their prep.

5:15 pm Groups each get 5 minutes to share their study outline

If you have more time, have other students respond to each other’s plans and
give at least 2 positive comments and one suggestion for a change. (Keep it to
twice as many positives as “negatives”.)

5:45 pm Prayer and Commissioning

6:00 pm Depart
Characteristics of a Small Group Leader (in no particular order)
• Has regular personal time w/ God
• Attends Large Group each week
• Participates in conferences and other training events
• Spends time in relationship building activities with group members
outside the study itself
• Attends leadership meetings (meets with small group coordinator,
etc.)
• Recruits small group members for training events, conferences,
etc.
• Spends 2 hours each week in preparation for the small group
meeting
• Involved in weekly and/or daily prayer meetings
• Is a growing, maturing disciple of Christ
• Models healthy chapter participation
• Establishes the small group as a witnessing, nurturing community
• Has a desire to share the gospel
• Models servant leadership and shepherding
• Identifies, develops, and trains future leaders
• Prepares and leads the Bible study discussion
• Has relationships with non-Christians; models evangelism
 Guidelines for Good Small Group Bible Study
Adapted from The Small Group Leader’s Handbook (IVP)

 Approach the Bible as we would approach any good primary

source on a subject: Be open to learn.

 Let the Bible text speak for itself rather than depending
on something we heard or read about it. Also, don’t look
to notes in a study Bible to give you the interpretation.
Trust the Holy Spirit to teach you and instruct you
through the Word (see John 14:25ff) rather than depending
on study notes.

 Expect the text, rather than the leader, to answer

questions that come up.

 Stay in the passage. On occasion, when background

information is necessary, the study guide may refer the
group to another passage.

 Stay on the point under discussion. Free discussion is

great, but we also want to allow God to speak through a
passage. When we only get half the passage, we get only
half the point.

 Keep in mind that each person’s part in the discussion

helps the group to learn more. People who talk easily in
discussion can provide for quieter people to contribute
also. God can use what each one says to help the rest of
us. We can honor each other by listening to each other.

 Begin and end on time. Please be prompt and help us to

start on time. If we start on time, we can usually
finish on time.
 Bible Study Preparation: 101
PREPARING THE STUDY:

I. Read the historical and cultural background of the book and passage.
A. Check the study guide for any background information
B. Look up the book in a Bible Dictionary.

II. Read the passage

A. Make observations
1. Stay in the passage; don’t wander or speculate.
2. Divide the passage into sections.
a. Look for logical thought breaks.
b. Look for transition words.
3. Ask questions:
a. Who are the major and minor characters? Who is writing the book?
To whom is he writing?
b. Where do the events occur? Are there any references to towns,
cities, provinces? If so, look these up in a Bible Atlas or on a
map.(Many Bibles include maps.) If you are reading a letter,
where do the recipients live? Find out about the
historical/cultural significance of these places.
c. When did this happen? Are there any references to
the time, day, month, or year, or to when events took
place in relation to other events? When was this book
written?
d. What actions or events are taking place? What words or ideas are
repeated or are central to the passage? What is the mood
(joyous, somber)?
e. Why was this passage written? Does the passage offer any
reasons, explanations, statements of purpose?
f. How is the passage written? Is it a letter, speech, poem, parable?
Does the author use any figures of speech (similes, metaphors)?
How is it organized (around ideas, people, geography)?
4. Note locations, details, surprises, verbs, pronouns, connectors.
5. Note relationships between words and between thought units: similarities,
repetitions, contrasts, cause/effects, etc.
B. De
Develop
velop interpretations: Meaning, Significance, explanations
1. Define words you don’t understand.
2. Unravel any figurative language. (Two good resources are The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery and
The Bible Background Commentary - both from IVP.)
3. Ans
Answer
wer the why and what does it mean questions
a. Why was this done this way?
b. Why was this said?
4. Ask about the significance
significance of the observations and relationships made in
part A.
5. Try to grasp the meaning and significance of any
major ideas.
6. Note references in the passage to biblical literature that the author and
recipients would have known. Look these up!!
7. Integrate: How does the point fit with what is already known from
scripture?
a. Be building an understanding of the teachings of scripture and
their sources.
b. If there is a conflict between what you knew and what you are
learning, rethink both to resolve the conflict. (May involve
intensive study with commentaries, dictionaries, etc. and
discussion with others...)
8. Summarize:
Summarize:
a. What subject is the author talking about?
b. What is the author saying about that subject?

C. Make Applications:
1. The ultimate purpose of Bible study is not simply to educate us but to
transform us.
2. What does this point mean for the world
world and life in general and for me in
particular?
a. Is there a command for us to obey?
b. Is there a promise to claim?
c. Is there an example to follow?
d. Is there a sin to avoid or confess?
e. Is there a reason for thanksgiving or praise?
f. What does this passage teach me about God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit,
the church, myself, others, etc.?
3. Two principles of application:
a. Whenever our situation corresponds to that faced by the original
readers, God’s Word to us is exactly the same as it was to them.
b. Whenever our situation does not correspond to that faced by the
original readers, we should look for the principle underlying God’s
Word to them. We can then apply that principle to comparable
situations today.
FORMULATE THE STUDY:
I. Thin
Thinkk about the purpose: Write down what you want to see accomplished in the
course of your discussion. This may be something you want your group members
to understand, become aware of or do.

II. If using a study guide, compare the guide

guide to your own observations,
observations,
interpretations, and application.
A. Check with a commentary if you differ. (New Bible Commentary from IVP is a
good resource.)

III. Rewrite questions in your own words as necessary.

IV. Add or delete questions according to need.

A. When adding questions:
1. Always use clearly worded questions that facilitate discussions by asking
for several answers.
2. Make sure the added questions flow with surrounding questions and move
toward your purpose.
3. Formulate each question from your Observations, Interpretations, and
Applications.

V. Be creative with introductions.

A. Use the introduction in the study guide or write your own.
B. Writing an introduction: it should expose a need and get group members
thinking about the issues that will arise in the study.
1. The introduction should be:
a. brief, interesting and lively.
b. related to the rest of the study
2. Introductions can be:
a. A question
b. A brief illustration
c. A game
SECRETS OF SUCCESSFUL BIBLE STUDY LEADERSHIP
I. In your first
first meeting, discuss principles for good Bible discussions:
A. Be open to learning from the Bible
B. The Bible is the Authority. Expect it, rather than the leader, to answer the
questions that come up.
C. Keep everyone on the same level, stay in the passage under discussion.
D. Stay on the point under discussion.

II. Know what you want the group members to learn and keep moving toward the
purpose.

III. Know your questions well; avoid calling attention to them.

IV. Avoid using your own input to move into the next question.

V. Build on what others say: ask follow up questions.

VI. Allow a sufficient amount of time to pass before rephrasing a question.

VII. Try to make smooth transitions between questions so that the study flows well.

VIII. Be conscious of what is going on during the study, especially member’s

emotions.

IX. Watch to see how God is moving; listen to the Holy Spirit.

FIVE WAYS TO KILL A DISCUSSION:

I. When someone offers a far out answer, don’t respond at all: just ask the
the next
question.
II. Always end a question with “The answer is...” and then give your opinion.
III. Make sure you let only one person answer each question.
IV. Whatever you do, never affirm a group member’s answer. That will only lead
to more input from
from other people.
V. Ask only questions that require yes or no answers. This helps you go much faster.

Adapted from The Small Group Leader’s Handbook (IVP)

 Ask not,
“What does it mean
to me?”;
but rather,
“What did it mean
to them
(the original
audience)?”
and
“What does that
mean for me?”
 DAILY PASSION FOR THE WORD
How to meditate on the Bible in your quiet time or Bible study preparation

Tackle a chapter or half chapter at a time, spending two or more days on each. Study through a book of the Bible rather than random passages. No hurry, no
deadlines, just the joy of hearing from Jesus in His Word.

Be Expectant!
The Bible is God’s living Word. As you approach the Bible, pray that God would meet you, so you experience God Himself in His Word; speak to you as a friend to
a friend; teach you His truth; surprise you with some new insight or discovery; and transform you over time into the image of Jesus.

Get Honest with God!

As you approach God in expectant prayer, take time also to think through what the last few days have been like for you. Share honestly with God what and how
you are feeling as you approach your time with Him. Share your struggles and joys. Ask Him to speak, over time, to issues in your life.

Look Closely!
 Read the passage carefully, and write down specifics that you see such as who is there, what is happening, when is it, where is it, and how is it happening.
 Circle or write down words, phrases or ideas that connect by repeating, contrasting, being similar, going from the general to the particular, or stating a cause
that leads to an effect.
 Put yourself into the passage. If it is a narrative, put yourself into the story. What do you see, smell, taste, feel? Chose one of the characters and become
them. If it is a letter or law section, feel what it might have felt to get the letter or hear the law. If it is poetry, let the power of the poem and its images
sweep over you.
 What questions does the passage raise in your mind? What words, phrases, or concepts don’t you understand? Does the passage turn in any unexpected
ways? What intrigues you? Write these questions down.

Meditate!
Step back and read the passage a few times again. Read it as if Jesus were standing right there with you (He is!). Ponder again the points that stand out to you in
the passage. What does the passage say or point to about Jesus? Ask Jesus what He has for you personally in the passage. What area of your life is Jesus
speaking to?

THE SECOND DAY IN THE PASSAGE

Today you’ll look at the same passage, but from a different angle.

Think Deeply!
 Divide the passage into thought units, paragraphs. See what sentences you think add up to a thought unit and mark that as a paragraph. (These may or may
not be the same as the paragraphs in the version of the Bible you are using.)
 Write a brief title for each paragraph.
 Consider the questions you wrote yesterday. Look hard in the passage for insights into these questions. Also look at the context of the passage. What
comes before it and after it?
 One of the best ways to move towards answers to your questions is to look for connections among the paragraphs. Is there a word, phrase or idea that
repeats? Is there a contrast? Is there a cause in one paragraph and the effect in another; or a string of similar words, phrases, or ideas that run through a few
paragraphs? Draw lines between the connected words or phrases to mark them. What do you think is significant about these connections? What light do they
shed on possible answers to your questions?

Summarize!
 Look at your connections, your questions, your points of significance, and the context. Step back and ask yourself: what are the main points of this
passage? What is the author trying to say? Why is this passage or story here? Try to write this in an integrative sentence.

Hear from God and Act Boldly!

Look over your whole study from yesterday and today. Do you sense that God is speaking to any part of your life? Is there a promise to trust, a command to obey,
or an example to follow or avoid? Is there a deeper insight into God or your experience with God? What action are you going to take in response to what God is
saying to you?

Worship Him!
Take the time to worship God and respond to His love for you. Thank Him for speaking to you in His living Word.

The Joy of Community

After you have studied the passage on your own, share it with trusted fellow believers in a Christian community to get their correction, affirmation, and insights.
Have at least one fellow believer with whom you share Bible study on a regular basis. Become a part of a small group that studies the Bible seriously.

© Copyright InterVarsity Christian Fellowship 01/00

Using Reference Books
 Every reference book should have a section in the beginning on “How to Use
This Book”. This is always a good place to start if you are unfamiliar with the
book.
 When you are using a reference book for the first time, take a few minutes to
flip through it and explore the book a bit. Is there an index? A table of
contents? Is the book divided into sections? What are they? Are there any
study tools or other reference tools in the book?
 If you are having a hard time finding a certain topic or scripture passage,
check in the index of the reference book. If the topic or passage isn’t listed in
the main part of the book, the table of contents, or the index, consider finding
related words. For example, if you can’t find an entry under “Holy Ghost”, try
“Holy Spirit”.
 When you find an article, it can be helpful to skim through it before reading it
in its entirety. This gives you an overview of the information, and can help
you to focus in on what is most relevant to your current study.
 It can be helpful to have an English dictionary near by in case you come
across unfamiliar words!
 Don’t be intimidated if you don’t understand what the authors or editors are
saying. Try reading the text out loud or asking a friend to help you. Think of it
as a challenge to learn more about God!

Bible Dictionary: (New Bible Dictionary from IVP)

The first place to turn to when you have a question or are searching for background information
about a book, setting, author, character, etc.
Example:
If you are studying Acts, look up the word “Acts, Book of” for background information and see
where that takes you. You may see words that indicate (in bold, italicized, or with an asterisk)
other topics listed in the dictionary such as “Luke” (the author of Acts), or “Holy Spirit”, “Apostles”,
“Disciples”, “Sanhedrin”, “Early Church”, etc. Think of these as your “hyperlinks” to more insight
into the passage you are studying.
Example:
If you are studying Acts, you may come across names like Theophilus, Caiaphas, Sadducees,
Levite, Solomon's Colonnade, Gamaliel, the Synagogue of the Freedmen, Grecian Jews, Philip,
Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, Nicolas from Antioch, and Candace. Look up these names
– what is their significance? Who are these people? What can you learn about all of these?

Bible Atlas: (New Bible Atlas from IVP)

Use this to learn what the setting of the passage is, or to learn about places mentioned in the
passage. If you don’t have a Bible Atlas, a Bible dictionary may also work, but you will have less
detailed information.
Example:
If you are studying Acts, you will come across a long list of place names throughout the book.
One example is found early on: Acts 2:10 & 11: “…Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of
Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the
parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans
and Arabs--we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues!” Do you know where
all of these places are? What is the significance of all of these locations? Look it up!
Bible Background Commentary (IVP):
This is a great book to help you understand how the passage would have sounded to the original
listeners. This book works with a verse-by-verse format to give you cultural background on the
text. To look something up, you simply find the book of the Bible and the verse(s) you are
studying.
Example:
Acts is loaded with a lot of cultural information that can go right over our heads if we don’t clue
into what is going on for the original hearers. Consider the situation between the Grecian Jews
and Hebraic Jews. What’s the big deal? What does it mean that someone is a Grecian Jew, and
what are they doing in Jerusalem? Why do they need to take care of the widows? Why would
the Grecian Jews’ widows be overlooked in the daily distribution of food? To find out, look up
Acts 6:1-7 in the Bible Background Commentary and find out.

Commentary: (New Bible Commentary from IVP)

This should be the last book you turn to when you are studying any passage. Don’t look up
anything in a commentary until you have finished studying the passage yourself and have
discovered the interpretation and application on your own. If you go to a commentary too soon,
“it will push you around like a cow on ice” (Jay Anderson’s quote). In other words, use it to check
yourself, but don’t depend on it to do your Bible Study for you. Trust the Holy Spirit to teach you,
not the commentary. A good commentary will give you information on all interpretations of any
passages, as well as supporting the interpretation favored by the authors and/or editors of the
commentary.
Example:
After finishing studying Acts 6:1-7 for several days, you could look in a commentary to check your interpretation and
application of the passage. Simply look up Acts 6:1-7 as you would in a Bible, and read the information given.
If you differ with the commentary in your interpretation, go back to your Bible and re-study the
passage. Prayerfully consider the commentary’s interpretation and your own, and seek out other
commentaries. Also, discuss both interpretations with others who have studied the passage.

Other Great IVP Reference Books (which you can get at a discount!):
Dictionary of Jesus and the Gospels
Dictionary of Paul and his Letters
Dictionary of the Latter New Testament and its Developments
Dictionary of New Testament Background
New Dictionary of Theology
Women’s Bible Commentary
Dictionary of Biblical Imagery
 Urbana 03:Leading Morning Bible Studies
Bible studies at Urbana 03 will be one-hour, interactive, inductive studies using a
manuscript of the text:
• One-hour – Students at Urbana 03 will have had vastly different experiences
with types and lengths of group Bible study. For those who are used to a 15
minute “devotional”, one hour might feel rigorous. For those who like 2+ hour
manuscript studies (used at some InterVarsity camps and conferences), they
may be wishing for more time to study or discuss at length. As the leader, you
are responsible for pacing, which means you help the group use the hour best.
This might mean that you will have to say, “This has been a good discussion, but
we need to move on to another question so we get all the way through the
passage.” It might also mean that you help a group slow down from arriving at
the main point and ask them to think more deeply.
• Interactive – Group discussion is the key to this type of Bible study. It is not a
time for the leader (or a member) to give a teaching on their understanding of the
passage. Your role is to assist the community in digging into Scripture together.
You will facilitate a lively discussion by helping the group members ask
questions of the text and look for answers from the text. Please remember that
English may not be the first language of some of your group members and
religious language may not be familiar to everybody. Try to speak clearly and
make sure everyone understands the vocabulary of the discussion, so that all
can participate fully.
• Inductive - These studies will be “inductive”, which means we want to let the text
speak for itself, rather than trying to fit it into pre-determined grids. To the
greatest extent we are able, we want to lay aside what we have been taught
before about the passage and look at it with fresh eyes. By looking closely, and
asking good questions, we hope to discover the author’s intended meaning to
the original audience and then apply God’s truth to our lives today. This
means that we won’t be referring to other parts of the New Testament when
trying to answer our questions, since Luke has included all that is necessary to
make his points.
• Manuscript – The passages we are studying are in the Convention Handbook.
Studying from a printed page, rather than a bound Bible, enables us to write
freely. We can mark repetitions, sketch images, jot down questions, and record
insights from group discussion. Writing as we study helps us develop the active
posture which is so crucial for transformational Bible study.

Suggested Pacing

5-10 minutes: Introduction and individual study

10 minutes: Group shares observations and questions
25-30 minutes: Group discussion answering questions
2 minutes: Leader summarizes
10 minutes: Respond
3 minutes: Pray
 Using Teaching Notes

The following notes are not a traditional Bible study guide. They are intended to sharpen
your understanding of the passage as you prepare and to give ideas for how to lead the
group study. They are not intended to replace your own study and preparation but to be
a resource for you. The most important part of the study is that the group generates its
own questions. It’s not necessary that all the ideas in these notes come out in your
discussion.

The material in the three boxes at the beginning of the Teaching Notes is important for
the leader to understand and can be shared with the group as questions arise.

Good Bible study always considers the context of the passage. The power of the
story is clearer when we see it unfold within a larger whole. Historical and
cultural background is important for understanding how this passage would
have struck the original audience.

The sidebar highlights critical observations. These can be discovered

inductively from the passage itself. A leader should come out of their own
preparation with a strong grasp of these categories: who, where, broader setting,
and primary tension. They are the initial building blocks on which our
interpretation is built.

Introduction
The goal of the introduction is to orient the group to the context of the study so they can
begin to engage in the passage with their hearts and minds. This might be done through
asking a reflective sharing question or by giving them an exercise to use during
individual study.

Individual Study
This is a time of silence when each member of the group reads and writes on their own.
Here are some suggestions of what to do during individual study.
• Read through the passage, noting the key players and tensions.
• Read through again, looking for ideas that are emphasized through repetition,
contrast, or strength of image.
• Pay attention to the questions that float through your mind as you study. Write
them down in the margins of the manuscript.

Group Shares Observations and Questions

Have the group share with each other what they noticed and the questions they have
from the passage. The leader should write down the questions as they are shared, but
don’t let the group answer them yet. The first morning it might be helpful to go around
the circle, having each person share a question or comment, so everyone participates
and gets used to talking in the group.
Group Discussion Answering Questions
Walk through the passage from beginning to end, asking the main questions that the
group generated and interspersing your own as needed. The role of the leader is to ask
questions, help people listen well to each other, and summarize what the group is
discovering. The leader should not answer the questions themselves, but
continually ask the group to generate answers from clues in the passage. A useful
facilitator question is, “What do others of you think about that…?”

The teaching notes have a table with questions and possible answers. Do not try to ask
every question on this list. Use the questions that the group generates and then
supplement them so that there are questions to discuss from every section of the
passage. The questions and answers that are highlighted are significant in
understanding the passage’s central thrust.

Leader Summarizes
At the end of the group discussion, it is helpful for the leader to summarize the central
thrust of the group’s conversation. This not only brings clarity, but it can also help to
drive home the point of the passage. Your summary should be a short, punchy
paragraph, not a long reiteration of the passage. Sample summaries are included in the
teaching notes. The best summaries use the language of the text and of the group
discussion.

Respond
The Bible’s transformational power is experienced when people take concrete steps to
live under the authority of the Bible. Make sure to leave enough time for the group to
discuss how to respond to the passage. The teaching notes include possible application
questions. Pick no more than two of them to use. The questions you select should fit
your group’s discussion. Encourage people to write down the application questions at
the bottom of their manuscript.

Pray
Hearts and lives only change by the power of the Holy Spirit, which works primarily
through the Scripture, community, and prayer. When God speaks to us in Bible study
our response should be to say “yes” to Him. Through prayer we invite the Holy Spirit to
extend God’s reign further into our lives.

Here are some hints to help you as you lead your group:

• Don’t preach, don’t lecture and don’t share everything you

saw. Get the group to share what they see.

• Encourage those who are sharing a lot to choose what they

share more carefully; encourage those who are not speaking
as much to share some simple, brief observations. Let the
group know that it’s okay to be quiet and okay to be more
talkative – as long as everyone is contributing something and
everyone is listening well to one another.
 Luke 3:1-20 Teaching Notes
Critical
Context: Who’s Who in Luke 3:1-2 Observations
nd
Emperor Tiberius – 2 Roman Emperor, ruled AD 14-37 Who – John the
Pontius Pilate – Roman governor of Judea, ruled AD 25-37, appointed Baptist, crowds, tax
by Augustus Caesar after the Jews complained about Archelaus (son of collectors, soldiers,
Herod the Great) and Herod the ruler
Herod – son of Herod the Great, Jewish ruler of Galilee, ruled 4 B.C. –
A.D. 39 Where – the
Philip – son of Herod the Great, Jewish ruler of Ituraea and Trachonitis wilderness area
(a region E of Galilee), ruled 4 B.C.- AD 33 around the Jordan
Lysanias - Jewish ruler of Abilene (a region NW of Galilee), ruled AD River in Judea
27-36
Annas – high priest (civil and religious head) of Israel AD 6-15, deposed Broader Setting –
by the Romans, but retained influence until his death since subsequent A.D. 28-29, the
high priests were members of his family nation of Israel is
Caiaphas – son-in-law of Annas, high priest of Israel AD 18-36 under the military
John son of Zechariah – prophet of God whose miraculous conception occupation of the
and birth is recorded in Luke 1: 5-25, 57-80 Roman Empire;
God has not spoken
through a prophet in
over 400 years.
Historical and cultural background
Many of the prophetic books of the Old Testament begin with “the word Primary Tension –
of God came to …” Prophets played a significant role in ancient Israel’s The people of Israel
spiritual and political life. Their last prophet, Malachi (c. 432-425 BC) are responding with
predicted the coming of a Messiah (a liberator) who would restore God’s great humility to the
people to right worship. prophet sent by
God, expecting that
Baptism was a once-for-all ritual washing administered to Gentiles who deliverance from
wanted to become Jews. It was a purification ceremony that their oppression is
acknowledged their need of God’s cleansing of their sins and a coming soon. Yet,
commitment to leave their Gentile past. John the Baptist
predicts God’s
God established his covenant with Abraham. The nation of Israel is one judgment on them
of the nations descended from Abraham, and the nation God chose to rather than their
use to bless the nations. See Genesis 12:1-3, 15:1-6, 17:1-14. enemies and calls
them to change the
Tax collectors were Jews who worked for the occupying Romans to way they handle
collect taxes from their own countrymen. Most took advantage of their money and
position to get rich. possessions.
5 minutes: Introduction
If necessary, make sure to do introductions again this morning to be hospitable to those
who missed the first evening prayer group.
“How do you or your family prepare for the arrival of someone important into your
home? Has someone important (like the president, the Pope, etc.) ever come to
visit your city? How did city officials prepare for their visit?” Have two or three
people share.
Or …
“Remember a time when a friend, teacher, coach, or parent gave you some
feedback that was hard to hear. How did you respond initially? Did you
appreciate it later?” Have two or three people share.
5 minutes: Individual study
Have someone read the passage out loud. Then, tell the group something like:
“Take a few minutes to study this passage on your own. What do you notice
about the dynamics between John the Baptist and the crowds? As you read and
study the passage, write down any questions that float across your mind. Is
there anything that interests or intrigues you? Anything you don’t understand?”

10 minutes: Group shares observations and questions

• Have the group share with each other things that they noticed as they studied.
• “What are your questions? We won’t answer them but we’ll wait until we’ve
gotten them all out on the table so we can work on them in an orderly way.”
• Jot down the questions as they are shared so you remember to ask the most
relevant ones.

25 minutes: Group discussion answering questions:

Remember, these are just some of the questions that might arise. The best questions to
work on are the ones asked by the group. Supplement the group’s questions with some
of these if there are important ideas in the passage that the group hasn’t raised
themselves.
The highlighted questions are ones we think are key to understanding the passage.

v. 1-6
- Why does Luke spend so much time - Luke emphasizes the historical
setting the historical context? importance of John’s ministry by dating it in
six different ways. The word of God comes
to his people through a man with no
political or official religious authority.
- What is “a baptism of repentance for the - Jews acknowledging that they have been
forgiveness of sins”? so far from God, it is as if they have been
Gentiles.
- How does this passage quoted from - In the ancient world, when a king wants
Isaiah 40:3-5 fill out what John is doing? to visit a new part of his realm, he sends a
courtier to get the locals to build a road for
his chariots. Calling people to repentance
is the way John prepares the “road” for
Jesus.
v. 7-9
- Why are the people coming to be - They recognize that John is a prophet
baptized? from God and think he might be the
 Messiah.
- Why is John the Baptist so harsh? - The situation is very serious. The
Messiah is coming and most of Israel will
reject him. God wants true repentance so
their hearts will be soft enough to
recognize Jesus as the Messiah. They are
in danger of resting complacently in their
- In what way are the people like a brood of (supposed) racial privilege.
vipers? - Snakes who lived in the wilderness would
scurry away from fire. The people are
running out to be baptized because they
are afraid of God’s judgment.

-The people of Israel relied on their

Religious and cultural background to give - Give time for a few members of the group
them favor with God. How do you rely on to share their reflections. If your group has
your religious/cultural/family background to a mix of races or ethnicities, this could be a
give you special position with God? very interesting discussion worthy of
- What is “the wrath to come”? further conversation outside of the study.
- The hardness of Israel’s heart towards
God will be exposed through their
response to Jesus’ life, death, and
resurrection. Ethnic Israel will soon be
replaced by the Church as God’s people
on earth (vs. 9 “every tree that does not
bear fruit is cut down”).
v. 10-14
- What are the soldiers doing there? - The soldiers are probably Roman, sent
by the governor as security guards for
crowd control. The Israelites were
infamous for their uprisings. It is
remarkable that the soldiers, too, respond
- All three sub-groups ask “What should we to John’s message.
do?” What does this show about their - Repentance is not merely an internal shift
understanding of repentance and sin? of heart. Sin affects our relationships with
others as well as God. Repentance should
- What sins are being addressed in John’s be demonstrated in our lives in concrete
answers to the different groups? ways.
- Crowds: greed, materialism, lack of
compassion. Tax collectors: greed,
- Why is there so much emphasis on manipulation, selfishness. Soldiers: greed,
money? violence, abuse of power.
- Our relationship to money and
possessions is a clear manifestation of
what is actually true in our relationship with
God and others.
v. 15-20
- Why do they think that John might be the -They have been waiting for the Messiah
Messiah? for a long time. John is drawing a big
 crowd and talking about God with
- How does John answer their questions tremendous authority.
about himself? - John points to the person coming after
him and describes how powerful he is. By
comparison, John isn’t even worthy to be
his lowest servant (the one who changes
shoes). The baptism of water that he has
been performing is “small potatoes”
compared to the baptism of the Holy Spirit
- What does it mean to baptize with the and fire that Jesus will bring.
Holy Spirit and with fire? - Only God can give the Holy Spirit. When
the Messiah comes, he will bring the Holy
Spirit to his people. The coming of Jesus
- What is John trying to say through the will bring the judgment of God as well
wheat and chaff metaphor? (symbolized by fire).
- When the Messiah comes, he will bring
- Why does Luke include the information judgment on those whose lives haven’t
here about John’s arrest? borne fruit.
- It shows the reader that it is dangerous to
speak the truth. There may be real
suffering that comes when we talk
straightforwardly about sin.

Wrap-up
- In what way does repentance prepare the - It exposes the ways we don’t trust and
way for the Lord? obey God, the areas of our lives that need
purification. Repentance “paves the road”
so that the work of God can come further
into our lives.

2 minutes: Leader summarizes

John the Baptist explodes on to the scene, asking the nation of Israel to turn back to
God with public repentance and humility. It is not enough the bear the name of “Jew” (or
in our case “Christian”). God is looking for fruit in our lives that demonstrates our
allegiance to Him. Our relationship to money and possessions – how we gain them, how
we feel about them, and what we do with them – is a key indication of what is actually
happening in our hearts. We are called to repentance, not as an end in itself, but as a
preparation to receive the greater things God has for us.

10 minutes: Respond
• What have you brought with you to the convention that you have more than one
of (and that could be of benefit to the poor)? Sweaters, sweatshirts, t-shirts? We
have the opportunity to give an article of clothing (no underwear, please) to the
Salvation Army to be distributed to the homeless. If God leads you to do so,
bring what you’d like to give to the Assembly Hall either this morning or evening.
You may prefer to wait and give something to a local clothing distribution ministry
 when you get home. This is not intended to be a substitute for the offering later
this week, but rather a small sign of our repentance.
• Ask the Holy Spirit to search your heart and convict you of sin. Confess it and
repent this morning so that you are ready to receive all that God has for you at
Urbana 03.
• How do you try to convince yourself that you don’t need to repent, especially in
the area of money?
• If you asked John, “What do I need to do?” what do you think he would say?

3 minutes: Pray
Pray together that God would use our concrete acts of repentance this morning to
prepare the way in our hearts and lives to encounter Jesus more fully.
 Luke 19:11-27 Teaching Notes
Critical
Context: Observations
Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem. He has clearly told the disciples that of the Parable
he will be killed there (Luke 13:33-34, Luke 18:31-34). While passing
through Jericho, Jesus encounters Zaccheus (a tax collector) and Who – a
declares his ministry of salvation. A crowd – which includes Zaccheus, nobleman, 10
the disciples, and people who grumble against Jesus – are the audience slaves (3 of which
for this parable. are highlighted),
enemies of the
nobleman, a few
bystanders

Historical and cultural background: Where – an

unnamed
Parables are stories using familiar subject matter, designed to make a kingdom
main point or answer a single question. They are intended to illicit a
response and are different than allegories, i.e. stories where every Broader Setting
element is a representation of something in the real world (e.g. Pilgrim’s – An ambiguous
Progress and Hinds’ Feet on High Places). and contentious
political situation
In 4 B.C., Herod the Great, ruler of Israel died. His kingdom was divided
between his 4 sons, who had to travel to Rome and be crowned by the Primary Tension
emperor. One of the sons, Archelaus was disliked by the citizens of – Nobleman’s
Judea. They sent 50 representatives to Rome to protest the coronation. slaves are faced
In response to their request, Archelaus did not become a king, and with dilemma of
Pontius Pilate, a Roman, was appointed governor instead. whether or not to
align themselves
10 pounds is 3 months salary for a laborer (approximately $10,000). publicly with him
by doing business
in his name. The
true nature of the
nobleman is up
for debate
 SGLT 24 Hours
Page 30 of 32

5 minutes: Introduction and Individual study

Have someone in the group read the passage out loud. Then give these
instructions: “Design the cover of a tabloid about the events described in this
parable. What headlines would you include? What would you use for
illustrations? As always, write down your questions.”
Or…
“Make a chart comparing the three different slaves. Consider areas of resources,
opportunity, motivation, outcome, etc. Take note of the questions that float
across your mind as you work on this.”

10 minutes: Group shares observations and questions

• Have the members share what they came up with from the exercise during
individual study time.
• “Let’s get out all our questions. We won’t answer them but we’ll wait until we’ve
gotten them all out on the table so we can work on them in an orderly way.”

30 minutes: Group discussion answering questions

v.11
- What is Jesus’ audience expecting to - Jesus will storm into Jerusalem, throw out
happen in Jerusalem? the Romans, and establish the Kingdom of
God on earth with himself as King.
v. 12-14
- Why does the nobleman need to go - His power comes from someone with
away to get royal power? greater authority, just as all who rule in
Israel need the approval of the Roman
- Why does the nobleman pass out money emperor.
to his slaves? - There are several possible reasons: he
wants to continue to make money while he
- Why do the citizens hate the nobleman? is gone; he is testing the slaves to see who
he can trust.
- Jesus doesn’t tell us, we just know that
he has enemies.
v.15-19
- In our world, what kind of activity yields - Risky (gambling), illegal (drugs), or highly
1000% return on your money? speculative investments (dotcoms).
- How did the first two slaves make all that -They must have been aggressive and
money? crazy in making business deals.
- Why is he rewarding the wealthy? - The nobleman isn’t interested in the
money. He is using money as a test to see
who is risky, trustworthy, and obedient.
- Why does the nobleman give them - He is pleased with them and rewards
control of cities? them with significant authority (like
becoming the governor of a large state).
Now that he is in power, he needs to find
leaders he can trust to help him run his
-Why does the first slave make more kingdom.
money than the second one? - Perhaps he risked more or worked
harder. The reward appears to be

Author: Bethany L. I. Lewis

Fall 2003; Revised Fall 2004
 SGLT 24 Hours
Page 31 of 32

- Why does the parable only tell the proportional to the effort.
outcome of 3 of the 10 slaves given - Highlighting the outcome of 3 of the 10
money? reveals the spectrum of response without
dragging out the story.
v. 20- 27
- What makes the third slave different? - He took no risks; he was passive and
self-protective; he doesn’t want to be
associated with the nobleman publicly
because of uncertainty of whether or not
the nobleman will return as king.
- What is the third slave’s view of the - He accuses the nobleman of being a thief
nobleman? and a tyrant.
- Where does he get his ideas of what the - The slave seems to agree with the
nobleman is like? nobleman’s enemies, or at least have
doubts about the nobleman’s character
because of the attitude of the enemies.

- What evidence in the story supports or - The slave’s view of the nobleman doesn’t
refutes the third slave’s view of the line up with the nobleman’s actions. Upon
nobleman? his return, he doesn’t collect the money
that was made. He lets the faithful slaves
keep it and then shares his authority with
them. He is generous, not tightfisted.
- How does the nobleman respond to the - He points out that his argument doesn’t
third slave’s excuse? make any sense. The slave’s accusation
is merely a cover up for his own fear of
being publicly associated with the king
(whether through doing business in the
marketplace or through making a deposit
at the bank). The king calls him wicked
and punishes him.
-Why does the king slaughter his enemies? - It shows the fullness of his victory. The
presence of enemies was a stumbling
block for at least one of his slaves.
- How is this parable intended to help - Jesus is going away (to heaven) but will
those who thought the Kingdom would return to earth and reign supreme, judging
appear immediately? all his enemies and rewarding those who
are faithful to him.
- What does it take to be a good and - Confidence in the victorious return of the
trustworthy servant in the Kingdom of King and a willingness to “do business”
God? with what the King has given you in risky
ventures that will expand His Kingdom.

2 minutes: Leader summarizes

Jesus’ followers find themselves in a peculiar place. We have a king who hasn’t
yet fully set up his reign on earth and his enemies abound. He has entrusted us
with our lives and asked us to invest them wildly, promising tremendous rewards
to those who are faithful, obedient and risky. Who will we listen to? Our

Author: Bethany L. I. Lewis

Fall 2003; Revised Fall 2004
 SGLT 24 Hours
Page 32 of 32

generous king who has declared he will return and reward? Or the voices of
doubt and accusation that insinuate that God isn’t good or ultimately triumphant?
In considering the future of our lives and the Kingdom, it always comes down to
fear vs. faith.

10 minutes: Respond
• What risk is the Lord asking you to take?
• Where does fear cause paralysis in your life? What would it look like for you to
repent of fear?
• How are you tempted to wrap up and hide what God has given you? What kind
of accountability can you set up for yourself so that you are faithful to God’s call?

3 minutes: Pray
Pray together that God will enable you to be obedient to His call with faith and
confidence in His rewards. Ask Him to break the power of fear during this last day of the
convention.

Author: Bethany L. I. Lewis

Fall 2003; Revised Fall 2004