How Should A Group Bible Study Be Conducted?

How Should A

Group Bible Study

Be Conducted?

The aim of the group Bible Study is to involve every participant at the table of the Lord in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit. This  means that every individual should be given the opportunity to comment on every portion of scripture in the study. Therefore a Bible Study should be opened in prayer and the Holy Spirit should be invited to anoint the participants hearts and minds and tongues.

In a number of group Bible Study meetings that I have attended, the pastor or leader has asked participants to read a section of scripture, or the scriptures that are to be considered in the study, by getting every member of the group to read a portion each at the beginning of the study.  Unfortunately, this tended to create a number of problems.

One problem occurred because everybody had read the passages of scripture that were to be discussed at the beginning of the meeting and these passages had been forgotten; consequently, they had to be read again, which proved an ineffective use of time.

Another problem was that people had different translations, and it became difficult to follow the person reading out the text, especially when the person was reading a paraphrased translation. Frequently, the next person who was to read their portion of the text had to ask where we were up to, even though they knew we were to read two or three or four scriptures each. This would detract from the reading of the text because it interrupted the flow of the narrative. This is resolved, of course, when everybody has the same version. However, this is not always the case, and when people have different versions, reading out the text to be covered at the meeting proves to be an unproductive time waster and creates confusion.

The best practice is to work through the Bible Study one scripture or portion of text at a time and discuss it there and then, before moving on to the next text. In doing this, each person takes a turn in reading the text to be discussed after the previous text has been discussed to the satisfaction of every person within the group. This enables people with different versions to listen to the person reading out the text, and if they feel the version of the Bible they are reading from has something different to offer which clarifies a point, they can make a valid contribution at that time for the benefit of all, without creating any confusion.

By working clockwise or anti-clockwise each person reads a text and then the text is discussed. The person who reads the text is given the first opportunity to contribute to the discussion. This is extremely beneficial for encouraging people who otherwise are disinclined to contribute. It is easier for the person to make a contribution to the discussion if they have just read out the text to be discussed.

In one Bible Study that I was participating in, there was a person who suffered from a number of disabilities, one being a reading difficulty. In this Bible Study there were seven people, and the fact that members were willing to wait for this man (in his early thirties) to read out the scriptures and even help him with pronunciation, encouraged him to even make a comment. Amazingly, this person, whom most people would think was dumb, began to discover that he was appreciated and loved, and was encouraged to believe that he was capable of more than even he thought possible, let alone anyone else. This is what Bible Study in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit is all about: helping people discover who they are in God and that others are as important to our Heavenly Father as we are ourselves.

The importance of giving each member of the group an opportunity to read and comment on what they read cannot be overstated. A group Bible Study should be conducted so that every person is able to make a contribution, feel they are appreciated, and be encouraged on a path of self-discovery with Jesus Christ as Lord.

The road to self-discovery in Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit is made easier when people are given the opportunity to express themselves. When people read one scripture and that is considered sufficient contribution to the Bible Study, this is a restrictive means of sharing in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

Sharing also means respect, which means it is always advisable to start and finish a group Bible Study at the designated time. Of course, when finishing, we  always close with prayer.

What Is The Role of the Leader?

What Is The Role

of the Leader?

The leader of a group Bible Study acts as a facilitator to ensure the discussion runs smoothly. This is done by using a number of strategies that help facilitate effective communication and enables people to express themselves freely and fully. This is why each person who reads the text is then encouraged to comment straight after they have finished reading the text. After that person has commented, each person is then permitted to make their own contribution in turn. This is done with the leader controlling the flow of the discussion and guiding the speakers in an anticlockwise or clockwise fashion. 

When a person has read a text and has made a comment, the leader quickly makes a summarization of what the person has said and then invites the next person to make a comment. When that person has commented, the leader once more makes a summary of what the person has said and invites the next person to comment. When there are only three to six people in the group Bible Study, summarizing comment is not burdensome and encourages each person to contribute.

Sometimes people interject out of turn. When this happens, it is always best if the leader can take control and ask the other person to wait his or her turn. Bear in mind, being assertive can have its problems, so if the person leading the study feels that the person interjecting has some issue to get off his or her chest, rather than create a political situation, the leader is wise to assume control by letting the person speak, summarize what the person interjecting has said, and return to the original order once more.

In a situation where a person interjects and insists on speaking, just because the interjector is permitted to finish their heart-felt point, some people might think that the leader is losing control of the meeting. This is not the case, if the leader acknowledges what has been said and then the meeting continues as planned. In fact, this is demonstrating control, because what could have become a negative confrontation was avoided and a release valve was activated, by letting out the pent up emotional pressure within the injector. The is a very positive way of taking control and helpful in removing specks from participants eyes.

In one situation, I witnessed, a person interjecting attempted to hijack a meeting by introducing his agenda which had nothing to do with what was being discussed at the time. The leader waited for the interjector to release some pressure and at the appropriate point in the tirade, he  quickly summarized what the interjector said. The interjector who was being blatantly obnoxious could not believe he had just been outwitted so effortlessly and was left speechless. The meeting then continued from the point under discussion at the time of the interjector’s attempt to hijack the meeting. 

The leader of the meeting was acting in love, because he was courteous enough to acknowledge the interjector’s point and gracious enough to overlook the true intent of the interjector. Clearly, in this case, the person conducting the meeting was like a maestro with an orchestra. Indeed, the leader’s role in a group Bible Study is just as important as an orchestra’s conductor.

Why summarize comments?

Why summarize comments?

When a leader summarizes the comments that have been made, this shows that the person leading the study is listening. It also indicates to others that this is about learning what each one has to contribute. As each one’s comments are summarized, each person feels he or she has contributed something of value and does not look a fool. Moreover, other participants realize that the leader is considerate and is worthy of respect; thus ensuring a more blessed gathering.

            Summarizing comments also has the effect of silencing those who love to hear their own voice and want to dominate conversations or group discussions, because it reinforces who is leading. Long-winded people become to realize that what they had to say can be said in less words and they ought to think more about what they are saying rather than blowing wind.

            Another benefit that comes from summarization is that people begin to focus on the text under discussion and tend to waffle less about irrelevant matters. For once the text has been discussed to everyone’s satisfaction, the leader is then able to summarize more readily what has been derived from the text within the group discussion, before moving on to the next scripture. The benefit of this is the points which have been missed can easily be brought into focus as well.

            As already noted, sometimes people have thoughts that did not occur to them when it was their turn to make a comment. These can also be accounted for in an orderly way. Summarization of each contribution aids the flow of orderly discussion and enables each person to feel that they are making valuable contribution to the group discussion.

Summarization is helpful in not only getting people to focus on points raised that are relevant to the topic under discussion, but also in improving the morale of participants. This is especially the case when a participant feels the need to share a deep and meaningful experience they had and then become aware of the fact they have just confessed personal details about which he or she is embarrassed.

Summarizing the feelings of the person and incorporating a prayer of forgiveness at this particular time alleviates any anxiety or guilt that might arise.

            Summarization therefore can be the summarization of feelings expressed, or for people who are having difficulty expressing what they mean, even if it is a little off topic, a short statement in summary of what they might have meant can be valuable in restoring a positive demeanor, and a desire to delve into the Word of God.

            A summarization of a person’s feelings is different to reflecting feelings back to a person. Summarization means stating what the person has declared about how he or she felt and what it means when people feel as the person has stated. For instance, if the person stated they felt embarrassed and put out and found the experience difficult to endure, a summarization would be along the following lines: “You said you felt embarrassed and put out and you do not feel the experience was something you would like to endure again.

A summarization of meaning requires a slightly different approach. As with all summarizations, it is a concise statement of content but requires an assumption to be made. Say the participant, whom we will call, John, was having difficulty in trying to get to the point and in a very long-winded and convoluted way said, “An eye for an eye is not very good, because the person is not going to be able to see and will be blind forever, if both eyes had to be removed and if the person is supposed to repent and because what he sees himself doing is wrong, he is not going to be able to see at all because he is blind and this is not going to help him repent. We are supposed to be helping the person to repent from doing wrong, not ripping eyes out so they cannot see.”

A summarization of meaning could be along the lines of: “As John has just said, “Two wrongs do not make something right, and everybody needs to be given the opportunity to repent.”

A summarization of meaning is not really a paraphrase because it is much shorter and incorporates the main point that is meant by the statement. When something is paraphrased, the aim is to convey what is meant, only with much greater clarity. What this means is that paraphrasing tends to be a longer explanation than a summarization. A paraphrase of meaning in the above case would result in something like, “John appears to be saying that an eye for an eye is going to do more damage to a person because rather than providing greater vision, the person is going to be made blind. In which case, this is not going to lead a person to repentance but more than likely harden the person’s heart. Rather than permit this to happen, the person needs to be given the chance to repent. This could require more time for the realization of the need for repentance, before any drastic action is taken such as ripping out a person’s eyes.”

The difference between the summarized version and the paraphrased version is quite evident in respect to the length of each statement. Paraphrasing of meaning therefore is not the same as summarization. Paraphrasing has its place but takes on a different form to summarization and is best used for different circumstances.

Overall, the value of frequent summarization, providing it is not long-winded becomes evident at the beginning of the following meeting, when participants are asked to recall what they got out of the previous Bible Study and produce a higher rate of recall than they would otherwise. Participants have a more meaningful experience because they were able to cogitate issues more clearly as a consequence of the frequent summarization.

            When people feel awkward and misunderstood, they are disinclined to continue in attending a group Bible Study. Our aim as leaders is to make the experience as enjoyable as possible, so the Word of the Lord can take root in the participant’s hearts. Amen!

How should a leader handle waffle?

How should

a leader handle waffle?

What is waffle?

Waffle is the froth that might look good or sound good, but basically possesses no substance or real value. In other words, waffle often is an unnecessary use of words, or vagueness of expression, that detracts from the focus of the discussion.

Waffle occurs when people start talking about their historical issues and feel a need for a post mortem of events that deviates from the theme of the Bible Study.

Waffle could also be what some relative or friend has done or said, but has nothing to do with the subject matter at hand. It is raised by a participant because the person needs to deal with an impending issue which happens to be on his or her mind. Often these issues reside in the subconscious and are brought to the surface because of the nature of discussion that is taking place.

The interesting thing about waffle is that it is a necessary part of the learning process. Waffle gets out of control when other members of the group start participating in the waffle and it becomes repetitive. The key word here is repetition. Once individuals begin to repeat themselves, them waffle becomes the tool of the enemy.

Waffle needs to be brought to the surface and people need to be purged of it. Waffle is drivel. Drivel can be equated with the dross that overflows in the purifying process. Unless a person is purged of waffle, they will not be able to grasp the concepts that the Holy Spirit is trying to teach them through the illumination of scriptures which are being discussed.

Enlightenment comes once illumination of the truths of scripture are able to become building blocks in our understanding. Waffle, on the other hand, is the gunk that prevents God’s truth from being cemented into our spirits. Waffle is the substance that slimes the walls of our spirits with grime. Like a shower or bath that is never cleaned, it lines the walls and forms a slime that is slippery. Each one of us needs to have our spirits washed clean by the word of God in the Holy Spirit[i] before truths of God can be cemented into our hearts.

We regurgitate waffle as we participate in the wisdom of the world. Just listening to Robin Williams misuse his brilliant mind as a standup comic and spew forth debauched waffle reminds us of the wisdom of the world. The futility of worldliness hits home when we learn, Robin Williams committed suicide at the age of sixty-three because he did not know the One Who is the Way, the Truth and the Life—our blessed Lord Jesus Christ. Robin Williams claimed surgeons had given him a new heart, but it was not one that had been implanted by the Lord God, because instead of the joy of salvation, the depression he experienced lead him to suicide.

When people are regurgitating waffle at a group Bible Study, it is important that they be permitted to do so, but only up until it becomes repetitive. The reason waffle is permitted is that we learn by ingesting concepts from the mind of God and pushing out the sludge, that is, waffle. As we are processing scriptural truths, waffle surfaces and we help each other clean up the mess by being attentive and supportive of one another in the love and fellowship of the Holy Spirit.

There are a number of effective ways of handling waffle.

In fact, summarization of what people state is one way we cut down on waffle, because opinionated people begin to realize that waffling on about their views is the same as blowing in the wind.

When a person has read out the relevant text, the leader of the Bible Study instead of asking “What is your opinion about that?” asks, “What does that mean to you?”. The aim is to make the Bible Study produce a devotional attitude of heart in the participants; rather than a philosophical frame of mind. This way, opinions are minimized because they are not being requested. Besides, the book of Proverbs[ii] informs us only fools are interested in expressing their opinion, whereas a wise person is more interested in seeking understanding of the text and what it might mean to other people, as well as its applicability to oneself.

When a person has felt the need to express some waffle and it is starting to become repetitive, the group leader can interrupt and redirect the flow of the discussion back to the topic of the text by saying something like this: “So (name) you obviously feel that this (the text under discussion) impacts you (along the lines you have mentioned), it will interesting to see what others have to say.”

When a person is waffling, they are emotionally invested in the waffle, so it is always best for the leader to acknowledge this by using the word “feel”. This way, those that waffle feel they are being understood.

If you are one of those people who feels that a group Bible Study should not be allowed to be sidetracked as a person waffles, then you are not being attentive to how the Holy Spirit works. You probably need to be delivered from your own insensitivity and hardness of heart. A group Bible Study in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit is about people being set free from sin, not a lecture about a subject, where you learn to regurgitate what you heard. A group Bible Study in the fellowship of the Holy Spirit is about working with the Lord God to help each other discover deliverance from sin and how to be fortified in the Word of God. A group Bible Study is about growing in God towards maturity as a child of the Almighty; it is not about being a show pony. A group Bible Study is about personal development under the guidance of the Holy Spirit; therefore leaders have to learn how to work with what the Lord is doing. This is why we let people waffle (froth a little at the mouth) so the dross can be scooped off from what God is refining within. If no refining is taking place in our hearts, then we are building with straw, hay and wood and will have nothing of value in the Kingdom of Heaven. We will be like silhouettes. To quote the Apostle Paul:

For we are God’s fellow workers. You are God’s farming, God’s building. According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another builds on it. But let each man be careful how he builds on it. For no one can lay any other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ. But if anyone builds on the foundation with gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay, or stubble; each man’s work will be revealed. For the Day will declare it, because it is revealed in fire; and the fire itself will test what sort of work each man’s work is. If any man’s work remains which he built on it, he will receive a reward. If any man’s work is burned, he will suffer loss, but he himself will be saved, but as through fire  (1 Corinthians 3:9-15).

Each person has had different experiences in his or her life and this means every person has a different background. This is the case even when a person is born into the same culture, or even the same family. Our individual experiences mean we live in different universes. While we might think that two people have the same mother and father, even if they are twins, even they can be entirely different. This is evidenced in the Bible in the case of Esau and Jacob. The text states:

When her days to be delivered were fulfilled, behold, there were twins in her womb. The first came out red all over, like a hairy garment. They named him Esau. After that, his brother came out, and his hand had hold on Esau’s heel. He was named Jacob. Isaac was sixty years old when she bore them. The boys grew. Esau was a skillful hunter, a man of the field. Jacob was a quiet man, living in tents. Now Isaac loved Esau, because he ate his venison. Rebekah loved Jacob. (Genesis 25:24-28).

As you can see differences can occur in the same family. Even identical twins are different when you get to know them. This is because one will be more assertive or dominant over the other, who will tend to be the more considerate and co-operative of the two. Identical twins confuse people by their appearance. However, of the identical twins that I have personally known, neither of them have been truly identical; their personalities have always been distinctive. Indeed, everybody is different. Everybody is unique. This is the case even among identical twins.

Regardless of the fact that everybody is different, there is still a need for us to be culturally the same. Culture is different to individuality. Culture is the behavior of a group of people who are individually different but adhere to the same overall expression that is representative of their underlying ethos or reason for being. This is why humans are not baboons and fish are not birds. This is why Christians are not Buddhists, Hindus, Sikhs, Jews, Muslims, atheists, or anarchists.  This is also why Christians are not Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, Evangelicals, Protestants, Catholics, or the like. These people might like to distinguish themselves by their distinctiveness and claim to be Christians, but the truth is only Christians are saved. In fact, in the book of Peter we are informed that under the name “Christian” we are to glorify God.[iii]

There is a joke about a number of people who died, and were asked by Saint Peter upon what basis did they think they had the right to enter Heaven, rather than go to Hell. The first man was pleased to learn that Saint Peter was going to interview him for his inclusion among the saints who have been admitted into Paradise. This individual, as far as he was concerned, was under no illusions about what being a Roman Catholic meant and that the Roman Catholic Church was founded upon the rock of Saint Peter himself. This man claimed he was as good a Roman Catholic as one would expect a Roman Catholic to be. In fact, he confessed, he always prayed to Saint Peter, before any of the other saints or even the Queen of Heaven herself.

 Saint Peter said to him, “I am flattered that you thought of me when you were on Earth, but I am very sorry there are no Roman Catholics in Heaven.”

The man behind him thought he knew why there were no Roman Catholics in Heaven, and this is the reason the Eastern Church split from the Western Church to form the Orthodox Church. The Orthodox have the right teachings and the Roman Catholics do not. He proudly told Saint Peter, “I am an Orthodox.”

Saint Peter said, “I am sorry there are no Orthodox in Heaven.”

Upon seeing this, the next man began to get excited. He told St Peter, “I don’t believe in all that nonsense about praying to saints and bowing before statutes like those Roman Catholics and Orthodox do, because I am a Protestant.

Saint Peter said, “Okay. But I am sorry there are no Protestants in Heaven.”

The fundamentalist was having some difficulty containing himself by this time. He could smell a reprobate at a hundred paces, and knew a fool before one spoke, merely by looking at the length of the hair. How often had he hammered away on his gong that the Bible was the living Word of God and only those who read the King James Bible could be saved. Saint Peter looked at him and said, “I am sorry there are no Fundamentalists in Heaven.”

The next person to appear before Saint Peter was an Evangelical. He had overheard what Saint Peter had said to the Protestant and the fundamentalist and naturally understood that a person needed to tell everyone they had to be born again, because this is what all good Evangelicals do. Saint Peter somewhat cryptically said to him, “There are those who say they are born again and there are those who are circumcised of heart, but I am sorry there are no Evangelicals in Heaven.”

The Pentecostal understood why these people were not permitted into Heaven; they did not have the initial evidence of speaking in tongues as a sign of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. In fact, he was so excited that when he was at the Pearly Gates, Saint Peter had difficulty understanding what he was saying. Unfortunately for him, Saint Peter said, “I am sorry there are no Pentecostals in Heaven.”

The next person felt rather worried. All he had done was support the local pastor at a community fellowship where they called each other saints, because they believed Paul addressed his letters to saints. He had faithfully tithed a tenth of his income, gave to poor, helped out a few widows, visited the sick and testified about his faith in Jesus to those who would listen. When Saint Peter came to him and asked him why he should be admitted into Heaven, he said, “I know I was a sinner but I thought I became a saint when I opened my heart to the Holy Spirit and trusted in the blood of Jesus to cleanse me from sin and I stopped sinning. If there is no hope for those others, I suppose there is no hope for me.”

Saint Peter said, “There are no hypocrites or sinners permitted in Heaven. Only those who demonstrate their faith in Jesus by bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit. You have been saved because your faith in Jesus has borne fruit unto eternal life.”

A very old man approached Saint Peter next and gave glory to God. Saint Peter, looked at him with a twinkle in his eye and asked him why he should be admitted into the Kingdom of Heaven. The old man said, walking through the gates, “Because it is no longer I that live, but Jesus Christ who lives in me.”[iv]

The Apostles did not say that everything was done and dusted by simply making a profession of faith with our mouth; rather, they said that as the outcome of our faith we will receive a crown of glory, if we finish the race.[v] When Jesus said that every tree would be known by its fruit,[vi] he was not talking about orchards, Our Lord Jesus was talking about attributes of God being expressed through us on a daily basis. The fruit of the Holy Spirit is not heard but borne witness as people enjoy the goodness of God in us.

Some people may not like the joke about St Peter at the Pearly Gates because it does not include those making it to Heaven who claim they are “saved by grace alone” or “have seen people healed and miracles occur in the name of Jesus” or “have been baptized by full immersion” or “have made a point of observing a particular day of the week”.

The truth is faith without works is dead.[vii] Faith that brings forth the fruit of salvation is the only acceptable kind. Jesus clearly indicated that reading books or Bibles or good works or studying will not get people into Heaven, only having an everlasting relationship with HIM—the very old man knew the secret: Jesus must increase while the old nature must decrease.[viii]

The question is then, why should anyone bother to study the Bible if salvation is obtained only through a relationship with Jesus Christ? And why go to the trouble of having a group Bible Study?

First of all, the Bible bears witness to Jesus Christ and because of this it instructs us how to be saved and how we ought to live our lives, if we are saved.

Secondly, we are informed in the Bible that we are not to neglect meeting together. In fact, we are encouraged to pray for one another, to minister to each other’s needs, and to honor those who are older in the faith who are worthy of respect. We are also instructed to partake of communion and put aside our financial offerings on the first day of the week.[ix]

 Thirdly, the reason group Bible Study helps us is that by sharing and confessing to one another our sins, and having fellowship with one another with honest hearts, we are walking in the light and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin.[x] If we did not believe in Jesus Christ, we would not participate in a group Bible Study to understand the Milk of the Word, so we can begin to walk in the light of life. Many people  try to avoid such a group Bible Study because they feel threatened that their sins will be exposed. The only person who is threatened is the one who is controlling their minds and hearts; only those who are afraid are not aware of him doing so. As the Apostle Peter said, grace and peace is multiplied to us as we grow in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.[xi]

Psychiatrists tend to see medication as the easiest means of helping people cope with their difficulties in life. Psychologists believe that people can confront their issues and work through them by understanding the underlying reasons that create their phobias and inabilities to cope with life’s difficulties without medication.  Deliverance ministries believe that it is simply a matter of casting out demons and often are seen praying for the same people month after month, year in, year out. Yet, as strange as it may seem, people have found sin and death are the basis for most of their problems and by being willing to share their innermost feelings and thoughts with other Christians in fellowship around the Word of God, they have been set free by praying for each other, and learning to walk in the footsteps of Jesus.

Deep down everyone desires to know the truth about life and what if means to be a human being born into sin. Once we learn how recognize sin, and how the Evil One uses cunning to deceive us into habitually committing sin, we are able to let go of the sin in our lives and release the hold the Devil has over us. When we do this, we discover freedom to allow the love of the Holy Spirit to flow into us and provide us with a satisfying purpose in life as our Heavenly Father originally intended.

In talking about waffle, one might accuse me of committing the fault here, having wandered a little from describing the subject matter.  However, one of the reasons the aforementioned has been stated is to demonstrate good waffle from bad. There is a difference between waffle with a purpose and waffle that becomes irrelevant to the subject at hand. This is a distinction that every leader of a group Bible Study needs to learn. Oftentimes, the Holy Spirit tends to circumvent aspects of a subject as He unravels the mess in a person’s convoluted thinking. Now this is a good thing and usually proves to be helpful, so the individual can arrive at the truth of the matter.

 The waffle that surfaces during a group Bible Study is often the latest issue to bear down upon a person. In a study that I was running with two other people the night before writing this, both of the other participants had issues of the day, and one from the day before, that surfaced during the discussion. Essentially, each one needed to raise their issues and, in some way, incorporate into their own mindset the ideas from the mind of God contained within the Bible. On at least three occasions with one of the participants there was a need to tie a knot in the thoughts that were unraveling, as they got too far away from the subject of the Bible Study. Nevertheless, by allowing the thoughts in the scrambled brain to unravel, the person was able to make room for some food for thought from the omniscient mind of God.

Some people have a habit of being too descriptive and unnecessarily tend towards creative writing when they are speaking, because every time they open their mouth, one gets the impression they are composing a draft for a novel they are working on, rather than getting to the point of the topic that is being discussed. In fact it is difficult to forgo thinking such individuals are intent in only giving the impression that they are trying to sound impressive or big-note themselves. Such persons are often renowned for using a vocabulary that may be foreign to other members of the group. Unbeknown to these individuals, they do not realize that by being arrogant, they are really displaying their ignorance about other people knowing they suffer from feelings of insecurity and inadequacy.

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[i] But when the kindness of God our Savior and his love toward mankind appeared, not by works of righteousness, which we did ourselves, but according to his mercy, he saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly, through Jesus Christ our Savior (Titus 3:4-6 WEB)

[ii] A fool has no delight in understanding, but only in revealing his own opinion. (Proverbs 18:2 WEB)

[iii] 1 Peter 4:16: Yet if one suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but under that name let him glorify God (RSV).—Revised Standard Version.  copyright © 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

[iv] Galatians 2:20: I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (RSV).

[v] 1 Peter 1:9; 2 Timothy 4:6-8

[vi] Matthew 7:15-19

[vii] James 2:17

[viii]  John 3:30

[ix] James 5:16; Eph. 4:12; Heb. 13:16-17; Acts 20:7;  1 Cor. 16:2

[x] 1 John 1:7

[xi] 2  Peter 1:2,8; 3:18

How To Deal With the Arrogant

How To Deal

With the Arrogant

Arrogant people are really exhibiting a protective barrier to hide their insecurity. Arrogance can manifest in different ways. Sometimes, the person will attempt to be witty, rather than address the issue at hand. Other times, the person might resort to pretense in various forms; such as using jargon that belongs in academia or to some particular profession rather than generic words that are used in every day speech. Some resort to expressing the opinions of other people about the text, and like to impress by citing other authors they have read. They are like economists who discuss the views of other economists but could not run a business if their lives depended on it.[i] 

The best way to deal with individuals inclined towards projecting unwarranted personas of self-importance is to ask the individuals to share what the scripture means to them and how they feel they could apply this in their own lives. When doing this, it is best for us as leaders to acknowledge that the person has the ability to express the views of others, or the capacity to speak in a foreign language, but the other members of the group, including ourselves, would really like to understand what is meant and not misinterpret what is being said.

People, who suffer insecurity, need to feel that they will not be considered inferior to other members of the group if their insecurity is exposed. While this can be for different reasons, many insecure people attempt to mask their insecurity with an extensive vocabulary. In some respects they are like the alcoholic, who has learned how to mask his dependency on alcohol. Other people are very reluctant (or even refuse) to share because they feel they do not have the knowledge, and if they say something, they will be ridiculed. These individuals can become very arrogant as well by trying to suggest they do not really have to share in a group Bible Study such as The Milk of the Word, in that it is beneath them because it is too simple.  

 However, the wonderful truth about Jesus is that even though He was God, He emptied Himself and took on the form of a servant in the likeness of a man. This was to identify with us and also to rescue us. If we are to complete the works of Jesus we need to do likewise. We need to be servants. In being a servant we seek to encourage people to share what is on their hearts, listen to them, and make them feel they are appreciated within a safe environment where they are not going to be judged and ridiculed. This is why a group Bible Study discussing The Milk of the Word is not so much about gaining knowledge for the sake of knowledge, but understanding what is sin and what is sin’s hold over us, and how we can overcome it. Hence, rather than seeking the opinions of participants, the leader of the study asks the participants such questions as: What does this mean to you?  What does this mean for you in your life? How do you feel about this? Or, How do you feel we could apply this in our lives?

The key to successfully helping people overcome their insecurities is for the leader of the group Bible Study to understand that this is a devotional study about sin and each one’s relationship with God and their fellows. Opinions and dogmatic doctrine are avoided by concentrating on the relational issues and the purpose of life. Moreover, when asking open questions about purpose, meaning and feeling, people find it easier to overcome the barriers they have created to protect their inner feelings of insecurity.

A wise leader always uses open questions which are framed along the lines of: What do you think the purpose of this scripture is? What is the meaning of this for you? How do you feel about this scripture?

Acknowledgement by the leader of what each person has said through a quick summarization of the key point, or how the person feels about an issue, helps the person who has just spoken understand they are appreciated and accepted as a valuable contributor to the health of the group Bible Study. This way arrogant tendencies are circumnavigated and members begin to share from their hearts on a personal and devotional level, which permits the Holy Spirit to move freely.

Along with arrogance, egoism is another tendency that surfaces frequently. This is to be viewed as good; so rather than clamping down on the person exhibiting egoistic tendencies, these need to be overlooked, because the Lord will deal with the individual as each issue is discussed. Some people have larger egos than others. Nevertheless, they need to come down to Earth so they can be buried with Jesus, if they are to be raised up by the power of the Holy Spirit in the body of Christ. It is worth remembering, traits that flow from the pride of life are the deadliest of all sins; for it is a truism that haughtiness comes before a fall, and pride before destruction. For only the dead in Christ are raised to eternal life. Nevertheless, the leader of the Bible Study has to be a servant and seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance at all times, so specks are taken out of participants’ eyes rather than creating issues because log-heads clash together.

When the wind challenged the sun to see who was the most influential, the two of them decided to see who could influence people to remove their coats the fastest on an overcast winter’s day.

The wind spent the morning blowing as hard as he could. The more he blew, the stronger the gale he created, but the more determined people became to keep their coats on. Exhausted he gave the sun a turn.

In the afternoon, the sun beamed down on the clouds and once there was an opening, people began feeling his gentle rays quickly warming them up; within minutes they were only too willing to take their coats off.

Likewise, a gentle tongue avoids wrath and a timely answer is like sweet water to one who is thirsty.

It is an irony that while some people are full of themselves and think they are more important than others, there are others who feel downtrodden, but given half a chance, they too will be like a balloon that is about to burst, since they also will become full of themselves. Yet this process of manifesting the old nature and bringing our ugliness (that which secretly brings shame) to the surface is what God uses to transform us from the old nature into newness of life.

The cathartic and transformational experience of confronting our shortcomings and recognizing our weaknesses, and allowing God to purge them from us, produces a new creation that is being transformed from one degree of glory to another, if we have truly been circumcised of heart.

A successful group Bible Study is more effective than many sessions with a counselor, because the Holy Spirit is moving among the participants. The members are coming to share the Word of God and feast on the truth. Consequently, that which is unwarranted has no right to be, and the arrogance of the arrogant is dealt with ever so effectively. For humility goes before honor, and when the arrogant see how gracious people can be, they start to realize that there is a better way than make believe.

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[i] Such a claim is not as ludicrous as it may sound. One Australian politician, who had studied economics and business at university, was given a national business portfolio and, on his watch, suffered the ignominy of overseeing a lunch shop that he owned inauspiciously plunge into bankruptcy and augur the demise of his political fortunes, which sunk in a matter of a few short days after his shame had been made public.

How To Encourage The Reluctant ones

How To Encourage

The Reluctant ones

Not every participant at a Bible Study is going to be forthcoming and eager to contribute. Some people are natural recluses and for them to speak is like enticing a reluctant tortoise to make a move or a trap-door spider into the open. There are those chatterboxes who appear to have never understood the word “quiet” when in private but shy away from making comments in a group setting. To some extent this is overcome by getting the person to read and then comment on what they have just read. Because everybody does this, the reluctant ones do not feel they are being singled out and are more willing to participate.

            There are a number of behavioral tendencies that we may have which need to be avoided in order to encourage the reluctant ones.

One thing we should avoid is any form of moralizing or telling the participants what is required of them out of frustration. The aim is to make people feel comfortable by showing them by example what is expected of them after they have been informed how the meeting will be run. With the reluctant ones, even though they are not like a dog on a chain that has seen a cat and is choking at the neck to participate in the action, they will begin to find their voice in their own good time, and quite quickly, if they are not coerced, or feel they are being coerced.

It is tempting to go overboard with praise and expressing approval in order to encourage the reluctant ones; but by agreeing, approving and praising everything the reluctant one says, does begin to become a form of bearing false witness, if  what is said is not absolutely genuine. Excessive praise and approbation eventually comes across as false, and undermines the integrity of the those who attempt to see everything as “fantastic” or “absolutely wonderful” or “marvelous”. Reluctant ones see through masks and like a hiding turtle are quick to withdraw into their shells. Therefore, only genuine praise and approval ought to be expressed, and this can only happen when there is an element of realism.

Actually, the best way to encourage the reluctant ones is to express a form of empathy by paraphrasing what they have said. Paraphrasing is restating what a person has said rather than a quick summarization. This gives the person the feeling that he or she is being understood. This is not necessary with everyone, but with reluctant participants, paraphrasing enables them to truly feel they are being understood. A paraphrase of what a person has said usually starts with something like “So what you are saying is….or: If I am to understand you…” This way the reluctant ones feel they are in control of the situation and are not making a fool of themselves. Perceived put downs are often one of the reasons people become reluctant to participate in group settings.

Because paraphrasing requires more time than summarizing the main points of what a person has said, it should only be used for reluctant ones to encourage them.

Closed questions are a definite no-no with reluctant ones. They can work well when somebody has had too much airtime, because they only require a “yes” or “no” answer; but this is not a good means for encouraging reluctant contributors to participate in a group Bible Study. If anything, it is a signal to a reluctant one to withdraw from participation

Sometimes a reluctant one will make a statement and be uncertain of what he or she is really saying. The best means to help such a person is to reframe what they might be saying rather than paraphrase what they have stated. These are situations where what has been said is obviously off the mark and paraphrasing is not going to do anything other than make the person feel they look silly. By reframing what the person might have been trying to say, a better explanation is more likely to be produced.

When we are reframing what a person has said, we need to put ourselves in his or her situation, but express what we would do. Reframing what has been said could begin: “Just suppose I was in your situation, I think I would do (whatever)… What do you think about that?”

On a number of occasions, I have used the phrase “As (whoever) was saying..” and reframed what they have said in a summarization to great effect. On each occasion, the persons whom I have reframed have looked at me with a smile, and their face would glow.

Of course, we are not in another person’s shoes but, by suggestion that we are willing to try and put ourselves in another person’s situation has an amazing response. Usually this will not only elucidate approva,l but also some clarification on the part of the reluctant one, because all he or she needed was to feel that what was being said was acceptable. Whereas, if we were to use a closed question at the end of our attempt to reframe, this would come across as being arrogant on our part. A closed question would be something such as: “Is that what you were meaning?” or “Is this right?” or “Have I expressed what you were trying to say correctly?”

Humility always goes before honor and how much sweeter is the praise from another’s mouth about oneself than that from one’s own mouth. When we draw attention to our good works or skills by giving ourselves praise, we telegraph to others that we are self-righteous. We may not hear ourselves being self-righteousness, but others will perceive it as such. There is a big difference between thanking God that we have had the privilege to serve by giving glory to his name and telling others that God sees our good works, and will reward us for our good efforts.

In this regard, testimonies can also be encouraging rather than boasting. If we are to boast let us boast in the Lord and give Him the glory for what He has been doing in our lives. When we testify in humility, people who are reluctant to share, begin to see that we are trusting the Lord and not in our own strength. Consequently, the reluctant ones realize that if they do not measure up, our Lord Jesus, through the power of the Holy Spirit, will enable them to do what is needed.

A testimony is always best shared from a grateful heart that treasures the fact Jesus’ loves us, not from how we might have done something better than someone else. For instance, we might be able to share about a time when we were afraid or felt inadequate, and we prayed to the Lord to give us the words to say, so that we could at least make a contribution and indicate to others we wanted to share with them and not be standoffish. 

At the first prayer meeting that I attended, I was very quiet. As the prayer meeting drew to a close, I sensed people were waiting for me to offer up a prayer. I felt so inadequate as the others seemed to pray so fluently and eloquently, whereas I also had a squeaky voice. Nevertheless, I prayed to the Lord aloud and said, “Lord Jesus please show me the Way, the Truth and the Life.” That was all I said. Even that was difficult for me at the time. In fact, I was somewhat taken aback when everyone there said “Amen!”  Nevertheless, they made me realize that I had friends in Christ, even though I did not know the people there at all really. God is so good.

The Wrap Up

The Wrap Up

To optimize the benefits of a group Bible Study around such a study as The Milk of the Word, it is best to summarize once again the main points that have been discussed during the meeting just before bringing it to a close. Before doing this, it pays to ask everyone what they got in particular from the proceedings. This helps consolidate what the Holy Spirit may have brought to light and highlights issues participants might like to reflect upon between meetings.

       Because of the nature of the personal disclosures and discussion of what are often concealed sins and faults, it is best not to be seen writing anything down and to rely on the Holy Spirit to be the illuminator and teacher, so that participants eyes are opened by Him.

It may seem strange that we help the Holy Spirit by allowing Him to work in us. But the Bible is very clear that we are to work out our own salvation in partnership with the Lord God.[i] If this were not the case, once a person finds the truth and becomes saved, they would be taken to Heaven. The Lord God does not work like this, rather He has given us a freewill so that we can choose to investigate matters and establish truth and, when having found the truth, choose to cooperate with the Lord or reject His ways.

By using frequent summarizations of what has been said and placing matters in perspective, as well as knowing when to paraphrase and reframe comments, participants are able to gain more from group Bible Study.

This is especially the case when it comes to studying The Milk of the Word. The Bible Study entitled, The Milk of the Word contains a scripture study in the Introduction that deals with why we need to recognize our requirement for studying these scriptures and what they mean for us. It also includes an enlightening study on the Ten Commandments, the Power of Prayer and a study on spiritual fruit entitled You Will Know Them By Their Fruits.

       When ending a group Bible Study there is no harm in calling for any prayer requests and praying as a group. While the group Bible Study is primarily about gathering around the Word of God, praying for each other’s needs forms part of being in fellowship with the Holy Spirit.

Successful group Bible Study leaders always invite the other participants to take turns in opening and closing the meeting in prayer, rather than doing so themselves. Furthermore, at the beginning of subsequent gatherings for group Bible Study, it is worthwhile asking what was gained from the previous discussion.

The aim is to encourage participation and cooperation among those present, so members become fruitful Christians, confident to lead a small gathering for a group Bible Study themselves. When we are doing this, we truly know how to run a successful Bible Study to the glory of God. But we can only do this if we are attentive to the needs of others, listen to what they are saying, and do our own preparation beforehand on the topic to be discussed by consulting the relevant Bible Study tools. In having said that, the most important requirement is to spend time in prayer on a regular basis, and in particular, just before attending the group Bible Study.

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[i] Philippians 2:12

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[i] Philippians 2:12