I’ve been leading a Bible study through the context of my church community group for the last few years, but when I first started, I was terrified! I was worried that I didn’t know enough, and wasn’t going to have the answers to questions that people were asking.
I told a friend this morning that my greatest worry isn’t in the actual speaking/teaching part, but the weight of responsibility that comes with teaching the Word of God. There are a number of places in the New Testament that speak directly to the fact that teaching is not to be taken lightly, but that it is crucially important to the growth of the church body.
“Not many should become teachers, my brothers, knowing that we will receive a stricter judgment, for we all stumble in many ways.” (James 3:1-2a)
This is where smallgroup.com can be an invaluable resource. You don’t need a seminary degree or a title, but a heart willing to lead a Bible study. I’ve been using smallgroup.com to help me as I prepare to lead my small group, and it’s an incredible tool that I have come to love! My small group is currently studying through Philippians, so I’ll use that book as an example. You can easily search for all studies that have something in them about Philippians, or you can search for a specific passage.
Since my group is in Philippians right now, I’m going to use one called “Anticipating Eternity” that covers 3:12-21. This session includes elements like the main point of the passage, important questions, and commentary. Since I know my group well, I can customize the study and the questions to meet the needs of my group, which is fantastic! I can delete questions that don’t work well for us, and add ones that I feel like are important to our discussion.
I was actually excited to write this post because I know that this will be a help to so many of you as you teach and lead. Don’t let the feelings of being inadequate or overwhelmed get to you – the Enemy would love nothing more than to disarm you before you can even get started.
One of the craziest (and by craziest, I mean most amazing) features of smallgroup.com is that if there isn’t a study that covers a passage you’re studying, they’ll write one for you! While I still love reading through commentaries and studying on my own, this is an incredible supplement and help as I prepare to teach.
As you teach, ask God to do the work in and through you. He is faithful! While this should never be totally easy, don’t let it be harder than it has to be.
What other tools and resources do you use to prepare to teach and lead your small group? Let us know in the comments!
When Mary Margaret isn’t coordinating leadership events for women or hosting the {MARKED} podcast, you can find her watching Florida Gator football, cooking with friends, or reading a good book. She loves teaching God’s Word, Mexican food, a good pair of jeans, and calling Nashville home. Follow her on Twitter: @marymargaretc.
