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Neighborhood Bible Studies guides use the inductive approach to Bible
study. That means that they provide questions to help you discover for
yourself what the Bible says rather than telling you. They will not give
you pre-packaged answers.
The information on this page is included in each NBS study guide
to assist the small group in their Bible study.
The study guide provides three kinds of inductive questions:
- Observation: What does the passage say? What are the facts?
- Interpretation: What is the meaning of these facts?
- Application: How does this passage apply to your life?
Observe the facts carefully before you interpret the meaning of your
observations. Then, apply the truths you have discovered to life today.
Resist the temptation to skip the fact questions since we are not as
observant as we think. Find the facts quickly so you can spend more
time on their meaning and application.
Allow these truths to make a difference in how you think and act, in
your attitudes and relationships, in the quality and direction of your life.
Each discussion requires about one hour. Decide on the amount of time
to add for socializing and prayer.
Share the leadership. If a different person is the moderator or
question-asker each week, interest grows and members feel the group
belongs to everyone. The Bible is the authority in the group, not the
question-asker.
When a group grows to more than ten, the quiet people become
quieter. Plan to grow and multiply. You can meet as two groups in the
same house or begin another group so that more people can participate
and benefit.
Guidelines for Effective Study
- Stick to the passage under discussion.
- Avoid tangents. If the subject is not addressed in the passage, put
it on hold until after the study.
- Let the Bible speak for itself. Do not quote other authorities or
rewrite it to say what you want it to say.
- Apply the passage personally and honestly.
- Listen to one another to sharpen your insights.
- Prepare by reading the Bible passage and thinking through the
questions during the week.
- Begin and end on time.
Helps for the Question-Asker
- Prepare by reading the passage several times, using different
translations, if possible. Ask God's help to understand it.
Consider how the questions might be answered. Observe which
questions can be answered quickly and which may require more
time.
- Begin on time.
- Lead the group in opening prayer or ask someone ahead of time
to do so. Don't take anyone by surprise.
- Ask for a different volunteer to read each Bible section. Read the
question. Wait for an answer. Rephrase the question if necessary.
Skip questions already answered by the discussion. Resist the
temptation to answer the question yourself.
- Encourage everyone to participate. Ask the group, "What do the
rest of you think?" "What else could be added?"
- Receive all answers warmly. If needed, ask, "In which verse did
you find that?" "How does that fit with verse ___?"
- If a tangent arises ask, "Do we find the answer to that here?" Or
suggest, "Let's write that down and look for the information as
we go along."
- Discourage members who are too talkative by saying, "When I
read the next question, let's hear from someone who hasn't
spoken yet today."
- Use the summary or application questions to bring the study to a
conclusion on time.
- Close the study with prayer.
- Decide on one person to be the host and another person to be
the question-asker for the next discussion.
Tools For an Effective Small Group Bible Study
- An NBS study guide for each person in the group.
- A modern translation of the Bible such as:
- New International Version (NIV)
- Good News Bible (GNB)
- Jerusalem Bible (JB)
- New American Standard Bible (NASB)
- New English Bible (NEB)
- New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
- Contemporary English Version (CEV)
- The New Living Translation (NLT)
- An English dictionary.
- A map of the Lands of the
Bible in a Bible or in the study
guide.
- Your conviction
that the Bible is worth studying.
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