You should attend a Bible study group

Most churches run Bible study groups which usually start this time of year. There will be announcements in many churches urging people to read the Bible with others in groups weekly or fortnightly. If you usually take part, you’ll go along. If you have heard those announcements and ignored them, thinking you are too busy or meeting with other people you don’t yet know is too scary, you should think harder. There are good reasons Bible study groups are so popular among Christians.

In a regular church service, many people sit and listen to the Bible taught by one person. There are some very beneficial things about this. That one person can be well trained and experienced, and you can trust that they (usually) will interpret the Bible well and apply it in useful ways. In addition, everyone there hears the same message from the same text, so it is unifying. It is also efficient; many people can hear the Bible being taught at once. However, there are some advantages to studying the Bible in smaller groups; let’s think them through:

• Interactive

You can ask questions in Bible study groups. That’s a big difference and a big advantage. With fewer people, you can interact with the text and with the other people. You could go over something again if you didn’t get it. You can dig deeper into an issue than the preacher on Sunday would have time to do.

• Personal

A good preacher will try to apply the Bible to a range of people during a sermon, so usually, there will be some applications that are useful for you personally. In a Bible study group, with fewer people present, the applications for each person can be drawn out a little more. You can have your personal life questions dealt with. And you can all pray together, both about things concerning all of you and each of your personal needs.

• Sinks in

There is a proverb that says: “a man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still”. We are more convinced of something if we have discovered it ourselves. So, if we look at the Bible and think about a verse, seeing how it all connects and applies, that will likely sink into our minds more than if we just have someone tell us the same thing.

• Different perspectives

Bible study groups are usually made up of people with quite different understandings of the Bible and different life experiences. This means there will be disagreements, different ideas, and different emphases present. This will challenge all the members, and hopefully in a good way!

• Pattern of life

Life is busy, and choosing to make time for a Bible study group is difficult. Having to head out after a day of work or uni can be a burden. But when we make this a habit, we are intentionally building Bible and encouragement into our lives. We are showing what matters to us is not ultimately Netflix and our private space but growing in God’s word.

Well, that’s all nice, you might say. But what if you’re shy? The prospect of meeting with a small group of people and sharing ideas and lives and questions and prayers seems overwhelming. Yes, it can be hard at first for shy people. But here’s an encouragement: it is easier than a Sunday church service. For many, trying to build friendships and have real conversations with over a hundred people after church is impossible. Doing this with 6-10 is much easier. Once you know the people, you will be comfortable; you just need to start going.

Bible study groups are well worth the investment in going. Sign up today.