I have just finished preparing and leading a three week bible study. It is the first time I’ve prepared a study, although I have led various bible study groups over the years. While I don’t claim any expertise, I believe sharing my approach and thoughts might help you prepare and lead your own studies.

The three studies I prepared were based on two verses right at the end of Ecclesiastes, in chapter 12, verse 13 and 14, it says: That’s the whole story. Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad.

This study wasn’t prepared in a few weeks, it comes from years of reading, learning and study. In my study I have always seen this as a foundational verse for all, and exploring the three concepts mentioned would make for a good study. So when my bible study group were unsure about what to study for a few weeks while the normal leader was away I suggested the idea and since there were no objections I was tasked with preparing and leading.

FOUNDATIONS

Here are the foundations I based my preparations on, these principles come from observing studies and gleaning from leaders throughout my life.

PRAYER: I pray for each participant daily, often more. This includes those who are away and have only come once. I pray for their growth in Christ and knowledge of him. I pray that the studies help them, and that God would open their eyes, ears, minds and hearts. I also pray for their individual needs.

AIMS: With all interaction with God’s Word I want participants to grow in comprehension, holiness and obedience. But for this particular study I also want to encourage meditation. Meditation on God’s Word is a key to growth and since these topics are throughout the bible, I cannot cover them in an hour, I want participants to discover more in their own reading. I want participants to discover and think through things on their own. I ask questions to encourage thinking and growth individually.

RESPONSIBILITY: I must understand that my responsibility is to God. He will judge my teaching with much higher standards than I could imagine. I am speaking for God and that is serious, I don’t want to lead anyone astray, or be casual with this responsibility, a millstone around my neck would be better.

PREPARATION: Preparation began in prayer, asking God for clarity, understanding and insight. I then diligently read passages and books so that my understanding of the three topics is fresh.

ASSUMPTIONS: I found it very hard to know where to start my study. I knew that a few of the participants had a greater understanding and knowledge than me, but a few also had very little knowledge of the bible. I want to make the study basic enough for those with little knowledge, but also deep enough for those who need it.

GOD’S WORD: The bible speaks so much more than I could. So I included a few different bible passages. 

STUDY ONE – The Fear of the LORD

For this study I wanted people to see a difference between Fear of the LORD and fear of man. With that noted I tried to convey that there is a lot in Fear of the LORD. There is an understanding of His power in creation. And that power, that holiness, is something that should make us tremble. But even though God is so powerful He loves us, the Father sent His son to die for the world. And that kind of love makes us rejoice!

Fear of the LORD leads to obedience of God, and I wanted to dive into that, but I knew that it was my topic for week two.

STUDY TWO – Obeying God’s Command

For this study I wanted to convey that God’s commands are good. They are for our good, and for the good of others. We should delight in them because they reflect God, showing us how to reflect Him. God’s commands also contain a right and wrong element, all rules do. There is either obedience or disobedience, blessing or curse. And I wanted to connect that to the work of the enemy (satan), who causes us to doubt the goodness of God’s commands.

As a sidepoint I also felt a need to place the commands in the context of Exodus. The Israelites were just in Egypt, a place with many god’s, no rest and no freedom. But God redeems them to live a life of freedom and rest with God. The commandments come after salvation and help get Egypt out of Israel, today they help get the world out of us.

STUDY THREE – God’s Eternal Judgement

I really struggled to prepare this one. I would start thinking one way and then another and then another. I found it hard to work out where my focus needed to be. Then just before the study I had a breakthrough and the pieces fell into place. All it took was one thought: God’s Eternal Judgement is God’s Justice. Although it came together well I still noticed a few mistakes.

For this study I wanted to convey a sense of eternity. God doesn’t lower His standard of justice and righteousness for us, but through Christ, who took the punishment our sins deserve. God makes a way for us to spend eternity with Him, in His new creation. With that knowledge of the end, I wanted to direct us toward an urgency to reach the lost.

REFLECTIONS

I want to share a few thoughts from the studies since I ran them.

The thing that these studies have in common but I didn’t focus on or talk about is confession and repentance. Each study must lead to confession and repentance.

God is greater than all my sin. God knows my worst mistakes and wants me to bring them to him in open honesty. If I refuse to do so, it shows that I value my sin more than God. That includes confession before others. I shouldn’t value my reputation with men or my relationship with others more than confession before God. Do I fear losing my relationship with a friend or losing my relationship with God through unconfessed sin?

God has a high standard of holiness and righteousness, higher than my highest imaginations. Like Adam and Eve I want to define right and wrong myself. But I must never create my own standard in anything, God’s standard is always best. God never lowers His standard for me, and neither should I. I must never use my own standards, I must always look to God’s standards and definitions. God defines love, truth, sin, justice, knowledge, and wisdom. My definition falls way below God’s and to use my own standard is to dismiss God. I know my sin of defining love by my own standard causes God to cry, to weep.

When I know the punishment that Christ took to satisfy God’s Justice, combined with the purity of the new creation, how can I allow any sin to come between me and that eternal life?

I can never exaggerate my sin, but I can never exaggerate my God, and I know He is faithful and just to forgive.

I must always be putting sin to death. Today people say, “It wasn’t that bad.” “I didn’t hurt anyone.” “No one cried.” “They wanted it.” “They were asking for it.” “It’s only natural.” “I just wanted to try.” “Everyone does it.” “I was only joking.” “I didn’t mean it.” “It wasn’t ‘really’ a lie.” “It’s normal.” “It’s expected.” It pains my heart to write these excuses because I know how much they hurt God. 

I pray that you and the participants of the group I made these for really wrestled with this, and will continue to wrestle and comprehend these concepts as they read the bible more.

If you kept a record of our sins who O Lord could ever survive? 
But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you. - Psalm 130:3-4