Discovery Bible Study

When the earth was without form and void and chaos was over the deep

The Spirit brooded and God spoke.

The two agents of transformation are the Spirit and the Word.

We want to facilitate these agents of change by encouraging groups of people to gather with a specific purpose of discovering truth and being committed to obey it in the context of nurturing relationships.

As we do the Kingdom comes.

The measure of individual obedience in a group is the measure of the extent to which the Kingdom of God is manifest.

Imagine our education system if each teacher administrator  and child is living in obedience to the Word. And so for all the other domains of society.

Simplicity ensures participation and replication

 This is the format of a weekly group meeting

The venue can be anywhere

The purpose of the review is to ensure accountability

Why group discovery?

Groups remember more than individuals. a group of people can remember more, and more accurately, than an individual.  As groups recall things together, group memory becomes the memory of each individual in the group.

Groups learn faster than individuals. Groups require less repetition of facts and principles before they can recall them collectively.  As we’ve said before, the group recollection process causes group memory to become individual memory.  Consequently, the learning process is greatly accelerated in groups when you allow the group process to happen.

Groups replicate faster than individuals. Because groups remember more and learn faster, individuals within group rapidly reach a point at which they can pass on what they know to others.  Since that individual was disciple within the group process, they naturally use the same process to disciple new groups.

Groups replicate more often than individuals. Since members of a properly led group get to a point of replication very quickly, they can replicate more often.  They know how to plant what they know into groups within their oikos , or in neighboring oikos, so individual group members replicate themselves within other groups.  This allows group members to replicate with more people than if they focused on individuals.

Groups are a protection against bad leadership and heresy. When the authority of Scripture and the Holy Spirit is part of group DNA and group process, groups can protect themselves against bad leadership.   Groups that measure what leaders say against Scripture can easily stop the actions of leaders who try to implement extra-Biblical, or even un-Biblical, policies and procedures.  Consequently, the effects of bad leadership are reduced, bad leaders are removed, and heresy is avoided.

Groups self-correct. This is the reason well-discipled groups protect against bad leadership and heresy.  Group members understand the Scripture they read and correct each other when someone introduces an interpretation or application of Scripture that isn’t apparent in the passage.

Groups keep individuals accountable. If you plant the Gospel in established oikos and groups, group members see each other enough to hold each other accountable.  If a group member disobeys Scripture, the group can become aware of their disobedience rather quickly.  Properly discipled groups address this disobedience and help in the repentance and restoration of their disobedient member.

  

Review 

Where you able to honour your “I will statement”?  Accountable for being obedient

Who did you share last week’s passage and insights; and your obedience statement with? Accountable to share

Who have you gone with to coach a start-up group, give feedback? Accountable to” multiply”

The review becomes clear as you read further

Prayer: Thanks & Petition

Have everyone share one thing they are thankful for and one thing that is their greatest need.

Facilitator give thanks and pray first to set tone and length of thanksgiving and petition by giving thanks and praying for person to left/right (short and one thought)

The reason for “Short and one though”  is that simplicity ensures participation and replication.

Using uncomplicated “non religious” language is encouraged.  Lord thank you for my health, (my Thanks) would you please do something about Randall’a finances(your need as the person sitting to my right) Anyone can participate without feeling intimidated by not knowing the bible or how to pray christianeeze

Scripture

We pick one passage of scripture like Jn2:1-12  the wedding at Cana

Read, Listen & Follow: Have someone read Scripture out loud while everyone else  follows along in their Bible

Having a different translations is great as you have to follow and compare while you listen to one person read.

Read, Listen: Have another person read the same passage out loud again. This time have everyone only listen to the reading.

This time we only use our auditory sense

Restate, Listen and fill in: Ask for a volunteer to retell the facts of the passage in their own words. When they finish, ask the group to fill in any facts they feel were left out.

Now I have to listen to the passage being paraphrased, compare it to the scripture and augment the facts that were left out.

We now examine this specific text without cross referencing – again the principle simplicity ensures participation and replication

We use an mnemonic.

This is just a template to facilitate the discovery process.

SPECK the passage.

Appoint a person in the group to ensure that you stick to the text, - do not refer to any other text, sermon, DVD, program etc.) Any idea or proposition must be taken and validated from the specific text.

S.     Does this passage reveal a Sin to be avoided?

P.  Is there a Prayer, Praise, Promise or Principal in the passage?

E.  Does this passage contain an Example to be followed or avoided?

C.  Does this passage have a Command to be obeyed?

K.  Does this passage contain Knowledge about God, Self, Neighbour, the Community - that God wants us to have?

Refer Any other questions regarding the text should be noted and referred to the coaches.

Again our goal is to ensure simplicity in modelling, anyone must be able to do this.

If I engage a complex question I intimidate the others in the group who have to become as clever as I in order to facilitate a group.

If I become the answer man I undermine the discovery process. When you discover something you own it.

We also ensure we are not distracted from our purpose of arriving at an obedience statement

Formulate an obedience statement.

I will...) A measurable statement that relates to obeying the text.

This means that I make application of what I have discovered (Jesus said teach them to obey..)

How can my fellow Christ-followers help me obey this passage?

What can we do as the rest of the group to help you obey

Commit to sharing with someone the scripture, some insights and your personal obedience statement.

Here we encourage you to paraphrase the scripture in your own words to share with someone, share an insght that is linked to your obedience statement and your obedience statement. Eg Jesus solved a crises at a weeding by turning  water into wine at a wedding. The bridegroom was totally unaware of the crises as his friends solved it before he was aware of it.   In this week I want to be that sensitive to the needs of my friends

Or The servants at a wedding feast obeyed Jesus completely doing exactly what they were instructed, I want to obey every instruction in the same way.

Or Jesus obeyed his mother at a wedding in the same way I want to obey my parents this week.

Or Jesus was invited to a wedding at Cana and he went.  The principle is If you invite Him He will come. I am going to invite Him to every place I go and expectd Him to do the same as he did at the wedding – solve problems

Or Jesus’ mother told Jesus there was a problem at the wedding with the wine. In this week I will tell Jesus what the problems are and expect Him to get involved.

Luke 10:2 Share name of person who is not yet specking the bible you would like prayer for.
Identify a fellow disciple in your group who will accompany you to coach such a start-up group.

Here we are outward focussed trying to identify a man of peace in our oikos that would be interested in discovering truth with some friends by being involved in leading a speck group.

Our group does not multiply in the conventional sense we help others get a group started- when some one expresses interest in getting started , we model for them , at their place , diff time than our speck group.

Caring for one another:
What can we do practically to assist one another to meet the need we prayed for at the beginning?

Practical care for one another

Advise scripture for next week and encourage 3 column preparation.

1^st column copy scripture exactly,

2^nd column write in own words,

3^rd column speck and “I will” statement.

I take a piece of paper and divide it in three colums, in the first column I copy the scripture from the text. In the 2^nd column I paraphrase, in the 3^rd column I start the speck process, so that when I get to my group I am prepared