Running a Discovery Group is powerful and easy. It is about people discovering God through his Word and learning to pray, obey and share with others. When a Discovery Group gathers, they will dig into the Bible through a Discovery Bible Study (DBS). A DBS is simple process you, or anyone in the group can run. In fact, it is as simple as asking 7 questions.
DBS – 7 Questions
- What are you thankful for this week?
- What has been hard, bad or challenging?
- Have you obeyed what God told you last week? Have we shared? How did it go?
- Choose a passage (read, re-read and re-tell the story) and ask “What does this story show us about God?”
- Then ask, “What does this story show us about people?”
- What will you do in response to what we’ve just read?
- Who will you share this with?
Stories for the spiritually hungry
You can start with these stories if you are starting a Discovery Group:
- John 2:1-11 – Jesus turns water into wine
- Psalm 139:1-18
- Luke 10:25-37 – The Good Samaritan
- Mark 2:1-12 – Paralysed man healed
- John 4:1-42 – The Samaritan woman
- Luke 5:29-32 – Levi and his party
- Luke 25:11-32 – The prodigal son
- John 8:2-11 – The adulterous woman
- Luke 7:36-50 Forgiven much
- Matthew 25:14-30 – Parable of the talents
- Matthew 6:26-34 – Do no worry
- Mark 4:1-20 – Parable of the Sower
TIPS
Expert free
- A DBS is not about preaching or teaching, it is simply about people discovering and hearing God through the Scriptures.
- We believe that to hear God, all we need is the Bible and the Holy Spirit. It is then the job of everyone in the group to respond and obey what they hear.
- There is no one leader but a space where everyone can lead and share from the very beginning.
Best done with a group
- The group may be a family or friendship group, where one person (maybe a person of peace) has invited others along.
- A small group of people who get together to explore the Bible and faith. The people in a Discovery Group might have little or no background in Christianity, and yet because of their openness and hunger, can hear from God through the Bible.
Prepare for multiplication from the beginning
- A DBS is simple and reproducible (and yet deep and profound).
- Anyone can run one, no matter where or who you are.
- Students start Discovery Groups both on and beyond campus, preparing them to make disciples anywhere in the world after they graduate.