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Brad's Bistro: Bible StudiesOne thing I've always been committed to is the study of scripture in the context of small groups. What I've had a hard time finding, however, is bible studies that can be used by anyone. There are a lot of them out there, but usually they're something along the lines of the passage and few questions with very little direction as to just where the author of that passage was really trying to go with it. To that end, I created a different kind of bible study. Each one is based on a specific passage with a series of discussion questions, but I also include a leader's guide that includes pretty specific information as to where that question is intended to go and how it fits into the study as a whole. They're very flexible, and a leader could take a lot of time working through it and preparing; or just pull it out, read the questions, allow for some discussion, and read the information off the guide.To be honest, these were created to be as much a discipleship and leadership development tool for the group leader as much as anything. I feel like if a group leader was to spend a little time with these each week they would learn a lot over time about how to study scripture in context and what kinds of questions you can and cannot ask of a text. |
| Being Born Again, John 3:1-8 The goal of this lesson is to help members see that salvation is about achieving a brand new life and that only God can accomplish that for us. |
| A Will and a Way , James 4:13-17 This lesson is about subordinating our plans for the future to the will of God. |
| Pure Understanding, Romans 10: 1-15 This is a lesson about the basics of what does and does not save us, as well as a challenge to do our part in helping others come to the point of making a saving confession in Christ for themselves. |
| Show Me the Money, 1 Timothy 6:6-19 This is a lesson about a healthy attitude toward wealth, dealing with the potential risks as well as the rewards involved when we take the right approach to money. |
| Ready or Not, Matthew 24:36-51 This lesson explores the parable of the faithful and wise servant regarding how we can be ready for the return of Christ. |
| Powering Up, Ephesians 1:15-23 The purpose of this lesson is to help us realize the power that God gives us to take on the enemy and the essential role that the church plays in that. |
| A Journey with God, Psalm 23 This lesson looks at some of the aspects of a spiritual journey with God through the lens of this classic poem. |
| To Give or Not to Give, 2 Corinthians 8:6-15 This is a lesson about the grace of giving and how we can motivate ourselves to abound in it. |
| Get to Work, 2 Thessalonians 3:6-15 This lesson explores the sin of being idle. Why it is so wrong, and how we can help ourselves and each other achieve victory over it. |
| Knowing God's Will, Colossians 1:9-14 This lesson explores key aspects of the will of God that Paul prayed the Colossian Christians would understand. It is meant to help people think through how these general expectations that God has for every Christian can be worked out specifically in each of our lives. |
| What is the Bible, Anyway?, 2 Timothy 3:14-17 This lesson reviews some basic information about what the bible is and what it is good for. |
| Fruitful Farming, Galatians 6:7-10 This lesson explores the phrase “a man reaps what he sows”, and asks how we can be sowing in ways that please God and allows us to reap the harvest of eternal life. |
| Topping It Off with God, Ephesians 5:18-21 The goal of this lesson is to clarify what Paul means by being “filled with the Spirit,” that it is not a one time, mystical event, but a continuing process, one that involves certain activities which draw his presence into our relationship with him and with other people |
| Take Me to Your Leader, Ephesians 5:21-6:4 This lesson looks at what submission in the home is really all about and how husbands and wives and parents and children can subordinate their own interests to the over-arching goal of helping each other in their spiritual growth |
| Potty Mouth, James 3:1-12 This lesson reminds us to take seriously how we talk and reminds us that the only way we can truly tame the tongue is by changing our hearts. |
| Home Schooling, 2 Timothy 3:1-9, 14-17 This lesson contrasts bad spiritual nurture in the home which comes from bad motives and character versus what the results can and should be of good spiritual guidance from family life. |
| Loving Law, Romans 13:8-14 This lesson explores the phrase, “love your neighbor as yourself”: what that means in relationship to God’s commandments, and how we can put it into practice in our lives. |
| Goodness Gracious, Titus 3:3-8 This lesson works through a powerful passage of Scripture describing what salvation is all about: What we are saved from, how and why we are saved, what the result is, and what our response should be. |
| Character Counts, Romans 5:1-11 This lesson reminds us that God works through trials in our lives to help us grow in character so that his glory will revealed in us, while at the same time making sure we realize that this growth is not what saves us—only God can do that through the sacrifice of Christ. |
| Body Behavior, Colossians 3:12-17 This is a lesson from a powerful section of Scripture describing some of the ways that we should behave toward each other in the church (and often times don’t). |
| Honest to God, 1 John 1:5-9 This lesson encourages us to live honest spiritual lives, especially in being willing to admit our sins and our sinfulness to God in order to restore our intimate relationship to him. |
| Twue Wuv, Romans 12:9-21 This lesson mentions some of the practical ways that Paul tells us to put our love into action. |
| Lighten Up, Ephesians 5:8-14 This is a lesson on what Paul says about how to be positive influences (light) in a culture that is darkened by sin. |
| Attitude Adjustment, Ephesians 4:22-5:2 This lesson underscores how important having a sacrificial attitude like God does rather than a selfish one like we tend to have can be, especially in regards to some of the practical ways that we relate to other people. |
| Bodies in the Body, Romans 12:1-8 This lesson explores the issue of what it means to belong to each other in the body of Christ since we each have different gifts that God designed to work together to create a unified body. |
| Already in Heaven, Hebrews 12:22-29 This study explores the notion that spiritually we are already in heaven, and how the images related to that can help us deal with our lives “down here.” |
| Ready or Not, Matthew 24:36-52 This lesson explores the parable of the faithful and wise servant regarding how we can be ready for the return of Christ. |
| Managing Mess Ups, Galatians 5:13-23 This study is about dealing with sin in our lives and reminds us that the solution is building Godly character through spiritual development rather than trying harder not to sin. |
| Fire Proof Works, 1 Corinthians 3:10-15 This lesson about the works that we do and their impact on our eternal destiny: they are gifts of God’s grace to us, as is salvation, but the quality of them also effects the rewards that we will receive from God. |
| Willing or Wobbling, Ephesians 4:11-16 This lesson is meant to remind us that the work of the ministry in the church is designed by God to be done by the people, not necessarily just the pastors, who have been called to equip the people to accomplish the work of the church—even the work of helping people grow spiritually. |
| Holding Tight to the Lifeline, 1 Corinthians 15:1-8 This lesson is about the resurrection of Christ: why it is we can be sure of it, and why it is so important to hang on to. |
| Pressing On, Philippians 3:12-16 This study is about making sure that we continue to be devoted to the process of spiritual growth in our lives. |
| I'll be Back, 1 Thessalonians 5:1-11 This lesson is about the second coming of Christ and what it is we should be doing to be prepared for it. |
| Keep the Faith Alive, 1 Peter 1:3-9 This lesson is about the ways that our faith partners with God’s power to help us endure trials and receive our ultimate inheritance from him. |
| Bringing Them Back, Matthew 18:15-20 The goal of this lesson is to get us to see that when someone sins against us in the church Jesus wants us to work at the job of restoring them into fellowship and right relationship with God, not judging or condemning them. |
| Body Building, Ephesians 2:11-22 This lesson is about building the church through making sure that we are inclusive of all people. |
| Terminating Temptation, 1 Corinthians 10:6-16 This lesson works through this key passage to help us understand the importance of standing firm against temptation and how to do so. |
| Prepped to Proclaim, 1 Peter 3:8-16 This lesson is about the kind of life that will make people want to ask questions about our faith as well as make the proclamation of our faith have effectiveness and integrity. |
| Universal Health Care, James 5:13-20 This lesson explores issues of prayer for people’s healing, but goes beyond that to ask how we can achieve wellness in our lives in a sense that is broader than just fixing a particular disease. |
| Setting the Bar High for Getting Low, Philippians 2:1-13 This lesson is designed to help us change our attitude about life to help us become servants like Christ was. |
| Drawing Near, Hebrews 10:19-22 This study explores what it is that God has done to enable us to experience his presence and asks what we need to embrace in order to do that. |
| Here's Mud in Your Eye, John 9 This study is meant to help us understand how people can be stuck spiritually in a situation of blindness and begging, and how it is that Jesus wants us to partner with him to help them transcend that situation and become worshippers of his. |
| Tuned in Sheep, John 10:1-18 This lesson is about being certain that we are listening to the authentic voice of Jesus and his true representatives, and what doing so will accomplish for us. |
| Body Talk, 1 Corinthians 12:1-27 This lesson explores the issue of spiritual gifts: why God gives them, what their purpose is, and how you should respond |
| Gripe or Go, 1 Timothy 1:1-7 This lesson points out the contrast between a church that spends its time arguing over doctrine and a church with a common focus on mission. |
| Tasty Talk, Colossians 4:2-6 This lesson explores the ways that we can allow God to open doors to sharing our faith and how we can take the best advantage of those opportunities. |
| Winner Training, 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 This study points out the importance of being disciplined and focused in order to accomplish our spiritual growth and be effective in ministry. |
| Righteous Ranching, Matthew 25:31-46 This study aims to help us understand that our righteousness is determined not just by who we are, but by what we do as well. |
| Nothing But the Truth, Ephesians 4:17-25 This study is meant to convey the relationship between right thinking and right behavior, specifically in regards to the truth. |
| University of the Enemy, 1 Timothy 4:1-8 This study is intended to teach the principle that Satan’s weapon in the spiritual battle is false teaching and deceptions, and that our defense is in following good teaching and developing good spiritual habits. |
| Gripe Fest, Phillipians 2:5-16 This study is meant to underscore the destructive nature of complaining and arguing in the church and how it compromises our ability to follow Christ’s example and accomplish our mission. |
| God at Work, John 5;16-24 The point of this study is that God the Father and Jesus Christ are working to help us be saved by our faith, versus the “work” that a legalistic approach would take. It also addresses the issue of being secure in our salvation. |
| Wanted Dead or Alive, Ephesians 2:1-10 The point of this lesson is that we are saved by grace not just from something, but for something. What is that? |
| Live Free or Else, Galatians 5:13-26 The goal of this lesson is to help explore the difference between legalistic and self-centered living and living by the Spirit, in order to avoid conflicts with each other brought on by comparing our righteousness with each other. |
| A New Look, 2 Corinthians 5:16-21 The goal of this lesson is the help people see their position in Christ as forgiven as well as their obligation to be Christ’s ambassadors in this world. |
| God's Post Card, John 17:20-26 This lesson is intended to discuss how being a healthy, united community of believers is itself a significant means of proclaiming Christ to the world. |
| From First to Last, Mark 10:35-45 This lesson explores the upside down nature of leading versus serving that Jesus teaches his disciples. |
| Weak Strength, 2 Corinthians 12:7-10 This lesson explores what Paul means when he says "When I am weak, then I am strong" and how to access God's power in situations that make us feel helpless. |
| Praying God's Will, Romans 8:26-30 This lesson looks at how we can conform our prayer lives to the will of God to make them accomplish his purposes. |
| Spiritual Two Stepping, Galatians 5:13-26 The goal of this study is to get us to see that the result of walking in the Spirit should be healthier relationships. |
| Worry Free Living, Luke 12:22-34 The goal of this lesson is to help us see how focusing on God’s priorities in our lives rather than the world’s can help reduce the anxiety that we experience. |
| Don't Worry, be Happy, Philippians 4:4-7 The purpose of this talksheet is to see the relationship between praying with thanksgiving and relieving the effects of stress in our lives. |
| A Vain Grace? 2 Corinthians 5:16-6:2 This explores the fact that salvation is by grace and yet at the same time comes with an expectation that we will partner with God in sharing that message of hope to the world. |
| A Faith that Heals, Mark 5:21-43 The goal of this lesson is to explore the role that our faith plays in trusting Jesus to heal our own lives or those of someone we know. It is meant to underscore that Jesus really desires to make our lives better and that he will willingly respond to us even if we’re at the end of our rope or to those we are concerned about, even if it appears that they’re beyond hope. |
| Partnering with God, 2 Peter 1:3-11
This lesson explores the relationship between the resources
God has for us to grow spiritually and what our role is in accessing those
resources and causing them to bear fruit in our lives, as well as why we want
to do so. |
| Working Together, 1 Thessalonians 5:12-18 This lesson looks at the relationship between the leaders of the church and the congregation, specifically with an eye toward how we can help people step up and do their part to accomplish the work of the ministry. |
| To Be Tim, 1 Timothy 4:6-16
This lesson is about discipleship: How it was that Timothy was discipled, and what some of the pre-requisites and methods we can use to disciple others are. |
| A Wasted Life, Luke 9:22-25
This lesson explores what it means to “take up your cross and follow Jesus.” It attempts to clear up the misconception that “taking up your cross” means to be able to put up with bad things we don’t want to happen. Rather, it is a deliberate, daily choice to deny our own desires in order to become more like Christ. |
| Saving Yourselves, Acts 2:36-41
This study is designed to help us understand that salvation is not just something Jesus “does” to us, but there are important ways that we partner with him in the process. |
| The End is Near, 1 Peter 4:7-11
Peter begins this passage by saying “the end of all things is near,” and goes on to give us a variety of practical things we should be doing with our lives in light of that understanding. |
| Mercy Me, Luke 18:9-14 This lesson looks at the
parable of the self-righteous Pharisee and the tax collector. It gets to the heart of developing the humble
attitude that God is looking for in people who understand their continuing need
for his mercy. |
| All Leaves, no Fruit, Mark 11:12-25 This lesson looks at why Mark ties together the cursing of the fig tree with the cleansing of the temple, and addresses God’s passion for spiritual fruitfulness over religious ritual |
| Extreme Humility, James 4:1-12 This lesson explores the root causes of divisive relationships, especially in the church, and how we can practice spiritual principles that will help us to avoid them |
| Profit and Loss Statement, Philippians 3:7-11 This study works through a powerful passage in Philippians to underscore how prioritizing Christ will ultimately lead to a greater sense of significance in this world than the things that we gain or accomplish. |
| Beating the Devil with a Big Ugly Stick, Colossians 3:8-15 This powerful passage of Scripture deals with how Satan attempts to enslave us through making us believe that we have to measure up to legalistic standards which were all nailed to the cross with Christ, hence defeating the enemy by taking away his best weapon. Instead, God wants to replace that with being filled up by Christ. |
| The following 10 studies go through the sermon on the mount and will work best if taken as a series. Each study on the Sermon on the Mount is based on the fact that God has translated us into the Kingdom of God, with all of the benefits and expectations being things that should currently characterize our “life in the Kingdom.” Each lesson illustrates an important Kingdom principle that, when taken together, will help achieve a “Kingdom worldview,” in order to live healthy and significant lives while we await the complete fulfillment which will attend the second coming of Christ. |
| Being blessed, Matthew 5:1-12
The Kingdom principle from the Beatitudes is that the eternal perspective on our lives which comes from living in the Kingdom should be able to transform our attitude toward life because we have constant access to what is really important. |
| Shine On, Matthew 5:13-16 The Kingdom principle in this passage has to do with good works: that they are not the means to God’s salvation, but are still critical in order to accomplish Kingdom ministry and mission in this world |
| Law Abiding Citizens, Matthew 5:17-20
We cannot keep the law of God by trying hard—we keep it by becoming the kind of people who naturally live in accordance with what God desires for us. |
| Sex and Violence, Matthew 5:21-32 Healthy relationships with others come from dealing with the underlying heart issues of selfishness and pride rather than just managing our outward behaviors. |
| Integrity and Crazy Love, Matthew 5:33-47
The confidence we have as children of God and citizens of the Kingdom give us a different value system which allows us to be in control of situations where other people are trying to control us. |
| Impressive Piety, Matthew 6:1-18 people who live in the kingdom of God are motivated to pursue spiritual disciplines; not out of a sense of ritual or duty or in order to impress other people, but to deepen their relationship with the Father. |
| Anxiety Antidote, Matthew 6:25-34
when our value system is aligned with the Kingdom of God, our lives in this world become much healthier. |
| Community of Care, Matthew 7:1-12
Helping people grow in godly living doesn’t come from condemning them or trying to “fix” them; but happens through respecting them, developing a relationship with them, and praying for them. |
| Building Blocks, Matthew 7:24-29 This final lesson in the series is a chance to review each principle in light of Jesus’ teaching that when we understand and do these things, it will give us a life with a solid foundation |