Free Samples

Click the button above to add this to your cart and you'll get this week's Discussion Guides for both the Exploration and Life Lessons curriculums.  They're based on the same scriptures as Lifeway's Explore the Bible and Bible Studies for Life lessons.  (This quarter, they're taken from 1 Peter, John and both Old Testament books of the Kings.

 

If you haven't taught your class using discussion questions before, I'd encourage you to try it for a month.  Email the sheet to your class members on Tuesday or Wednesday along with a note saying something like this:  "We'll be looking at ________ (scriptures) this week in Bible Study.  Please take a minute to look at the attached sheet and jot down a few ideas.  I'll be counting on you to help the discussion along."

But if you're not sold on  the idea of using discussion in your class, consider this:  Jesus was the Master Teacher, right ?  Well, HE used questions often in his own teaching . . . and while I wouldn't presume to know the mind of our Lord, I suspect he did so because he knew that it would engage the minds and hearts of his learners in a way that simple exposition never would. 

Consider the following examples from His ministry: 

In Matthew 16:13-15, Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” and then followed up with, “But who do you say that I am?”  These questions compelled the disciples to personally wrestle with the identity of Jesus rather than simply accept public opinion. 

 

In Luke 10:25-37, when a lawyer asked Jesus about inheriting eternal life, Jesus responded with a question: “What is written in the Law? How do you read it?” By doing this, Jesus prompted the man to engage with Scripture himself. 

 

In Mark 8:36, Jesus posed a question to provoke self-examination: “For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul?” This question forces the listener to weigh the eternal against the temporary.

 

As Christian educators, we should embrace HIS method to help our learners move beyond passive listening to active discipleship. By fostering meaningful discussions, we create an environment where God’s Word comes alive, hearts are transformed, and faith is strengthened.