In my experience, preparing for a Bible study is often the most rewarding process and aspect of youth ministry. Also, it can feel like a daunting task that I am woefully unqualified (and too overwhelmed) to do at all, let alone well. Additionally, as leaders, we face the same distractions as our students: phones, emails, texts, spaces to maintain, and relationships to keep in touch with. We have retreats to plan, parents to counsel, t-shirts to design, and the newest youth ministry podcast or blog post to consume. It can be easy to neglect preparation for the upcoming Bible study.
Yet, for mysterious and beautiful reasons, God delights to reveal himself in the Scriptures, testified by the person and work of Jesus himself. Moreover, God has seen fit to use you and me to engage his Word and help others taste and see that the Lord is good (Ps. 34:8). Teaching the Bible is a sacred calling that should not be taken lightly (Heb. 4:12-13; James 3:1). Still, we can engage with God’s Word without fear by humbly relying on the Spirit (1 Pet. 3:23-25). It takes discipline, collaboration, and focus. Above all, it takes receiving the grace of Jesus Christ and trusting in the work of the Holy Spirit to illumine, lead, and guide.
What follows are the steps I take when preparing a Bible study. These steps outline just the preparation aspect, not the actual execution or form of a good talk. There are certainly many other resources and processes for preparing for a Bible study. I simply want to share my own method, much of which I have learned from my own mentors and other resources, perhaps most notably Eric McKiddie’s chapter in Gospel Centered Youth Ministry.
1. Pray.
Prayer is the most important aspect of preparation. When reading God’s Word, it is easy to treat it as simply another text to be interpreted and fit into our human categories. In order to understand it rightly, we need the guidance and illumination of the Spirit to direct our thoughts and hearts. John Webster in his book, Holy Scripture: A Dogmatic Sketch, helpfully points out that “Faithful reading of Holy Scripture in the economy of grace is an episode in the history of sin and its overcoming… and faithful reading is not the work of masters but of pupils in the school of Christ.” We should always be coming to the text expecting to encounter the living God!
2. Read prayerfully.
There are different ways to read prayerfully through a passage. Personally, I have found meditating on a passage following the pattern of the lectio divina is fruitful for slowing down and asking the Spirit to show himself to me and and through the Word of God. He promises to do this (cf. Is. 55:10-11; Heb. 4:12)! However, if the formal steps of the lectio divina are too much, I have found that simply reading it slowly a couple of times can also be fruitful.
3. Outline the passage.
It is amazing what slowing down will do, letting each detail of the text bear weight on your sense-making process. I like to make a bullet list, breaking down the details and structure of the passage line by line (in chronological order, if applicable). It is, in a sense, paraphrasing the text to show yourself if you can faithfully summarize what it is saying. You will be surprised what questions this will spark!
In addition to deepening my engagement, this process helps me wrap my mind around what the passage is saying before I jump to explication and application. It’s humbling to see the ways in which I project assumptions on the text that aren’t actually there—and ignore key words and details. (Also, this is a fruitful activity to do with students! Every time I have done it, students have enjoyed the process, reveling in the details of the story or passage).
4. Read again.
After you have outlined the passage and can faithfully summarize it, read through the passage again. In my experience, the text really does come alive. It can be overwhelming in the sense that you will realize you could create a whole series based on one phrase in one verse alone! But, it makes the beauty and richness of God’s Word that much more evident.
5. Consult others (commentaries, dictionaries, maps, concordances, etc.).
Up to this point, the process has focused on personal reflection and meditation on the Scriptures. However, we weren’t meant to read and understand Scripture alone! I regularly need this reminder. God’s Word has been systematically and faithfully studied for millennia by people far wiser than us (praise God). In light of this, you should read and consider a few resources. If you do not have access to peer-reviewed texts, there are some accessible online tools that I recommend in the downloadable document attached to this article.
I suggest this not because I think we all need to become scholars, but because it is wise (and encouraging) to recognize that we aren’t alone in our endeavors to faithfully receive God’s Word. Men and women throughout history have dedicated much time and prayer considering each aspect of the text, far more time than you and I will ever be able to put into a text for a youth group talk. In addition, there are concepts, peoples, places, and words within the Scriptures that are broken down and explained in the aforementioned resources. This shows us the beauty of the intricacies, artistry, and historicity of God’s Word. I recommend cluing your students in on the process. Not to make it more complicated or to show off how much time you put into it; rather, so they can really see that we aren’t the only ones studying God’s Word.
Through this practice, God reminds us that we are a part of the Body of Christ. You and I and the students we are teaching are all a part of something bigger than ourselves. We are a part of traditions with people who have loved Jesus and wrestled with the same doubts, questions, and issues they have with the Bible for all of human history. We aren’t alone in our relationship with Jesus. This is good news!
6. Prepare questions and points of discussion.
After you have done all these steps, it’s time to prayerfully consider the specific needs of your students and audience. After all, the purpose of all of this preparation is so that your students may be welcomed by the Spirit into a relationship with the Creator and Lover of their souls. Your students (and all of us) are inundated with competing voices and idols vying for their hearts and affections. Show them that what their hearts long for is God himself.
In addition to what the text is immediately offering, it is worth considering: What have been some recurring questions students have been asking about God and their faith? What specific idols seem to have stolen or disordered the affections of your students? How does Jesus answer and satisfy those things that the idols seem to offer? Where are your students in their relationship with Jesus? How biblically literate are they?
A youth pastor mentor of mine has advised me to always consider the least biblically literate person in the room. This advice forces us to consider the profundity and beauty of the simple gospel and the truths of Scripture! Prayerfully considering these questions allows us to listen to the Spirit in order to help our students taste and see God’s goodness and love for them.
7. Always, always offer a clear gospel message to your students.
Don’t assume that every student in the room has a personal relationship with Jesus or a clear understanding of the gospel! It is important to invite your students into the Good News of the gospel over and over again. You were made for a relationship with your Creator, your Heavenly Father. We are all sinners, living in a broken, fallen world. God sent his Son, Jesus Christ, into the world to take on all of the punishment that death and sin deserve! Jesus defeated death in his resurrection and ascension, so that we can be called sons and daughters of God. The gospel of the kingdom of God is here now! And we are all a part of it.
8. Remember: this Word is also for you.
All of these steps can feel time-consuming and idealistic. They are. But, it’s important to remember that this gospel, this Word of God is also for you, not just for your students. There is grace upon grace for the times when we are not as prepared and steeped in the Word as we would like to be. The Spirit still lives and moves and creates life in and around us, regardless of where we are at. Praise God!
My prayer for all of us engaging in the work of youth ministry is that we would not lose sight of the Lord Jesus Christ’s unconditional, loving gaze. It is the joy of this relationship and this too-good-to-be-true cosmic reality that we are inviting other students into.
Interested in more resources for Bible teaching? Rooted offers Bible-based curriculum for your youth group or small group study.
