Small Group Bible Study - We Weren't Created
to be Alone
Small Group Bible Study is
a forum growing in popularity in America today. Almost every church, particularly the mega-churches looking for a way to encourage
intimacy within the congregation, makes some type of small group Bible study available. Small groups offer a place to connect
with other believers in fellowship; to grow in our understanding of the Bible, as Jesus' own small group of disciples did;
to meet the needs of others in your group in ministry; to become equipped for evangelism; and to worship God through practicing
godly behavior.
Small Group Bible Study? Why Do I Need That? I Can Study the Bible On My Own! Sound familiar? Maybe
that's even what you're thinking right now. And yes, you can study the Bible on your own. In fact, you should! Personal Bible
study is essential for deepening your relationship with God. So why study with a group? Because, as Rick Warren says in The
Purpose Driven Life, "God didn't create you to be alone."
Small Group Bible study also offers a safe place to get
your questions answered. If a small group setting is new to you, you'll be surprised how quickly you'll be helping others
find answers as well. Asking pastors during weekly church services isn't usually possible or practical, so you may leave fed,
but still a little hungry. When you are involved in a small group of other believers with varying backgrounds, chances are
at least one other person in that group will be able to answer your specific questions. Certainly, as a group, you can determine
to research and find answers to questions that cannot be answered in your regular meeting times. And aren't two or three or
more heads better than one?
In your small group, you can also share your needs. At first, you may not feel comfortable
sharing intimate details of your life, and you don't need to. But small group members exist to care for one another and to
join in lifting one another's burdens before the Lord. Even if all you are willing to share is, "pray for me," then at least
you can go out with the confidence that someone else is in fact praying for you. And God is listening.
Prayer is another area in which the "Small Group Bible Study"
format can help you to grow. Afraid to pray out loud in a group? That's OK! No one will force you to pray out loud. (If they
do, you just may be in the wrong group!) But as you listen to others sharing their hearts before God, you will be amazed at
what the Spirit may prompt you to do. Week after week, as group members share answers to prayer, you'll be built up in your
own personal ability to trust God to meet your needs. And as any small group veteran will tell you, the greatest blessing
comes in ministering to the needs of another small group member. In addition, the Bible has specific things to say about the
power of praying in a group. In Acts 12:1-18 we see that Peter was miraculously let out of prison by an angel as a small group
gathered in a house and prayed for him. In time, you'll come to see your small group Bible study as a safe place to go when
you hurt, as well as when you want to share exciting victories in your life.
