How do you lead/teach a Bible study?

I use a very expository approach rather than a topical approach. I believe this is more effective since it deals with the actual passage. I also LEAD and TEACH a Bible study rather than start the class by saying "So, anybody have an opinion on this passage?" I believe that effective Bible study requires the leader to be an effective expositor and teacher.

How do you lead/teach a Bible study?
I do the same thing but I like to open it up to discussion, I find that I receive more insight into the scriptures, that way.
Reply:Yes, I believe that a Bible study needs a strong leader.


I work for Teen Challenge Uk, and within my role there, I teach, but allow students to ask questions and say how a certain Scripture might mean to them personally. However,


particularly in my setting, I have to be very much the leader,


because I am dealing with new Christians.
Reply:I do not lead or teach the bible study I start with a prayer to the Father for his wisdom and understanding and let the Holy Spirit lead and teach all of us that attend the bible study. The Father is a far better teacher than any human and so if it a human doing the leading it is a human teaching and not from God the Father Almighty. That is the problem with most all churches today they are following man and not God. You need all three in your study. The Father, the Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ which is the Word of God.
Reply:Leading and teaching are states of mind.





Confidence is gained in knowledge that you have of the subject you have at hand.





Study.





Power and depth come from practice. Often the first few times we do something it is still being learned by ourselves.





Practice.





Each person a person teaches has their own understanding and will hear something different, sometimes quite differently from the next. A teacher needs to understand this.





Understanding.





Knowledge, depth, power, understanding are all under the power of God.





Pray
Reply:personally, i would start the class by saying... you know... that thing you don't say. i tend to have different and less traditional approaches than what a lot of churches teach, being that i'm more of a holistic, and i don't spiritualize every single passage. nor do i put limits on God's word. take the passage that says ''be His stripes we were healed.'' so many churches teach that this only applies to spiritual healing, but i say it means physical healing as well. maybe i'm like that because my faith is strong, and i truly believe that God can and wants to do anything He can for us, if we'll just give Him something to work with... i don't know. it sounds to me like you're just trying to teach church doctrine, which has many fine points, and is necessary at times, but our understanding of the bible should never ever be limited solely to what tradition teaches.
Reply:I use the inductive study approach because the most satisfying kind of study is when the participants discover the truth as they read and study together...instead of being spoon-fed or led to a particular conclusion.





The Big Book on Small Groups says, "Through the use of questions, and the careful analysis of each text in its context, inductive Bible study can be the most exciting kind of study."





I agree. It's all about spending a lot of time becoming familar with the text and then crafting some good questions, then being ready to go with the flow if something really good (but unanticipated) comes up during the study.





By the way, having really great Bible software also helps! You can do some fantastic research in advance and explain anything difficult ("what were the epicureans in Acts 17?"), provide background, etc.
Reply:I also lead %26amp; teach a bible study. I also use an expository approach. Of course there are many good resources for such an approach, for the beginner, try How to Read the Bible for All It's Worth by Fee %26amp; Gordon. For the more advanced bible teacher check out Grant Osborne's Hermeneutical Spiral. Although it seems like from your description you have been at this for awhile so you may already have library of resources you prefer.





In addition to expository teaching I find that using discussion is an effect way to engage your audience epically if your bible study is attempting to draw in "seeker". I'm not referring to the kind of discussion question that you have mentioned you don't use. "What is your opinion . . ." but one's that maybe help the audience interact with the material and see it's relevance. For example "Paul says believers ought to live one way, how does that compare to how our culture says we ought to live?" For a good book on this technique check out Mastering the Techniques of Teaching by Joseph Lowman.