There is beauty in the weaving together of all the elements as you go-Scripture, commentary, stories, and questions. If you are going to err, err of the side of giving them more Bible because GodвЂ™s Word has eternal impact and transforming power. The participant wants to know more about you and what God taught you through this message, but you also donвЂ™t want to over share or make the study all about your personal journey. When writing a Bible study, you must maintain a delicate balance between the Scripture, your commentary and guidance, stories from your own life to help illustrate what youвЂ™re pointing to in Scripture, and questions to guide the reader in thinking through the Bible on her own. If they do the work and discover it themselves, it will stick with them longer. DonвЂ™t be afraid to ask them to do some work to get that answer. Rather, let them discover the answers for themselves. The Bible study writer is the teacher and she is trying to drive a point home with the reader each day.ДЄs a teacher, you donвЂ™t give the student all the answers. Educational ModelДЄt Lifeway, we think of Bible study like an educational model. Your personal examples and application will bubble up as you dive deeper into the study of GodвЂ™s Word. Instead, unpack and write the Bible study first. Be careful to avoid building a Bible study around a story or personal illustration. Once you get started and in a groove, it will become much easier. Remember, you can always edit later and use that delete key. Then after IвЂ™ve explored every important lead, I look at my notes all together and see what emerges.ДЇinally, start writing. For me, when I study I am constantly typing up notes. Study, and after youвЂ™ve studied for a good long while, you will know when it is time to start writing. This is actually my favorite part of the process-enjoy it! I really could stay in this mode for a long time. ( HereвЂ™s a great post from Trevin Wax with tips for choosing commentaries.) Read lots of them-not just one. Next, look to commentaries.В Find some good, trustworthy commentaries and read. If it points you to another verse or passage of the Bible, go there. If the verse or passage has Bible study notes, read them. Study different and reliable Bible translations. So, the natural next step then is to study. Am I willing to put in the time to study and prepare well?.Who am I already teaching on a regular, consistent basis?.Would I write this Bible study even if no one else ever reads it or teaches it?.Is God leading me to write a Bible study? Why a Bible study rather than a book?.

Do I want to lift up GodвЂ™s Word and point to Jesus or make myself famous?.Go ahead and ask yourself some tough questions as you are praying about writing a Bible study: Then, dive in and see if that idea has legs. Keep your eyes open to what He is teaching you now, what is pulling on your heartstrings, and what is resonating within you personally. God will lead you to what you are supposed to write about. So you may be asking, вЂњWhere in the world do I begin?вЂќ Every authorвЂ™s process is different, but here are some suggestions to get you started.ДЇirst, pray about it. If you are like me, God will first begin by teaching the message to you before He ever lets you write it down, and sometimes the lessons are difficult to learn. (Teaching is serious and we do not want to fall under the category of false teachers: Titus 2:7-8 James 3:1 2 Peter 2:1.) Writing a Bible Study is taking GodвЂ™s Word and studying it, personalizing it, putting different pieces together, and weaving an idea together. He would so much rather you put down your pen and do easier work that is less meaningful for the kingdom.ДЄnother reason is because writing a Bible study is serious. Well, one major reason for the difficulty is the simple fact that the enemy doesnвЂ™t want more Bible studies written. Why is the process of writing a Bible study a difficult one?

DonвЂ™t let that scare you, but rather let that put your mind at ease when it becomes hard. IвЂ™ve spoken to writer after writer who has told me that writing their Bible study or Bible studies was a much more difficult process than they anticipated. Just remember, itвЂ™s not an easy process and youвЂ™ll likely find yourself on your knees more than once asking the Lord for clear direction. But, itвЂ™s an incredibly rewarding experience nonetheless. Taking on the task of writing a Bible study is no small endeavor-no matter the subject matter. Submit your questions related to these topics by filling out the formВ here! This month, we asked Amy Lowe, the manager of the Adult Ministry Publishing team, to share some tips on writing a Bible study. Once a month, youвЂ™re going to hear from some of our authors or from our team on how we study the Bible, what resources we use, and what questions we ask.

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