What is a Discovery Bible Study?

A lot of people like to talk about what the Bible says. But have you ever wanted to have a look and decide for yourself?

Taking a discovery-based approach to the Bible is how you can do just that. To discover the Bible means to experience the Bible firsthand without anyone giving you their own opinions. But it does not mean you have to do it alone. Many times, the best way to read the Bible is to do it alongside a group of people you already know—family or friends—and ask some open-ended questions in a discussion about what you are all learning. We call this practice of mutual group discovery a Discovery Bible Study.

Why should you participate in a Discovery Bible Study?

You should participate in a Discovery Bible Study because it is a safe space to discover your thoughts about God, faith, and everything in between. These are big topics that everyone thinks about throughout their lives. But too often, people don’t get the chance to truly explore them because they feel like they must attend a religious service—where they may feel judged—to learn about them. Or, they may feel pressured into adopting the beliefs of a so-called evangelist or preacher.

Wouldn’t it be great if you could find out what the Bible says for yourself? And instead of doing it in a church, you could do it in the comfort of your own home. What if instead of learning from a preacher you could learn at your own pace from your friends and family, who are on the same journey as you? That is what the Discovery Bible Study method promises.

What does a Discovery Bible Study look like?

The great thing about Discovery Bible Studies is that they are so simple yet they can look many different ways. They don’t require a certain kind of space, so they often take place wherever is most convenient for the people participating in the meeting. They can happen on a park bench, at a coffee shop, in a spare room at a church or school, or even just in your living room. They can happen over a leisurely dinner spanning an entire evening, or they can fit into a 30-minute time block during someone’s lunch break at work. They might include certain practices or rituals that are important to the culture of the people meeting, or they might be much more plain.

Enter his gates with thanksgiving, and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. Psalm 100:4

Discovery Bible Studies typically begin like any other meeting, with everyone catching up on how they are doing, including how things went with what everyone decided to do from the previous meeting. Then, someone might ask the group to think of things they are thankful for. This helps us prepare to discover God in the meeting that will unfold.  The beginning of a Discovery Bible Study might also include time spent discussing any needs the group sees in its community and how they might help meet those needs.

Finally, the group will read a short passage of scripture and discuss it. No one will give a sermon or a teaching. Instead, they answer simple questions like, “What do you think this passage teaches us about God?” or, “What can we learn about people, including ourselves, from this story?” The group will also try to think of ways they can apply what they are learning to their lives in a practical way over the coming week. Does this sound easy? It is! That’s why many groups usually discuss who they can share with so others can start a Discovery Bible Study with their friends as well.

Who should be a part of a Discovery Bible Study?

Unlike a lecture or a large religious service, Discovery Bible Study doesn’t require an expert to explain the meaning of any particular passage. They tend to work even better without any experts since the goal is for the group to discover what they think for themselves. So, the best people to participate in a Discovery Bible Study are the people you know best. It could be your friends and family, your co-workers, or people who attend a church or club with you. Just think about who you already enjoy spending time with, and that’s probably a great candidate for a Discovery Bible Study.

How to pick what to read.

You can read almost anything you want for a Discovery Bible Study. But, generally, it’s a good idea to begin with an overview of the first half of the Bible, from the beginning to the birth of Jesus Christ. It might include the story of how God created the world (Gen 1:1-25), how humans fell into a state of disobedience to God (Gen 3:1-24), the beginnings of God’s plan to restore all people from one faithful man’s family (Gen 22:1-19), how God rescued his people from slavery (Ex 2:23-3:14 and 7:1-5), and some of the promises about Jesus coming (Is 52:13-53:12). After these stories, you might want to slow down and read about the life and message of Jesus, story by story.

But to make it even easier for you, we’ve created the Waha app. Waha is designed to make facilitating a Discovery Bible Study so easy that anyone can do it. It includes a big play button that will read the Bible to you and ask the discussion questions when you press it. That includes deciding what to read. The Foundational topics within Waha are designed to help people discover the complete story of the Bible and reflect what most people read when participating in Discovery Bible Studies all over the world. There is even a list of topical items in case your group is interested in learning about something specific, like marriage, the workplace, parenting, or even financial advice.

Conclusion

Whether you are a churchgoer or a church avoider, Discovery Bible Study is a great way to get in touch with your spirituality through the world’s most-read book. Getting started is easy. Simply download the Waha app for free, gather a small group of friends or family, and enjoy your first meeting!

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