Lesson 2 | Teaching With Authority

Even in small groups, it is better to proclaim than postulate.

Better to apply than analyze.

What we learned this lesson

1. To truly teach the Bible, we must apply it to our hearers’ lives, not merely read it.
2. We must teach with authority, as Jesus and the apostles did, and to do so, we must teach God's unadulterated Word, not our own opinions.
3. Leading a small group Bible study
4. Small groups provide an opportunity that does not exist in a sermon or seminar: participation.
5. Because of the danger of a “me-hermeneutic” in teaching small groups (“to me, this verse means...”), make sure to teach faithful, not subjective, interpretations.
6. Questions are still helpful in small group studies, for the following purposes:
7. To capture attention.
8. To prompt thinking as you lead the group to the meaning of the text.
9. To gauge understanding.
10. To allow your hearers to challenge your interpretation (from the Bible).
11. To encourage the discussion of how the text intersects with our lives.