Chapter 4
Use Guiding Questions
One of your challenges as a leader is keeping the discussion moving. Without
good guiding techniques, a leader finds the small group situation much like an
amateur soccer game. Time after time, the ball is put into play with a good
launching question, participants begin to get involved, and then someone kicks
the ball out-of-bounds and the game grinds to a halt.
There's a real skill in developing guiding questions and techniques that will keep your group's discussion in-bounds and stimulating.
Once discussion is under way, you must guide your members to the correct objective. Guiding takes some preparation, but much of it is spontaneous in response to the needs of the group.
Your most important preparation for guiding the discussion is knowing the general direction you want the discussion to take. Some ways to guide the discussion toward the goals you want to accomplish are to emphasize, relate, define, correlate, summarize, and assure application.
Emphasize
Help people see the significance of some of the observations they've shared in response to the launching question. You can do this by simply asking, "What's the significance of what we've been discussing?"
Sometimes that will get a good response; often, it won't. Usually, you'll have to address the subject more directly (but always without domineering the group).
Imagine, for instance, that you're discussing Creation. One way of guiding the discussion toward personal application might be, "We have seen that God created us. What does that imply about His prerogative to handle us any way He chooses?"
As people in the group answer, continue to bounce one answer off another person by asking, "How do you respond to that answer?"
Relate
Relate the discussion from the launching question to other verses in the Bible. You may ask, "Can you think of any other teachings in the Bible that apply to this?" Or, you may choose to supply a verse or two and ask the group, "How do you feel this Scripture relates to the subject?"
Another way to help tie your study together is to ask, "How does this apply to what we studied a few weeks ago about _________?"
You may also relate the discussion to a situation that people in the group are aware of. If you were studying the Creation, you may ask how the latest developments in modern science support the scriptural account of Creation.
Define
Guide the discussion through proper definitions. Many times people are confused because they don't know what certain words mean. You may ask the group, "How do you suppose we should define the word _________?"
If you have a dictionary with you at your small group meetings, you can use it to clarify group members' thinking on the definition of certain terms.
Another way of determining meaning is to use various Bible translations. Often, it helps to have a critical passage read in as many translations as possible.
Correlate
Guide the discussion by discovering the context of the scriptural passage (if the discussion is centered on a passage). Ask the members what they think the context is and how it should be applied. For example, you maybe discussing a question related to Philippians 4:4, "Rejoice in the Lord always . . . ." The preceding verses show that this rejoicing should take place even during conflict. Euodia and Syntyche were fighting with each other. Paul and Timothy tell the church and these women to "Rejoice."
Seeing the context is essential to properly understanding God's Word. By doing this in the group, you will help the members develop the habit of evaluating the context in all of their Bible study.
Summarize
Guide the discussion by summarizing and asking more questions based on the summarization. For example, after discussing the answer to, "What are responsibilities of a shepherd?" you might summarize like this: "We have been talking basically about the shepherd's responsibilities in three broad areas—his care, his provision, and his protection." After this summary, you could continue with a further question: "Since we know that Jesus is our Shepherd, what should be our response to His care, provision, and protection?"
The methods listed above should help you get started in effectively guiding the discussion. As you go along, you undoubtedly will develop a style of your own.
Remember—as you're guiding the discussion, you're not jamming, cramming, or forcing; and sometimes the discussion will not go exactly as you had planned. When this happens, evaluate your leading techniques. You maybe be guiding poorly or, on the other hand, it may be the Holy Spirit leading the group into an important subject.
Assure Application
You can't be sure whether people are applying God's Word to their lives. But, as the leader, you should do all you can to stimulate your group to do so. One of the basic goals of small group discipleship is progressive life-change through the Word of God.
When you formulate application questions, keep in mind the difference between general and specific questions. A general application question asks how a teaching from Scripture can be applied in a broad sense. A specific application question asks what is to be done in particular. For example:
- General—"What can we do that glorifies God?"
- Specific—"What do you plan to do to glorify God?"
At times, each type of question is appropriate. Most of the time, however, the broad question is best suited. If you want to be more direct, you can address the specific question to the entire group, giving volunteers a chance to answer. Take care to be sensitive to the needs of people and not to embarrass someone by asking a specific question at the wrong time or on the wrong subject.
Try it for yourself. For each of the following subjects, write out one application question.
- Jesus Is God.
- God Loves You.
- You Are a Member of God's Family
Compare your answers with these—
- Jesus is God.
What does Jesus' life on earth demonstrate about God's character?
Why is it important to you that Jesus is God? - God Loves You.
How can we show love back to God?
How can you follow God's example of love in your relationship to others? - You Are a Member of God's Family.
How does the example of God's family apply to families today?
How should the fact that God is Your Father affect your life?
Summary
Always keep the objective in mind. Guide the discussion toward the objective.
- Emphasize
"Why are we studying this?" - Relate
"How does this apply to ________?" - Correlate
"What is the context of this passage? - Summarize "We've decided that __________ . Does this mean that __________?"
Guide the discussion toward application of the Bible teaching through general
and specific application questions. Usually, begin with general
application questions.
How to Squash Enthusiasm in Your Group
Never attempt to involve the quieter members of the group. Once they get started, you may not be able to stop them.
Always guide discussion to topics that you know well. Don't let the group suspect that you're not an expert on everything.
Call on individual members to answer specific application questions. Don't be afraid to embarrass them. They'll get over it.
Things to do in a leaders' meeting
- Spend 15–20 minutes discussing a portion of your Bible study. Afterward, evaluate how you used launching and guiding questions.
- Discuss the question, "When is it appropriate to ask specific application questions?"
- Share and discuss the general application questions you prepared during your study of this chapter.