The title of this devotional will be “Lessons for Leaders.” If you must “name” your study (e.g., to print a program), why not wait until you walk the steps of preparation. In the way of your testimonies, I delight I am not knocking that! Any pathway to the goldmine of Scripture is a good one, as long as it leads you to the treasure! Now, there is nothing wrong with beginning with an issue and finding text that relates. Such an approach requires asking questions of the text and allowing God’s Word to direct the reader’s thoughts rather than bringing a topic to the text. I recommend beginning your study with Scripture rather than topics. ![]() There is usually an Old Testament text, a Psalm, Epistle, and a Gospel reading. In this way, I deal with the text that is before me. I advocate the consultation of a daily lectionary (a book that provides a schedule of readings from the Bible). However, I want to challenge you to move beyond that approach. These are useful sites for their purpose. Many websites provide Scriptures arranged by topic: “What the Bible Says about Grief,” and so forth. Unless you were assigned a text, you would need to find a text from which we speak. These steps guide you to the explanation of the text and the exposition of the text. There are several steps in preparing a small group Bible study or devotional for your gathering, which includes: the selection of a text, and questioning the text. Our lesson uses the following devotion and Scripture: “Listen, Learn, Love: 3 Lessons on Leadership, God’s Way, from Psalm 119:1-24." ![]() So, I will try to demonstrate how to prepare a devotional by crafting an example devotional. So, whether a minister seeking to equip others for small group Bible studies or a member of the church wants to prepare a devotional for a club or small group, I believe there is a need for the following thoughts on how to lead a Bible study. I have worked with staff ministers to help create meaningful small group studies for groups within the churches I’ve served. I have often been asked to help laypeople in our churches prepare devotional messages for civic clubs, work, home, or Sunday school classes.
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