Summary notes designed to help people starting their own Discovery Bible Study.

1. DISCLAIMER: THIS MATERIAL HAS
BEEN PUT TOGETHER FROM A
NUMBER OF PERSONAL SOURCES AS
WELL AS INTERNET SITES

2. 4. EXAMPLES
OF STUDY
PLANS FOR DBS

3. This is one of the best sites I looked at, this video comes from it: http://dbsguide.org/

4. This is one of the best sites I looked at, this video comes from it: http://dbsguide.org/

5. •DBS is a very common
approach to disciple
making in many places
where powerful
movements are taking
place.

6. •DBS follows a
flexible format, but
a full meeting
usually uses most /
all of what is shown
and described
below.

7. •DBS follows a
flexible format, but
a full meeting
usually uses most /
all of what is shown
and described
below.

8. •The Discovery Bible
Study has been
shown to be a good
method for leading
people to become
obedient followers
of Christ.

9. EIGHT SIMPLE
QUESTIONS

10. •DBS uses simple
questions which
designed to bind
people together as they
explore the Word of
God in a non-
threatening place.

11. •At the start of each
meeting, everyone
shares what they are
thankful for and
challenges they are
facing.

12. •People then speak of
their efforts to do what
was discovered the
previous gathering.

13. •Inductive Bible study
takes place where
people learn what the
scripture reveals about
God and about people.

14. •Obedience to the
passage is important as
they discuss what they
will do (and did last
week) to obey the
passage.

15. •Each week, each person
is asked to share either
the lesson or the method
with others.

16. •Everyone then shares
what they did with the
group.
•Rapid practice and
sharing is the key to
reproduction

17. •Pace is important—
responses are brief.
Say this at the start of
the group.

18. •Purity-The passage
speaks not any person.
•Only use the passage of
scripture the group is
studying – no referring
to other passages,
sources, experiences, and
opinions!

19. •No person may impose
his or her thoughts on
others – Look at the
plain and simple
meaning.

20. •Anyone can challenge a
person for referring to
other passages—they use
one simple question,
“Where does it say that
in this passage of
scripture?”

21. •You can speak of a
passage the group
looked at in a previous
study.

22. •It’s important that every
person in the group
obeys the rules and the
way the study works.

23. •DBS is not the solution
to Christian education,
biblical illiteracy,
spiritual formation,
evangelism, missions,
etc.

24. GROUP
GUIDELINES

25. Read the guidelines with the
group as you begin the first few
sessions.
1. Speak in sentences, not
paragraphs.
2. Look at what this passage is
saying, not on other passages.

26. 3. Focus only on what this
group is seeing.
4.Give people time to speak.
Silence is OK.
5. The leaders helps discussion,
they don’t teach.

27. GUIDELINES
FOR THE
LEADER

28. GUIDELINES
FOR THE
LEADER
A PERSON THAT MAKES AN
ACTION OR PROCESS EASY
OR EASIER

29. 1.Keep the study time
moving and complete
all sections—you don’t
have to do all questions.

30. 2. Prepare before —
study the passage, look
for the main idea, think
of examples, stories or
application from your
own life.

31. 3. If there are questions
ask the group, “What in
the passage helps us
answer that question?”
4. For misleading
comments ask,“Where is
that found in this
passage?”

32. 5. With “strange” answers
ask, “Help us understand
what you are thinking.”

33. 1. OPENING
QUESTIONS

34. •What are you thankful for?
What good things have
happened to you since we last
met?

35. •This disciples people for
thanksgiving and praise.

36. •What challenges are you
facing? Assign someone to
pray for each.

37. •This disciples people for
intercession.

38. •After the first week: how
did you do with your “I
will” statements?
•Did you do them, how
did it go?

39. •This disciples people
for accountability.

40. •Pray together. Assign
people for each prayer
point.
•Include thanksgiving as
well as intercession.

41. 2. DISCOVERY
BIBLE STUDY
[DBS]

42. •Read the passage.
•You can do this a variety
of ways:

43. For example you might…
•Have each person read a verse
•Have one person read the whole passage
•Read it in every available translation; etc.

44. •Rewrite the passage in
your own words. Don’t
take this too literally: the
point is to talk through the
meaning of the text in any
way that works.

45. You might…
•Write down the most important point
•Summarise the passage
•Rewrite the whole in your own words
(sentence by sentence)
•Whatever you do make sure you
understand what the passage says!

46. Read & Retell
One person reads the new Bible passage out
loud, and the rest follow along.
Someone else retells the story and others fill
in what is missing.

47. Read & Look
Read the passage again.
Discuss what this
passage says about God,
Jesus, Holy Spirit or his
plan on Earth.

48. •This doesn’t have to
be something new—
it can be a reminder
of what we already
know.

49. •This disciples people
to read the Bible to
understand God.

50. Read & Look Again
Read the passage once
more.
Discuss what this
passage says about
mankind.

51. •Again, this doesn’t have to
be something new.

52. •This disciples people for
self-examination.

53. •What did you think God
might be saying to you
personally about the
passage?

54. •This disciples people to
listen to the Holy Spirit.

55. •What should we pray
about in light of the
passage?
•What should we pray for?
•What should we pray
against?

56. • Assign someone to pray
for to each of the prayer
points.

57. •What will you do because
of this passage?
•Put this in “I will”
statements.

58. •What will you do because
of this passage?
•Put this in “I will”
statements.
•This disciples people for
obedience to the Word of
God.
•To start, use SPECK:

59. •This disciples people for
obedience to the Word of
God.
•To start, use SPECK:

60. •S: Is there a Sin to avoid?
•P: Is there a Promise to claim or a
Prayer or Praise to offer?
•E: Is there an Example to follow?
•C: Is there a Command to obey?
•K: Is there Knowledge to learn?

61. •Who are you going to
share what you read
with? Be specific.

62. •This disciples people to
disciple making.

64. 3. RESPONDING
TO EACH
OTHER

65. •Is there a challenge from
what people said that we
can help solve?
•If so, how and when will
we do that?

66. •This disciples people to
ministry.

67. •Pray together about
the things learned and
about the
commitments that
were made.

68. 4. EXAMPLES
OF STUDY
PLANS FOR DBS

71. God Creates – Genesis 1:1-25
God Creates Man and Woman – Genesis
2:4-24
Man and Woman Eat the Fruit – Genesis
3:1-13
God’s Curses – Genesis 3:14-24
God Regrets His Creation – Genesis 6:5-8
God Saves Noah and His Family – Genesis
6:9 – 8:14

72. God’s Covenant with Noah – Genesis 8:15 -9:17
God’s Covenant with Abram – Genesis 12:1-8,
15:1-6, 17:1-7
Abraham Gives His Son as an Offering –
Genesis 22:1-19
God Spares His People – Exodus 12:1-28
The Commands of God – Exodus 20:1-21
The Sin Offering – Leviticus4:1-35
God’s Righteous Servant – Isaiah 53

73. Jesus is Born – Luke 1:26-38, 2:1-20
Jesus is Baptized – Matthew 3; John 1:29-34
Jesus is Tested – Matthew 4:1-11
Jesus and the Religious Leader – John 3:1-21
Jesus and the Samaritan Woman – John
4:1-26, 39-42
Jesus and the Paralyzed Man – Luke 5:17-26
Jesus Calms the Storm – Mark 4:35-41

74. Jesus and the Man with Evil Spirits – Mark 5:1-20
Jesus Raises a Man from the Dead – John 11:1-44
Jesus Talks about His Betrayal and the Covenant
– Matthew 26:17-30
Jesus is Betrayed and Faces Trial – John 18:1-19:16
Jesus is Crucified – Luke 23:32-56
Jesus is Resurrected – Luke 24:1-35
Jesus Appears to the Disciples and Ascends to
Heaven – Luke 24:36-53
Enter into the Kingdom God – John 3:1-21

75. •http://dbsguide.org/
•https://intent.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/DBS.pdf
•https://ism.intervarsity.org/dbs
•https://www.cru.org/us/en/train-and-grow/bible-
studies/how-to-reach-the-world-with-a-new-style-of-bible-
study.html
•https://static1.squarespace.com/static/
584ff761ff7c50e22e9d0062/t/
5b76e86a898583021b1b1e08/1534519403615/
Discovery+Bible+Study.pdf
•https://missionalchallenge.com/discovery-bible-study/