Free Bible Studies for your Small Group

Why We Get Together

Opener question:
Describe some of your experiences meeting together with other Christian believers either
hanging out with Christian friends or meeting in a small group.

Read Hebrews 10:24-25

What are the instructions in this passage?

Why did the writer of Hebrews give these instructions about meeting together? In other
words, what were the writer's concerns, do you think? (Why is meeting together a priority to
God?)

Who in your life has been an encouragement or support to you? What did they do or say
that gave you strength or courage? (Leader can go first - bring out aspects of listening,
keeping confidences, pointing out needed changes, …)

As we meet together, what can we do as a group to become a safe and encouraging place
for each other?

Let's pray for each other in specific areas of personal need. Prayer releases God to
encourage and strengthen each other.

Pray aloud for each person.

Five Flavors in the Small Group Cookie

Bring each of the following in individual bags: chocolate chips, M & M's, coconut, nuts, and
raisins. Mark each ingredient with one of these labels: prayer, relationships, worship, Bible
study, and outreach/service.

If you decide to make cookies afterwards, bring the rest of the ingredients (flour, sugar,
etc.).

Opener: Five flavors made up the gatherings of Christians in the early church: prayer, solid
relationships, worship, Bible study, and outreach/service.

The flour, sugar, and butter that held the cookie together were simply showing up - getting
together. If we commit to be together regularly, God will mix us up and bake us together
through sharing each other's journey with Christ.

Read Acts 2:42-3:1.

Put each of the bags of ingredients on its own sheet of paper and write the words from Acts
2:42-3:1 that indicate each one. For example:
Bible study - devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching
Relationships - broke bread in their homes, all the believers were together, etc.

One small group time together can be a monster cookie with all 5 ingredients where we
pray, build our relationships, worship, study the Bible, and do some kind of outreach (pray
for friends who don't yet know Jesus). Or our meeting could be coconut chocolate chip
flavor where we pray and serve someone the whole time together - just two flavors. The
goal throughout the semester is to be sure all five flavors are in our group time somehow.

Make and eat cookies.

Learning to Love
(John 13:34-35, 1 John 4:7-8, and 1 Corinthians 13:4-6)

Read John 13:34-35 and 1 John 4:7,8. In the two passages, what does choosing to love
reveal about you?
Read 1 Corinthians 13:4-6. As a group, list what the passage says love looks like. One
person write them down so everyone can see them.
Name one or two people you believe have loved you in any of the ways listed and tell an
experience about it. (Someone who is not rude, or has not kept a record of your wrongs
against him, or….)
Which of the qualities we listed from 1 Corinthians 13 do you want to work on in some of
your relationships now? Describe a situation coming up soon that probably will challenge
you to practice this quality. Or describe a situation that challenged you in one of the traits of
love.
Pair up and pray for each other about the situations each mentioned. If some of the
members are uncomfortable praying aloud, pair up and write down each other’s challenging
situation and pray during the week. Report back next week.

Pursuing God
(Luke 19:1-10)

Describe Zaccheus’ pursuit of Jesus.

Tell how and why you initially sought out Jesus. If you are finding out more about Jesus,
tell how and why you’ve come to this place in your journey.

Servanthood
(Philippians 2:5-11; Matthew 18:1-5; Mark 10:35-45; Luke 9:46-49; John 13:12-17)

If you were to make a list of people you know who serve selflessly, who would be on that
list?
From the Scriptures above, as a group, build a list of servanthood or “greatest in the
kingdom” traits. Write them down. In which of these do you feel you are strongest and
weakest?
For each of the other members of the group, state which of these traits you think is their
strength.
If you were to “wash someone’s feet” or serve them in some way, you would go to whom
and do what?

The Bible
(2 Timothy 3:16)

Have you ever considered the Bible as God-breathed? How would the knowledge that the
Bible is God-breathed affect your response to what it says?
What ways does the passage list that the Bible is useful to you? Choose one of them and
describe how you’ve been helped that way either through someone’s influence or through
something in the Bible.
Would you be willing to read the Bible (particularly the New Testament or Proverbs) this
week until you discover something that teaches you, rebukes you, corrects you, or trains
you in right living? Look for one of these four. Please bring it to the group next week.

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