Starter Discovery Bible Study Series

THE FIRST 8 MEETINGS

This starter discovery bible study series is laid out to help new gatherings of believers practice 3/3 meeting pattern and focus on key principles for fruitfulness. These 8 meetings are appropriate for people who are already Christians but have not been in this type of group before. The practice portion is guided and generic for these 8 sessions. Individualized applications and practice is begun in subsequent meetings.

For help on how to facilitate these meetings see the Zúme Training on the 3/3 Group Meeting pattern. For more info on Discovery Bible Groups, see the comprehensive guide.

Also consider:
Discovery Bible Study for Seekers

1. TELL YOUR STORY

LOOK UP: Mark 5:1-20. Pay particular attention to verses 18-20.

PRACTICE: Practice telling your story – You will need to prepare your story and be prepared to share it with people when you tell them about Jesus. Here is how you can tell your story:

Talk about your life before following Jesus – Describe your feelings (pain, loneliness), questions (what happens after death?), or struggles you had before following Jesus.

Talk about how you became a follower of Jesus – Tell them about Jesus! The essential story of Jesus is: We have all offended God with our sins. We will die because of our sins. But we are saved from death when we put our faith in Jesus, who died for our sins, was buried, and raised from the dead.

Talk about your life after following Jesus – Tell them about how Jesus changed your life. Tell of the joy, peace, and forgiveness Jesus gave.

Invite a response – Your story should ask for a response. End with a question that will help you discover the person’s level of spiritual interest. Ask something like: “Would you like to know how you can be forgiven?” or “Would you like God to change your life?”

Keep it Brief (3 minutes or less) – Your story should be short and interesting. Do not be boring and do not talk so long that the listener loses interest.

Practice telling your story with someone in your group.

Choose 5 people to tell. Pray. Ask God to show you which 5 people you know to whom He wants you to tell your story to this week.

2. TELL JESUS’ STORY

LOOK UP: 1 Corinthians 15:1-8, Romans 3:23, Romans 6:23

PRACTICE: Have everyone in your group practice telling Jesus’ story using using the Creation to Judgment format or use another simple method.

Tell your story and Jesus’ story to 5 people this week. Do this every week.

3. FOLLOW & FISH

LOOK UP: Mark 1:16-20

PRACTICE: Make a List – Get a blank piece of paper and write the names of 100 people that you know (family, friends, neighbors, co-workers or school mates) who need to hear about Jesus.

Tell your story and Jesus’ story to 5 people this week. Do this every week.

4. BAPTISM

LOOK UP: Romans 6:3-4; Acts 8:26-40

PRACTICE: Find nearby water (bathtub, pool, river, lake) and baptize all new believers. Continue to immediately baptize people as they become believers. To learn more about baptism, see Acts 2:37-41, 8:5-13, 8:36-38, 9:10-19, 10:47-48, 16:13-15, 16:27-34, Acts 18:5-9 and 1 Corinthians 1:10-17, Acts 19:1-5, Acts 22:14-17.

Tell your story and Jesus’ story to 5 people this week. Do this every week.

5. THE BIBLE

LOOK UP: 2 Timothy 3:14-16

PRACTICE: Memorize and recite the 7 Bible study questions (questions 1-7 in the 3/3 Groups).

Tell your story and Jesus’ story to 5 people this week. Do this every week.

6. TALK WITH GOD

LOOK UP: Matthew 6:9-13

PRACTICE: Use your hand to learn how to talk with God. As a group pray through Jesus’ prayer  in Matthew 6:9-13 using your hand as a guide.

  1. Palm = Relationship. As the palm is the foundation for our fingers and thumb, time alone with God is the foundation for our personal relationship with Him. “Our Father in heaven…” (Matthew 6:9)
  1. Thumb = Worship. Our thumb reminds us that we must worship God before we ask for anything. “…may your name be holy.” (Matthew 6:9)
  1. First Finger = Surrender. Next we surrender our lives, plans, family, finances, work, future, everything. “May your kingdom come, your will be done…” (Matthew 6:10)
  1. Middle Finger = Ask. Then we ask God to meet our needs. “Give us this day our daily bread.” (Matthew 6:11)
  1. Fourth Finger = Forgive. Now we ask God to forgive our sins, and we must forgive others. “Forgive us as we forgive others.” (Matthew 6:12)
  1. Little Finger= Protect. Then we ask for protection. “Let us not yield to temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.” (Matthew 6:13)
  1. Thumb (Again) = Worship. And we end just as we began – we worship Almighty God – “Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.” (Matthew 6:13).

Tell your story and Jesus’ story to 5 people this week. Do this every week.

7. HARD TIMES

LOOK UP: Acts 5:17-42; Matthew 5:43-44

PRACTICE: Share with the group about a difficulty you have faced because of your new faith; consider difficulties you may face; role play how you will respond – with boldness and love – as Jesus teaches. Pray as needs come up. Pray for each person after they share.

Tell your story and Jesus’ story to 5 people this week. Do this every week.

8. BECOME A CHURCH

LOOK UP: Acts 2:42-47, 1 Corinthians 11:23-34

PRACTICE: Discuss what your group needs to do to become like the church described in the passages. As a group, on a blank paper, draw a dotted line circle representing your own group. Above it, list 3 numbers: the number regularly attending (stick figure), the number believing in Jesus (cross) and the number baptized after believing (water).

If your group has committed to be a church, make the dotted line circle solid. If you regularly practice each of the following elements then draw a picture of the elements inside your circle. If you do not do the element or you wait for an outsider to come do it, then draw the element outside the circle.

  1. Commitment to be a church: solid line instead of dotted line.
  2. Baptism – water
  3. Bible – book
  4. Commemorate Jesus with bread and water – cup
  5. Fellowship – heart
  6. Giving and ministry – money sign
  7. Prayer – praying hands
  8. Praise – raised hands
  9. Telling people about Jesus – friend holding hands with a friend he led to faith
  10. Leaders – two smiling faces

What is your group missing that would help make it a healthy church?

Tell your story and Jesus’ story to 5 people this week. Do this every week.

WHERE NEXT? Go through the Discover Series or Strengthen Series or select a book of the Bible like John or Mark (choose only one story per meeting).

This series can be found in the appendix of the Zúme Training Guidebook.