Bible studies - a simple template

Recently, a colleague and I started a bible study at work. While I’ve been a part of christian small-groups for quite some time, I’ve not been in one that has a focus on bible study, so I was looking for suggestions on how to do it well. I had a friend suggest this pair of questions to ask, after reading a passage of scripture:

  1. What is God saying to you?
  2. What is God saying about himself?

I like the former because it encourages us to apply God’s word to our life (But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves - James 1:22). I like the latter because it’s so easy to focus on ourself and forget that the Bible is here to teach us about God, not just to help us understand ourselves. It’s simple and thought-provoking approach that I thought was worth sharing.