Video Transcript: How to Lead a Topic Bible Study

So we're back. Today we're talking about how to lead to our face specifically in  topic. So what, for example, we'll try this as an example. What does the Bible  say about and we're going to look at parenting, but you could put marriage, you  could put family, you could put business, you could put money, you could put  miracles, you could put angels, you're good, but anything like we are, our mini  courses are like, the author, theology topics. They're really actually. Theology.  One and two is really a Bible study about the topic of doctrine. And doctrine are  really just the really, really big important topics that the Bible talks about, you  know, where did the world come from? Where is it going? What is this salvation  thing? Do we call it soteriology? Topic? Salvation. So, some topics are grand  and comprehensive, and other topics are small, but what relevant topics do you  have with your group? What's going on in the lives of the people? And then you  could pick something relevant? Okay. So let's say you do this, you don't have an off the shelf? thing. We'll talk about how you can do this with books and authors. But But how would you do it with a topic that you're interested in? So for  example, parenting, so the first thing you would do is search, parenting or parent in the Bible, right? So you can go to like Bible gateway, for free site, Bible,  gateway.org, or com I forget, right? And, and you can just in the search button,  you can put any word you want. And then you will get a list of all the verses in  the Bible that use that word, right. And you may have to use words like father,  mother, because parenting may not be the main thing, but that's where you start, you start with the word that you're trying to, and then you can use some of the  derivatives. So I did this, I searched. And right away, these two were the first two were others, but these two came up. Proverbs 22:6, Train up a child in the way  he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it. Right? Then  Ephesians 6:4, fathers do not provoke your children to anger, but bringing them  up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord. So you have now you might  come up with 10 different verses, right? So then what do you do with these  verses? Well you apply the techniques that we learned in session two and three  in your write your own Bible study, remember those techniques? So what what  gets your attention as you read these verses? So you go around the room?  What will you see the verse Train up a child and the way he should go when  he's older will not turn to depart from it? What in there gets your attention? And  fathers do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline  instruction, Lord, okay, so what would what? So someone might say in the first  one, well, a lot of people will choose, you will not depart from it because they  have a child that has departed. So they pick that and very, your See how it's  very personal. They take that because they have a child or a grandchild, they  walked away from the Lord, and they think that that got their attention. That's  what they're concerned about. And then when you go around the room and talk  about it, guess what they're gonna share? They're going to share their heart,  about how their grandchild has walked away from the faith, and they prayed, 

and they've talked and they're on their knees and nothing is changing. Is God  listening? Does God care? And all of a sudden, you're into some pretty deep  waters, right? Because you let them figure out what part of the verse Now  another one might be trained, you know, a young family. Okay, what does it  mean to train up a child? What exactly would you do? Right? So then they  gravitate towards that part of the verse. So all the things that we've talked about  in session two, and three. Now, I noticed that sometimes, some preachers will  have a topic, but then they really come into it through a Bible passage that, let's  say, train up a child, but then they'll include all kinds of other Bible passages  about that. But they're kind of like, entry into a water was one Bible verse, right?  Right, that Bible verse was the gateway to all kinds of other Bible verses related  to that thing, right? Sometimes they talked about, you know, like even  preaching, exegetical preaching, but really, it's a topical preaching, but it really  comes in by one verse, right? And the reason why topical is so important, some  people have an allergic reaction. For example, not maybe not with the Bible  study, but certainly with pre preaching at times, they think, following verse by  verse is the only way and they're afraid of topical, but we need people to think  topically because, for example, I have a problem in my life, you know, do I move to another state to take this job or not? I have to be able to ask does the Bible  have anything to say about this subject that I am right now facing? Or your  mother is, you know, in the hospital and you're praying, you don't know what to  pray? Does the Bible have anything helpful on this subject of grief and letting go  and all these things? So we live our lives, we have all these problems, and why  not have the ability to take from the problem? And then find something? I mean,  in a way Jesus did this. He saw a problem. You know, life is like, it's like a, like a  sower. The kingdom was like a sower. He probably saw a sower. So he reacted  to it, where the Pharisees said one thing so he tells a story in a reaction to the  question, so he was always responding to the top level. How do you treat your  neighbor? And then he goes through the story of the Samaritan? Yes, there was  a scenario. Yes, there was a man on road, right? Because who was the  neighbor. Right? So people know what that is? The priest or the Samaritan?  Right? Answer the Samaritan. So how about off the shelf? Topical Bible studies? So we have some of them. We have the CLI books here a bunch of a few of  them here some. Here's a couple of, Dr. Feddes has written some, or, , what is  Christianity? Well, you know, it's nice about Christianity book, it's in the Christian Basics class. This was the topics of doctrine, the key doctrine. And what's great  about this one is it actually have the Bible study that pick a topic from the topics. So you might have a, let's say you are a serious group of people who want to  really go deep, didn't get this what is Christianity. And then you can say, well,  we'll meet and we'll do the Bible study and on one of the topics of the topic, but  oh, yeah, they're all here. They're in our bookstore, but they're in book Christian  bookstores, all over. So a lot of books like this will have questions already in 

them at the end of every chapter and that becomes a bible study. Some of them  won't. But then you can apply those other techniques we learned, well, what got  your attention in this chapter? Why did they get your attention? What might God  be saying to you? So you can sort of write your own questions if there aren't,  

you know, I remember a technique they taught seminary was sort of what we're  doing with you because it to think, theologically now, what they really meant was any topic, you have to somehow think, what does the Bible have to say about it? 

What is settled doctrine? That is a really a type of the doctrine of the Trinity is  really a doctrine. Topic. Yes, it's about who God was. And then you look at the  Bible, and the Bible has a lot of different places that it talks about, really come  together and see, what is the Holy Spirit actually, Trinity in the Trinity, why and  

how you took centuries to figure all this out clearly, in a what? Okay, so So now  you're resting on a theological topic. But now there's the biblical instances. And  they're all factored in there. But yet to think theologically, like you're doing the  ministry training, is that you'll start like, getting a feel for what is topical, what is  an instance of a biblical teaching? What is practical life and how the theology in  the instances of the biblical teaching connect through the power of the Holy  Spirit, and it sounds complicated, but when you're in it, it becomes second  nature. I think like a language, you'll learn the language of English, you can  speak it. I think I think like when I went to seminary and the topic of theology, it  was all sort of, like, other worldly I guess I don't know exactly what it was. Right,  right. But when I finally figured that theology is just a topic, right? It's a topic, a  big topic. And then you go to the Bible to find out what the whole Bible has to  say about that topic. Okay, it's not that scary. It's just like parenting is a bigger  topic, like who is God rather than who is a parent? Yes. Incredible. All right, so  off. Off the shelf topical Bible studies we have books here at CLI the purpose  Driven Life by Rick Warren is really popular. The Heidelberg Catechism. We  grew up with Heidelberg Catechism. This is a reformation document. And there's 52 Questions and Answers and sort of go over the broad topics of the Bible the  big topics like, and what about the denominations have a Presbyterian. But  that's what the Catechism is the topical study. We call it theology because the  topics are big, right? It really, really is one thing to know about that a lot of the  disagreements that come through church in the denominations, why they're  separated, are really the disagreements about topics in a theology of what the  Bible says about, right for instance I'll give an example is some some believers  don't believe that there is a pope today, the head of the church, and the Catholic Church does believe that. So when they come to that, well, they have a history  of this topic discussion. But then there's a passage that they each group  interprets is so different. And that's, that passes on Peter, you are Petra, you are the rock. And on this, Petra, I will build my church here means rock and Peter  and Peter. Right now, but what does Petra refer to does refer to Peter or the  refer to what Peter just said earlier, when Peter said, You are the Christ, the Son

of the living God. So you are Peter, and on this rock, that is the Petra and a  person or testimony that Jesus is Lord, you know, what is? What? What is the  rock? Well, that is a theological difference. And both of them refer to the Bible.  And that's where the Holy Spirit, and in the really, sometimes you won't have all  the answers about everything, and what is the right answer. And that's why  we're very respectful of different traditions that we we, ourselves, you know, that, that the Bible is really, really clear. But there are probably 15% of things that are, you know, like the divides of baptism, you know, the divide of, you know, women in office, you know, even professors here, some people believe, like you and I  believe that women can be ministers. But there are some professors here who  do not believe that there's different passages. And that doesn't mean that one  believes the Bible, and one doesn't believe the Bible. Right? So none of these  are salvation issues no, well, that's a really good point. The Salvation issues are, in agreement, actually, most of Christendom believes Jesus died for our sins. He rose again for our victory over death, he ascended on high. Holy Spirit, really,  the Trinity. I mean, really powerful, creative. Reformed churches, or Protestant  churches say the Apostles Creed. Catholic churches say the Apostles Creed.  Right. Right, exactly. That our heart, as we say, the Bible here to see that we  really agree on most things, and where a lot of the disagreements come and  how history, theology, historical political landscape of Europe, in America, or the  mission field, all of these things. Now, where we would differ is on things like  this. Is the Bible the word of God? Yes. But many places, make an argument  that, you know, the Bible isn't really just made up by men, right? And there's  where the basic doctrines of the church with there's no disagreement. So you  can do this topical way of doing a Bible study with anybody anybody. So any  book that you're interested in, so where do you see the Gospel story in this  book? So you might read The Lord of the Rings? There's that right. Where do  you see the Gospel story in this book? Right? Tolkien was a Christian. So what  out? Where do you see a searching for the truth in this book? So it might be  someone like I read, Marcus Aurelius meditations, and he was a stoic  philosopher. He didn't believe in Christianity, the emperor, but he was like,  searching. I remember as a young college student, I had to do a report on him.  And I read his meditations. And one of the questions I asked the professor, one  of the things that bothered me was here was a guy searching so hard, how  come he didn't find God there? I asked him, but you know that that could lead to  some really good discussion. Where do you see the lies of the devil in this  book? So you can read a book that is so bad, but then okay, fine. This is an  example of what the devil is trying to do, right? And that can be a teaching  experience. How can this book serve as an inspiration or a warning to your life?  So you got any book, or novel, or you're gonna have a group that's reading  novels together, and you can turn it into a Bible study? Wow, really good. Movie  movies. Have you made a Bible study out of movies? What anti Christian 

values? Did you see this movie? I remember one Bible study had with teens.  And that's basically what we did. They had like certain parts of the movies. And  some people came to know the Lord for that study of movies and how. Christ.  Now, is that the movie itself that's saving the kids, no, it's the study of asking the right questions to get to the theological underpinnings, because really, there's  one story. And every movie follows this story. And it's in the Bible. So we can  learn whether there's something good or bad. And at the same time, we're  teaching people how to be discerning when they read a book to discern it  theologically, right and discerning when they made a movie, because that's  what's happening in our culture today, especially with young people, they're on  their phones, or watching videos all the time. But we have a top that perhaps to  be theologically aware of what they're watching. So they're just taking it in like a  sponge, with no questions. Dangerous, what verses relate to your observation.  So you're watching a movie and you have this negative? I think this is not good.  Okay, why why verse in the Bible would make you say such a thing. What  Christian values did you see in this movie? And again, what verses relate to  maybe sometimes, right? A lot of times, even in a bad movie, like you'll want to  be a movie about gangsters, and they're doing horrible things. But within the  code of the gangsters is alum code, right, we support each other, we back one  another up, we went up the church would be a little more like that, right? Yeah.  So often in the middle of something bad. Because you know what, something  bad won't work unless they have some good things. We can point those things  out based upon the biblical world perspective. And the in the bottom line is we're teaching people to be more discerning when they take in what the world has to  offer current events. Okay, so what current event in the world got your attention? Right? Okay. There's all kinds of crazy things happening in our world. And  people are dealing with a lot of times it's, it's so negative, that people are  burdened by it, and to actually have a little study about it. People get it's sort of a cathartic thing. It leads to hope. So why do you think it got your attention? Why  did that pattern these questions? What got your attention? Why does it get your  attention, right? Because there's a reason why this thing is bothering you or got  your attention. And God doesn't waste anything in their life. So God can teach  you through current events. But again, in some ways we're teaching you to, and  you're teaching your group to think theologically about everything. Jesus Christ  was the Lord of every inch of our life, right? What scripture passages come to  mind as a result of these current events that are happening in your thinking?  Right, so now all of a sudden, people are putting passages of the scripture to  everything in their life, right? Songs, secular or religious, so amazing grace, you  could go over each stanza, and talk about how you know what stands out for  you. What does this mean? Why I think, especially in the past, we're like,  theological topics, like, Abide with me fast falls the Eventide is the topic of our  mortality, in faith of certain death and what are you going to do about it? Right? I

mean, at the time, okay, goes through it to the least stanza, before my closing  eyes, you know, shine through the gloom and point me to the sky, heavens,  morning breaks and earth and vain shadows in life. Right, and so abide with me, so some of us that are older and going and see some of these things, shadows,  our ability. A lot of these songs will relate to people's lives and They will. Okay,  how about secular? I got Bohemian Rhapsody and show me your way But show me the ways by sticks and I actually have a lyrics. So this is from Bohemian  Rhapsody queen. Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? How do landslide  escape from reality open your eyes. Look to the skies and see I'm just a poor  boy, I need no sympathy. Because easy come easy go a little high, a little low.  Anyway, the wind blows doesn't really matter to me. You know, there are so  many theological I mean things where you got some Proverbs in there  somewhere, you know, what doesn't really matter? Look up to the skies and  see, but bear in there. I mean, there's, I think it's not only a really popular song,  but I think it's an anthem of many young people, do they that they really they're  really living their lives by the wind, the wind blows, and blows their way? What  difference does it make in the end? Right? So I'm gonna grab what I can right  now. While I have that and let the chips fall where they may a lot of young  people are living quiet lives in despair, the suicide rate has never been higher.  And I think it's this mentality because people are letting go God, but also to in  the first line is the real life or this just fantasy? Those are two philosophy there's  modernism and post modernism, right, in one sentence, it's probably why  everybody identifies the the song, the song that into the zeitgeist, the comment  of how people think. So here's another one. This is by sticks. Show me the way  every night I say a prayer in the hope that there's a heaven.. But every day, I'm  more confused. As the saints turn into sinners. All the heroes and legends I  knew as a child have fallen to idols of clay, and I feel this empty place inside, so  afraid that I've lost my faith. And then it goes, show me the way, take me tonight  to the river and wash my illusions away. Please show me the way. I think that  like that chorus is so powerful, because I think just searching, yeah, that people  are looking. And it could be people in your Bible study that, you know, they're  facing certain things in their family, Lord, show me the way. Or they got some  difficult decisions to make about their futures. And I don't know what to do show  me the way, right. And so the secular songs because these are people, some of  the secular people are still God's people. They're created in His image. And  there's that he placed that sense of eternity in the heart of people, men and  women. So they're going to communicate some of these things. These are  universal thoughts and feelings that people have. So you can have a Bible  study. So what are we trying to show here? We're trying to show that any topic  that comes to you any way whether it's a book, or whether it's television, or  whether it's the news, or whether it's art or whether people went to a play, is like  we need to help people think theologically and biblically, right like there's nothing

that God isn't in, and there's nothing that God isn't interested in your life, and  everything can be turned into a theological battle. All right, so we'll meet again  next time.