Teach truth: Ultimately every Bible study should have the goal of teaching truth to all those who are in attendance. Any deliberate teaching that leads to falsehood with the purpose of leading others astray is a wicked act that is deserving of God’s wrath (2 Peter 2:1-3). If teaching the truth is a prime objective of Bible study, it makes sense for a subgoal to be efficient teaching of the truth. Teaching should take place so that it is done to maximize the benefit. Much of the Bible study environment has become ineffective because of the format and the application of practical study methods. These elements need to be examined and adjusted to create an effective learning experience.

Ability to study: A goal that is not often present in Bible studies is teaching how to study the Bible. A typical study sees a group get together, talk about the Bible, maybe answers questions, but then those same people could not study a foreign passage without any guidance, questions, or outline. Preparing each student for effective self-study should be one of our goals. Teachers need to understand that unless the students can look into the Word, with prayer and help from the Spirit, to discover truth for themselves, they will not mature. They will stay spiritually childish, only able to consume the milk, and will therefore be unable to discern (Heb 5:12-14).

Eagerness to study: Finally, Bible study needs to create a sense of eagerness in the student. This is not a chore but something that is encouraging, pleasurable, and interesting. If the students do not develop a enjoyable attitude in the Bible study, then something is not taking place that should be happening. However, this does not mean that you need to “fluff” the material or tread in shallow water. Even the deepest study ought to be enjoyable. This is the exploration of the Word of God! The story of God’s great redemption plan and of His dear Son! We need to love God with our whole mind and apply ourselves vigorously, but such application should lead to joy and appreciation.

These goals are at the core of this format of Bible study. If you do not want your students to follow these three goals, stop reading. These are the premise of the entire study method and these will take place if the principles are properly applied. For those wanting to lead your study group further into these goals, I hope and pray that you find these next several posts helpful.