WHY BIBLE STUDY DOESN’T WORK

Dr. Gerry Lewis, Executive Director of Harvest Baptist Association, is unfairly gifted. He is a talented musician and vocalist. He is an excellent preacher and teacher. He is a focused leader. He is an engaging podcaster and blogger. He is also a prolific author.

Dr. Lewis’s latest book is Why “Bible Study” Doesn’t Work: The epic failure of evangelicalism’s favorite discipleship method — and how YOUR CHURCH can do something about it.Gerry loves Bible study every bit as much as all Baptist preachers say they do. (He really does.) What he doesn’t like is people who make Bible study about as fun and attractive as forcing small children to eat their vegetables.

In chapter one, Gerry says that the end goal is not more Bible study and more prayer, but more Christ-life. This term means that our Bible study should make us more like Jesus and less like know-it-all Baptists. That means that we will demonstrate our newly-acquired biblical literacy with Christ-like love.

Chapter two begins with a painful reminder of a traumatic event in Gerry’s life. His office burned to the ground, taking with it precious heirlooms that were irreplaceable. I stood with him in the parking lot in the hot midday sun and surveyed the smoldering ruin. That was a hard day. Rebuilding presented many more hard days.

Gerry uses that experience to teach us about the chief Architect’s plans for his church. He details the three load-bearing walls that hold up the church.

Chapter three explains what Gerry means by Christ-life. It is all about living on mission with intentionality. It means loving who Jesus loves, obeying what he says, influencing the world for him, and demonstrating his character. In fact, it is all of that and more. Gerry writes about the need for accountability and support. We will never become the disciple-making disciples God intends without both accountability and support.

Chapter four hits pretty close to home. It reminds me of a short consultation I had with a young pastor. He wanted to lead his church to replace Sunday School with home-based small groups. Why? Because Sunday School was not effective in making disciples. After several diagnostic questions, I asked who would lead the home-based small groups. (Don’t get ahead of me here.) Most of the leaders would be the same people who were not making disciples in Sunday School.

Gerry writes about transforming Bible study into disciplemaking. He provides 10 Commandments of Powerfully Effective Small Group Bible Study.

Chapter five teaches how to use the S.O.A.P.Y Method of Bible Study. I have used the SOAP method for years. Gerry adds a new wrinkle that I had not considered previously. The “Y” asks a person to not only create an application they could do, but one that he or she will do.

Gerry also provides a 4 Question Method for Processing God’s Word Together. These four questions more deeply embed the truths of God’s Word into the lives of disciples.

The Epilogue reminds us to celebrate base hits. Sometimes we act like only home runs matter. Gerry asks three questions to help us more appropriately measure progress and assess the cumulative effect and forward momentum of small victories.

Dr. Lewis includes two appendices: Powerful Questions and Tips for Getting a Good Night’s Sleep. You need these insights.

Gerry told me today about the next book he is working on. Wouldn’t you know it, it’s the same idea I had. At least I can give thanks for thinking alike and along with our productive friend, Dr. Gerry Lewis.

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Daily D – Matthew 26:69-75

Matthew 26:69-75 Now Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard. A servant girl approached him and said, “You were with Jesus the Galilean too.” But he denied it in front of everyone: “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

When he had gone out to the gateway, another woman saw him and told those who were there, “This man was with Jesus the Nazarene!” And again he denied it with an oath: “I don’t know the man!”

After a little while those standing there approached and said to Peter, “You really are one of them, since even your accent gives you away.” Then he started to curse and to swear with an oath, “I don’t know the man!”

Immediately a rooster crowed, and Peter remembered the words Jesus had spoken, “Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” And he went outside and wept bitterly.

Daily D – Mark 11:20-21

Mark 11:20, 21 Early in the morning, as they were passing by, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots up. Then Peter remembered and said to him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree that you cursed has withered.”

Daily D – Matthew 26:14-16

Matthew 26:14-16 Then one of the Twelve, the man called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What are you willing to give me if I hand him over to you?” So they weighed out thirty pieces of silver for him. And from that time he started looking for a good opportunity to betray him.

Daily D – John 12:12-13

John 12:12, 13 The next day, when the large crowd that had come to the festival heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they took palm branches and went out to meet him. They kept shouting: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord — the King of Israel!”

Daily D – 1 Samuel 16:7

1 Samuel 16:7 But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or his stature because I have rejected him. Humans do not see what the Lord sees, for humans see what is visible, but the Lord sees the heart.”