scconline.cc Sunrise Community Church Offices are located at: 8321 Greenback Lane Fair Oaks, CA 95628 Phone: 916.726.4642 Copyright © Sunrise Community Church, California, 2014. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons AttributionNonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States License.
TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ..................... 02
LAUNCH QUESTIONS ................. 06
DIG QUESTIONS .................... 09
ENGAGE QUESTIONS ................. 13
BECOME QUESTIONS ................. 15
DO QUESTIONS ..................... 18
“LI FE CHA NGE HAP PEN S BES T IN CIR CLE S, NOT IN ROW S.” - AND Y STA NLE Y
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very day we all ask questions and engage in conversations with groups of people; however there is a different purpose to the questions and conversations we have in our small groups. In our small groups we get an opportunity to have meaningful dialogue, develop deeper friendships, and share and gain perspective with one another. The most important element of our group time is to help each other to understand God’s Word in order to apply it to our lives. Philippians 4:9 says: “Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” The opportunity to study God’s Word together should move us from learning what a passage means to discovering how we live it out in each of our lives. In How to Lead a Great Small Group Meeting… So People Want to Come Back, Joel Comiskey says: “Every lesson should give people something to feel, to remember, and to do. The goal of the small group is to transform lives, rather than take in knowledge.” (pg. 68) Edgar Dale conducted a study on how we best learn and remember information. The results of his study showed that we remember on average 10% of what we read, 20% of what we hear, 30% of what we see, 50% of what we see and hear, and 70% of what we discuss with others. According to Dale’s “Cone of Learning” study, we retain far more knowledge from a discussion than from merely listening to a sermon for example. That’s why asking great questions is important in our small group discussions. There is the potential of significant life change through our small group conversations. When we examine Jesus’ ministry, He was a master at asking questions. Just in the book of Matthew, Jesus asked over 70 questions of people. A few examples of these questions are: • And why do you worry about clothes? (6:28) • Have you understood all these things? (13:51) • You of little faith, why do you doubt? (14:31) • Who do people say the Son of Man is? Who do you say I am? (16:13) • What do you think, Simon? (17:25) One of the classic Biblical texts of Jesus using questions to challenge people is found in Luke 8. Jesus performed an amazing miracle of feeding the 5,000. The disciples just got back from picking up the twelve baskets full of broken pieces that were left over and Jesus asks them, “Who do the crowds say I am?”
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It is interesting that Jesus chose to ask a question after having just performed this amazing miracle. It would have made more sense for Him to say to His disciples: “I am the Christ, the son of the living God!” It would have been a lot safer that way, rather than giving His disciples an opportunity to share their own thoughts. In this potential life lesson moment Jesus prefers to teach through a discussion rather than making a pointed and bold statement. Why? Jesus understood there is power in letting people process information and then declare it themselves rather than be told the answer. As we read through the Gospel we watch how the disciples wrestle with the questions and teachings of Jesus. Here we are today still gathering together in groups around God’s Word to help each other to understand God’s Word in order to apply it to our lives. Often in our small group times we spend the majority of our time discussing and studying what God’s word says, and we neglect the life application questions that challenge us. It is not ok to only study God’s Word, rather we must challenge each other to go even deeper by living out God’s truth.
WE RE ME MB ER
10% 20%
of what we read of what we hear
30%
of what we see
50%
of what we see and hear
70%
of what we discuss with others
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Alan Danielson, senior pastor of New Life Church in Oklahoma, says it this way in an article he wrote called “The Most Overrated Church Comment”: People in church like to sound spiritual by saying, “I want to go deeper”. To me, this is the most over used and often overrated comment people make in church. Why do I say this? Because, more often than not, it means “Bible Study” and it reflects a person’s desire to be thought of as pious or spiritual. Yet, rather than throw this statement out, I want to reclaim and redefine it. So what does “go deeper” mean to me? It means three things:
Going deeper into my commitment to God’s Church I can’t be committed to Jesus (the head) without being committed to the church (his body). Thus, I must love God’s people with the same fervor and passion that I have for Him. I can’t say I love and serve Jesus if I don’t also love and serve his Bride.
Going deeper into my commitment to the world The world is dying and lost without Jesus. If I am to “go deeper” I must dive deeper into the muck and mire of a broken world in order to reach people. Pontificating about theological mysteries doesn’t save people from Hell. Only the Holy Spirit, through passionate, loving evangelism can do that.
Going deeper into my commitment to being mastered by Christ I’m a work-in-progress, and the more God works on me, the more progress I realize I need. Continually working to allow Jesus to be Lord of my money, my attitudes, my eyes, my mind, and my words feels like a never-ending process. Thus, I must go deeper into submission to Jesus every single day. Does Bible study play a part in these three commitments? Yes. Is Bible study enough by itself? No. Deepening knowledge is not enough, it must accompany deepening commitments! Life change best happens in small groups that push us to go deeper, past Bible knowledge to applying God’s truths. Asking the right questions is the key to moving conversation to spiritual application. These questions will help move people from just understanding God’s Word to applying God’s Word to their lives. In, How to Lead Small Groups, author Neal McBride says: “Questions are your primary tool in planning and leading good discussions. Effective questions get the discussion rolling, explore the topic or biblical passage and draw out the application to our individual and corporate lives. Writing and asking good questions is a real art. They must be clear, relevant and stimulating.” (pg. 90)
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This guide is designed to help small group leaders ask questions that move their group discussions from identifying the meaning of a Biblical passage, to putting it into the context of the present-day, and finally, applying the text to their lives. Each chapter will build on the previous, and will walk through how to form intentional questions for each of these 5 types:
1. LAUNCH is a question to initially get everyone in your group talking 2. DIG is a question to get everyone reading and to have a conversation about what the Biblical text is saying
3. ENGAGE is a question to help the group identify what the Biblical text means in the context of today
4. BECOME is a question to ask the group how to personalize God’s word in their hearts 5. DO is a question to help the group discover how to apply the passage It’s our goal to make this guide as practical as possible. Each type of question has a full explanation, and a chart of good and bad question characteristics. At the end of the guide is an outline that we hope will be helpful for leaders of small groups as they plan out questions before each group meeting. Through reading, applying, and asking the Holy Spirit to help us prepare and ask questions in our groups, we can become effective small group leaders and move our groups from spiritual conversations to spiritual application.
Reference Passage for this Guide Throughout this guide we will use the passage Mark 4:35-41, when Jesus calms the storm, as an example for how to write questions for each of the five types. The text is included here to refer to as you read through the guide.
MARK 4:35-41
Jesus Calms the Storm That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” 36 Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him. 37 A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped. 38 Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?” 39 He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. 40 He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” 41 They were terrified and asked each other, “Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!” 35
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LAUNCH “Great icebreakers questions will help your members connect in powerful ways.” - Rod Dempsey PURPOSE | A QUESTION TO INITIALLY GET EVERYONE IN YOUR GROUP TALKING WHAT IS A LAUNCH QUESTION? LAUNCH questions help create a safe environment and easy opportunity for everyone to participate in the conversation. Another word for a LAUNCH question could be an icebreaker question. LAUNCH questions can play an important role in helping people in your group integrate and connect with one another. Whether your group is new or has been meeting for awhile LAUNCH questions are a great way to start the conversation. Starting off with a LAUNCH question helps set the tone for your meeting in a couple ways. First, it creates an environment that is a relational place where members want to get to know each other. It sets the expectation that everyone should participate in the conversation. A LAUNCH question also helps the group work on listening to one another and taking turns in the conversation. Furthermore, when the LAUNCH question also connects to the big idea of the passage it kick-starts the conversation in the right direction. LAUNCH questions should be more than “how was your week” or “did anything exciting happen over the past week.” Those questions are too abstract for people. A few more recommendations on what LAUNCH questions should not do: they must avoid being both too simple and overly complicated. They should not take the entire meeting time to be answered, but should require more sharing than “yes” or “no”. Finally, avoid asking people anything that will make them feel uncomfortable, embarrassed, or pressured to share more than they feel is appropriate.
LIST OF GOOD LAUNCH QUESTIONS INCLUDES:
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•
Who was your hero when you were growing up? How did you try to imitate them?
•
What is your favorite movie and why?
•
Describe a grade school teacher who made a big impression on you (for good or ill).
CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD LAUNCH QUESTION
CHARACTERISTICS OF A BAD LAUNCH QUESTION
• Supports the "main idea" and assists in moving into a DIG question easily
• Draws out the hurts, sins, or bad qualities of someone
• Allow people to get to know each other better
• Makes other people feel uncomfortable or embarrassed
• Are safe enough for everyone to reveal something personal about themselves
• Pressures someone into revealing too much about themselves
• Are general and inclusive • Helps to relax everyone which allows them to be more receptive to listening and contributing
• Doesn't seem to have a point • Takes too long to ask or answer • Can be answered with a "Yes" or "No" • Leads to bathroom humor
• Should make people smile • Are open-ended questions
WHY ARE LAUNCH QUESTIONS IMPORTANT? When your small group meeting starts everyone is coming into that group setting with different starting points. Some people may have had a difficult day, therefore they may not be in the right frame of mind to talk. Others may have just experienced some type of crisis. Their emotions are all over the place and they want to talk. A LAUNCH question brings everyone together, wherever they may be coming from, as one group. They help the group connect with one another and bring them to a common point. Gary Poole, author of The Complete Book of Questions, says it this way: “[LAUNCH questions] draw group participants into the dialogue—less outspoken individuals are coaxed out of their shells and more talkative types are reigned in to focus on the issue at hand” (pg. 10). It can be easy for groups to skip this type of question because it seems silly or unimportant, but these questions allow group members to learn something new about each other. They prepare minds and hearts to discover God’s truth. In Leading a Small Group, Rod Dempsey says: “When people don’t connect relationally, it makes it more difficult to accomplish the goals of the group” (pg. 101). Remember the goal of the group is not to dissect every aspect of the passage, but rather help people live out God’s truth in their lives. Starting off with a good LAUNCH question is a great way to start your conversation. 7
HERE ARE A FEW EXAMPLES OF GOOD LAUNCH QUESTIONS: If you group is new your LAUNCH questions should focus more on information about people’s lives: •
If money were no problem, and you chose one place in the world to travel for a week, where would that place be and why?
•
What was the best gift you ever received as a child?
•
What is your favorite guilty pleasure food?
•
What was your worst summer or part-time job?
•
When you were in elementary school, what was your favorite activity at recess?
If your group knows each other well LAUNCH questions should open with more in depth questions that evoke feelings, thoughts, and insights such as: •
What is one goal you’d like to accomplish during your lifetime?
•
What person in the Bible do you most closely identify with? Why?
•
Who inspires you?
•
Where do you see yourself in ten years?
•
Who has been the biggest inspiration in your life? Why?
PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE: Example LAUNCH questions you could use for Mark 4:35-41 passage: •
1. Have you ever experienced a natural disaster?
•
2. When was a time that you felt completely calm?
•
3. Have you ever been in a situation where you had good reasons to be afraid?
WRITE YOUR OWN LAUNCH QUESTION FOR MARK 4:35-41:
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dig “We were given the Scriptures to humble us into realizing that God is right, and the rest of us are just guessing.” - Rich Mullins PURPOSE | A QUESTION TO GET EVERYONE READING AND TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT WHAT THE BIBLICAL TEXT IS SAYING WHAT IS A DIG QUESTION? A DIG question challenges the group members to read the passage to discover the answer. When asking a DIG question you are challenging people to think about what they are reading. DIG questions will drive the group back to God’s Word to reread and process the passage. Questions should be directed towards critical thinking rather than details of the passage. For example, “What happened on the boat?” verses “What happened to the faith of the disciples on the boat?” DIG questions are essential because when we understand what is happening in the passage correctly, it leads us to apply it appropriately in our lives.
LIST OF GOOD DIG QUESTIONS INCLUDES: •
What do you learn about _________ from this passage?
•
What does this passage reveal about _________ ?
•
What do you observe about Jesus in this passage? What do you observe about the crowd? What do you observe about the disciples?
•
What similarities do you see in _________ and _________? What differences?
•
What qualities of faith does _________ display in this passage?
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CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD dig QUESTION • Guides discussion through a passage of Scripture • Causes the group members to look back at the passage in order to discover the answer • Allows everyone in the group to participate • Does not have only one answer
CHARACTERISTICS OF A BAD dig QUESTION • Has only one correct answer • Evokes a short or "Yes/No" response • Is primarily fact finding • Expects people to have prior knowledge about a certain topic or idea • Creates theological conflict (i.e free will or predestination)
• Helps people see the central theme or main point of the passage • Creates a relational dynamic for your group by removing the need for one person to teach while others sit and listen
Remember that DIG questions are always open ended and should never have a simple “yes” or “no” answer. For example, in the Mark 11 passage, asking "How does Jesus show His anger in this passage?" assumes that a) Jesus is angry, and b) there is a right answer you want your people to discover. The problem with such questions is that they tell people too much without leaving people room to discover answers and insights themselves. Remember your goal is to invite people to explore a passage and share their own thoughts rather than being directed toward yours. Stay away from questions that begin with "Is there….?," "Are they….?" or "Do you think…?" because they illicit simple “yes” or “no” answers and your discussion could end right there. A better question might be: "What is Jesus feeling in this passage?” or “Why do you think He feels this way?" This encourages people to share their opinions, not just give the answers they think you want. They'll be led into a deeper exploration of their faith and a much more interesting discussion.
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5 COMMONLY MISUSED DIG QUESTIONS Joel Comiskey in his book, "How to Lead a Small Group Meeting… So People Want to Come Back", shares a few examples of how not to use a DIG question:
1. The “machine gun” question QUESTION: Give three reasons Jesus asked the apostles who they thought He was, and tell me how you would answer His question. PROBLEM: It asks more than one question, yet sounds like it’s looking for a specific answer. Notice that it’s not concise or contestable. When a question gets too complex with sub-parts and various clauses, participants tend to get confused.
2. The “over-your-head” question QUESTION: What are the theological implications of Peter’s acclamation with regard to Trinitarian versus Unitarian doctrines, and what does that imply about the ontological argument? PROBLEM: This is over the heads of all but the Bible-college professors in your group. (Not clear and coherent, concise, or creative. May also be inconsiderate.) You might not ask a question this ridiculous, but be careful of asking questions you understand but are still beyond the understanding of most of your group.
3. The “what-did-you-say?” question QUESTION: How did you feel when you repeated the good confession? PROBLEM: Definitely not considerate, and perhaps not complete. Have all your members repeated the good confession? If yours is a new group, is this too personal, too fast?
4. The “exam” question QUESTION: What three attitudes was Jesus looking for when he asked this question? PROBLEM: This isn’t a discussion question; it’s a test. It’s looking for one “correct” answer (actually three). It also is not complete. How would anyone know what attitudes Jesus was looking for?
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5. The “ozone” question QUESTION: What was going through the apostle John’s mind as Peter answered Jesus’ question? PROBLEM: How can anyone really know? It’s incomplete and not very challenging. You could possibly rephrase this question by saying, “If you were the apostle John, what would be going through your mind?” (pg. 65)
WHY ARE DIG QUESTIONS IMPORTANT? This step is important because we believe God’s Word is essential and foundational to our Christian life. When we study God’s Word together we want to discover what God’s Word says rather than coming up with our own conclusions or opinions. 2 Timothy 3:16 says: “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.” The DIG questions are foundational to the rest of the group time because it focuses the conversation on God’s Word.
PUTTING INTO PRACTICE: Example DIG questions you could use for Mark 4:35-41 passage: •
What did the disciples learn about Jesus from this experience?
•
How did Jesus allowing the storm to get so bad test His disciples faith?
•
What does Jesus’ inaction tell us about Him?
WRITE YOUR OWN DIG QUESTION FOR MARK 4:35-41:
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ENGAGE “The Bible is the story of God at work in people’s lives.” - Chuck Miller PURPOSE | A QUESTION TO HELP THE GROUP IDENTIFY WHAT THE BIBLICAL TEXT MEANS IN THE CONTEXT OF TODAY
WHAT IS AN ENGAGE QUESTION? ENGAGE questions help the group discover how the passage is relevant today. After reading the passage and working through the DIG questions, it’s important to help the group discover how the passage connects to our culture today. We are not asking “What does it mean to ME?” rather we are asking “How does this passage relate to us today.” The goal of ENGAGE questions is to get the group thinking about the implications from the truths of the passage and then to think through what those truths mean in today’s world. We want our conversations to lead the group to find the truth and take ownership of the truths from the passage.
LIST OF GOOD ENGAGE QUESTIONS: •
What qualities does our world look to when selecting someone for a position of power or influence, compared to what God looks for in selecting someone?
•
What is the difference between healthy and unhealthy doubt? Is it ok to have doubt?
•
Have you ever seen God at work in someone else’s life like in this passage?
•
What are things people hold onto in addition to/or instead of God?.
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CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD ENGAGE QUESTION • Helps the group wrestle with what this passage means today • Encourages people to critically think about the passage
CHARACTERISTICS OF A BAD ENgAGE QUESTION • Answer is based upon opinions • Answer is in the text • Does not connect God's Word to reality
• Allows people to think about the passage in real life terms • Encourages people to share about the life stories or current events
WHY ARE ENGAGE QUESTIONS IMPORTANT? God’s Word will never go out of date nor will ever have to be updated. Hebrews 4:12 says: “For the word of God is alive and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.” A misconception people have towards the Bible is that it is not relevant to our lives. Culture may change, people may change, but the Word of God is as relevant today as it was when it was first written! ENGAGE questions help to take what was written 2,000 years ago and allow it to be relevant today.
PUTTING INTO PRACTICE: Example ENGAGE questions you could use for Mark 4:35-41 passage: •
How does fear affect our faith?
•
How does experiencing doubt cause people to believe that faith in Christ is irrelevant?
•
Have you ever experienced a situation where it felt like everything was out of control and it was hard to tell if Jesus was paying attention?
WRITE YOUR OWN ENGAGE QUESTION FOR MARK 4:35-41:
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BECOME “There is something powerful about questions that force you to think, look within yourself, examine your heart, and search for answers.” - Gary Poole PURPOSE | A QUESTION TO ASK THE GROUP HOW TO PERSONALIZE GOD’S WORD IN THEIR HEARTS
WHAT IS A BECOME QUESTION? BECOME questions move the conversation from talking about God’s Word to helping people internalize what the passage means to them personally. Proverbs 4:23 says: “Above all else, guard your heart, for it affects everything you do” (NLT). The heart is the center of our thoughts and feelings — out of which our conduct flows. Before we can do something with God’s Word we must allow it to change how we think, feel and/or believe. BECOME questions give God the opportunity to use His Word to reshape our heart and mind. We want God to influence our thoughts and attitudes towards people, life situations and our view of Him. So when we allow God to change those things, it allows Him to change how we live too.
LIST OF GOOD BECOME QUESTIONS: •
How does this change your view of God?
•
What is something God has said to you?
•
How are you responding like ________?
•
What specific things is God calling you to surrender?
•
What is God asking you to hold onto from this passage?
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CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD BECOME QUESTION • Moves people to confession, repentance, and transformation rather than to guilt • Challenges people to examine their attitude, behavior, and character • Challenges people to rethink their view of God, scripture, theology, etc
CHARACTERISTICS OF A BAD BECOME QUESTION • Makes the discussion more about what "I need to do" rather than pushing people to Jesus (avoid "shoulds") • Too general (i.e. asking "How can you love Jesus more?") • Beyond where people are at spiritually
WHY ARE BECOME QUESTIONS IMPORTANT? BECOME questions often aim at heart-level inclinations and motivations. The heart is something the Bible has a lot to say about; it’s referred to over 950 times in the Bible! Both the Old and New Testament emphasize the priority of one’s heart. Jesus summarizes and simplifies the Old Testament by saying we are to love God and others with all of our heart. BECOME questions allow God’s truth to sink from our head to our heart. In the Bible we learn that our heart reflects our desires, our thoughts, our intentions, our will, our faith, our words, and our behaviors. BECOME questions challenge us to examine our hearts . As a result they can move us from confession to conviction, and allow us to rethink our view of God. Psalm 139: 23-24 says: “Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” It is important in our discussion times not to stop at the DIG or ENGAGE questions, but also give people time and space to personally reflect on God’s Word.
PUTTING INTO PRACTICE: Example BECOME questions you could use for Mark 4:35-41 passage: •
Why is God often the last person we turn to in hard times?
•
Where in your life is Jesus saying to you: “Why are you so afraid?”
•
As we read this passage what did you feel God saying to you personally?
WRITE YOUR OWN BECOME QUESTION FOR MARK 4:35-41:
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Learning to Listen Well as Leaders An important element when people are pouring out their heart is your ability as a leader to listen well. Sometimes we are so interested in getting our main point across that we fail to hear others in a discussion. As a leader it is important to intentionally communicate, verbally and nonverbally, that you care about what the speaker is saying. If the group can often be dominated by a few outspoken people, try asking a specific person to answer a question. Always refrain from cutting someone off to share your own story or suggestion to fix their problem. As a leader it is also important to allow long pauses in conversation for further reflection by the person speaking. When we listen well to others we affirm them and let them know they are valued. James 1:19 says: “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” A couple key practices we can do to listen better:
Make Eye Contact Make eye contact with the person speaking. This is important because it demonstrates genuine interest in what they are saying.
❷ Be Present It is often easier for us to assume what someone else is going to say or prepare a comeback statement rather than listen to what they are actually saying. Do not let your mind wander to other things. Be a good listener!
❸ Don’t Interrupt It is easy for us to give visual clues that communicate to the person speaking that we are ready to respond to make a response. Avoid interrupting tem by not pointing your finger or opening your mouth. Do not give more concern to your own response than to what they are saying.
❹ Respond By Giving Feedback Use follow up questions or affirming statements which show you were listening and understand to what they were communicating.
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DO “What we need sometimes is not deeper study, but deeper application.” - Alan Danielson “The Bible was not given for our information but for our transformation.” - D.L. Moody PURPOSE | A QUESTION TO HELP THE GROUP DISCOVER HOW TO APPLY THIS PASSAGE
WHAT IS A DO QUESTION? DO questions move the conversation from group member’s internalizing the passage to challenging the group to live it out individually and corporately. These “so what” questions should call people to action. Personal DO questions challenge the individual to do something in their life. Corporate DO questions are geared to challenge the group to make life changes as a group. Neal McBride, in How to Lead Small Groups, “[DO] questions help the members apply the facts and principles to their own lives, both individually and corporately. The idea of corporate application is important. Often we limit application to an individual response. But as members of the Body of Christ, applying questions must also explore relevant corporate applications.” (91) DO questions also help the group hold one another accountable. This can be accomplished by following up with one another and checking whether other group members have lived out their previous week’s response. DO questions should challenge people to have a specific call to action, time frame, and tangibility in their answer. SPECIFIC The answer to a DO question should cause people to respond with a specific call to action. This has a much greater chance of being accomplished than a general goal. For example, an overly general call to action would be: “To love better.” A specific call to action would say: “I need to love a couple of my coworkers better because they are hard to love.” TIMELY Another good characteristic of a DO question is that it should be able to be done within a particular time frame. With no time frame tied to it there’s no sense of urgency. For example if the question is answered with: “I need to be more gracious with my kids,” there is no urgency for this action to be accomplished. 18
However, if it is changed to: “I need to be more gracious with my kids this week, during afternoons, until my husband gets home,” there is more power and emphasis on a call to action. Timeliness also gives the person and group the opportunity to surround the individual with encouragement, accountability and prayer. TANGIBLE The answer to a DO question should be tangible. When the answer to a question is tangible, it is made specific, measurable, and thus attainable. It should be something that can be measured to see if the group is getting closer to the goal or further away from it. An example of a tangible call to action is: “I need to be in God’s word more often.” Then, during the week group members can hold each other accountable by asking each other how much time they are reading God’s word. The individual or group as a whole will be able to know if they are in God’s word more today than a month ago. A word of caution is to not attempt to do something that is not tangible or measureable.
LIST OF GOOD DO QUESTIONS: •
Is there a specific action our small group can take together to live out what we’ve learned from this passage?
•
What is a specific course of action for you to take based on this Scripture? What will you do?
•
When will you do it? With (for) whom will you do it?
•
What if we engaged our communities the way God has asked?
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CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD DO QUESTION • Identifies a call to action that is doable and specific (the individual or group comes up with an idea for action, not a "should" placed on by the leader)
CHARACTERISTICS OF A BAD DO QUESTION • Moves people by guilt to take action • Allows people to not do anything • Allows an "It's just between me and Jesus" reaction
• Challenges people to step outside their comfort zone • Moves people to consider what God might be asking them to do • Moves the group or individual beyond themselves to make an impact in the world • Allows people to say: "This is not applicable to me" • Asks people to answer: "So what"
WHY ARE DO QUESTIONS IMPORTANT? Small groups provide a safe place where people can be encouraged to live out the Christian faith. James 1:22 says: “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” James explains that reading and studying the Word is not enough. "Knowing" and "doing" are very different things. Learning about the Bible is good, but applying what you are learning is the ultimate goal. God’s Word was given to us so we could live out Christianity, not simply to know what it means to be a Christian. DO questions build on previous ENGAGE and BECOME answers which help the group process what God is doing on the inside and lead to revealing what needs to change on the outside. When people respond to “so what” questions, it causes them to act differently different in their lives gives the group a great opportunity to following up with one another during the following week or next meeting time. We understand that no one is perfect nor are we going to get it right all of the time. But the beauty of studying and applying the passage together is that we are able encourage one another to continue to grow in their relationship with Christ. It will help the group grow closer with one another and with God.
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PUTTING INTO PRACTICE: Example DO questions you could use for Mark 4:35-41 passage: •
How do we help each other trust Jesus in hard times?
•
How can we support one another this week to have a deeper trust in God?
•
What can you do this week to demonstrate a deeper trust in God?
WRITE YOUR OWN DO QUESTION FOR MARK 4:35-41:
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SUMMARY OF QUESTIONS Using Mark 4:35-41
QUESTION TYPE
PURPOSE OF QUESTION
LAUNCH
To cultivate interest in the group time by allowing to share in the conversation
Have you ever experienced a natural disaster?
DIG
Help the group dig into God’s Word to discover what it says.
What did the disciples learn about Jesus from this experience?
ENGAGE
Help the group wrestle with the meaning of this passage to us today.
How does this affect our faith?
Helps us personalize God’s Word in their hearts.
Why is God often the last person we turn to in hard times?
Challenges the group not to be content with just internalizing the passage but rather living it out.
How do we help each other trust Jesus in hard times?
BECOME DO
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EXAMPLE QUESTION
PUTTING IT INTO PRACTICE: Use Colossians 3:1-17 to work through these two exercises. 1. What type of question are these: A In what relationship do you need God to help you grow in those characteristics? B
What does it mean to set your heart and mind on things above according to this passage?
C What characteristics do you look for in a person that is trustworthy? D How have you seen others live out verses 12-14 compared to verses 5-11? E
How have you grown in the characteristics listed in verses 12-14 in the past year?
___ LAUNCH
___ DIG
___ ENGAGE
___ BECOME
___ DO
2. Rewrite the question to make it a LAUNCH question: How much time do you watch TV compared to reading God’s word?
3. Rewrite the question to make it a DIG question: Why would we want the godly virtues listed in this passage in our life compared to sinful ones?
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4. Rewrite the question to make it a ENGAGE question: Do you want to experience God’s wrath, why or why not?
5. Rewrite the question to make it a BECOME question: Which of the sinful characteristics do you struggle with the most?
6. Rewrite the question to make it a DO question: How are you going to live out all the virtues listed in vs 12-14 this week?
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REFERENCES Comiskey, Joel. How to Lead a Great Small Group Meeting‌ So People Want to Come Back. Houston, Texas: Touch Publishing Inc, 2009. Danielson, Alan. "The Most Overrated Church Comment :: 3Threat.net."3Threatnet. N.p., 12 Oct. 2010. Web. 12 June 2014. Earley, Dave and Rod Dempsey. The Pocket Guide to Leading a Small Group: 52 Ways to Help You and Your Small Group Grow. Houston, Texas: Touch Publications Inc, 2007. McBride, Neal F. How to Lead Small Groups. Colorado Springs, Colorado: NavPress, 1990. Miller, Chuck. The Spiritual Formation of Leaders: Integrating Spirituality and Leadership Development: Xulon Press, 2007. Poole, Gary. The Complete Book of Questions. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2003.
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