What is a Discovery Group?

Discovery Groups (also known as Discovery Bible Studies – DBS) are merely groups where friends/family come together to see for themselves what the Bible says and how it can effect our lives. Anyone can lead one! Just gather some friends and ask the questions. You can start with one of the passage lists on the below.

What does the Discovery Group Process look like?

Connect
1) What are you thankful for?
2) What is a challenge you are facing?
3) How did it go with your last ”I will statement?” Were you able to share your discoveries with anyone? (Skip this question the first time you meet)
Discover
Read the passage together two times. Have someone retell it in their own words. Others can help.
4) What stands out to you?
5) What can we learn from this passage?
Respond
6) How can you live out what God is showing you in the passage? Everyone creates an: ‘I will statement’
7) Who would benefit from a Discovery Group or hearing you share what you discovered from this passage?
PDF Version

How to facilitatE a Discovery Group?

The Foundations and Practices of a Discovery Group: The What and the Why
The Foundations

  1. Discovery Learning (not Proclamational Teaching)
    • Discovery Groups allow people to not just consume information, but instead encounter God through hearing His voice. 
  2. Obedience-Focused Discipleship
    • Learning information doesn’t change lives. DGs focus on applying what Jesus tells us, and it’s in that step of obedience we experience something way more powerful than mere knowledge
  3. Immediate Sharing & Multiplication
    • Changed lives make others notice. When people share what’s happening, it tends to go viral…
The Practices
A Time of Connecting and Sharing together about life
  • Non-Spiritual Questions that become something so much more
  • Thankfulness leads to praise, challenges lead to prayer and care
  1. Discover what the Bible says together
    • Sit in it together. Discovery is so much better than someone giving us the answers
  2. Respond to what it says with your life
    • Create “I Will Statements” and circle back to those next week
    • By living it out we can test its truth
    • Share with others! If it’s true it’s worth talking about
Tips
  1. Ask Questions, Don’t Teach (let scriptures teach, not you)
  2. Focus on Obedience, not just Knowledge (knowledge best flows from obedience, not the opposite)
  3. Pass off Leadership (don’t let it be dependent on you)
  4. Stay in the passage (puts everyone on the same page)
  5. Always model easy reproducibility (don’t complicate the process too much)

Scipture List 

10 Stories of Hope
1) Mark 2:1-12
2) John 3:1-17
3) Mark 5:1-20
4) Luke 7:37-50
5) Luke 15:11-32
6) Luke 17:11-19
7) Luke 18:9-14
8) Luke 19:1-10
9) John 4:1-42
10) Mark 4:1-20
Journey of Jesus
1) Luke 5:1-11
2) Luke 4:16-22
3) Mark 2:1-12
4) John 8:1-11
5) Luke 7:36-50
6) John 15:1-10
7) Mark 8:31-37
8) Mark 9:14-32
9) John 13:1-17
10) Luke 23:26-49
11) John 20:1-18
12) Matthew 28:16-20

The Whole Story— Creation to Jesus
Creation
1) Genesis 1:1-31 (or Psalm 33:6-11), and John 1:1-14

Fall
2) Genesis 3:1-24, Romans 3:9-20

Redemption
3) Genesis 12:1-5, Genesis 15:1-6, and Galatians 3:6-9 God’s Promise to & through Abram
4) Exodus 12:21-30 and 1 Corinthians 5:7 The Promise of Passover
5) Leviticus 4:1-35 and Hebrews 9:11-10:14 The Sacrificial System
6) 2 Samuel 7:8-16 and Acts 13:16-41 Covenant with David
7)  Ezekiel 34:11-31 and John 10:2-14 Sheep & Shepherd
8) Isaiah 61:1-9 and Luke 4:16-22 Jesus, bringer of Good News
9) Isaiah 53 Isaiah Foreshadows the Coming Promise
10) Luke 23:26-49 Jesus fulfills the Promise
11) John 20:1-18 Jesus fulfills the Promise (pt2)

Restoration
12) Matthew 28:16-20 and Acts 1:8 The Task
13) John 14:15-21, Acts 2:1-41 The Holy Spirit
14) 2 Corinthians 5:17-21 Our identity as Ambassadors
15) Revelation 21:1-8 The fulfillment of everything
Follow— Discover Discipleship
1) Repent and Believe – John 3:1-16
2) Surrender – Romans 12:1-2
3) Declare (Baptism) – Acts 2:36-41
4) Obey – 1 John 2:3-6
5) Gather – Acts 2:37-42
6) Love – 1 Corinthians 13
7) Pray – Luke 18:1-8
8) Live – Colossians 3:1-10
9) Give – Mark 12:41-44 & 2 Corinthians 9:6-9
10) Multiply – Matthew 28:16-20
Going All In
All In
1) Luke 9:18-27 & 9:57-62
2) Matthew 7:13-27

New Life
3) Romans 8:1-11
4) Galatians 5:13-26

Live Different ($, sex, speech, love)
5) Ephesians 4:17-5:8
6) Matthew 5:27-30
7) 1 Corinthians 6:12-20
8) Mark 12:41-44 & 2 Corinthians 9:6-9
9) James 3:1-12
10) 1 John 3:11-24

New Purpose
11) 2 Corinthians 5:17-20
12)  Matthew 28:16-20

Family Series– Groups Becoming Fellowships
1) Commitment to One Another – Hebrews 10:19-25
2) The Body of Christ – Romans 12:3-8
3) Love One Another – 1 John 3:11-24
4) God’s Chosen People – Colossians 3:12-17
5) Become a Fully Functioning Group – Acts 2:42-47, 1 Corinthians 11:23-34
6) On Mission Together – Luke 10:1-11
7) On Mission Together (pt 2) – Matthew 28:16-20
8) Give – Acts 4:32-37 & 2 Corinthians 9:6-9
9) Unity in God’s Household – Ephesians 2:11-22
Live in Community with Others
1) Hebrews 10:24-25
2) Philippians 2:3-8
3) Ecclesiastes 4:9-10
4) Acts 2:41-47
5) John 13:34-35
6) 1 Peter 1:22, 3:8, 4:9, 5:5
7) Ephesians 4:2, 4:32, 5:21
8) Romans 12:9-21
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