How to do a Discovery Bible Study (DBS)

A Discovery Bible Study (or a DBS) are simple Bible studies that help your non-believing friends discover who Jesus is and how they should respond to Him. This resource is broken into four sections:

  1. DBS Guide

  2. 7 Stories of Hope (suggested DBS passages)

  3. DBS Group Guidelines

  4. What’s Next?

DBS GUIDE

1) LOOK BACK

Ask each other:

  • What are you thankful for?

  • What is causing you stress?

  • Retell story from the previous meeting.

  • What did you do differently because of this story?

2) Read the new passage

One person reads the new Bible passage out loud, and the rest follow along. Someone else retells the story and others fill in what is missing.

Ask these questions:

  • What did you like about this passage?

  • What challenged or inspired you most?

  • Did anything concern you? Why?

  • What does this passage teach us about Jesus?

  • How would you describe who He is/ what He is like from this passage someone else?

  • Discuss what this passage says about humans (i.e. What do we learn about who we are: our nature, our sin problem, examples to avoid or follow, etc.)

  • If these things are true about Jesus, what do you think a proper response would be?

  • What would be keeping you from following Jesus today?

3) Set some goals

Ask each other:

  • What does this passage demand of me? (What truth has caught the attention of my heart or mind? How does God want to transform my heart, thinking, habits, relationships? What do I need to do in response to this passage?)

  • Who could I tell about what we learned about God from this passage?

  • Who can I invite to study the Bible with us?

7 stories of hope (dbs passages)

These passages point specifically to the hope of the gospel: who Jesus is and what He came to do. Read one per session.

  1. Luke 7: 36-50: Hope for the Rejected

  2. Luke 18:9-17: Hope for the Non-Religious

  3. Luke 19:1-10: Hope Changes things

  4. Matthew 18:21-35: Hope Forgives

  5. Luke 22:66 – 23:25: Hope Through Death

  6. Luke 24: 1 - 20: Hope Rose from the Dead

  7. Luke 15: 11-32: Hope is Waiting for You

Group guidelines

Read these five guidelines to the group as you begin the first three or four sessions.

  1. Everyone shares in sentences, not paragraphs.

  2. Focus only on what this passage is saying, not on other passages.

  3. Focus only on what this group is seeing.

  4. Give people time to respond. Silence is OK.

  5. The facilitator should facilitate discussion, not teach.

What’s next?

Not ready to follow Christ:

  • If they are not ready to follow Christ before or by the end of the seven meetings, make sure they are still invited into the life of your missional community. Make sure they know they belong even though they don't believe.

  • Invite them to read the Bible on their own and regularly talk with them about what they are learning about God and if they are ready to follow Him.

If they do choose to follow Christ:

  • Weave them into your Missional Community. This is CRUCIAL because they need Biblical Community to help them follow Jesus.

  • Take them through FOUNDATIONS. These are topical studies we have created that will equip new believers in the basics of the Christian Faith. Meet weekly and go through the resources with them until they complete them.

 
 

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