About Ryan &
P2Y.com

Ground Rules for Bible Study:

1) Personal things said in this room stay in this room. Confidentiality is vital to a healthy discussion. The only time it should be broken is when a group member reveals plans to harm himself or another person.

2) No put-downs. Sarcasm and unkind remarks have no place in a discussion. If someone disagrees with another's comment, they should raise their hand and express their opinion of the comment, but not of the person who made it. It is permissible to attack ideas, but not each other.

3) There is no such thing as a dumb question. Asking questions is the best way to learn.

4) No one is forced to talk. Anyone can remain silent about any question.

Create a Great Discussion with Open-Ended Questions

There are really only two kinds of discussion questions, good discussion questions and bad discussion questions. Good discussion questions invite people to talk, motivate them to contribute, encourage participation, stimulate new questions, and affirm the significance of each person's opinion. Bad discussion questions discourage participation, affirm that only the leader's opinion matters, threaten timid contributors, and motivate the group to keep quiet.

Good questions focus on a person's opinion (what would you tell a friend who asked you if she should get an abortion?) or his experience (has anyone ever known someone who tried to commit suicide?) or a person's faith (when you are depressed, does your faith in God make any difference?). Bad questions assume there is one right answer or don't require any answers at all.

The following are examples of bad questions, questions that stifle discussions:

* LOADED QUESTIONS

Who should our example be, the Apostle Paul or Charles Manson?

Some people who call themselves Christians say they believe that abortion is okay, but what does the Bible say?

* FILL-IN-THE BLANK QUESTIONS

John 3:16 says, God so love the What? And that whosoever what shall not what? How do we know that God so loved the world?

* RHETORICAL QUESTIONS

Since God made our bodies, don't you think he would have a good reason to say that getting drunk is wrong? God knows what's best for us, so don't you think you should listen when he says that sexual contact before marriage is destructive? Our bodies are the temple of God, so what should you do about smoking?

* INTIMIDATING QUESTIONS

If you really loved God, what should you do? Obviously, God is telling us to what? This is a famous parable, John, what do you think it means? Jesus is making three powerful statements here, what are they? Do you think God is pleased with what we've just talked about?

Good questions create an open, accepting atmosphere that lets every participant in the discussion know that every contribution is appreciated. Bad questions create a closed, threatening atmosphere that lets every participant in the discussion know that only acceptable contributions are appreciated.

I. Why prepare a personal testimony?

A. Careful organization insures that your testimony will be clear, simple, and attractive.

B. Common objections to a prepared testimony are that it will be "canned," "stiff," or unnatural. However, a prepared testimony will:

1) Free you to be yourself.

2) Keep you from being repetitious.

3) Enable you to always cover the points which you feel are the most important.

4) Enable you to be brief.

II. How to prepare a personal testimony

A. DO 

1) Ask the Lord to give you wisdom and guidance as you prepare.

2) Follow a three-point outline:

a) Life before knowing Christ (your goal in presenting a testimony is not to tell "YOUR STORY" but to present, in an interesting way HOW a person can come to know Christ personally and WHY by telling how it happened to you!).

b) How you came to know Christ.

c) Life after you received Christ (changes He has made; what He means to you now).

3) Emphasize point "c" above, if you became a Christian as a small child

4) Begin with an interesting, attention-getting sentence and close with a good conclusion. Include relevant, thought-provoking secular facts and experiences.

5) Speak in such a way that others will feel associated with you in past and present experiences.

6) Give enough detail to arouse interest.

7) Use at least one, but no more than two scripture verses.

8) Edit carefully and change as necessary before you give your testimony.

B. DON'T

1) Use Christian jargon. Words such as: saved, convicted, converted, born-again, etc. do not communicate truth to the average non-Christian. Remember your audience.

2) Be too wordy, beat around the bush, or emphasize how bad you used to be.

3) Speak in glittering generalities. Avoid words like "wonderful", "glorious", etc.

4) Mention church denominations, especially in a negative way.

5) Speak critically or negatively about any other individual or group.

6) Give the impression the Christian life is a bed of roses.

III. How to present a personal testimony

A. Before sharing your testimony:

1) Pray that the Holy Spirit will empower you -- Eph. 5:5-18; Acts 1:8.

2) Be very familiar with your testimony and practice it.

B. While sharing your testimony:

1) Speak loudly and clearly in a natural, relaxed voice.

2) Avoid mannerisms when you speak, such as: rubbing your nose, jingling coins in your pocket, swaying, clearing your throat, using "uh's", and "ah's".

3) Avoid arguing and other high pressure methods of getting a "decision" for Christ.

4) Avoid preaching at people. Present your testimony, not a preachamony.

5) Smile!

Introduction:

Before I received Christ I lived and thought this way:

How I received Christ:

After I received Christ these changes have taken (or are still taking) place:

Telling your testimony in this context can be used two ways. First, if you're speaking to Christians you are basically telling them your story. In this context, you could take anywhere from 1 minute to 30 minutes. It just depends on the group and how much time the group has.

The second way your testimony can be used in a small group or person-to-person context is in an evangelistic way. The purpose here is to be a witness for what Jesus has done in your life. Anyone can argue with your beliefs, but nobody can argue with your personal testimony.

In order to be effective in sharing your testimony with non-believers, know your story of what Christ has done in your life well. Sometimes the details of how we came to Christ can be a little fuzzy. Think it through and know the major events. Remember, you don't need to share every little detail from age three. Similar to sharing before a large group, you'll want to share a little about your life before you received Christ, how you received Christ, and the changes that have taken place since. If you are Christ's, he has done a mighty work in your life and it gives glory to Him if you share that with others.

Leadership Guide:

Back to Table of Contents
Go to Previous Section
Go to Next Section