For Group Leaders

Whether you’re choosing a study for your Bible study group or getting ready to lead one, you’ll find practical help here for planning, preparing, and guiding your group through a Treasuring God’s Word study.

These studies are designed to keep Scripture at the center. Participants spend time in the biblical text for themselves, then come together to discuss what they’ve observed, what they’ve learned, and how God’s Word applies to their lives.

Ready to order? Jump to group ordering.

How do the studies work?

Treasuring God’s Word studies are designed to combine individual study with meaningful group discussion. Each participant works through the biblical text during the week, then brings what she’s discovered to the group.

These studies are organized by Lessons and Parts rather than weeks and days, so you have flexibility to choose a schedule that fits your group. It’s a semantic difference, but it gives your group freedom to be released from a schedule tied to a calendar.

Parts 1–4 of each Lesson guide participants through their individual study of Scripture. A Part generally takes about 30 minutes, although that will vary by person and passage. Part 5 brings the group together to discuss what they’ve discovered.

6 Lessons*

You can choose how often to meet. I find that one Lesson every other week is a great pace for many groups.

5 Parts

Parts 1–4 are the guided study:

Prepare Your Heart begins with prayer and introduces the study that follows.

Dig In guides students through observation and interpretation of the passage, with opportunities for application.

Meditate gives students time to reflect on what they’ve learned and consider how it applies.

Group Discussion

Part 5 functions as a discussion guide with questions to help your group remember what they have worked through during the week and talk about what they have learned.

*Yet I Will Rejoice contains five core Lessons plus an optional sixth Lesson.

What are the Go Deeper and Bonus Studies?

These sections are intentionally designed as optional extensions of the main study. These extra sections are not intended to be a part of the regular group discussion, but rather are designed for students who have more time and want to keep digging.

Go Deeper

Found at the end of selected Parts

Go Deeper will take students through extended cross-references, more complex reasoning skills, or using outside resources to complement what we studied in that Part.

Bonus Studies

Found in the Bonus Packet download

These are opportunities for a more extended study, accessible through a QR code found at the end of each Lesson. For Psalms studies, these studies offer a chance to independently study an additional psalm related to the one we worked on in the Lesson. In other studies, these are often topical studies that go further into a key concept in the Lesson that takes more time to develop than the 4 Parts allow.

How does Part 5 work for group discussions?

Part 5 of each Lesson is designed to guide your time together. It is divided into two sections: Refresh, which brings the group back through what they studied, giving them an opportunity to share their observations and interpretations, and Reflect, which moves from understanding the passage to considering its application.

Refresh

Review what you’ve studied

Refresh walks the group back through the biblical text and the main observations from the Lesson. The questions are intentionally straightforward, helping participants recall what they discovered and giving everyone a common starting point for discussion.

Depending on the passage, you might review what you learned about a person, what the text reveals about God, or what is happening in the chapter or verses you studied.

Reflect

Consider how God’s Word applies

Reflect provides several application-focused questions based on the Lesson. Leaders can choose the questions that will be most helpful for their particular group rather than feeling that every question must be covered.

Participants are encouraged to spend time considering their responses and may journal their answers in the study or in a separate notebook.

You don’t have to get through every question. Part 5 is a guide, not a checklist. Choose the questions that best serve your group and allow time for meaningful conversation.

What if someone doesn’t finish?

Ideally, participants will complete Parts 1–4 before the group meets so they can contribute what they’ve discovered through their own study. But life happens. If someone doesn’t finish a Lesson, encourage her to come anyway. The Refresh discussion will help her follow what the group has studied, and she can still participate as the group returns to the biblical text together.

After the group meets, encourage your group to start fresh with the next Lesson. Their tendency will be that they need to finish the previous Lesson before moving on. If your group is beginning Lesson 3, encourage them to start Lesson 3, even if they didn’t complete everything in Lesson 2. Trying to catch up can quickly turn a Bible study into a burden and make it harder to rejoin the group.

Didn’t finish the Lesson? Then be SURE to come to group!

What does the leader need to do?

You don’t need to have all the answers to lead a Treasuring God’s Word study. Your primary role is to help your group engage with Scripture and learn from one another as you study God’s Word together.

As a leader, you’ll want to complete the study yourself, prepare for the discussion, and become familiar with the questions in Part 5. During your group time, use Refresh to review what participants discovered in the text and choose from the Reflect questions to guide your discussion and application

You don’t need to be an expert or prepare a separate teaching each week. The goal is to help your group engage with God’s Word, learn from one another, and grow as students of Scripture.

The goal isn’t for the leader to do all the teaching. It’s to help everyone in the group become a better student of God’s Word.

What help is included for leaders?

Each study includes a For Small Group & Ministry Leaders section in both the workbook and in the Bonus Study Packet with practical help for leading your group. You’ll find guidance on the role of a small group leader, preparing for and guiding discussion, encouraging participation, handling rabbit trails, building community, and keeping the group focused on Scripture. This is exactly what I have used for many years to equip small group leaders in my own church.

In addition, I am available via email if you have any questions about the study or would like to brainstorm ideas for your group. This is one of the benefits of being a small-scale author. You as an individual are very important to me. I love to hear from leaders who are using these studies with their groups, and it is my privilege to get to pray for you by name.

What study should we try first?

There really isn’t a wrong place to start. Each study will have your group digging deeply into Scripture, but each one has a different emphasis. Think about where your group is right now and what would serve them well. Here’s a quick look at what you’ll find in each study.

Call To Worship

A good starting point for groups that want to grow in their Bible study skills while exploring different types of Psalms

Yet I Will Rejoice

For groups that are ready to dig deeply into Habakkuk and consider what it means to live by faith when circumstances are difficult of confusing

Songs of Our Creator

For groups that want to explore what the Psalms reveal about God as Creator and deepen their understanding of His character

Again I Say Rejoice

For groups that want to study Philippians and explore how the gospel shapes joy, humility, righteousness, peace, and contentment

Compare All Four Studies →

How do I order books for my group?

When you are ready to order for your group, complete the form and I’ll follow up with you to confirm the details.

Groups ordering 10 or more copies of the same study can purchase books for $12 each with free shipping. Group orders are drop-shipped directly from Amazon, so please allow 2–3 weeks for delivery when planning your study.

Group ordering is only available within the United States. Groups outside the United States can order books directly from their local Amazon.

Group Order Request

This field is required.

Submitting this form does not place your order. I’ll contact you to confirm the details and arrange payment before your order is placed.

More help for Bible study group leaders

Being a Bible study group leader involves more than choosing the right study. These practical resources can help you prepare for discussion, encourage participation, and navigate some of the challenges that come with leading a group.