Novo

What is a Discovery Bible Study? 

A Discovery Bible Study (DBS) is a disciple-making tool used to help launch gospel movements—sometimes known as Disciple Making Movements or DMM—around the world. It’s a great way to share the good news of Jesus and form new disciples in an interactive, Holy Spirit-led format. In a DBS group, spiritually-interested people read a Bible story together, discover what it says, and then are challenged to immediately live out what they learned and share it with someone else.

Disciple-making must be both light-weight and deep-rooted: Light enough for anyone, anywhere, to replicate with their friends and family. Deep enough to make surrendered and transformed disciples of Jesus. DBSs are simple, easily reproducible, and train new disciples to obey Jesus in everything.

A Discovery Bible Study in the hands of ordinary people is bringing transformation to spiritually-hungry people, families, groups, and communities.

  • After one DBS session together 12 year-old Josh asked, “Can I lead next week?” While leading the following week his mother responded to the question “How will you apply this passage to your life this coming week?” She said “I need to commit my life to Jesus”—and she did.

  • Inmates at a local jail began following Jesus and using DBS saw almost the whole pod interacting with the Bible led by fellow inmates. This pod (or cell block), which was known as the Gladiator Pod, became the God Pod.

  • Tony led an online DBS focused on overcoming fear. Tim, a local pastor in Illinois began sharing “Overcoming Fear” with people on the fringe of the church. After seeing the response, he formed a team and taught them how to lead a DBS. Within a short time 12 groups were launched that helped folks from the church reach friends and neighbors outside the church.

  • After a DBS about the sinful woman washing Jesus' feet. Luis, with tears in his eyes, looks up and says, "What did she do to deserve grace?" This was a key revelation from the Holy Spirit that allowed Luis to take a major step towards surrendering his life to Jesus.

  • In places like Kansas City, these simple groups are beginning to pop up in every conceivable affinity group and area. Unchurched people are beginning to take a journey to discover Jesus everywhere from college campuses to suburban neighborhoods, recovery homes to high schools, nursing homes to immigrant populations. 

How to Lead a Discovery Bible Study

The DBS process is intentionally simple so that it can launch and reproduce in any context. Here is the basic sequence:

  1. Identify people around you who are spiritually curious.

  2. Invite them to discover what God has to say about life. 

  3. Ask the discovery questions (see below). No one needs to teach, just discover it together! 

  4. Let the Holy Spirit lead and transform lives! Trust God to be much better at teaching truth than we are.

  5. Multiply by encouraging members of the group to start new groups with other friends and family.

To facilitate a DBS, you’ll need a couple of participants, a Bible story, and a few simple questions. Once the group has gathered, start by sharing the responses to these questions with each other:

What are you thankful for?
What’s a challenge you’re facing right now?
If this group has gathered previously, ask: How did you do with your last "I WILL" statement? Did you share with others?

Next, it’s time to ask the “discovery questions” which help us to discover what the Bible says and take action. The acronym H.O.P.E. is a helpful way to remember these steps: Hear, Observe, Practice, and Encourage.

HEAR from God through the scripture passage.
- Read the story out loud.
- Have someone re-tell it in their own words.

OBSERVE what it says.
- What stands out to you?
- What does this story tell us about God?
- What does this story tell us about people?

Put it into PRACTICE.
- How can you personally and specifically live out what God is showing you in this text?
- Write down an “I WILL _____” statement for the week ahead.

ENCOURAGE someone.
- Who are you going to tell about what you discovered this week?

Make sure everyone gets a chance to contribute to the conversation. Allow time for everyone to write down their “I will” statements and make notes about who they plan to talk to in the week ahead.

And that’s it! Plan for the next time you’ll gather to share your experiences from the week and to examine another scripture together.

WHO SHOULD I INVITE?

Many believers ask how to find people to invite into a DBS. You need to identify “people of peace”—people who are spiritually curious and open to learning more about what the Bible says. You may be surprised at some of the people in your life who are interested!  

Here are three tips for finding people of peace:

  1. Ask God to highlight people to you and start praying for them.

  2. Engage in spiritual questions. Ask people questions about spiritual things, or ask them how you can pray for them. See who is open to deeper conversation.

  3. Ask if they’d like to learn more about what God and the Bible has to say about one of the study topics listed below. 

DBS Lists

If you’re ready to invite someone into DBS, we have some helpful resources for you. There are many different DBS scripture lists on various topics.

Here are a few of our favorite lists for new DBS groups:

10 STORIES OF HOPE
Download (PDF)
10 Stories of Hope will help you to discover and share the hope found in a relationship with Jesus Christ. It contains seven conversations between Jesus and spiritually hungry people and three inspiring stories. 10 Stories of Hope is the most widely used Discovery Bible Study created and shared in the US, and has since been translated in several languages.

FROM CREATION TO CHRIST
Download (PDF)
Creation to Christ traces God’s love story from the Bible’s first pages through the Old Testament leading up to the life and ministry of Jesus. Creation to Christ has been incredibly effective in reaching those from non-Christian backgrounds with minimal knowledge of the Bible.

JOURNEY OF JESUS
Download (PDF)
Many in our modern society are seeking meaning in life. “Journey of Jesus” examines 12 stories that follow the life and ministry of Jesus and is ideal for people interested in discovering what Jesus has to say about life, love, and purpose.

OVERCOMING FEAR
Download (PDF)
Throughout the Bible, God sends the message “do not fear” again and again. Overcoming Fear looks at 12 passages to use for a Discovery Bible Study as well as key promises within each passage. During difficult times, Overcoming Fear is a great resource to use in your home and to pass on to others.

CROSSING BARRIERS
Download (PDF)
The Bible is filled with stories that reflect God’s long-term mission of reconciliation—God reconciled to people, as well as people to each other, regardless of social status, ethnicity, or personal history. This Discovery Bible Study explores the barriers God has crossed to reach us and our call to cross those barriers as well.

FOLLOWING JESUS
Download (PDF)
As we obediently begin following Jesus, a whole new world opens up to us called the Kingdom of God. A new spiritual reality affects us—personally, our relationships with God and others—and helps us to fulfill our God-given purpose.

OTHER RESOURCES

   

QUESTIONS?

Contact info@novo.org and we’ll put you in touch with one of our trainer-practitioners.