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By Brent Lacy

You do not need to purchase curriculum to run a meaningful small group Bible study.

A passage of Scripture, a few good questions, and a group of people willing to be honest with each other is enough. Here is a practical framework for planning a 6-week Bible study series from scratch.

Step 1: Choose Your Passage or Topic

The best small group Bible studies are either book studies (working through a book of the Bible) or topical studies (exploring a theme across multiple passages).

Book studies.

Choose a book of the Bible and work through it passage by passage. Good books for small group study: James (practical, accessible), Philippians (joy and contentment), Ruth (faithfulness and redemption), John (the person of Jesus), Nehemiah (leadership and rebuilding).

For a 6-week study, choose a shorter book or a section of a longer one. James has 5 chapters, one per week plus an introduction session works well.

Topical studies.

Choose a theme and select 5 to 6 passages that address it. Good topics for small group study: prayer, generosity, forgiveness, community, suffering, identity in Christ.

Step 2: Write Your Discussion Questions

Every Bible study session needs three types of questions.

Observation questions (What does it say?)

These questions focus on what the text actually says. They are not interpretive, they just ask people to notice what is there.

• “What stands out to you in this passage?”
• “What words or phrases are repeated?”
• “Who are the characters in this story, and what do they do?”

Interpretation questions (What does it mean?)

These questions ask people to think about what the text means, in its original context and for us today.

• “Why do you think the author included this detail?”
• “What does this passage reveal about God’s character?”
• “What is the main point of this passage?”

Application questions (What do we do with it?)

These questions connect the text to real life. They are the most important questions and the ones most often skipped.

• “What is one thing in this passage that challenges how you are currently living?”
• “What would it look like to apply this truth in your life this week?”
• “What is one specific thing you will do differently because of what we discussed tonight?”

Step 3: Structure Each Session

A consistent session structure helps the group know what to expect and helps the leader stay on track.

• Welcome and icebreaker (10 minutes). A brief question to help people transition from their day into the group.
• Read the passage (5 minutes). Read it aloud, or have different people read different sections.
• Observation questions (10 minutes). What does the text say?
• Interpretation questions (15 minutes). What does it mean?
• Application questions (15 minutes). What do we do with it?
• Prayer (10 minutes). Pray for each other based on what was shared.

A Sample 6-Week Study: The Book of James

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