Grounded in the Bible

In this study, we want to help teenagers grow in biblical literacy and in a love for the Bible. Our goal is to get teenagers to read the Bible together and talk about it. We teach a lot implicitly when we simply open God’s Word together, as we seek to understand what it says on its own terms. We also want to model for students how to read a passage and work through it inductively. The questions in each week’s lesson walk through the inductive steps of observation, interpretation, and application. You can help teenagers grow by emphasizing that we start by observing what the Bible says in its original setting, not by asking “what does this mean to me?”

Low Barrier to Entry

As parents and youth leaders, we all want teenagers to grow in reading the Bible on their own, but we recognize that this may not be a realistic expectation for every student in your youth group. We wanted to create a study that would provide a low barrier to entry, even as it calls teenagers to grow in serious study of the Bible. Each discussion outline includes enough Bible reading to capture the week’s emphasis. We hope all students will feel welcome and valued in the small group, regardless of their spiritual maturity or reading ability.

Discussion-Based

Best practices in teaching underscore that teenagers learn more when they discuss what they are reading—or even better, when they help teach others. As much as possible, we encourage you to open the floor for students to ask honest questions. This creates a warm environment for learning. It’s okay to say: “I’m not sure of the answer to that question, but I’m so glad you asked! Let’s look at our study this week to find out more.” Students tend to internalize what they have processed in community together.

Small Group Model

Because of the discussion-based nature of the content in this study, it’s important to form groups small enough for each person to actively participate. In my experience, when a group grows larger than 8 people, quieter students are less likely to contribute to discussion. In order to keep groups small enough to be productive, many churches will need more than just the youth minister to lead. Churches can even train student leaders to help with this discussion-leading role (with the support of caring adults to join them in the group). Dr. Kaminski’s Old Testament Study Guide is a good resource that pastors and laypeople can read for further equipping.

Emphasis on the Gospel

The CASKET EMPTY framework is an invaluable tool as it helps people understand the plot of Scripture as one redemptive story with Jesus at its center. In each week of this study, we aim to share a word of grace and hope from the gospel that is rooted in the biblical narrative and applicable to daily life of a teenager.