There are various ways to approach Bible study, and one of the most popular is the topical Bible study.
Even though studying the Bible one book or chapter at a time is a valid way to examine the Scriptures, topical studies have a few advantages over a format that is text-based, like a book-by-book study.
A teacher myself, and a teacher of a topical Bible study series, I have personally experienced the advantages that a topical study has to offer. If you have tended to prefer studies that focus on a verse-by-verse approach, you might be missing out on some great advantages that topical studies have. Here are 5 reasons why topical studies excel:
1. Topical Bible studies address important life issues.
There is nothing worse than participating in a Bible study and walking away from the experience saying “So what?” to yourself. Let’s face it, over time, almost all of us have sat in a group with a well-meaning teacher who lectured his or her way through a passage of Scripture. We heard a history lesson, but never connected the Bible to life. Topical studies almost always begin by addressing a real need – a life issue that group members are facing – and then explores the things Scripture says about it. Felt needs quickly grab people’s attention.
2. Topical studies help connect new people to the group.
Topical studies are the on-ramps on the Bible study superhighway. When a church announces that a new topical study begins within a week or two, people can instantly get on board and join the group for the duration of the study. Topical studies provide a place where diverse people can come together and begin relating to one another. Topics attract – that’s the bottom line. So offering groups that organize around a particular topic is a wise thing to do if you want to give new people opportunities to say yes to attending a Bible study. Over the past few years, four couples have become permanent members of my Bible study group simply because the church we attend announced the topic being studied and made it easy for the new couples to sign up.
3. Topical Bible studies help group members experience a “win.”
Think about the last time you took part in a verse-by-verse Bible study. Did you make it all the way to the end? One group I know of has been studying the book of Revelation for almost 2 years now, and attendance has dwindled considerably over time. A topical study is normally 6 to 8 weeks in length, and it’s much easier for a new group member to plug in and complete the Bible study. That’s a big win and it gives people a sense of accomplishment – they finished something important. It also sets the stage and makes it attractive to begin another topical study.
4. Topical Bible studies leave you wanting more.
When you study the Bible verse-by-verse, you tend to camp out in one place for a long time. Too long, in some cases. You know every jot and tittle, every geographic location mentioned, and you know more about each Bible character than you may want to know. None of that is a bad thing, necessarily, but in my real-world example above, the group members studying Revelation are not going to go back to that book for a long time – they’ve gone over and over it again and again. Topical studies, however, can address issues but not wear out a person. Topical studies can whet the appetite and leave a person wanting another bite, hungry to know more about the topic and what the Bible says about it.
5. Topical studies create conversational communities.
This may be my favorite part about topical studies. I love to see people open up and share their experiences within the context of a biblically-based study. The group’s leader no longer has to be the “talking head” and expert theologian, but instead uses his skill to guide the conversation towards the central truth, the one point, of the Bible study. My wife, Tammy, taught a senior adult women’s class for six weeks while the primary teacher was absent because of surgery and the recovery time. The group was used to listening to a lecture each week, but Tammy used a topical study to get the women talking. The result? At the end of the six weeks, the senior adult ladies begged her, “Please–tell our teacher to let us talk more! It’s like we finally have the right to talk again!” People love to share their stories, and as God’s people, we each have experienced enough life to be able to come along side others who are struggling and hurting and genuinely love them and comfort them. We are the body of Christ who come together to reason with one another, relate to one another, talk with one another, and live life together. Topical studies help us do this effectively.
So there you have it–5 reasons why you should consider offering a topical Bible study to the people who attend your church. I am thankful that my church has chosen to use Bible Studies For Life, because I have experienced each of these five advantages within my adult Bible study group.