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How to prepare a Bible study: seven steps and a worked example

Updated · By the Versiah team

To prepare a Bible study, choose a passage of about 10 to 20 verses, read it several times, note what it says, check its context, sum up its main point in one sentence, and write eight to ten open questions that move from observation to interpretation to application. Most studies take two to three hours to prepare, spread across the week.

Start early, and start with the text

The best preparation happens over several days, not the night before. Read the passage early in the week, let it sit, and come back to it. You will notice things on the third reading that you missed on the first.

Start with the Bible itself before any commentary or study guide. Your aim is to understand the passage well enough to help others see what is there, not to collect interesting facts to share.

So they read from the Book of the Law of God, explaining it and giving insight, so that the people could understand what was being read.
Nehemiah 8:8 (BSB)

When Ezra read the law to the people, the Levites read it clearly and explained the meaning so everyone could understand. That is the goal of every Bible study.

King James VersionSo they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

Seven steps to prepare any Bible study

1. Choose the passage and its size

For a 60 to 90 minute group, 10 to 20 verses is usually right. A narrative can be longer; a dense letter passage should be shorter. If you are working through a book, follow natural breaks in the text (most Bibles have section headings that help).

2. Read it several times, several ways

Read it slowly. Read it aloud. Read it in a second translation: comparing a modern one like the Berean Standard Bible with the King James Version shows you where words carry more weight than you thought. Listen to it too, if you can. Read the whole chapter around it at least once.

3. Observe: write down what it says

  • Who is there? Who is speaking, and to whom?
  • Where and when is this happening?
  • What happens, or what is argued, in order?
  • What words or ideas repeat?
  • What connecting words (because, therefore, but, so that) link the ideas?
  • What surprises you, or seems strange?

4. Check the context

Read what comes before and after. Ask what the whole book is about and who it was first written for. Look up cross references (the small references in the margin of many Bibles). Only now open a study Bible or commentary, to check your understanding and fill gaps.

5. Find the main point in one sentence

This is the most important step and the one most often skipped. Write one sentence that says what the passage is about. If you cannot, you are not ready to write questions yet. Everything else in your study should serve that one sentence.

6. Write your questions

Aim for eight to ten open questions: about three observation questions, three or four interpretation questions and two or three application questions. Put them in the order the passage unfolds, and mark the two or three you most want to reach if time runs short.

7. Plan the flow and the timing

Write an opening question to get people talking, decide who will read, estimate minutes for each part, and plan how you will close (a personal response and prayer). A one-page outline is plenty.

A worked example: the lost sheep (Luke 15:1-7)

Here is what the seven steps look like for a short, well-known passage.

Now all the tax collectors and sinners were gathering around to listen to Jesus. So the Pharisees and scribes began to grumble: “This man welcomes sinners and eats with them.”
Luke 15:1-2 (BSB)

The setting matters. Jesus tells the parable in response to a complaint about the company he keeps.

King James VersionThen drew near unto him all the publicans and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.
“What man among you, if he has a hundred sheep and loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the pasture and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders, comes home, and calls together his friends and neighbors to tell them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my lost sheep!’ In the same way, I tell you that there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous ones who do not need to repent.
Luke 15:4-7 (BSB)

The shepherd goes after the one, carries it home himself, and throws a party. Heaven rejoices the same way.

King James VersionWhat man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.
  • Observation notes. Tax collectors and sinners are drawing near to listen. Pharisees and scribes grumble. Jesus answers with a story. The shepherd leaves the ninety-nine, searches until he finds the lost sheep, lays it on his shoulders, calls friends to celebrate. Joy is repeated. This is the first of three lost-and-found stories in the chapter (a coin and a son follow).
  • Context. Luke often shows Jesus welcoming outsiders. The three parables in Luke 15 all answer the same grumbling in verse 2.
  • Main point. God actively seeks lost people and rejoices when they are found, so his people should welcome them too.
  • Opening question. "Have you ever lost something important? What did you do?"

Discussion questions, in order:

  1. Who is gathering around Jesus, and who is complaining about it? (Observation)
  2. What exactly is the complaint in verse 2? (Observation)
  3. List everything the shepherd does in verses 4 to 6. Which detail stands out to you? (Observation)
  4. Why do you think Jesus answers a complaint with a story rather than an argument? (Interpretation)
  5. What does this parable show about how God feels about lost people? (Interpretation)
  6. Who in this story do the grumblers most resemble, and why might that be uncomfortable? (Interpretation)
  7. Have you ever been the lost sheep? What was it like to be found? (Application)
  8. Who might feel unwelcome in our church or group? What would it look like to go after them? (Application)

Close by asking each person to name one person they will pray for this week, and pray for them together.

Preparing a topical Bible study

Sometimes a group wants to study a theme, such as forgiveness, anxiety or money, rather than a book. Topical studies are valuable but carry one risk: pulling verses out of context to support a point. To avoid that:

  • Choose a main passage. Anchor the study in one substantial passage (for forgiveness, perhaps Matthew 18:21-35) and study it properly using the seven steps.
  • Add two or three supporting passages. Read each in its context before using it.
  • Include hard verses as well as comforting ones. An honest study looks at the whole picture.
  • Keep it to one session per topic unless you are planning a series.

Our topical pages are a good place to gather passages: see Bible verses about forgiveness, money, anxiety and marriage.

Versiah can also help you find passages for a topic when preparing a study for a small group or Sunday. Ask in plain words, for example "passages about forgiving someone who hurt me," and it answers with the exact verses cited, so you can open each one and read it in context before deciding what to use. Tap Study verse on any verse to see its background.

A one-page template you can reuse

  • Passage: book, chapter and verses.
  • Main point (one sentence):
  • Context notes: what comes before and after; who it was written to.
  • Opening question:
  • Observation questions (3):
  • Interpretation questions (3 to 4):
  • Application questions (2 to 3):
  • Closing: personal response and prayer focus.
  • Timing: minutes for each part.
Make every effort to present yourself approved to God, an unashamed workman who accurately handles the word of truth.
2 Timothy 2:15 (BSB)

Paul urges Timothy to handle the word of truth rightly. Careful preparation is one way to honour that.

King James VersionStudy to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Common preparation mistakes

  • Too much material. Three pages of notes and twenty questions means you will rush. Less is more.
  • Only closed questions. If a question can be answered with yes, no or one word, rewrite it.
  • Jumping to application. People need to understand the passage before they can apply it well.
  • Preparing a lecture. Your notes are for you. The group should do most of the discovering.
  • Forgetting to pray. Pray over the passage and the people in your group as you prepare.

Once you are prepared, our guide on how to lead a small group Bible study covers the meeting itself, and how to study the Bible explains the methods behind these steps in more depth.

Questions people ask

How long does it take to prepare a Bible study?

Most leaders spend two to three hours preparing a study for a small group, ideally spread over several days. Reading the passage early in the week and returning to it gives you time to notice more and write better questions.

How do you prepare a Bible study lesson step by step?

Choose a passage of 10 to 20 verses, read it several times, write down observations, check its context, summarise the main point in one sentence, write eight to ten open questions, and plan your timing and closing prayer.

How many verses should a Bible study cover?

For a 60 to 90 minute group, around 10 to 20 verses works well. A story can be longer, while a dense passage from a letter like Romans may need to be shorter.

What questions should I ask in a Bible study?

Use three kinds of open questions: observation (what does it say), interpretation (what does it mean) and application (how does it change how we live). Eight to ten questions is enough for most groups.

How do I prepare a topical Bible study?

Anchor the topic in one main passage that you study carefully in context, then add two or three supporting passages. Read every supporting verse in its surrounding chapter so you do not use it to say something it does not mean.

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