Discovery Group Scripture Passage Sets

Here are some topics and suggestions to help your group, person of peace or his or her social network as they grow in the Lord.

While "all scripture is inspired and profitable ... for training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16) not everyone is in the same stage of relationship to Christ so I've suggested passages for various stages of maturity to start.

When able I like to begin with Jesus' Parable of the Four Soils (Mark 4:13-20), the parable Jesus called "key" to the others (Mark 4:13).

Then you can continue below as appropriate to your group. Remember, the person choosing scripture passages is functioning as pastor to the group, seeking to help the group mature.

I've tried to post suggested scripture passages by topic but of course all scripture is applicable to all those called to follow Jesus:

Difficult experiences in life: trauma, grief, why God allows suffering and evil, lament, healing, forgiving, and resiliency.	Being Disciples of Jesus: How is attending church different from following Jesus? Let's explore how Jesus' higher bar brings deeper transformation.	Our Anchor in Days of Trouble and Anxiety
Hope and Forgiveness: God's beams of light into a dark room bring hope beyond our strength and circumstances	Making Disciples: disciples of Jesus reflect Jesus and invite others to join him in his mission.	What is God and His Kingdom Like? The Character of God and Life in God's Kingdom
Genesis to Jesus: The Bible is not a series of disconnected stories but one seamless story: God's love and rescue story of a fallen world.	Studies in the Gospels: Mark and John	The Seven Commands of Christ
What about Alpha and what comes after...	Strength for Jesus' Disciples in the Challenges in this world: the Holy Spirit	Marriage, Gender and Sexual Expression
Salvation	Wisdom	Living in the Blessing of God
Prayers of the New Testament	Sermon on the Mount	The Church Year

Remember an initial DBS conversation can be as brief as 5 minutes and as casual as asking a small group of people "what do you make of this?" - then reading (or quoting from memory) a verse or two relevant to your conversation and asking what it suggests God is like, people are like or how one would live differently if these things were true.

For example you could ask, "where do you look for strength on hard days?" and read Isaiah 41:8-10 leading to a brief DBS conversation. Or "is blessing just random for those who are lucky?" and read Matt 5:1-10 leading to a brief DBS conversation. Following the conversation on "How does God bless?" in invitation can be extended to continue with the Sermon on the Mount.

A mental health conversation may lead to a series such as the source of hope beyond our circumstances.

Additional Scripture passage sets have been developed for your use by others. Several offer passage sets appropriate to various stages of growth. I'm happy to pass on below.

Persons of Peace: For those unfamiliar with the Bible's "love and rescue" story, you may want to introduce the chronological passages suggested in this PDF.

Following Jesus Discovery Series: five themes of five passages each providing a basic footing for those seeking to follow Jesus - prayer, obedience, service, generosity, telling others in PDF

Making Disciples: For those wishing to help new believers learn what it means to follow Christ, see "Discovering Obedience Based Discipleship" passages in PDF

Building Disciple-makers: For those wishing to help small groups further build God's intention for disciple-making communities, see "Discovering Church Planting" in PDF. For list of passages only, click here.

Leadership Development: For those helping 'persons of peace' join you in developing disciple-making movements, see "Discovering Leadership" for multiplication in PDF. For list of passages only, click here.