By the Honest Little Apps studio · Scripture from the World English Bible (public domain)
How do you prepare to lead a Bible study?
Prepare to lead a Bible study by reading the chapter twice, writing a one-line summary and the events in order, drafting three kinds of questions (what it says, what it means, what we'll do) with the verse that answers each, checking one background fact, then praying for each person by name.
If no one has trained you, you're not unusual. Lifeway Research's State of Groups report, published in January 2025 from a survey of 1,021 groups ministry leaders, found that more than 1 in 3 churches (36%) provide no training for small group leaders. This checklist is the training we wish more leaders got.
Read twice, ask three kinds of questions, know the verse behind each answer.
Ways to prepare a small group Bible study, compared
| Approach | Good for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Winging it | Nothing, honestly | Talk drifts away from the text by minute ten |
| A published leader's guide | Leaders short on time | Questions written for someone else's group |
| This 12-item checklist | Any chapter, any group | You still write the questions yourself |
| Wayfold leader guides (our app) | Ruth and Jonah, ready to print | Only six books so far |
A checklist travels to any chapter; a ready guide saves the most time.
Who should pick something else
- Topical groups. If your group studies themes like marriage or money instead of one chapter at a time, a topical curriculum will fit better.
- Video-led groups. If a video carries the teaching, its own leader guide is the right prep.
- Groups studying a book Wayfold doesn't cover. The checklist works for any chapter, but the app's studies cover six books.
- Android users. Wayfold is iPhone only. This page works anywhere.
The Bible study leader checklist, as a conversation
Here are the questions first-time leaders actually ask us, and the twelve checks that answer them. Ticks save on this device only, and they move the ring at the top.
With the text, not a commentary. The leaders in Nehemiah's day "read in the book, in the law of God, distinctly; and they gave the sense, so that they understood the reading."
Nehemiah 8:8World English Bible
The bones of the story. Who's there, where they are, and what happens in what order. Your group will ask.
Six good ones beat twenty. Start with questions the text answers, so nobody feels stupid, then go deeper.
Say so, and go back to the text together. The Bereans were praised for "examining the Scriptures daily to see whether these things were so."
Acts 17:11World English Bible
Two things trip up most groups: people reading from different translations, and running out of time before the last question.
Prepared leaders don't know every answer; they know where the answers are.
How Wayfold does the prep for you
Study the chapter
Read it in the World English Bible or have it read aloud, answer a few questions, then see the exact words in the chapter that answer each one.
Trace the story
Put the chapter's main events in order, each tied to the verse where it happens. That's checks 2 to 4, done with your thumb.
Print the leader guide
Each session has an introduction, the outline in order, questions with an answer key and verses, a background note, the places named and a reflection question.
One design decision we care about: every explanation is labeled In the text, History, Interpretation, Traditions differ or Debated. That's check 7 built in, so you never present a scholar's guess as what the verse says.
Honest limits
- Six books, 21 chapters. Ruth and Jonah, with their leader guides, are free. The other four studies, including Philippians, Habakkuk and Philemon, come with Wayfold Premium Lifetime, a one-time purchase with no subscription.
- Map tiles need a connection. The complete World English Bible is stored on your device, but the Apple Maps view needs internet.
- It won't write your application question. That one depends on your people, and it should.
Disclosure: Wayfold is made by us, Honest Little Apps.
Make it a habit with Wayfold
Read a chapter, answer the questions and see the exact verse that proves each answer. Ruth and Jonah studies and their printable leader guides are free.
More from Faith for Real Life
- Book of Jonah summary by chapter, with the verse behind each pointA Book of Jonah summary by chapter, with the verse behind every point, labeled notes on history and debate, and a drag-to-order quiz of the story.
- Book of Ruth summary by chapter, on a timeline from empty to fullA Book of Ruth summary by chapter on a timeline from famine to harvest, with the WEB verse behind each point and a calculator for reading or group time.
- How to use a Bible commentary without letting it do your thinkingHow to use a Bible commentary without letting it do your thinking: 3 taps build a timed study order, plus a worked example on Jonah 4:2 (WEB).
- SOAP vs inductive Bible study, worked on Ruth 1SOAP vs inductive Bible study, compared on one passage: Ruth 1 worked both ways, a side-by-side table, and a 20-second find-the-verse drill to try.
Scripture quotations: World English Bible, public domain, via eBible.org.