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  • Seven tips on reading the Bible with friends

Seven tips on reading the Bible with friends

You invited your friend to a CU event. They came along. They heard the talk. Now they’re interested in finding out more… what do you do next? Simple, invite them to read the Bible!

Uncover is a fantastic resource with a series of studies designed to put the Bible easily into the hands of your friends, and help them encounter Jesus. It’s simple to use, straightforward, and takes the pressure off you.

God’s Word has power

Since Uncover was launched (all the way back 2011 even before I was at uni), there has been an incredible number of testimonies of people coming to know Jesus through it. One of those testimonies is of Simon, a student who told me that he ‘hated God, Christianity and Christians’ when I first met him, but after our final study in Uncover professed: ‘I believe Jesus really rose from the grave and died for my sins’.

Simon said he ‘hated God, Christianity and Christians’ but after our final study in Uncover professed, ‘I believe Jesus really rose from the grave and died for my sins’.

But we shouldn’t be surprised by stories like this, because this is what happens when people hear the Word of God and meet Jesus. God’s Word is powerful, the person of Jesus is captivating – so there are people who will meet and follow Him through reading the Bible.

Great, but that still sounds daunting? Here are seven top tips:

1- Just ask

Most students I asked, ‘What is stopping you from asking your friend to read Uncover?’ said that it was the fear of rejection. It’s an understandable and real fear, but usually one that we build up in our heads more than we should. Think of it like any other book for a second – is your friend really going to stop being your friend because you ask them to read a book, or to meet once a week and chat through some questions about something important in your life?

They can either say yes or no. If they say yes, brilliant! If they say no, say ‘okay, no worries’ and then ask them again the next time an opportunity arises.

2 - Don’t be weird

We know it's a big deal for our friends to read about Jesus, and that’s exciting, but to them they’re just chatting through some questions. So, meet them there and avoid the things we normally do in a Bible study, like Christian jargon – if you say, ‘Have you been washed by the blood of the lamb?’, they’re probably going to run for the hills and call the RSPCA!

3 - Show that you’re interested in them

Your friend is showing interest in what is most important to you, so show them that you are curious about what matters to them – I know much more than I’d like about ‘Buffy the Vampire Slayer’ after reading Uncover with Simon!

Where you do your study also plays a big part in this; meet in a place that is most comfortable for your friend, whether it’s a café, a pub or their flat. Remove as many barriers as possible.

4 - Don’t be afraid of silence

Sometimes your friend needs time to speak, so don’t try to fill every silence. They don’t need a seminar from you, instead give them time to process what they read and be ready to listen to their response.

5 - Don’t be afraid to say ‘I don’t know’

Your friend may ask you a question about the passage and you have no idea how to answer it. That’s okay! There is no pressure to answer every question there and then. Simply say ‘Great question, I’ll try and find an answer for next time.’ Then go and ask a friend in the CU, your Staff or Relay Worker or rake through the treasure cove of answers on BeThinking and give your friend the answer before the next study.

6 - Don’t wait

It may be tempting to put it off until we’re able to meet in-person, but strike while the iron is hot. The questions and interest your friend has post mission week may not be there for long, so ask now.

To do it online, you can set up a Zoom call and share the screen from the Uncover website. You have the passage, questions and videos all in one place and it’s super easy to use.

7 - Finally pray

It may or may not be unhelpful to pray out loud during the study, but it is vital that you pray! Pray for the opportunity to invite your friend, pray that they will say yes, pray that God will open their eyes, and pray that they will meet Jesus in His Word.

It’s all God’s mission, but He uses us and this little resource of Uncover in that. Maybe this is how He will bring your pal to eternal life.

This blog was written by Aberdeen Staff Worker Alex Hanna.

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It can be tricky to work out how to read the Bible with a friend online. Here, Bath CU student Evie shares her personal story of how she helped a friend discover Jesus in the Bible during lockdown.

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