Choosing & Designing Bible Study Plans · 6 of 10
Rules 1 & 2: Audience First, Keep It Short
Decide the audience before anything, and keep passages short and story-shaped.
The first two rules for building your own list.
Rule 1 — audience first: decide who the group is and where they’re starting before you pick any verse; the audience sets everything else.
Rule 2 — short and story-shaped: aim for 10–20 verses, narrative, easy to retell. This isn’t about style — it’s what makes the eat step (read, re-read, retell) work. If people can’t retell it, they haven’t swallowed it. Long passages force the group to rush or the leader to start teaching.
When in doubt, go shorter.
Reflect & do
For the person or group on your heart, name their audience in one word: seeker, hurting, new believer, or maturing.