Study the Bible, and Study It With Anyone · 7 of 9
Reading Together
Read with a not-yet-believer using the same simple method — no pressure, no closing. The Word and the Spirit do that work.
Part: Reach Anyone · a natural stopping point
Look back first. Did you issue the invitation? What happened — yes, not yet, or no? Troubleshoot the real responses together.
The good news about reading with someone who doesn’t yet believe:
Use the same simple method you use alone. Start with the prodigal son.
Begin with one passage, then grow to a few, then to a fuller list (1 → 4 → 12). Luke 15:11–24 — the prodigal son — is the standard first shared study. Read it aloud, twice.
Run the four questions, but add a gentle opener for seekers: “What did you like? What didn’t you understand?” No pressure, ever.
No closing. You don’t have to seal the deal. The Word and the Spirit do that work; discovery carries a person toward faith on its own.
When questions come up about baptism or “can I come to church with you?” — treat them as organic and voluntary: born of faith and desire, never required, never prohibited. Accompany the person if they ask; never pressure.
Practice: walk the prodigal son in pairs — one of you plays an honest seeker. Afterward, debrief what the “seeker” actually experienced.
Your “I will”: read the Bible once with [name], by [date].
Close in prayer. You’ve reached a real choice point: you can finish here as someone who reads the Bible with others, or continue into Part 3 and learn to open it up for a whole group. Both are a win — celebrate either.