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Bible Study Topics for Small Groups: 25 Ideas With Discussion Questions
A good small group Bible study topic does three things: it starts in a specific passage rather than a vague theme, it touches a question the people in the room are actually living, and it leaves room for honest discussion instead of a lecture. The 25 topics below meet that bar. Each comes with a key passage and discussion questions you can use as they are, for a men's group, a women's study, a couples' group, or a mixed fellowship. Where Founded in Truth has taught on a topic, there is a link to the teaching; everything in our library is free to watch, no login.
Foundational Topics
1. Who Is God? Understanding His Character
Key passage: Exodus 34:6-7
Discussion questions:
- How would you describe God to someone who has never heard of Him?
- Which attribute of God is most comforting to you right now? Why?
- How does understanding God's character change how you approach prayer?
Watch: God's Compassion, which opens in Exodus 34:6.
2. The Authority of Scripture
Key passage: 2 Timothy 3:16-17
Discussion questions:
- What does it mean that Scripture is "God-breathed"?
- How do you handle passages that are difficult to understand or accept?
- In what area of life do you need to let Scripture have more authority?
Watch: What the Bible Is NOT.
3. What Is the Gospel?
Key passage: Romans 3:21-26
Discussion questions:
- How would you explain the gospel in 60 seconds to a friend?
- What is the difference between religion and the gospel?
- How does understanding the gospel change daily life, not just eternal destiny?
Watch: What is the Gospel? or explore the Romans teachings.
Practical Life Topics
4. Managing Anxiety and Worry
Key passage: Philippians 4:6-7, Matthew 6:25-34
Discussion questions:
- What do you worry about most, and what does that reveal about what you are trusting?
- What does "present your requests to God" look like in a stressful week?
Watch: Collide – Anxiety and Idolatry, on Matthew 6.
5. Biblical Wisdom for Financial Stewardship
Key passage: Proverbs 3:9-10, Matthew 6:19-21
Discussion questions:
- Where does your money go first each month, and what does that say about your priorities?
- What would "honoring the Lord with your wealth" look like this year?
Watch: Believers as Benefactors – Generosity vs. Greed.
6. Navigating Conflict in Relationships
Key passage: Matthew 18:15-17, Ephesians 4:25-32
Discussion questions:
- Why do we tend to talk about a person before we talk to them?
- Which instruction in Ephesians 4:25-32 is hardest for you when you are angry?
Watch: Satan's Bait – Offense as a Christian's Downfall.
7. Work, Calling, and Purpose
Key passage: Colossians 3:23-24, Jeremiah 29:11
Discussion questions:
- What changes about an ordinary workday if you are "working for the Lord, not for human masters"?
- Where is the gap between what you do and what you were made for?
Watch: Made to Worship – Your Purpose in Life.
8. Parenting with Biblical Wisdom
Key passage: Deuteronomy 6:4-9, Proverbs 22:6
Discussion questions:
- Deuteronomy 6 says to talk about God's commands "when you sit at home and when you walk along the road." What does that look like in your house?
- What did you learn about God from your own parents?
Watch: The Shema and the Pattern of Human Endeavors, on Deuteronomy 6:4.
9. Biblical View of Marriage
Key passage: Ephesians 5:22-33, Genesis 2:18-25
Discussion questions:
- What does it mean for a husband to love his wife "as Christ loved the church"?
- How does Genesis 2 shape the way you think about partnership?
Watch: Marriage and Divorce in the Bible – Sermon on the Mount.
Spiritual Growth Topics
10. Developing a Prayer Life
Key passage: Matthew 6:5-13 (The Lord's Prayer)
Discussion questions:
- What is your biggest struggle with prayer? Consistency? Focus? Knowing what to say?
- What can we learn about prayer from the way Yeshua taught His disciples to pray?
- How has prayer changed a specific situation in your life?
Watch: Collide – Why Pray?
11. Understanding and Using Spiritual Gifts
Key passage: 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, Romans 12:6-8
Discussion questions:
- Which gifts in these two lists have you seen at work in this group?
- Paul says the gifts are given "for the common good." Where is your gift serving others right now?
Explore the 1 Corinthians teachings.
12. The Role of the Holy Spirit
Key passage: John 14:15-27, Acts 2:1-4
Discussion questions:
- Yeshua calls the Spirit "another Counselor." How have you experienced that?
- Why was the Spirit poured out at Pentecost, a harvest feast, and not some other day?
Watch: Shavuot – Pentecost, The Spirit, and New Creation.
13. Fasting: What, Why, and How
Key passage: Matthew 6:16-18, Isaiah 58:6-7
Discussion questions:
- Isaiah 58 describes the fast God chooses. How is it different from skipping meals?
- What has kept you from fasting, and what would a first step be?
14. Studying the Bible Effectively
Key passage: Psalm 119:105, Joshua 1:8
Discussion questions:
- What is the difference between reading the Bible and studying it?
- What method or habit has helped you the most, and what has not worked?
Watch: How Jesus Read the Bible – The Torah Series. For a written walkthrough, see How to Study the Bible.
Character and Virtue Topics
15. Forgiveness: Receiving and Extending
Key passage: Matthew 18:21-35, Colossians 3:13
Discussion questions:
- Who is the hardest person you have ever had to forgive?
- What is the difference between forgiveness and reconciliation?
- How does understanding God's forgiveness of us change how we forgive others?
Watch: FORGIVE? No Way, Man! Why Forgiveness brings healing.
16. Humility in a Self-Promoting World
Key passage: Philippians 2:3-11
Discussion questions:
- Where are you most tempted to promote yourself, and why?
- Paul says Messiah "made himself nothing." What would that look like in your week?
Explore the Philippians teachings.
17. Integrity When No One Is Watching
Key passage: Proverbs 10:9, Daniel 6:1-5
Discussion questions:
- Daniel's enemies could find no fault in him. What habits made that possible?
- Where is the gap widest between your public self and your private self?
Explore the Daniel teachings.
18. Patience and Trusting God's Timing
Key passage: James 5:7-8, Psalm 27:14
Discussion questions:
- What are you waiting on God for right now?
- James compares patience to a farmer waiting for rain. What is the farmer doing while he waits?
Watch: Hanukkah: The Slowness of God.
19. Generosity and Contentment
Key passage: 2 Corinthians 9:6-8, Philippians 4:11-13
Discussion questions:
- Paul says he "learned" to be content. How is contentment learned?
- When did someone's generosity change your week?
Watch: Generosity – An Attribute of a Believer.
Deeper Theological Topics
20. The Relationship Between Old and New Testaments
Key passage: Matthew 5:17-20, Hebrews 8:6-13
Discussion questions:
- What did Yeshua mean when He said He came to fulfill the Law, not abolish it?
- Which parts of the Old Testament do you tend to skip, and why?
Watch: Sermon on the Mount – I Came to Fulfill the Law, or explore the Matthew teachings.
21. Suffering and the Sovereignty of God
Key passage: Romans 8:28-39, Job 1-2
Discussion questions:
- What does "all things" in Romans 8:28 include in Job's story?
- What do you say, and not say, to someone who is suffering?
Watch: Should THIS be in the Bible? – Praying Psalm 88, on the bleakest psalm.
22. What Happens After Death?
Key passage: 2 Corinthians 5:1-10, 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18
Discussion questions:
- What did you grow up believing about the afterlife, and where did that come from?
- Paul comforts the grieving with the resurrection, not with "they are in a better place." Why does that matter?
Watch: The Afterlife – Part 1.
23. Spiritual Warfare and the Armor of God
Key passage: Ephesians 6:10-18
Discussion questions:
- Every piece of the armor is defensive except the sword. What does that suggest about the fight?
- Where do you feel most under attack: your mind, your relationships, your habits?
Watch: The Church and The Devil, or explore the Ephesians teachings.
24. The Biblical Feasts and Their Meaning
Key passage: Leviticus 23, Colossians 2:16-17
Discussion questions:
- Leviticus 23 calls these "the appointed times of the LORD." Whose feasts are they?
- Colossians 2:17 calls them a shadow. What does a shadow tell you about the body casting it?
Explore the Leviticus teachings, or start with What is Passover? and the History of Easter.
25. Identity in Christ
Key passage: Ephesians 1:3-14, 2 Corinthians 5:17
Discussion questions:
- Where do you tend to find your identity outside of Christ?
- Which truth about your identity in Him is hardest to believe?
- How would your daily life change if you fully lived out your identity in Christ?
Watch: Paul's Mystery – Our True Identity in Messiah.
Tips for Leading These Topics
- Facilitate, do not lecture. Your job is to ask good questions, not to have all the answers.
- Create safety. What is shared in the group stays in the group.
- Start with easier topics and move to deeper ones as trust builds.
- Always point back to Scripture. Opinions are interesting; God's Word is authoritative.
- Redirect tangents gently, and note them: they often reveal what people actually need to discuss in a future session.
- End with application. Ask: "What is one thing you will do differently this week based on what we studied?"
For preparation, question-asking, and the mistakes new leaders make, read How to Lead a Bible Study.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you pick a Bible study topic for a small group?
Start with the people, not the topic: consider your group's maturity, life stage, and the themes that keep coming up in conversation. If people are stressed, study anxiety; if there is relational tension, study forgiveness or conflict; if the group is new, start with the foundational topics above.
What are good Bible study topics for men's groups?
Men's groups tend to engage most with topics that carry a concrete challenge: integrity when no one is watching, work and calling, anxiety, forgiveness, and spiritual warfare. Pick a passage with a clear action step and ask each man to name one thing he will do before the next meeting.
What are some interesting Bible topics to discuss?
The topics with real tension in them spark the best discussion: what happens after death, suffering and the sovereignty of God, how the Old and New Testaments fit together, and the biblical feasts. Each has honest disagreement inside the church, which is exactly what gets a quiet group talking.
How long should a small group Bible study be?
Most groups do well with 60 to 90 minutes: a few minutes to settle in, the passage read aloud, 30 to 45 minutes of discussion, and time to pray for one another. If the conversation is still going when time is up, end anyway; leaving people wanting more beats wearing them out.
How many weeks should we spend on one topic?
Most of these topics work as a single session. Deeper topics like suffering, marriage, and spiritual gifts benefit from two or three weeks, so pay attention to your group's engagement and keep going while the discussion is still lively.
Looking for a Small Group?
Founded in Truth Fellowship in Rock Hill, SC has the FIT Life Group for ages 25 to 39 and FIT InBetweens for ages 18 to 25. See all ministries, or plan a visit to a Saturday service.