Sharing a Bible discovery on the Feed: building one another up
When you read the Bible and something strikes you, you usually do nothing with it: you move on. Yet what you saw may help someone else. This quest invites you to share a Bible discovery on the community Feed, like a small stone added to the building.
What it looks like in your day
A “discovery” is not necessarily a brand-new meaning: it is something you saw, understood or felt in your reading. Here is how to write it up:
- Identify what struck you. A detail in the text, a link between two passages, a question resolved, a verse that echoed in your life.
- Write it simply, in three to five sentences. Say what you read, what you noticed, and why it matters to you.
- Give the reference. So others can go and read the passage for themselves.
- End with an opening. A question, an invitation: “And you, what did you notice in this text?”
For example: “Reading Luke 5 this morning, I noticed that Peter, after a night without catching anything, answers: ‘Nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.’ He is tired and skeptical, but he obeys. It reminded me of those mornings when I don't feel like doing anything. And you, what do you do when you're running on empty?”
This kind of sharing can be short. The point is not to produce a sermon, but to tell about a small moment of reading.
If you are short on time, three sentences are enough. If you are a beginner, you don't need great knowledge: a sincere impression is worth more than a lecture. If you are shy, you can write without putting yourself forward: what matters is the text.
What the Bible says
The Bible presents sharing as a normal part of life with God. The psalmist says:
“I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O Lord, thou knowest.”
He doesn't keep to himself what he has received: he proclaims it in the great congregation. The prophet Malachi describes a moment when those who fear the Lord “spake often one to another” (Malachi 3:16): God pays attention, and has a book of remembrance written. Paul urges us to admonish one another with the word (Colossians 3:16). And Peter reminds us that each person has received a gift to be used in serving others:
“As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.”
Your way of reading, seeing and wondering is a gift you have received, and it can be of use.
Pitfalls to avoid
Preaching. It is easy to slip into a teacher's tone: “You have to understand that…” Speak in the first person: “I noticed that…”
Acting like an expert. You don't need to understand everything to share. Stay humble: you are one reader among others.
Saying inaccurate things. Before sharing, check that you haven't misunderstood the text. Reread the context. If you have a doubt, put it as a question.
Seeking approval. The number of reactions is not the measure of your post's value. Offer it without waiting.
Criticizing others. A discovery is not a way to correct other people's beliefs. It is there to encourage.
This week, spot a discovery in your reading. Write it in four sentences, and share it on the Feed.