July 11, 2025

166. Discovery Bible Study – New Zealand

40 minutes

Welcome to episode 166 of the podcast. In this episode, we take you into Northland, New Zealand, where leaders like Dave, Graham, Sam, and others are wrestling with one central question: How can Discovery Bible Study (DBS) become more than a method—and instead spark a movement of disciple-making in our own context?

You’ll hear stories of breakthrough, honest questions about challenges, and the shift from teaching to facilitating—from knowledge to revelation. Whether it’s with a Muslim family, a church congregation, or people in the harvest, DBS is opening hearts to the Word and multiplying impact.

Let’s move beyond theory and explore how DBS can be lived out—simply, reproducibly, and powerfully—wherever you are.

🎤 Dave’s Discovery of DBS

Dave first encountered DBS through David Watson’s work in Africa.

He began applying it with a Muslim family, using simple inductive Bible study questions.

Key quote: “Power of God plus the Word of God put together makes disciples that multiply.”

His journey reflects a shift in mindset:

From using tools to tell people what Scripture says ➝ to trusting God’s Word and Spirit to speak directly.

From knowledge-based to revelation-based engagement.

From teaching to facilitating.

From expert-led ➝ to anyone can lead, even non-believers.

Coaches must help contextualize the Scripture set (not just use Creation to Christ for every setting).

Keep it simple: as easy as ABC – Ask, Bible, Commit (6–7 core questions).

DBS is not just for Christians; non-Christians can also hear and obey God’s Word.

Retelling is key so people can pass on what they’ve heard.

“This God is someone who wants to have relationship.”
– Muslim man expressing his first discovery of God through DBS on Genesis 1.

🙌 Sam Turner’s Journey

Sam shares his wrestle with DBS, particularly applying it within a church setting, then seeing it multiply outside.

He describes key paradigm shifts:

Getting out of the way as a teacher.

Discovery leads to internal conviction, not just external teaching.

In his church, they started passing the mic around after sermons, asking people to share their discoveries and applications.

DBS is not about growing my church—it’s about growing the Kingdom.

Multiplication over addition.

A challenging but catalytic question:
“Who within my sphere of influence could catalyse groups?”

💬 Live Group Reflections

What happens when obedience is hard for Christians? One great DBS question:
“How should I change my thinking or actions from this story?”

Powerful moment during a DBS on Luke 24:13–49 (Road to Emmaus):

A long-time Bible teacher said, “You’ve ruined me as 40 years of Bible teaching!” after experiencing DBS for the first time.

Others shared how the group dynamic gave multiple “facets” of a passage—“like a diamond.”

The Resurrected Jesus (living testimony) and the Scriptures work powerfully hand-in-hand in mission.

💡 Reflective Challenge

As you reflect on what you’ve heard—from internal wrestles to surprising fruit—ask yourself:

How might you tweak or implement DBS with those in your own context?
What shift—big or small—could you make this week to move from teaching to discovery, from addition to multiplication?

Check out the video of this podcast episode here:

https://vimeo.com/showcase/11766423/video/1099331027

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By Dave Lawton