The Discovery Bible Study is characterized by its simplicity and reproducibility. It encourages participants to engage directly with the scriptures, allowing them to explore and understand biblical teachings in a group setting. Here are some essential aspects of the DBS method:

• Group Engagement: DBS is typically conducted in small groups of two to 20 people, fostering a supportive environment for discussion. (The global average is 16)
• Scripture Focus: Participants read and discuss specific Bible passages, reflecting on their meanings and implications for their lives.
• Obedience-Oriented: The study emphasizes not just understanding the scriptures but also applying them in daily life, encouraging participants to act on what they learn.
• Outward Focused: Participants are encouraged to share what they are learning so another group can start.

The DBS process generally follows these steps:

1. Real life connections: Participants share their Joys and their struggles and assist one another with real life issues.
2. Welcome and Review: Participants share experiences related to previous studies.
3. Reading the Passage: The group reads a selected Bible passage together more than once.
4. Discussion: Participants discuss what the passage reveals about God and themselves.
5. Application: Each person considers how they can apply the teachings in their lives and share them with others.

The DBS approach has led to the establishment of thousands of new churches, particularly in regions where traditional church models have not been effective. The DBS method has been instrumental in reaching both believers and non-believers, making it a vital tool in modern evangelism and church planting efforts. 

We believe that this will be an essential tool in finishing the Great Commission due to its resulting rapid multiplication of genuine disciples of Jesus!

Discovery Bible Study (DBS) is an interactive and straightforward method for exploring the Bible. The participants engage with the text directly, allowing them to discover its meanings and applications for their lives as revealed by the Holy Spirit. This approach is effective for both believers and those new to the faith.

Structure of a DBS Session 
(Plan on 15 minutes per person if everyone participates)

A typical DBS session follows a simple structure that includes the following steps:

1. Connect: Participants share personal updates, discussing what they are thankful for and any challenges they face.
2. Read: A selected Bible passage is read aloud, often multiple times, to ensure understanding.
3. Retell: One participant retells the passage in their own words, reinforcing comprehension. The group fills in any missing details.
4. Discuss: Guided questions help participants explore the text's meaning:
   • What stood out to you and why?
   • What does this passage reveal about God?
   • What does it say about humanity? Yourself?
5. Act: Participants commit to applying the passage in their lives and share their plans with the group.
6. Share: Participants commit to tell at least one person what they learned so they can identify others who are looking for God so another group can start.
7. Pray: The session concludes with prayer, supporting one another in their commitments.

To facilitate a Discovery Bible Study, begin by gathering a small group in the home of a hungry person. Your own home is fine too because you are the hungry person in your own circle of relationships. Then you ask a series of questions starting with what they are thankful for or any challenges they faced. Then, read a Bible passage together, discuss what it reveals about God and humanity, and encourage participants to apply the lessons learned in their lives and to share with others what they learned. This method emphasizes group participation and personal discovery of Scripture and encourages multiplication.

1. What are you thankful for today?
2. What are you concerned about today and how can we help? 
3. How did your sharing and obedience go? (Week 2 and beyond) 
4. Someone read the passage aloud 2x or more. (Different translations are helpful) 
5. Someone retell this passage in your own words. (Group fill in any missing details) 
6. What stood out to you and why? 
7. What does this passage tell you about God? 
8. What does this passage tell you about people? 
9. How will you obey/apply this passage this week? (“I will…”) (Be specific) 10. Who will you share this passage with this week?  (Name a real person and time) 
11. Who do you know in need and how can we help them? 
12. When and where will we meet again?  

● Only discuss the scripture passage for today (or others weʼve studied together as a group).  
    ○ No added stories or added verses. 
    ○ This keeps a “level playing field”, keeps God as the teacher in the group, and respects          everyone's time.
● If someone introduces anything that is not in the passage simply ask them, “Where do you see that in this passage?”   
    ○ This keeps heresy and false beliefs out of the groups.

Group Participation:
Everyone contributes to the discussion, fostering a sense of community.

Personal Discovery:
Participants explore Scripture for themselves, leading to personal insights learned directly from God.

Simplicity:
The method is straightforward, making it easy for anyone to facilitate.

Focus on Application:
Emphasizes how to live out the teachings in daily life.

Focus on Multiplication:
Participants share what they learn in order to identify others who are interested. Then they start another study among the friends and family of the newly identified interested person.


This approach not only helps participants learn about the Bible but also encourages them to share their discoveries with others, promoting a cycle of learning and multiplication.

Empowerment of Participants

• Leadership Development: Participants are trained to facilitate discussions rather than relying on a single leader. This approach allows anyone to lead a group, regardless of their prior experience. Even the Person of Peace (Luke 10:1-11) can facilitate with zero prior bible knowledge.
• Sharing Knowledge: Each session encourages participants to share insights and experiences from their study, looking for those God has already prepared to meet Him.

Simple and Reproducible DBS Format

Six-Part Session: DBS typically follows a straightforward structure:

1. Share life: Share joys, struggles, and how the group can help with the struggles
2. Connect and Review: Discuss personal experiences and share how participants applied previous lessons and who they shared with.
3. Read and Retell: Read a Bible passage and retell it from memory, enhancing understanding.
4. Discuss: Explore what the Spirit revealed to you and what the passage reveals about God and humanity.
5. Act: Commit to applying the lesson in daily life and sharing it with others.
6. Outward and continuous: seek to meet the needs of those outside the group and make a plan to meet again so the group will continue.

Community Growth

• Natural Expansion: As participants feel empowered, they are encouraged to share with friends and family, co-workers and strangers to launch new groups. This natural sharing leads to the formation of multiple DBS groups within the community.
• Cultural Adaptability: DBS can be adapted to various cultural contexts, making it effective in diverse settings, including among non-Christians.

The multiplication of Discovery Bible Studies is driven by empowering and releasing participants, maintaining a simple and replicable format, and fostering the growth of many DBS groups in the community. This approach not only enhances individual understanding and application of the Bible which makes better disciples but also encourages the formation of new groups, leading to rapid expansion of the citizens of the Kingdom of God.

God is multiplying disciples all over the world today through Disciple Making Movements that utilize the DBS to saturate their communities with genuine New Testament disciples of Jesus Christ. 

He will finish the Great Commission just prior to His return. He will do it with you or without you but better with you. 

Jesus is inviting you to join Him in what He’s doing in these last days. Don’t wait and don’t hesitate. 
Say “YES” to Jesus today and begin the journey of becoming the disciple-maker you were meant to be.

So I said, “Well… that depends.” Then I looked at Amy and asked, “How do you feel about it?”
She said, “Yeah, I’ve never done it, so I guess I should.”
Now, some people don’t like when I say this, but there isn’t actually a specific “sinner’s prayer” in the Bible. There’s no script we’re told to repeat to get saved.
So, to clarify, I shared my own story.
When I came to God, I was at one of the lowest points in my life. I cried out to Him, and He met me there. And when He revealed Himself to me, I knew I needed to give Him everything. My prayer was simple: “You win. I give up.”
We explained to Amy that people look at the outside, but God looks at the heart. It’s not about saying the right words—it’s about truly surrendering your life to Jesus.

We walked through a few key Scriptures.
John 1:12 says that anyone who receives Jesus becomes a child of God. So we asked: what does it really mean to receive Him?
We explained that when someone truly comes to Christ, there’s a real change. As 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, they become a new creation—the old is gone, the new has come.
We also talked about being born again. Jesus says in John 3:3 that no one can see the kingdom of God unless they’re born again.
It’s actually pretty simple.
You’re born into your physical family without choosing it. But when you realize you’re a sinner and need a Savior, you must choose to receive Jesus—and that’s when you’re born into God’s family.
Amy seemed to get that. She had already been born into her earthly family, and now she was ready and willing to become part of God’s family.

We also talked about John 3:16. Everyone knows it—but we wanted to be clear about what “believe” means.
It’s not just acknowledging something exists. It means trusting in Jesus, relying on Him, putting your life in His hands.
We also made it clear—Jesus isn’t just our Savior, He's also our Lord.
And we didn’t avoid the hard part. Jesus says in Luke 9 that following Him means denying yourself, taking up your cross daily, and following Him. In Luke 14, He says you have to love Him above everything else and be willing to give up everything to follow Him.

After all of that… Amy still wanted to move forward.
So I said, “Normally this is done ‘repeat after me,’ but if I say anything you don’t agree with, just stop.”
She said, “Okay.”
So we prayed together, slowly:
“Lord Jesus, I know I’m a sinner, and I need You to save me. I can’t save myself. I believe You died for my sins and rose again to give me new life. I receive You as my Savior—and as my Lord, the authority over my whole life. I’m not living for myself anymore. I want to live for You. In Jesus’ name, amen.”

When we finished, Amy said, “I have tears in my eyes—I feel like I’m going to cry.”
We told her that’s often a sign something real just happened—that it came from her heart. It was not just words.

And when you look at Scripture, the pattern is incredibly consistent. Baptism happens immediately after someone believes:

• In John 3 Jesus was preaching, healing, and baptizing.
• In John 4 He is training His disciples to baptize people
• In Acts 2, people were baptized the same day they believed
• In Acts 8, the Ethiopian eunuch was baptized immediately
• In Acts 10, Cornelius’s household was baptized right away
• In Acts 16, Lydia and her household were baptized immediately
• Also in Acts 16, the Philippian jailer and his household were baptized before the sun came up!

So the pattern is clear: belief comes first, then baptism—and it happens as soon as possible AFTER salvation.
Because of that, baptism shouldn’t happen before someone personally chooses to follow Jesus, and it shouldn’t be delayed for months or years either.

In Scripture, we don’t see hesitation—we see immediate obedience.
If you haven’t received Jesus yet, I’d just ask—why wait?
Without Him, a person is separated from God, headed for eternal death, and trying to figure life out on their own. But with Him, we receive forgiveness of sins, purpose,power, and eternal life—and God Himself walks with us guiding us through life.

After salvation and baptism, it’s about staying connected to God and others.
Spend time with Him daily—talk to Him, read His Word, and obey what He says.
And stay connected to other believers.
One of the best ways to do that is simply gathering in homes—sharing meals, reading Scripture, praying, helping one another live for Him, and worshiping the Lord together.
That’s exactly what the early church did.
So if you aren’t saved and haven’t been born again yet, you can come to Jesus and be born into God's family just like Amy did—with a sincere, surrendered heart. 
Just pray the prayer that Amy prayed. If you mean every word, then you too will cross over from death to life.
Then get baptized as soon as possible. Any baptized, born-again follower of Jesus can baptize you. It does not have to be done by a professional Christian.
And from there, build your life around knowing and following Him—daily, and with others.
Amy—and anyone else who makes that decision—welcome to the family of God.
You’ve made the most important decision of your life.

As Jesus said in John 5:24:
“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes Him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”

On my first trip to Africa, I conducted three trainings, the second of which was the smallest with about 20 students. Those twenty were mostly women. They were very excited to learn how to be part of the mission of Jesus Christ. They were excited to learn the powerful simplicity of the early church and the way Jesus equipped His disciples to disciple nations. They were eager to learn disciples can be women and that all disciples, regardless of gender, should live out the Great Commission.

The Great Commission, simply stated, is to go somewhere to share the gospel with someone, to baptize those who respond to the gospel and receive Jesus, and then teach them to obey all His commands. It’s not complicated, and it is the work that every person who claims to be a disciple should be doing somehow. When I left that impromptu training in Mbale, Uganda, I traveled on to Kampala, Uganda, to do another training, and then I traveled home.

When my plane landed in the U.S., and I turned my phone on, I had messages from the leader of the first small group I had trained. He said, “Brother, we have a problem.
Those ladies you trained have led 70 people to Christ and baptized them.”
“That’s awesome! So what’s the problem?”

He said, “Well, the local professional clergymen are upset because they say that women are not allowed to baptize people. What should we do?”

I said, “Ask the local clergymen to show you all of the scripture passages that declare a woman is not allowed to baptize people, and until they show you those verses, you tell those sisters to keep up the good work.”

Of course, no scripture was ever found that says that women are not allowed to baptize, and those ladies have continued to multiply and have now baptized more than 1,500 people the last I heard. Glory to God!

If you want to learn how to be a disciple who knows how to go, share the gospel, baptize those who believe in Christ, and teach them to obey all of His commands, then reach out to us via phone or e-mail. Let’s set up a time to get you trained. We are looking forward to hearing from you. God bless you.

The first time I went to Africa I did three training sessions. In the first one, I trained about 50 or 60 pastors, elders, and bishops in something called disciple-making movements (DMM). I was invited to a city called Webuye in northwest Kenya.

The man who was the translator, turning my English into the local Swahili dialect of that region, was named Samuel. At the time, Samuel was not part of the group that had invited me. He was just a local pastor and seminary teacher who had very good English skills.  Samuel stood next to me for three days and translated this training for eight hours a day. Then, after the training was over, I lost track of Samuel and didn’t know if I’d ever see him again.

You see, Samuel was tired. He tells people that before he learned about DMM he felt like Peter after working hard all night and catching nothing. Samuel felt this way because he had been a pastor of a local congregation for 35 years. He had been preaching his heart out week, after week, after week for decades. And after those 35 years he only had 50 people in his church and the only thing they did to grow their church was to invite people to attend their meetings. And that was not working.

After the training Samuel realized that he had not been doing Jesus’ work Jesus’ way and therefore was not experiencing Jesus results. He went and met with his elders and he shared with them what he had learned. He showed them the scriptures and everything he had learned over that weekend. His elders saw what he was showing them and miraculously, all of his elders decided to join him in making a change.
 
Then they did something that I find utterly amazing. Samuel and his elders went before the congregation and they repented. They told the congregation they had been doing Jesus’ work according to the traditions of men, not according to the ways of Jesus or according to the pattern that we see in the New Testament church. Samuel and the elders told the congregation  that they wanted to train them to be disciples who make disciples. They could no longer be satisfied making passive spectator Christian church members. And, amazingly, the congregation was also receptive to this message. They were receptive to the idea of becoming what Jesus requires them to become and not being satisfied at a lower level than the level of Jesus.

Now, I knew nothing about what was happening. But ten months later I was back in Africa in the neighboring country of Uganda and Samuel traveled over about 8 hours to spend some time with me. And I have to be honest, when I saw Samuel he seemed like he was ten years younger. He was a man who had a new lease on life and he was very excited. He said, “brother, I have to tell you what happened. I replied and said, “I didn’t know you were doing anything with what you learned. Tell me, what has the lord done.” He shared with me the story that I just shared with you and then he said this.  “Brother, we have gone from 50 church members in one location to more than 2500 obedient multiplying disciples in more than 100 locations across northwest Kenya in less than a year! I don’t just pastor at church anymore, now I oversee a movement.” Glory to God!

Today, Samuel is one of the leaders in our network of disciples that is multiplying in East Africa and around the world. And if you feel that the Lord would like you to help support Samuel in his work just click on this link and it will take you to the place where you can support him. Believe it or not, Samuel only needs $500 a month to be fully supported. That covers his food, clothing, housing and his transportation to go and conduct other discipleship trainings in Africa and beyond.Samuel is committed to making disciples and to expanding the Kingdom of God to the ends of the earth until the return of Christ! So please prayerfully consider supporting him.

And if you want to go through this DMM training and learn what Samuel learned that changed his whole life and turned his ministry upside down, reach out to Go Multiply and set up a training so that we can see obedient disciples of Jesus multiply in your location as we’re seeing them multiply around the world!

God Bless you.

When I first went to Africa I was invited by a group who called themselves simple house churches that multiply. They had been using the building-based church system but realized that it wasn’t actually making disciples. For the most part, people remained “infants” and didn’t become what Jesus commanded, which is obedient, reproducing disciples. They noticed from the New Testament that people met in their homes, so they stopped working and meeting in religious buildings and started meeting in homes. But it was still a struggle and they weren’t growing. It was a struggle because they were trying to recreate the “big” church gathering in smaller environments. They had changed the location, but they hadn’t changed the format or the emphasis.

Then they invited us there to conduct the Disciple-Making Movement (DMM) training and they learned what a disciple and the purpose of the church really is. They clearly understood the training program of Jesus to make disciples that make more disciples until all nations are discipled.
 
One of the house fellowships they had started had about 20 people attending weekly before the training. They were still doing the same things they had been taught to do in the larger venue of the church building—invite people to church. They were doing that even though that practice isn’t found anywhere in the New Testament. No one ever invited another person to church in the Bible. But that’s what they were doing and they were stuck at about 20 people.

After the training they took a risk. They told their entire group of 20 not to come to church the following week. Instead, they said, “go out into the streets. Go out and talk to people about God.” They told them to come back the following week and report on how it went. So people did that. The following Sunday they did not attend their church gathering in a home but instead went out to the markets, into the streets, and talked to people about Jesus. Then, on the Sunday after that, they came together again, but instead of 20 people coming to the meeting, the 20 came back and 20 more came with them! All-in-all 40 people came together for the church meeting that day! Isn’t that amazing? If nothing else, it shows us that people are intrigued when the followers of God are willing to take a risk for God.
Can you imagine doing the same thing at your church? What if your pastor told everybody, don’t come to church next week but instead, go out and share the gospel with someone? Then come back the following week and report on how it went.

That network has now fully embraced the training program of Jesus to equip people to disciple nations. They have multiplied to hundreds of thousands of obedient disciples of Jesus Christ and have established multiplying networks of disciples in more than eight countries in East Africa. Many of these leaders now have invitations to go around the world and train people in DMM so that those people can multiply disciples and see the results that they are seeing in East Africa.

If you want to learn how to make disciples that make disciples according to the training program of Jesus, then reach out to us and we will schedule a time to get you trained!