8: Bible Studies for Inside and Out
As a sampler, we’re including the first seven Bible studies. They are the first in a series of 101 studies, patterned on key sections of Jesus’ story of the Prodigal Son. After an initial study of the Prodigal Son story, we go on to six stories of prisoners in the Bible. Talk to your prison chaplain or let us know if you’re interested in get- ting an ION small group study started in your prison. We’ll try our best to get you the study materials you need to make it work well in your setting. After several years of running ION small groups, we’ve learned some valuable lessons about what makes a healthy group tick. In fact, we’ve developed our own small group covenant, similar to AA’s “How it Works,” which is often read at the start of AA meetings. You might want to consider using it – or use it as inspiration to craft your own.
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BIBLE STUDIES FOR INSIDE AND OUT
We have a vision – and are busy developing resources – for a new kind of Bible study for inmates and returning citizens. We want to explore 101 key biblical passages and then ask engaging questions that connect with our own personal lives. We want to crate a small group environ- ment where we can wrestle with practical spiritual truths that we can start applying, right where we are. No more know-it-all teacher doing all the talking – this is about tapping into the experience, wisdom, and insight of an entire small group. We want to get people thinking and talking to and praying for each other in a healthy, uplifting, supportive way. We’re working hard to launch “Inside-Out Network Small Groups” both inside and outside prison. As an inmate, you can find an ION small group and work through the Bibles studies, applying them to your situation while locked up. And then as a returning citizen, you can continue your spiritual growth by connecting with an ION small group at churches on the outside. It’s amazing to see how God’s Word applies to us in both places!
Here’s How It Works for Us
We can’t speak for everyone, but here’s what we’ve come to believe: We’re here because we tried doing life on our own, apart from God and his church, and it didn’t work. We’re here because we seriously desire change, and we admit that we need God’s help and the help of others. We’re here because we need hope that won’t fail. We will discover and live in that hope by meeting for Bible study, hon- est conversation, and mutual accountability so that – together – we can live changed and restored lives. As we grow, we will seek to meet the spiritual needs of those out there still lost and wondering if hope is real, by inviting them to the new life we’ve found in Jesus Christ.
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