When a minor league baseball player gets called up to the major league team, the pressure’s on. The cameras are rolling, the stadiums are big, and the lights are bright. Stir in the higher level of competition, and it can be a hard adjustment. Even the best players can take several weeks to settle in.

When they receive a promotion, can’t-miss prospects often fare better than lifetime minor leaguers—and not just for the obvious reason. Hot shots know they have the freedom to make mistakes, that management will be patient. Minor league lifers need to impress; this may be their only chance to turn the right heads and catch a break. The pressure rises and performance suffers.

Young Bible study leaders can feel the same sort of tension.

Why Try So Hard?

Good Bible study leaders are convinced of the power of God’s word and are excited to communicate that truth to others. They don’t take Bible study meetings lightly.

When they get a chance to lead, they want to make it count. Some feel they’ve been waiting their whole lives for this opportunity.

While some study leaders are motivated by godly ambition and a desire to serve, other darker, more insidious motives may be lurking in the heart.

A Bible study leader may want to impress. They long to catch the attention of a mover or shaker in their church. The spotlight calls, and they seek additional opportunities to teach and lead. When a leader wants to be impressive, then often try to be profound. They draw grand conclusions and dispense inter-textual connections like a broken gum ball machine.

Alternately, a leader may seek instant change in their group members. They have been convicted and moved by studying a passage, and they urge the same change on others. They don’t realize that—by God’s design—not every lesson lands on every person with the same weight. They end up trying to do the Holy Spirit’s work for him.

Be Content Hitting Singles and Doubles

When we convince ourselves nothing less than a home run will do, we often end up striking out. If you’re tempted to swing for the fences, here are some better goals.

A Bible study leader’s primary job is faithfulness to the Lord and his Word. Our task is to help our friends engage with the Scriptures, not to push our own agenda or inflate our reputation. Let’s give ourselves to careful Bible study practices, leaving enough preparation time to write questions that lead our friends to grapple with the author’s main point.

Love your people. We do not lead Bible studies in the abstract. We gather real people around the Bible seeking understanding. Pray for the friends who come to your study. Love them. Listen to them and learn from them.

Cultivate your skills. It’s not a sin to want to understand the Bible and communicate it better. (It is a sin to seek this for your own exaltation.) Seek out loving, wise feedback. Try to meet before the Bible study to discuss your interpretation, application, and questions. Meet afterward to review and reflect.

The Accidental Home Run

When a baseball player develops strength, a good swing, and a keen eye for pitch location, they start to make contact. The best players hit line drive after line drive. They get on base, drive in runs, and help their team with singles and doubles.

And those line drives? Sometimes, when the ball finds the barrel of the bat, those line drives end up in the outfield bleachers. The hitter who tries to hit home runs rarely does; but the consistent, faithful hitter will put some balls over the fence.

If you’re leading a Bible study, don’t try to hit a home run. Aim for a faithful, honest discussion of God’s word. Put the bat on the ball and leave the results in God’s hands.