Bible Study in Small Sessions: Grow and MyBSF

Explore teaching resources and lesson questions without trying to finish everything at once.

A short devotional sometimes leaves a question worth exploring: why does this passage use a particular image, or how does its message connect with the rest of a book? A separate study session can give that question more room. The aim here is to select a manageable piece of teaching or a lesson activity, rather than compress a large programme into a small break.

Grow: From Ligonier and MyBSF: Bible Study Fellowship provide different kinds of support for this purpose. One brings together teaching in several formats; the other centres on BSF lessons and related resources. Their store descriptions help distinguish those approaches before deciding how either might fit alongside personal reading.

Grow: From Ligonier — teaching in several formats

Grow: From Ligonier offers biblical teaching through articles, devotional readings, podcasts, videos and teaching series in audio and video. Its description also includes Bible reading and listening, with browsing organised around subjects, teachers or passages. That combination gives several possible entry points for a focused study question.

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For a brief session, choose the format that suits the task. A devotional reading might provide a compact introduction, while a teaching series may call for several visits. The store page describes downloading messages for later playback without a connection. Choose a message in advance if that facility would be useful during the next study break.

Grow is listed without adverts or in-app purchases and described as a free app. Its description separately mentions signing in to reach previously purchased series, study guides and ebooks. Those account resources should not be confused with a promise that every item mentioned is included without conditions.

MyBSF: Bible Study Fellowship — work with lesson questions

MyBSF: Bible Study Fellowship places BSF lesson questions on a phone or tablet. The description says assigned Scripture can be opened while answering, and a MyBSF account provides access to lesson notes and lectures. Its emphasis is completing the study's activities, with the relevant biblical text close to the questions.

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The description presents BSF study through four elements: individual questions, discussion with a group, teaching and commentary on Scripture. The app supports the lesson work within that approach. Consider whether that structure matches the study being followed, rather than assuming the app works like an unrestricted library of unrelated courses.

MyBSF is also listed without adverts or in-app purchases, and its description identifies it as a free study tool. Account access is part of the described route to notes and lectures. Review that arrangement when considering the app, especially if the immediate goal is simply to open a standalone teaching resource.

Match the resource to the question

Choose Grow when the intended activity is to explore its described teaching collection by subject, teacher or passage. Consider MyBSF when working through the lesson questions and materials associated with BSF. Neither choice needs to become a commitment to finish all the available material before returning to the biblical text.

It can help to state the question in one sentence before opening either app. For example, decide whether the session concerns the flow of a passage or a theme that needs more explanation. Keep that sentence nearby so that interesting but unrelated material can wait for another occasion.

Divide the work without rushing the lesson

• Identify one passage or one lesson question as the starting point.
• Select a reading, teaching segment or question that fits the available interval.
• Note the main explanation in language you understand.
• Return to Scripture to consider how that explanation relates to its context.

These are suggested study habits, rather than features promised by either app. A teaching item may require more time than the current break allows. Stop at a point where the argument can be picked up again, and keep a brief note of what remains unclear instead of rushing through the final section.

Keep the speaker and the text distinct

Teaching can offer a useful perspective, but an explanation and the passage it discusses remain different things. Notice when a speaker is quoting, interpreting or applying a text. If an interpretation raises another question, record the question with the reference. A short session does not have to settle every issue it encounters.

For group preparation, distinguish a personal observation from a question intended for discussion. Try writing each separately. This gives the next conversation a clearer starting point without presenting a tentative thought as a settled answer. The exercise can be done on paper; no particular note-taking feature is assumed here.

Questions before beginning

Can the study fit beside a brief devotional?

Yes, as a separate activity with its own scope. A devotional question might guide the next study session, while a study observation might inform a later prayer. There is no requirement to fit reading, a full teaching item and all lesson questions into the same pause.

Does a downloaded message mean everything works offline?

Grow's description specifically supports downloading messages for offline playback. That does not establish that every resource or account action is available without a connection. No equivalent offline claim is made here for MyBSF. Use the described capability precisely when planning a session away from a connection.

What should remain at the end of a session?

A passage reference, one useful observation and a place to resume are reasonable aims. A question still needing attention is also a valid stopping point. Use the routes below to explore a devotional tool, a listening break or a word game when a different kind of activity would be welcome.