When you disciple somebody, are you leaning on personal wisdom or providing Biblical wisdom that speaks to where they are and what they might be struggling with? Leading with Biblical wisdom, it allows the Spirit to transform the individual when they study and apply it.
If your discipleship process also includes a quick Bible study and you are not sure where to go, these could be some verses to help unpack with the disciple. That way your study is not some random decision but is more strategic and intentional to walk along side your disciple.
Here are common issues or topics where we as disciples can speak Biblical wisdom and truth to the person we are discipling with love.
| Topic | Biblical Citation | Scripture |
| Emotional Expression | Ecclesiastes 3:4 (ESV) | “a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance” |
| Ephesians 4:26 (NIV) | “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger” | |
| James 5:13 (ESV) | “Is anyone among you suffering? Let him pray. Is anyone cheerful? Let him sing praise.” | |
| Psalm 34:18 (ESV) | “The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit” | |
| Psalm 56:8 (ESV) | “You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book?” | |
| Work-Life Balance | Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV) | “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” |
| Psalm 127:2 (NIV) | “It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep.” | |
| Ecclesiastes 3:1 (ESV) | “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” | |
| Mark 6:31 (ESV) | “And he said to them, ‘Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while.’ For many were coming and going, and they had no leisure even to eat.” | |
| Colossians 3:23 (ESV) | “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men” | |
| Anxiety or Depression | Philippians 4:6-7 (ESV) | “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” |
| Psalm 34:17-18 (NIV) | “When the righteous cry for help, the LORD hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The LORD is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit.” | |
| 1 Peter 5:7 (ESV) | “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” | |
| Matthew 6:34 (ESV) | “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” | |
| Isaiah 41:10 (ESV) | “fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” | |
| Relationship Challenges | Proverbs 17:17 (NIV) | “A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.” |
| Ephesians 4:2-3 (ESV) | “with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” | |
| Romans 12:10 (ESV) | “Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” | |
| Proverbs 15:1 (ESV) | “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” | |
| 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (ESV) | “Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.” | |
| Marriage Conflict | Ephesians 4:32 (NIV) | “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.” |
| 1 Peter 3:7 (ESV) | “Likewise, husbands, live with your wives in an understanding way, showing honor to the woman as the weaker vessel, since they are heirs with you of the grace of life, so that your prayers may not be hindered.” | |
| Proverbs 15:18 (ESV) | “A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention.” | |
| Colossians 3:13 (ESV) | “bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive.” | |
| Ephesians 5:33 (ESV) | “However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” | |
| Career or Calling | Colossians 3:23-24 (NIV) | “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” |
| Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV) | “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” | |
| Proverbs 3:5-6 (ESV) | “Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” | |
| Romans 12:6-8 (ESV) | “Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.” | |
| 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV) | “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” | |
| Body Image | Psalm 139:14 (NIV) | “I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.” |
| 1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV) | “But the LORD said to Samuel, ‘Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.'” | |
| 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV) | “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your bodies.” | |
| Romans 12:2 (NIV) | “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” | |
| 1 Peter 3:3-4 (NIV) | “Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.” | |
| Divorce and Separation | Malachi 2:16 (NIV) | “The man who hates and divorces his wife,” says the LORD, the God of Israel, “does violence to the one he should protect,” says the LORD Almighty. So be on your guard, and do not be unfaithful.” |
| Matthew 19:6 (NIV) | “So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” | |
| 1 Corinthians 7:15 (NIV) | “But if the unbeliever leaves, let it be so. The brother or the sister is not bound in such circumstances; God has called us to live in peace.” | |
| Matthew 5:31-32 (NIV) | “It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.” | |
| Mark 10:9 (NIV) | “Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” | |
| Addictions | 1 Corinthians 10:13 (NIV) | “No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” |
| Romans 6:16 (NIV) | “Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?” | |
| Galatians 5:1 (NIV) | “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery.” | |
| 2 Timothy 1:7 (NIV) | “For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline.” | |
| 1 Peter 5:8-9 (NIV) | “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.” | |
| Loneliness and Isolation | Psalm 68:6 (NIV) | “God sets the lonely in families, he leads out the prisoners with singing; but the rebellious live in a sun-scorched land.” |
| Hebrews 13:5 (NIV) | “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.'” | |
| Psalm 25:16 (NIV) | “Turn to me and be gracious to me, for I am lonely and afflicted.” | |
| Isaiah 41:10 (NIV) | “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” | |
| John 14:18 (NIV) | “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.” |
Hopefully, this provides a starting point to guide your discipleship and bible study with your disciple.
