A method for storing God’s Word deep in the heart — so the Holy Spirit can bring it to mind to minister to others.
We spend a lot of time helping our groups understand Scripture — and we should. But how much of God’s Word are we preparing them to share with others?
That’s the heart of Bible storytelling. It’s a simple, hands-on way to help your group not just understand a passage, but store it in their hearts — memorizing and internalizing narrative Scripture so it’s ready to share with someone when the moment comes. God’s Word was never meant to be read once and set down; it’s meant to be carried and passed on.
Download the free Bible Storytelling facilitator guide and participant handout at the end of this post!
Bible storytelling is exactly what it sounds like — learning a Bible story well enough to tell it. In a single session, your group will:
That’s it. No special materials, no lengthy prep — just a Bible, a whiteboard or paper, and a willingness to let people engage with Scripture in a hands-on way.
There’s a reason this works better than reading a passage once and moving on. When people draw a story, retell it, and talk it through, they’re engaging their whole selves — not just skimming words on a page. They walk away remembering not only the verses, but the flow, the meaning, and the heart of the story.
And there’s a bonus: it’s fun. The laughter over each other’s stick-figure drawings, the connections that form as people retell the same story in their own words — it draws the group closer even as it plants Scripture deeper.
Here’s what I love most about this method: it doesn’t stop at personal memory. As your group draws and retells and discusses, something shifts. They start asking, “Who do I know who needs to hear this?”
That’s the whole point. Jesus promised that the Holy Spirit would “bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (John 14:26) — and when His Word is stored in us, the Spirit has something to draw on, bringing just the right passage to mind at just the right moment. Bible storytelling moves your group from “God’s Word for me” to “God’s Word for others.” It turns Scripture from something they know into something they carry — and share.
A Bible storytelling session runs about 60–90 minutes and follows a simple flow: introduce the method, teach a few storytelling tips, read and draw the passage together, break into partners to retell it, then close with group discussion. It works in any setting — Sunday school, small groups, youth gatherings, or one-on-one discipleship.
You don’t need to be an artist or a Bible scholar to lead it well. The facilitator guide below walks you through the whole process step by step, with a complete example lesson included — so you can lead with confidence whether it’s your first time or your fifth.
God’s Word does its deepest work when it lives in us. Help your group store it well — and watch the Spirit bring it back out to minister to the people around them.