No, because I think then it points more to Jesus, because he's the ultimate teacher here,

and I want them to see him and not me anyway. So if they get to see my broken cracks and flaws,

and if they're benefiting from the teaching, who does that point to? And I've had people say over and over again

that they like the transparency of a teacher

because they feel it's relatable. They say, well, if you know scripture and yet you have this

sin struggle, that means that with my sin struggles, I can still know scripture too. It's not some

unattainable thing out there. Once I get my spiritual act together, I can really learn God's word.

Welcome to the Crossway podcast, a show where we sit down with authors each week for thoughtful

interviews about the Bible, theology, church history, and the Christian life.

I'm Matt Tully, and today I'm talking with Lydia Brownback.

Lydia is a women's Bible study teacher, a speaker at women's conferences around the world,

and the author of several books, including Esther, the Hidden Hand of God, which is the first

volume in her brand new 10-week, Flourish Bible Study series.

Today, Lydia and I discuss some of her tips for leading an effective, engaging Bible study.

She reflects on what she's learned over the years from Bible studies she's been a part of,

offers advice for keeping the conversation on track and getting through the occasional awkward silence,

and discusses why a Bible study leader's own passion for the text is so important for the group as a whole. Let's get

started. Well, Lydia, thank you so much for joining me on the Crossway podcast today. That's great

to be back with you, Matt. So how long have you been writing and teaching women's Bible studies?

I've just started writing them. Before I would informally

prepare a lesson for a Bible study, but I'm just getting into the more formalized writing.

I've been teaching Bible studies probably for, I don't know, over 20 years now.

...