Last week I talked with two pastors who questioned me about the cell lesson. One asked, "What topics should I cover?" The other said, "How do I prepare a cell lesson?" 

Their questions jogged my thinking about the central place of the cell lesson and the need to review it constantly. 

For starters, a great cell lesson is based on God's inerrant Word. The reason for this is because the cell group is not primarily a social gathering or fellowship time but a spiritual event centered on God's Word.

Does this mean the cell leader needs to create the lesson each week? Finding a new topic and preparing a brand new theme can be time-intensive and intimidating for most leaders. That's why I recommend following the pastor's teaching each week  (normally the Sunday morning sermon). Here's why:

1. It connects small group with large group. This practice serves as a constant reminder that the cell isn't an independent entity doing its own thing.
2. It applies the expository/teaching message to real 24/7 life. The best churches humbly realize that even excellent sermons are inadequate to transform the hearers.
3. All of the largest cell churches around the world do it. 
4. It provides a never ending supply of material. When the lesson is based on the pastor's teaching, there should be a steady stream of new material--as long as the pastor doesn't repeat the same sermons each week!
5. It relieves pressure from the small group leader. It helps alleviate the leader's workload and allows him or her to concentrate on other cell functions. 

Of course there are exceptions to the sermon rule. For example, if the leader desires to cover another topic, I believe we need to give him or her liberty, as long as the supervisor knows in advance. Also, some church plants don't have Sunday celebration services, and in such cases, the church planter will need to prepare the themes separately.
  
In November, we will be discussing topics such as: God's Word and the cell lesson, how to develop an interactive cell lesson, questions to use, and the balance between evangelism and edification. Experience  cell church pastors pastors  will write 25 blogs on this  topic throughout the month of November. If you'd like to receive these blogs daily via email,  please sign up HERE.  We'll cover:

• Week 1 (November 6-12) -Why it's important to base the cell lesson on the Bible.
• Week 2 (November 13-19): Insights on how to develop a great lesson.  There are resources to help in the lesson-making process such as the Serendipity Bible, Lesson Maker, etc. 
• Week 3 (November 20-26): Great lessons are based on great questions, which focus on observation and application. Transformation is the goal. My general rule is to include an application question for every two observation questions. Cell members need to remember that the cell is about transformation from the Word of God and not merely more information.
• Week 4 (November 27-December 03): Great lessons have a discipleship/edification component and an evangelism theme. Edify the saints and minister to unbelievers. This is a hard balance but a necessary one. 

 What kind of lesson material do you use? Why do you believe it's important to base the lesson God's Word? Please comment here.  

 Joel Comiskey