Archive for Bible study – Page 2

3 Ideas to Get More from the Bible

By Darryl Wilson · Comments (0)
Thursday, October 20th, 2016

3ideasWHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? “For Ezra had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the Lord, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel” (Ezra 7:10, NKJV).

Ezra provided us with a great model, not only as a teacher of God’s Word, but also for the hearer. This short verse, tucked away in the Old Testament, provides us with three ideas to get more from reading and studying the Bible.

WHAT DO I DO? If you’re a Bible study teacher, Ezra’s example reminds you to…

  1. Prepare your heart as you seek God’s will;
  2. Obey God; and
  3. THEN you teach God’s Word.

The Bible is meant to be obeyed. Teacher, as you prepare to teach each week, be sure your preparation includes a desire to know God’s will, not only for your hearers, but also for you own life. Like Ezra, you must be willing to obey what God says in His Word, before you stand before your class/group and teach. As you prepare your heart and seek God’s will, you will get more from the Bible as you obey and make necessary changes in your own life.

If you’re a student in a Sunday School class or in a small group, then you too must be willing to approach Bible study with a seeking heart, sincerely wanting to know God’s will. Then, be willing to obey what God is teaching you.

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Categories : 100 Small Changes, Bible Study, Learning, Spiritual Disciplines, Teaching
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Using a Teaching Style Different from Your Natural Preference

By Mark Miller · Comments (0)
Monday, October 17th, 2016

creativeWHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? Most teachers will teach the same way this Sunday that they taught last Sunday.  They will teach the same way the next Sunday that they taught this Sunday.  Why? Because that’s how they teach.

But how did Jesus teach?  Did he teach the same way every time? What kinds of methods did Jesus use?  Shouldn’t all of us want to teach the way that Jesus taught?

WHAT DO I DO? Intentionally plan a lesson each month using a teaching style different from your natural preference.  Consider studying these three topics:

  1. Examine how Jesus taught. As you read the Gospels, identify the methods that Jesus used.  Bruce Wilkinson in Teaching the Jesus Way said that when he determined that Jesus rarely used the same method. His teaching was different every time based on the outcome that he desired and the audience that he taught.
  2. Study how people learn.  Most groups will have people who prefer to learn differently from how the teacher teaches.  The Eight Learning Approaches are: Physical, Verbal, Visual, Musical, Natural, Relational, Logical, and Reflective.
  3. Read a book on teaching.  Your teaching style will determine the likely learning outcome of your lesson.  A good book is TEACHER: Creating Conversational Communities.

My favorite definition of teaching is: Teaching is creating an experience in which a person changes in some lasting way his knowledge, understanding, attitude, skills or values. So get creative and teach a lesson each month different from your natural teaching preference.

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Categories : 100 Small Changes, Bible Study, Learning, Teaching
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3 Steps to Leading Your Members to Read Their Bible Daily

By Jeff Musgrave · Comments (0)
Sunday, October 16th, 2016

bibletools

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? We all know the importance of reading the Bible. It is our only offensive weapon in the spiritual war we engage in daily. When Jesus was tempted, He used the Word as his response each and every time. But you have to know it to use it. Here are three steps to use in building a habit of daily Bible reading.

WHAT DO I DO? Consider these ideas:

  1. Have a planned time. Set aside a specific time daily for reading. It doesn’t have to be a time on the clock either. It can be tied to something else you do every day. Choose to read right after breakfast or right before bed. I am an advocate of reading in the morning (even though I am not a morning person by any means). Pick a time and stick to it.
  2. Have a planned text. There are reading plans of all sorts out there to help people chose what to read each day. I always encourage people to start with a chapter of Proverbs each day. There are 31 chapters and you can read whatever chapter corresponds to the day of the month. When you get through them all, it is OK to read them again. There is a lot of wisdom in Proverbs and you will find that different ones stand out each month as you read.
  3. Have a planned talk. Ask someone to keep you accountable each day by asking you what you read. We all need a little motivation from time to time.
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Categories : 100 Small Changes, Bible Study, Spiritual Disciplines
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Learn More about the Skill of Writing/Asking Good Questions

By Steve McNeil · Comments (0)
Saturday, October 15th, 2016

questionballsWHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? Several years ago I was introduced to a new skill.  I had no idea about the impact that this training would have on my life, my teaching, my group leading, and my relationships with people. This skill is coaching.  Oh, not the kind that you see in a football, basketball or baseball game.  This skill teaches a person the disciplines or listening and asking good questions.

WHAT DO I DO? What I have found is that learning these 2 disciplines can also help someone to be a better teacher.  It isn’t the teaching where you download a bunch of information from you the teacher to the student.  It is a way to help the student discover truth and wrestle with God’s Word for themselves.

Asking good questions involves these adjustments:

  • Learning to ask instead of tell.
  • It means that you seek to help the student discover for themselves instead of you giving them the right information.
  • It means learning to ask open ended questions.  Simply put, if you ask a question and someone can answer with yes or no, you have asked a close ended question.
  • Ask questions with how, or what if, or describe for me.

The point is to ask questions that cause the student to have to describe their answer rather than give you the facts.  When you are using this skill in your teaching, be sure to prepare by writing out your questions beforehand and ask the question to yourself and think about how you would answer that question.  If your answer is yes or no, go back and try again. Happy Asking!!!

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Categories : 100 Small Changes, Bible Study, Learning, Teaching
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The 5 Biggest Mistakes Churches Make in Classroom Design

By Dr. Tim S. Smith · Comments (0)
Wednesday, October 12th, 2016

narrowroomWHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? I’ve seen more than five mistakes so this will not be a complete exhaustive list of things to avoid or include in the design of your new education space.  I wish there were only five mistakes so we could easily make those corrections but life is not that easy.  It can also be different for the various age groups that meet in the education space but here are the top five issues I’ve seen in recent years.

WHAT DO I DO? Consider these mistakes and ideas:

  1. Too many churches have been guilty neglecting preschool, children and youth space.  They’ve provided for the adults and in particular they’ve taken care of the older adults but fail to provide the best space for the next generation.  I told someone last week, “I always want to be part of a church that is for the next generation.”  So put my class or group in the worst space but make sure that my kids and grandkids have the best!
  2. Churches need space for moving people and gathering for non-official fellowship time.  When they design their buildings they don’t provide hallways that are wide enough nor do they include spaces for gathering prior to, during or following small group and worship experiences.
  3. Yes, we are spoiled and we would have time making in other places around the world but we like our modern-day conveniences.  Don’t go cheap when it comes to HVAC!  I always recommend that churches include both a supply line as well as a return line in every classroom.  Also make sure you include technology such as Wi-Fi, video and audio.
  4. Another big mistake is when churches break what I call the “1 for 2” rule.  That is when they design a classroom that becomes a long narrow box.  The goal should be for the classrooms to be more like a square than rectangular.
  5. When I started in ministry this was not even a thought but today it’s a different story because it is a different world!  When we design our church spaces we need to take very seriously the security issues.  In designing space for those under 18, the space needs one way in and it needs to be controlled.  Make sure your church has a plan in place for dealing with the various security issues.
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Categories : 100 Small Changes, Bible Study, Space, Space and Facilities
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