Make Your Adult Bible Teaching Come to Life!
Paul Harvey is quoted as saying, “The blind man is limited by his touch. The intelligent man is limited by his knowledge. The great man is limited by his vision.”
Great teachers need to have great vision when it comes to teaching others. They need to be able to see the need in the students, and know how to apply the Bible for spiritual transformation.
- The reality connection - great teachers are able to connect the subject to reality.
- The reader syndrome - poor teachers read to the class. This actually shows the teachers:
- are not prepared
- either do not agree with the lesson or have not formed opinions about the lesson
- are not open to discussion or questions.
- Overkill preparation - some prepare so much that they don’t allow time for application.
- The “so what” questions - application begins when we can easily see how the lesson can apply to our circumstances.
- Application Bible teaching
- Learning about applied academics - knowing how to link the subject matter and life.
- The growth of alternate groups - this may include generational studies, or studies designed for discipleship. These studies reflect the growing need for application Bible Study.
How to apply your Bible Study lesson to Life:
- Be relevant. Matthew 6:25-34
Jesus knew that people have anxiety over their lives. He offered faith over anxiety to apply to their lives.
- Involve the learner. Mark 8:27-30
Jesus asked His disciples who they believed He was. He valued their opinions.
- Be interactive. John 4:7-30
With a request for water, Jesus used the interaction to teach the woman at the well.
- Focus on application. Luke 18:18-27
Jesus goes to the heart of the problem of the rich young ruler and finds what really motivates him.
- Share ownership. John 3:1-15
When Nicodemus came to Jesus, He allowed Nicodemus to “own the subject.” Although it was Nicodemus who asked the questions, it was Jesus who provided the spiritual truths.
- Be prepared. Jesus was always prepared to teach. John 8:3-11
Not only did He teach the woman caught in adultery, but He also taught the Pharisees who were ready to stone her.
These basic steps can encourage any teacher to make the Bible come alive to their students.
(Based on the book, Application Bible Teaching for Adults, Don Cannata, 2003)
Spiritual transformation is God’s work of changing a believer into the likeness of Jesus by creating a new identity in Christ and by empowering a lifelong relationship of love, trust, and obedience to the glory of God.
It’s a matter of the mind. Romans 12:2It’s a matter of the heart. Romans 10:10