In these 1-2 minutes episodes, Dr. Danny shares biblically-based insights on teaching the Bible. Published weekly, you can get a boost before teaching your teaching each week.
Why?: What can you do if carrying out the Great Commission seems overwhelming? What?: While leaders can equip the church body for ministry in carrying out the Great Commission, in the end, the work is the Lord's and we are merely called to serve under Him. It is the Lord who calls; the Lord who redeems; the Lord who matures disciples of Jesus Christ; and, in the last day, the Lord who will make perfect those He has called. Our charge is to be good stewards over what He has entrusted to us — believers, resources, and a mission field from which He will gather a harvest. So What?: It is easy to feel overwhelmed when we realize that the Lord has called the church to make disciples of every nation, tongue, and tribe on the earth. We can talk to our neighbors and co-workers. We can even go on mission trips. But billions of people to reach is out of the reach of any individual, church, or even cooperating organization. Feeling overwhelmed tempts us to just give up—we can't reach them all; why even try? So What Now?: Will you commit to relying on the Lord? After all, it is His work beginning to end. He has given each of us a small part to play in that work. Will you commit to living out your part as a teacher of the Bible?
Why?: Jesus has given the Great Commission to make disciples to the entire church. Why can't we all disciple the same? What?: Although God has formed the local body of believers, in His infinite creativity, no two bodies are identical. While the principles of discipleship are universal, the practice must be localized and even individualized. Universally, while acknowledging and perhaps meeting felt needs, believers can help people meet their ultimate need of being conformed into the likeness of Christ. We can do that individually, as in one-on-one discipleship. We can do that collectively, as in the various ministries of the local church. We can do that informally, as in intentional relationships. We can do that formally, as in a scope-and-sequence of Christian education. However it is done, the work of the church is helping ourselves and others to be conformed by God to the image of Christ. With limited resources in any ministry context, every activity in and by the church needs to be assessed as to its effectiveness in making maturing, reproducing disciples of Jesus. Efforts that prove ineffective need to be culled; efforts that are effective need to be improved so that they are more effective; efforts that have not been tried may need to be explored. Locally, the size and location of a church determines the forms of discipleship. The larger the church, the larger the variety of forms discipleship may take. Potential variety is both an asset and a liability. It is an asset in that it allows for customization of approaches to a diverse population. It is a liability in that variety requires oversight of many more relationships and activities. The location determines the neighbors available to disciple. The culture of those neighbors informs the methods that may be used to reach and teach disciples. So What?: Individually, the personality, passions, talents, and gifts of the members of a church help the church discern the ministry opportunities the Lord has given the local body. No church can do everything and no individual can be involved in everything the church is doing. The key is allowing God to use people in the way He has designed them for the purpose He has called them. Regardless of church size, there is a tendency to overtask some and undertask others. By calling every member to live out his or her own calling and gifting, the body can function as a unified whole as the church carries out the Great Commission. So What Now?: Will you commit to understanding how God has formed your church body as you strive to disciple those God has entrusted to your teaching ministry?
Why?: Through the centuries there has been confusion over who is considered a minister in the church. As a teacher, are you a minister? What?: If you're a teacher, you are, by definition, a church leader. And, church leaders are called and gifted to equip every member to be a minister. So, you are a minister and you are equipping other church members to be ministers. That equipping begins with individuals and families. Individuals can be used in ways and in places that the larger body of believers cannot. Individuals form the relationships that are vital to making disciples. Church leaders strengthen individuals by helping them find their place within the body, by helping them grow to Christian maturity, and by helping them relate to those within their sphere of influence so that other disciples are born and matured. Families are a primary means God uses to disciple. In each relationship in the home, disciples are matured. Church leaders strengthen families by equipping each member to function well within the family and then by helping each family to minister to the world around them. Equipping extends to other groupings of believers in the various ministries within the church. Leaders equip the individuals in these ministries by knowing what they are doing, learning what they need in training and resources, and then finding a means to provide what they need. So What?: Are you trying to do all the ministry in the church? Do you depend on the pastors or deacons to do ministry? Every member of the church is a minister of the gospel of Jesus Christ. So What Now?: Will you fulfill your God-given role as a teacher to equip others for ministry?
Why?: There are many books available today to help you, as a teacher, become a better discipler. Where's a good place to start? What?: God has created the church by calling His people out of a fallen world. He forms each local congregation as an expression of that church. God has given gifts to the church such as pastors and teachers, as we read in Eph. 4. These gifts are to equip her for ministry and her ministry is discipling. Making disciples is the one command in the Great Commission, but the supporting statements of Jesus inform our discipling ministry. “Go(ing)” in Mt 28:19 is the mission of believers. It is the heart set on making reproducing disciples of Jesus wherever we find ourselves. As image-bearers of God, we are built for relationships, for community. So, we build relationships with those we encounter and continue in relationship as the church when they come to faith in Christ. “Baptizing” in Mt 28:19 requires helping move people from being enemies of God to being willing to hear the truth of God. Apologetics equips the church for this task. When people are willing to hear the truth about God, they must also hear the truth about themselves. Understanding the gap between God and His rebellious image-bearers should prompt a response to the greatest need of humanity — reconciliation to God — by believing on the only way to God — Jesus Christ. Evangelism equips the church for this task. “Teaching” in Mt 28:20 involves both the content of truth and application of that content in life. Right application of truth is wisdom and results in right relationship to God, others, self, and all of creation. The primary teaching of the church comes from the pulpit in the corporate gathering. This teaching needs to be applied to every life in the church as they live together as a community. Other teaching exists to supplement this primary teaching. Teachers, guides, facilitators, etc. are used by God to supplement. Wisdom is obedience to God as the only way to rightly live in God's creation. Equipping the saints by first equipping teachers and leaders equips the church for this task. So What?: While there are many books available to help with the practice of discipling, none of them lays a better foundation than Jesus' Great Commission at the end of Matthew's Gospel. So What Now?: Will you commit to understanding that commission as the starting point of your discipling ministry?
Why?: As a teacher, where does your discipling of others begin and end? What?: To display His glory, God created humanity in His own image (Gen 1:26–30). Through pride, our first parents marred that image with sin as they rebelled against God's created order (Gen 3). Their sin passes to each of their descendants and, when we reach the point we know right from wrong, we sin by choosing wrong (Rom 3:23). God's plan from before the foundation of the world was to save a people to Himself through the atoning work of Jesus, the Christ (Eph 1:3–10). Jesus came as the perfect image of God (Heb 1:1–4), fully human and yet still fully God. After His resurrection, Jesus gave the embryonic church a commission to make disciples of Himself (Mt 28:16–20) so that we might be conformed to His image (Rom 8:29). When the Holy Spirit came to dwell within Christ's followers, the church was born and began carrying out the Great Commission to make additional disciples of Jesus (Acts 2). Through a direct line of succession, Jesus' commission to that early church has come down to us, the church alive today (2 Tim 2:1–2). As the church carries out the Great Commission, we anticipate our resurrection when we will be completely conformed to Christ's image even as we seek to be transformed by God to be more Christlike now (1 Cor 15). Part of our transformation is being made coworkers with God (1 Cor 16:15) in seeing new children adopted by God, the Father, and grown by God, the Holy Spirit, to be like God, the Son. As coworkers we are tasked with baptizing those who place their faith in Jesus (Mt 28:19) and teaching them to obey all that God has commanded (Mt 28:20). We do that under His authority (Mt 28:18) and with His presence (Mt 28:20) so that discipleship begins and ends with God. So What?: When you think of discipling others, do you dismiss the idea because you don't want to be responsible? Or maybe you just don't feel adequate to make disciples of Jesus. If you are a teacher, you are a discipler—one who makes disciples of Jesus. So What Now?: In the show notes is a list of Bible passages that can help you understand better. Will you commit to studying in God's Word how He is the beginning and end of discipleship?
Why?: What creative methods might you use to help your learners answer the So What Now? of The Effective Four? What?: Why? What? So What? So What Now? are The Effective Four questions. If you can help your learners answer these four from a Bible passage, you'll find that the Holy Spirit uses the truth of the passage to transform them, to make them wise. If you're teaching for transformation, you've helped them answer the So What? question that finds potential application for their lives. Now, you need to get them to commit to that transformation. Here you help them answer the So What Now? When they commit, they change their world, if only in a small way. To be wise, they'll need to follow through on their new commitment. This call could be as impersonal as a challenge such as, "Will you commit…?" It could be as personal as connecting them with an accountability partner who will hold them to their commitment while asking the same from them. It could be a simple reminder during the week by way of a postcard, an email, or a text message. It could be a promise to ask for a progress report the next time the class is together. So What?: However you do it, don't fill their heads with new information without asking their hearts to be changed. Commitment makes the transformation more likely. So What Now?: Will you commit to asking them to commit to being transformed? This is why God has given you as a gift to the church—to help each disciple to be more like the Master.
Why?: Most of us have a favorite Bible translation. Which one is best for studying and teaching? What?: With all the English translations available, which should you use for study and for teaching? That's really two questions so let me address teaching first. This is actually the harder of the two questions. Let me say that, with the assumption that you teach in a church that teaches and preaches the Bible faithfully and that understands that the Bible is the very word of God, you should choose a translation that is consistent with your church's theological leanings. The translation you teach from should be understandable by most or all of your learners. If they can't understand the words, they can't be transformed by reading or hearing them. The easier question is which translation to use in your study. The answer starts with your favorite translation. Know where it falls on the spectrum that ranges from word-for-word or "formal equivalence" to thought-for-thought or "dynamic equivalence." Then, pick another translation that comes from the same place on the spectrum and at least two translations that are from other places on the spectrum. I do not recommend using paraphrased Bibles such as the Message or the Living Bible except as devotional reading. For study, use actual translations from the original languages. With those caveats, here's my method: These days I teach from the English Standard Version, which is balanced, but tends toward the word-for-word end of the spectrum. Then, for study, I add the Christian Standard Bible, which is balanced between the two extremes. Then, I use the New American Standard, which is one of the most reliable word-for-word translations and the New Living Translation, which is one of the most reliable thought-for-thought translations. So What?: Looking at multiple translations from across the spectrum, the similarities in translation can give you confidence that you understand what the original writers meant for you to understand. When you see differences between translations, you know to be a bit more cautious in your interpretation. Try to understand why translation choices were made and what differences in the original languages those translators were addressing. So What Now?: Before you study anything else for your lesson, you need to study the Bible. If you are reading English translations, use more than one and use translations from across the spectrum of word-for-word to thought-for-thought. Then you can know what other study aids might be helpful in preparing your lesson so that your learners may hear and be transformed by the Word of God.
Why?: What are the three hardest words a teacher can say? What?: . As a teacher, you probably know the content of the Bible passage you're teaching better than anyone in the room. You know how the truth may teach, reprove, correct, or train in righteousness as Paul describes in 2 Timothy, chapter 3, verses 16 &17. You probably know your students well enough to know when what you're teaching is going to convict them most. So, what are the hardest words you can say to them? For most teachers, it's… "I don't know." "I don't know the answer to your question." "I don't know what the author meant by that" "I don't know how these two things that seem to contradict one another can both be true." "I don't know." So What?: After hours of preparation, it may be embarrassing to say, "I don't know." GET OVER IT! Learn to be okay not having all the answers. You don't want to make up answers just to save face because you can lead people away from the truth. That's much risker than an "I don't know." In fact, an honest, "I don't know" models for everyone the humility that we should all have when we approach God's Word. So What Now?: So, practice saying, "I don't know." Then, as soon as you can, try it in the classroom. The earth will not stop spinning. Your church won't throw you out. Boldly say, "I don't know" and then model finding the answer with them.
Why?: As a teacher, you want to see transformation in your learners. What, exactly, are you looking for? What?: The Holy Spirit uses you, as a teacher, as He transforms your learners into Christlikeness. What does it look like when He does that? Well, Paul gives us one picture in Galatians, chapter 5, where he contrasts the non-believer and the believer. The heart of the non-believer seeks after the world. In verses 19–21, he says, "Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." In the very next verses, Paul describes the new heart of the believer: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." Is this the fruit you see in your learners? Are they growing as the Holy Spirit changes their desires? Are they self-centered, like non-believers, or are they other-centered, loving God and loving others? So What?: It is difficult to know what is really in anyone's heart, so we look for evidences like these. Specifically, we can listen to the things they prioritize in their lives. What do they talk about? Sports or God's glory? What do they pray about? As important as these things are, if their prayer never goes beyond the organ recital (my heart, my lungs, my kidneys), the financial audit (should I buy this house, this car, etc) and the travel itinerary (traveling mercies for my upcoming trip), then they are more self-centered than other-centered as they pray about the effects of sin. If they are being transformed, matured, they become more concerned that there is sin—sin in the world, sin in the lives of lost, sin in their own lives—and they plead for God to intervene and to use them as He does intervene. They want to read God's Word, to talk with God regularly, to be around God's people, and to reach the lost with the good news of Jesus Christ. So What Now?: Are you willing to be involved in your learners' lives so that you can see transformation when it occurs and care enough about them that you will do something if transformation does not seem to be occurring?
Why?: As a teacher, you need to teach, but what do your learners need to learn? What?: If you've been with a group of learners for a while, you get a sense of where they are in their Christian walk. From that, you can have some idea of what they need. But, even if you're walking into a new group, people you've never taught before, you know what kinds of things they need because, as image-bearers of God, we share similar basic needs with every person who's ever walked the earth. We also share the same ultimate needs of every person—ultimately, we need to be conformed to the image of Christ. Our hearts need to be conformed to His so that we want the things Christ wants. Our minds need to be conformed to His so that, as Paul says in Romans chapter 12, verse 2, we "may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God." And, our behavior needs to be conformed to Christ's so that we're obedient to God. These three—hearts, minds, and actions—are ways of describing wisdom. What we as teachers and they as learners need, ultimately, is wisdom so that in every relationship in every sphere of our lives—that is, in our personal life, in our family, church, job, community, and even in our recreation—we are wise because we are more conformed to the image of Christ. So What?: Consider how the lesson you're preparing could be used by the Holy Spirit. He can superintend the lesson preparation if you are obediently and humbly preparing it. He can prepare your learners for the lesson. Then, as you teach and they learn, the Holy Spirit can use that moment to conform each of you to be more Christlike, to be more wise. So What Now?: Will you commit every lesson to the will of the Father? Submit every lesson and every learner to the work of the Holy Spirit? And then see your learners conformed to the image of Christ? God knows what your learners need and can you use to meet those needs.
Why?: Does the central truth of a passage have to be your main point in teaching? What?: The Bible is authored by men yet it is breathed out by God so that Scripture is rightly described as both divinely and humanly written. The author writes to make a point, to reveal God's truth to us. When we teach, we work hard to understand the main point the author has made so that we can help our learners understand and apply that truth to their lives. The question comes up, "Does the central truth of a passage have to be your main point in teaching?" The answer is, "Usually." You usually want to keep the central truth central to your lesson. But, there may be exceptions. There may be circumstances inside or outside the church that make teaching something else from the passage necessary this time. So What?: So what do you do? Start with prayer and more study. If you have done everything you can and it still seems that something other than the central truth of the passage needs to be taught, teach what your learners need. BUT, tell them that you are making an exception. Let them know that you don't see your lesson as the central point of the passage, but you still felt it necessary to teach them the lesson you've prepared. That way there can be no confusion over your reliance on Scripture to direct your steps. So What Now?: While there are exceptional times that may lead you to teach something else this time, your normal approach should be to keep the central truth central to your teaching.
Why?: I know teachers who refuse to learn anything about teaching. As a teacher, are you teachable? What?: I have heard teachers say something like, "I have taught the same way for years; I see no reason to change now." Some of those have been students of mine. My fear is that, even if we don't voice it, many teachers have this attitude. What does it take to say that no one has anything to teach you about teaching? Well, for one thing, it takes arrogance and, I would argue, that kind of arrogance disqualifies a person from teaching. There is no perfect way to teach every Bible passage to every group of learners so your method is not perfect no matter how long you have been using it. Teachers should be learning from other teachers and learning from the responses they see in their learners. So What?: The most effective teachers are humble enough to admit that they can improve in their teaching. So What Now?: Will you commit to being a teachable teacher … commit to learning how you can better teach to see transformation in your learners?
Why?: Are you a teacher or a facilitator? What's the difference? What?: In many churches, for more than a generation, we've called everyone who leads a class a teacher. But that's only technically right in that every Christian teaches as the church carries out the Great Commission through the individual believers in the church. So, parents teach children. Believers teach the lost. Mature believers teach less mature believers. All those opportunities tend to be private encounters. For public teaching, or teaching in groups, Jesus has given the church teachers. In Ephesians 4, when Paul talks about the unity of the church, he says that Jesus gave, among other things, shepherds and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry and for building up the body of Christ to unity. Teachers, in this sense, are extensions of the pastor's role. In fact, many scholars argue that when Paul writes "shepherds and teachers" he means two aspects of the same office. That is, pastors are to shepherd and to teach. Even if you argue that these are two separate offices, pastor and teacher, it's hard to argue that they are not closely related. Teachers are gifted to the church by Jesus, equipped by the Holy Spirit, and recognized by the church as gifted to teach. Between these private and public ministries, for decades we've recognized another role for willing, mature believers. Although we've often labeled them teachers, they are, more properly, facilitators. When you look at most commercially available Bible lessons, traditionally called quarterlies, their content is written by teachers for facilitators to use in the local church. So, they've developed entire lessons that can be used with minimal modification to effectively teach the Bible. Any mature believer should be able to take the prepared lesson and lead a class. If, instead of using quarterlies, the church uses sermon-based questions, almost any mature believer can be taught to facilitate discussion of those questions. Whatever choice the church makes in content, mature believers can fill a real need in the church by serving as facilitators. In contrast to facilitating fixed content, teachers tend to develop new content or modify existing lessons for the local church. Thankfully, the commercial publishers use teachers to write the lessons that get sent to facilitators. Also, thankfully, God places teachers in the church to extend the pastor's ministry. Since teachers are so closely tied to the pastor's role it's reasonable to hold them to the qualifications for elders or pastors that Paul describes in 1 Tim chapter 3 and Titus chapter 1. Their public speaking ministry risks leading others astray, which is why James 3:1 talks about the strict judgment for teachers. So What?: The church needs teachers and mature believers who serve as facilitators. Some fill both of those roles depending on the circumstance. Others serve in only one of those roles. So What Now?: So, which are you? Teacher or facilitator? If you're a facilitator, facilitate well. If you're a teacher, teach well.
Why?: How do you handle questions from your learners that seem to come out of left field? What?: As teachers, we're trying to teach wisdom. We intentionally design our lessons to that end, but there are also times when something happens that gives us an unplanned opportunity to teach wisdom. One of these is when a learner throws out an idea that is out of left field, something strange and totally unexpected. You should plan for the unplanned. That is, you can be prepared to handle the unexpected. Here are 3 questions that might help you triage—to sort out—what to do. Remember that your goal is to teach wisdom to every learner under your care. The first question you need to ask is, "Does it need to be addressed?" If the comment or question risks disunity in the church or if it seems to be heretical doctrine, far outside the truth of Scripture, the answer is, "yes, it needs to be addressed." If it's just an opinion, it might not need to be addressed. If the comment or question needs to be addressed, the next question is, "When does it need to be addressed?" If you have a concern that anyone in the group might be led astray by not addressing the question, for instance, if they would interpret your temporary silence as agreement with the wrong idea, it needs to be addressed publicly right now. If you're certain that only the individual with the strange idea or question would be affected, then you might address the issue later. If you are not prepared to respond right now, you might need to wait until later with a clear message that you will. The third question to ask is, "How does it need to be addressed?" Again, this might be public or private. It might be a brief or an extended encounter. You should ask clarifying questions and you may need to do some research before you respond. You might even need to pass the issue on to someone who's better equipped to handle the concern. So What?: Everyone who's taught for any length of time has faced the issue of comments from left field. For example, I've heard that each of our last few presidents is the antichrist. I've also heard learners say that they know that whatever truth I'm teaching IS what people believe, but they don't. So What Now?: If you're teaching, these comments are coming. Take some time to think through how you'll handle them when they come. The three questions you need to ask yourself are: Does it need to be addressed? When does it need to be addressed? and How does it need to be addressed? Remember that we're teaching wisdom. We're trying to see our learners transformed by the truth of God's Word. But, we need to model wisdom even in the face of questions from left field.
Why?: What creative methods might you use to help your learners answer the So What? of The Effective Four? What?: The Effective Four Questions—Why? What? So What? So What Now?—can be used to organize your lesson for easy Bible application by any learner. The So What? question is the turning point in the lesson. This is where you help them take the truth of the passage and find application for their own lives. You want to see them transformed; this is where you show them how. But, you don't have to actually show them. Instead, you can invite them to show you how they or others might be transformed. If you rarely invite learners to participate, this is the part of the lesson where you should regularly invite them to contribute. Let them brainstorm as a large group, small groups, or even in pairs. You could give them a case study and ask them to find ways to apply the truth of the Bible to the case study. You could ask some of them to role play to demonstrate the truth. You can even create a short game that applies the truth. So What?: Anything you do to have them engaged in answering the So What? increases the opportunity for them to be transformed by God's Spirit using the truth of God's Word. So What Now?: Many Bible teachers stop short of asking So What? This one question can change the lesson from informative to transformative. Don't stop with presenting the truth; ask them how that truth might be applied right here, right now.
Why?: You study for hours in preparing. What do you do with everything you can't cover in the lesson time allotted? What?: One of the things many of us love most about teaching is that we always learn more than our learners. When I survey teachers, I hear that teachers with a variety of experience spend anywhere from 2 to 20 hours preparing each lesson. The mistake that many teachers make is thinking they need to share everything they've studied. The bad news is you can't. If you try, you'll overwhelm your learners. Remember that it took you hours to study; it would take at least that long to share everything. The good news is that none of that study goes to waste. Your dedicated study helps you to grow in your Bible knowledge. That may help save time when you are preparing another lesson. It may provide you a response when a question comes out of left field. It may just mean that you have confidence that you have focused your lesson on the central truth of a passage. So What?: In no case is time spent studying God's Word a waste for you. So What Now?: Will you commit to celebrate with the Lord that you were able to learn more that you can possibly teach…this time?
Why?: "How did I do?" is the wrong question to ask if you want to know how you did in teaching. What question might be better? What?: Whether we want it or not, we should get feedback on our teaching and that feedback often comes best from those we are trying to teach. Rather than asking a question that results in the socially polite, "You did well," asked pointed questions from your learners. What did they see as the main point of the lesson? Did they understand what you wanted to communicate as the main point? What about the support you gave for your main point? Was it easy for them to follow? Were you able to engage them in the learning process from your opening sentence all the way through to calling them to commit to transformation.? Speaking of that, did you call them to be transformed; and did they know you did? So What?: Asking questions that get at the heart of what you were actually trying to accomplish is much more likely to answer the question, "How did I do?" So What Now?: Will you commit to risking your ego by asking very specific questions of your learners so that you can know how you can continually improve as a teacher?
Why?: If you're going to use an English translation of the Bible, which one is best? What?: The Bible has been translated into English in dozens of forms or translations. Each translation has strengths and each has weaknesses. Some translations were made by committees from a single Christian denomination. For example, the beloved King James or Authorized Version was translated by the Church of England, the New Jerusalem Bible was translated by Roman Catholics, and the Christian Standard Bible was translated by Southern Baptists. In each of these, the leanings of the denomination comes through, especially in difficult-to-translate sections. Other Bible versions have translators that represent a variety of Christian denominations. These cross-denominational translations include the English Standard Version, the New International Version, the New American Standard, and the Revised Standard Version, among many others. Even though the translators represent multiple denominations, the overall theology of the translations range from very liberal to very conservative. Some translations try to follow the original languages word-for-word as closely as possible and still make sense in English. Other translations try to bring the truths thought-for-thought into English so that the text has the same meaning for a modern audience that the original writings had for an ancient audience. Some translations use language simple enough for young children to understand. Others use more difficult English words so that more education is needed to understand. So What?: With all those differences, which English translation of the Bible is best? The answer is…it depends. It depends on what you want. It depends on what you are able to understand. People have been saved hearing the words from any of these translations. So What Now?: You should choose a translation that is trusted and is written in words you can understand. Then, you should choose to spend time in that Bible so that you can be the teacher God called you to be.
Why?: What does it mean to have your lesson aims connected? What?: As previously mentioned, writing lesson aims is one of the most difficult parts of lesson preparation. Many teachers don't even take the step of intentionally aiming for transformation and then they wonder why their learners are not being transformed. We teach two small tricks that make the process of writing aims easier. The first of these was covered in another episode—SMART, an acronym that helps you remember Simple, Measurable, Achievable, Results-Focused, and Timely. The second trick is to make your lesson aims connected. Each aim needs to be connected to the central truth of the passage being taught. There may good reasons to cover every detail in a passage, but there is no good reason to not connect to the central truth of the inspired Word of God. It should also be connected to the real needs of your learners. This keeps the aims centered on your learners rather than you. It is what you hope to accomplish rather than how you will accomplish it. Finally, each aim should be connected to each of the other aims for the lesson. In trying to teach the whole person, cognitive and behavioral aims should be connected to the affective aim so that the content of your teaching prompts transformation of the learner. So What?: Connecting aims to the central truth of the passage, to the real needs of the learner, and to the other aims brings intentional focus to your lesson. As you prepare to teach, connect your learning aims to The Effective Four questions at the heart our teaching method. For example, The Why? of The Effective Four could achieve your affective aim; the motivation to be transformed. The What? of The Effective Four could achieve your cognitive aim; what you want them to know. The So What? and the So What Now? could achieve your behavioral aim. So What Now?: This is not the only way to teach in order to reach your goals, but it is one effective way to do it. However you put together your lesson plan, will you be intentional in connecting your lesson to the real learners who have a real need that the Bible can address?
Why?: How can you making your learning aims S.M.A.R.T.? What?: Writing lesson aims is one of the most difficult parts of preparing a lesson. Even if you don't formally write down your lesson aims, you should consider what you are hoping to accomplish as a result of the lesson. There are two small tricks you can use to make this process easier. The first of these is making your aims SMART. Smart is an acronym used in a variety of settings. To add intentionality to your lesson, the adaptation we recommend is Simple, Measurable, Achievable, Results-Focused, and Timely. S—M—A—R—T, Smart. By simple, we mean that the aim has a single focus. By measurable, we mean that the cognitive and behavioral aims should be written in such a way that, if you were so inclined, you could actually measure their progress. Achievable is just that; is the goal limited enough that it could be achieved as a result of this one lesson? Results-focused means that the aim should be the result of the lesson rather than the method of teaching the lesson. You can reach the same aim several ways. Finally, Timely. The truth of the ancient passage should meet your learners right now with exactly who they are right now. So What?: Being intentional in your lesson preparation, you CAN make your lesson aims SMART—Simple, Measurable, Achievable, Results-Focused, and Timely. So What Now?: The question is, will you?
Why?: As a teacher, wouldn't it have been great to have learned your teaching from Jesus or one of His apostles? What?: In Acts, chapter 2, verse 42, Luke reports that the early church devoted itself, among other things, to the apostles' teaching. The early church learned from those who had spent 3 years learning from Jesus and from Paul, who was taught by the resurrected Jesus. Didn't that early church have it better than we do? Not at all. Consider one line of succession. Jesus taught the Apostle Paul. Paul taught the young pastor Timothy. Then, in 2 Timothy, chapter 2, verse 2, Paul instructs Timothy to pass on the teaching "to faithful men who will be able to teach others also." In this one glimpse we see 4 generations of believers—Paul, Timothy, the faithful men Timothy would teach, and those who would be taught by those faithful men. That teaching has, in fact, been passed down through the generations of Bible teachers to those who taught you and now to you, if you are a Bible teacher, so that you can pass it on to the next generation of believers. We know from the telephone game that the message can be lost as it is passed from one person to the next. So What?: The good news is that we still have the same writings from which every generation after the Apostles has been taught. Like the early church, we devote ourselves to the Apostles' teaching. We call it the New Testament. Together with the collection of books we call the Old Testament, we have the entire book that contains what Jude describes as "the faith once for all delivered to the saints." As teachers, we teach from the same book that every teacher after the Apostles has taught. We teach with the same authority that Jesus gave the early church. We are the teachers for this generation. So What Now?: The question is, will you commit to pass on what you learn to the next generation so that they can continue the teaching until the One about whom we teach comes to take His bride home?
Why?: How do you recognize a teacher God has gifted to your church? What?: In Ephesians 4, Paul focuses on the unity of the church. In verses 11 and 12, speaking of the ascended Lord Jesus, Paul writes, "And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ…" Paul goes on to describe what that building up in unity looks like, but the important point is that Jesus gave teachers to the church. How do we recognize those teachers He has given? You can start to recognize those God has called to be teachers when they are being taught, that is, when they are learners sitting under someone else's teaching. They may show special insights into the truth or application of the passage that reveals personal study that comes from a hunger for God's Word. They may summarize or communicate the truth in a way that helps others grow. At the same time, they're willing to be taught. They're not obstinate in their views or unnecessarily argumentative with other views. In short, their contribution helps bring unity to the church. That is, before they have formally taught, they're already equipping the saints for the work of ministry and building up the church in unity. They may or may not sense a call to teach until someone approaches them to point out the possibility. They may even take a teaching role reluctantly for a variety of reasons. The church would do well to encourage those who seem gifted to actually teach so that the church can discern their gifting. This could be teaching as a substitute on occasion. Or, teaching a single lesson or a short series of lessons to a group. So What?: If they're called, they will be equipped to teach by the Holy Spirit. Part of this is supernatural gifting; part is learning to teach from other teachers the Spirit is already using in the church. Then, that perceived calling and gifting is confirmed by the church. Now, that's NOT recognizing a warm body to fill an open slot. Instead, it's seeing the fruit of their teaching. Is the church built up in unity. Is she better equipped for ministry as a result of the person's teaching. If so, you have recognized a teacher God has gifted to your church. So What Now?: Will you pay particular attention to those you are teaching or those you are seeing taught by another? As a teacher, you're in a good position to recognize the potential teachers in your church and to help the church recognize those who have actually been called by God to teach.
Why?: What creative methods might you use to help your learners answer the What? of The Effective Four? What?: The method we teach here at Teachers of the Bible uses 4 questions—Why? What? So What? So What Now?—what we call The Effective Four—to help you teach learners using a lesson that shows them why and how to apply the Bible to their lives. Lecture, discussion, and case study lend themselves to entire lessons or parts of lessons, including the What? portion of the lesson. But, you can present the truth of the passage in many other ways. For example, if you use an inductive Bible study method to discover God's truth, you might walk your learners through parts of the Bible study you did. If you have access to your learners ahead of time, you might enlist someone to give a short report on some aspect of the passage. When the Bible uses word pictures like different soils or a log in the eye, a physical demonstration can bring the point to life. So What?: You don't have to use the same method you always use for your lessons. In fact, if you do, you risk boredom rather than excitement about God's Word and the truth that transforms your learners into Christlikeness. So What Now?: Don't just present information and call it a lesson. Instead, help your learners feed off the very bread of life—Jesus—who is revealed in the pages of their Bibles.
Why?: How do we understand how the truth of a Bible passage applies to us? What?: Inductive Bible study helps us to study more effectively. After observing the words and sentences and paragraphs that an author wrote, after seeing how the structure of a passage supports a point the author is making, after seeing how an individual passage fits in its context, we need to apply the truth of the passage to our lives and, as teachers, we need to show our learners how the passage applies to their lives. But there is still one thing to be done. We need to interpret the passage. By this, I don't mean that we need to assign it some unique meaning that fits our thinking. Instead, we need understand what the authors — both human and divine—meant for the original readers or hearers of the Word to understand. What truth did it convey to them? Did it teach a precept to be followed? Did it show something new about God or His working through history? Did it record the response of someone to God's self-revelation in way that the reader could understand? We need to understand how they would have heard it and how those original hearers or readers were meant to understand. It can't mean for us what it never meant for them. From what they would have understood, we need to see the timeless truth of the passage that could be applied to the modern student of the Bible. So What?: Naturally, the application of that truth may differ between us and them. In fact, the application may differ from student to student. But proper application is application of the truth—the truth that doesn't change no matter how languages, cultures, and circumstances change. The truth is the truth and we come to know that truth through interpretation. So What Now?: Rather than jumping from text to application, will you commit to understanding the passage so that you can interpret the passage so that you can then apply the passage? In being faithful to God's self-revelation in Scripture, we can show our learners how their lives can be transformed by the God-breathed Word we know as the Bible.
Why?: When Jesus says, "Blessed are those who mourn," how can context help us understand what he meant? What?: In Matthew, chapter 5, verse 4, Jesus says, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted." Who is he talking about? Or, even more, what is he talking about? To understand what Jesus meant, you have to put the text in its context. The immediate context is the verses surrounding this one. This teaching appears near the beginning of what is labeled "The Beatitudes." The context of the Beatitudes is the Sermon on the Mount that extends through chapter 7. The Sermon's context is the beginning of Jesus' earthly ministry where the good news is prepared for and then delivered to a lost world. The Gospel of Matthew's context is the beginning of the New Testament, where it picks up the story of the Old Testament after God has been silent for 4 centuries. Now, God, the Son, has come to give the next chapter in the story. The New Testament continues with the spread of the church and ends with a description of the other end of Jesus' ministry. Mark Dever from 9Marks and Capitol Hill Baptist Church labels the message of the New Testament, promises kept following the promises made in the Old Testament. Context is the key to understanding what Jesus meant by "Blessed are those who mourn." in the verse just before, he says, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." The poor in spirit are those who recognize they are in need. In verse 4, they mourn because of sin. In verse 5, they are meek enough to understand that they can do nothing about their sin, but, in verse 6, they hunger and thirst for righteousness. So, to understand the text, put it in its context. The Beatitudes introduce the Sermon on the Mount, which is Jesus' longest teaching on what the righteousness of God looks like. After the Sermon, Jesus lives out the righteousness that no one else can. He has an increasing tension with the Jewish leaders who think they are righteous but are really only self-righteous. That tension builds to the crucifixion where it looks like the Jewish leaders won. Then, on the third day, Jesus is resurrected. His righteousness is shown to be true righteousness and he gives the Great Commission to the church to make disciples of Jesus who share in his righteousness. Context makes all the difference in understanding a single verse. So What?: As a teacher, you need to understand the context of the passage you teach. Then, you need to show your learners what that passage means in its context so that they can understand how the Bible tells a single story of God's saving work throughout history. So What Now?: In interpreting the Bible, will you commit to understanding the context for each passage you teach? How it fits in its immediate surroundings? How it fits in the book, the Testament, and the entire Bible that is God-breathed and profitable for us? Without that context you risk leading others astray and Jesus warns about that just a few verses later.
Why?: In order to learn, we must mentally process new information. What's your preference for processing? What?: Closely related to the preferences for taking in new information, each learner has a preference for how to process the new information taken in. There are several learning models out there that adapt the work of David Kolb on the learning cycle. This learning cycle involves some active experimentation and some reflective thought—some doing and some thinking about doing. I have read complicated approaches to teaching that try to address every combination of preferences in the learning cycle further complicated by preferences for taking in new information. The simplest way I have found to incorporate the learning cycle is to use The Effective Four questions presented in the model taught here at TeachersOfTheBible. So What?: If you can help your learners answer the 4 questions: Why? What? So What? So What Now?, you will have walked them through the entire learning cycle. This combined with varying the method of presenting new information, you should be able to speak to the heart of every learner. So What Now?: Will you adapt your teaching methods so that your learners can learn? Will you try to vary how you present new information and then help your learners answer The Effective Four questions: Why? What? So What? So What Now? If you do, you will find that they learn what you have planned for them to learn and you will see the Holy Spirit transform them through your teaching.
Why?: In order to learn, we must take in new information. What's your preference for the way you take it in? What?: Think about how you like to learn. Would you rather see a video demonstration, hear a lecture or an audio book, or actually get your hands on something new? In other words, are you a visual, an auditory, or a kinesthetic learner? While most of us take in information in all these ways, each of us has a preference. When you think about it, your preferred method of teaching is probably closely aligned with your preferred method of taking in new information. If you like to learn through lectures, you probably lecture. If you like to see something, you probably have videos or demonstrations. If you like to learn by doing, you probably teach using a discussion format. Your learners also have preferences and their preferences may not align with yours. If they can choose what class to attend, you might find that they migrate toward the teacher that uses their preferred method of taking in information. No matter why they are in your class, you need to consider the very likely scenario that each person in the room has been created with different preferences and you, as the teacher, are responsible for teaching every learner, no matter their preferences. So What?: As the teacher, you don't have the liberty to insist that they adapt to the way you prefer. Instead, you need to adapt your teaching to them. Remember, you're teaching people not lessons. I can say with confidence that it's uncomfortable to teach using strategies different from my preferences, but I can also say with confidence that you can adapt. It just requires intentionality. So What Now?: So, will you be intentional in teaching so that every learner gets to take in new information you are presenting? The visual learner will get to see, the auditory learner will get to hear, and the kinesthetic learner will get to manipulate that new information so that each will be transformed by your teaching.
Why?: The Bible was written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek. Why should you read it in English? What?: Most of the Old Testament was written in Hebrew with a few parts written in Aramaic. All of the New Testament was written in everyday Greek of the First Century. So, wouldn't it be better to read the Bible in those original languages? The answer is … maybe. If you are or can become an expert in those languages, there would be some advantages to reading the original. The bad news is that it takes anywhere from years to decades to become fluent in any single language. The good news is that you don't need to because scholars fluent in those languages have made the Bible available to you in English through the various modern translations. So What?: Admittedly, it is interesting when a study of the original languages reveals a new shade of meaning of a Bible passage. On a rare occasion, the nuance is worth sharing in your teaching. But that understanding can come from trusted scholars, some who've spent their adult lifetimes studying the original languages of the Bible. So What Now?: Don't be concerned that you're not an ancient language expert. You're not a second-rate teacher if you speak only one language. Choose a modern translation that you can trust and then place your trust in the God who speaks through that translation in a language you and your learners understand.
Why?: What creative methods might you use to help your learners answer the Why? of The Effective Four? What?: The Effective Four Questions—Why? What? So What? So What Now?—help draw your learners into the Bible lesson, teach them the point of the Bible passage, and then call them to commit to being transformed by the truth of the passage. You can use single methods like lecture, discussion, or case study to teach an entire lesson. You can also creatively mix these and other methods to help your learners answer The Effective Four. So, you could give a mini-lecture, lead a brief discussion, or present a case study to help them understand why the biblical truth is necessary to their lives. You could also provide a current illustration, tell a story, show a video clip, set up a short, safe debate, or have a few learners argue a point opposite their own views. Any of these can reveal a real-life dilemma that could be answered by the Bible. So What?: By focusing their attention outside themselves, you can safely draw them into the lesson so that they'll find the answer in Scripture. Then, later in the lesson, you can make it personal for them. The point is that you don't want to teach the same way every time. So What Now?: Will you commit to changing up your lesson introductions? Being creative often costs more in time, but the investment will be worth it when you see your learners looking to the Bible to find God's answer to real-life questions.
Why?: What is the point of your lesson? What change do you hope to see in your learners? What?: As Bible teachers, we are hoping to see transformation in our learners. To that end, each lesson should have a point. It should aim to change something in them. Ultimately we want to see a change in their affections and the choices that come out of those loves. Educators call this goal an affective learning aim. To see that change, we want them to learn new information; educators call this a cognitive aim. We might even want them to practice something in order to change their heart; educators call this a behavioral aim. Then, since we can't see heart changes directly, we should aim to see changes that would be likely if their heart did change. Their knowledge or behaviors might change. So What?: Don't get hung up on the labels of these aims. Instead, think about what you could help them know and do that would change their heart so that they would know and do things differently as a result of the Holy Spirit working through your lesson. So What Now?: Zig Ziglar is quoted as saying, "If you aim at nothing, you'll hit it every time." Will you work to make your lessons more intentional? To have an aim to see real transformation in each of your learners?
Why?: What's the scariest passage of Scripture for a teacher? What?: To me, the scariest passage of Scripture is James, chapter 3, verse 1, where James writes, "Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness." Well, I didn't want to be a teacher and God called me to be one. Then, I read that I am judged more strictly because I am a teacher. I told God, "That's not fair." I quibbled with Him for a long time. That was dumb! I mean, what kind of fool would bicker and argue with God? Why would James put so much weight on the teacher's shoulders? As with all believers, we're responsible for our own obedience, but because, as teachers, we have a public speaking role, we're also responsible for the obedience or disobedience of those we teach. That makes James 3:1 a very scary passage for teachers. So What?: Do you know God's Word and live wisely? Do you faithfully teach others God's Word so they can grow in wisdom? In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warns that your identification in heaven will be tied to the answers to those questions. In Matthew, chapter 5, verse 19, Jesus says, "Whoever breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven." So What Now?: You know what you and others say about your teaching now. What do you want the Savior to say about you forever?
Why?: How and why might you disciple another teacher? What?: Did you know that part of your role as teacher is preparing other teachers? There are at least 3 excuses some give for failing at this. Let me be very frank and dismiss each of those. First, you might feel that you have nothing to pass on. You may not be formally prepared to teach. You may not consider yourself a very good teacher. It doesn't matter. If you are called by God and recognized by the church as a teacher and you have experience, you have something to pass on. It might be in the form of what not to do, but you have wisdom that you didn't have before becoming a teacher. Pass it on by discipling others to be teachers. Second, you might think that it's just easier to do it yourself. It's a lot less work to do the job than it is to train someone else to do it. Let me remind you that it is not about you. It's about the church, the bride of the Christ. Honor the bridegroom by making sure the bride has every teacher the bridegroom has given her. Finally, you might think that YOU will continue to teach your class so there's no need to train another. Well, in case no one has told you, everyone quits teaching … someday. It may be just a few days before they put your body in ground, but you will stop teaching at some point. Prepare someone to replace you while you are still functioning well. Prepare others anticipating numerical growth in the church. God is still calling new believers; likewise, He is still calling new teachers. So What?: If you're a teacher, leave a legacy of wisdom. Live it in your own life. Teach it to others. And, train other teachers to do the same. How can you do that? It starts by modeling good teaching in the classroom. Consider every lesson an opportunity to show what effective Bible teaching looks like. Then be intentional in watching those you're teaching for clues that God may be calling them to be teachers. If the clues are there, work with them to give them opportunities to teach. Don't just assign them a lesson to teach; instead, help them prepare, be there to encourage, and then follow up with feedback that can help them improve. If their teaching seems to bear fruit, recommend them to the church so that the church body can explore and confirm their gifting by calling them as teachers. So What Now?: Rather than being satisfied just teaching those God has entrusted to you, will you seek out the longterm health of the church by discipling other teachers?
Why?: How can studying the structure of a Bible passage help us understand the purpose of the passage? What?: A building is designed based on its purpose. If you can see the structure, you can understand its purpose. If you can observe rooms—or areas of rooms—and how they connect, you can understand what the designer had in mind for their use. The placement of doorways helps the designer move you through the building and the windows show you how the building fits in its environment. In some ways, the Bible is like a building. If you can understand the structure, you can understand the purpose of the passage. The author has small ideas that are connected to the whole. Through use of connecting words or phrases, the author moves you through the passage as he intended. Often there are windows into other parts of Scripture that show you how the passage fits into its context. Remember that the goal in studying is to understand what God said to the original recipients through the human author's writing and then to help your learners apply that truth to their lives. The structure helps you understand its purpose. Unfortunately, because it is often time consuming, study of the structure is neglected by many Bible teachers. After decades of teaching, studying the structure is still the most difficult part of my lesson preparation. It often consumes half or more of my study time. But, it is worth it… every time. Once I understand how the human author is saying what he is saying, I can be confident that I am covering what the divine author intended in my lesson. There are almost as many ways of studying the structure as there are people who study. You need to find the method that works for you. When you finish, you should understand the big idea of the passage and how every piece of that passage fits together to support the big idea. Then, you will know where to focus your learners when you teach them. If you have time, you can get into the weeds and show them minute details that are interesting. On the other hand, if your time is limited, you can be certain you are covering what they need. So What?: There are links available at our website TeachersOfTheBible.org that can point you to resources that can help you learn how to understand the structure. Some software helps you make the task simpler. Some books can walk you through different methods that others have found useful. So What Now?: Even though it is time consuming, understanding the structure of the passage is as important as understanding the structure of a building. The structure reveals the purpose. Will you commit to understanding the purpose of the passage you are teaching by understanding how the author structured it. If you do, I can promise that you will have more confidence as you teach.
Why?: If you're going to do inductive Bible study, how do you begin? What?: Remember that the goal in studying is to understand what God said to the original recipients through the human author's writing and then to help your learners apply that truth to their lives. So, how DO you begin? Well, if you want to know the meaning, you'll have to begin with the writing. Observe what the author wrote. What words did he use to convey his meaning? How did he form those words into phrases and sentences and paragraphs? How did he assemble those paragraphs into the whole book? Why did he put some ideas before other ideas in his writing? Is he reporting history? Is he telling a story? Is he trying to cause an emotional reaction? Is he trying to pass on instructions from the Lord? Is he comparing things? Does he mention people, places, physical objects, or ideas? All these are questions you need to ask when you observe the passage. As you try to answer your questions, what questions remain unanswered by the passage, itself? What words, phrases, or explanations seem unclear? Write these down while you are observing. Read the same passage from other translations of Scripture. You might even want to listen to someone read the passage aloud. As you study, are there additional questions that come up? Do the translations differ in words or wording? Jot down these additional questions. Are there words or phrases that are repeated? Since every word is there for a purpose, why is the author using the same words or phrases over and over? Are there connecting words like "but, therefore, so that"? If so, what are they connecting? Is the author comparing or contrasting anything? If so, is it clear what and Why? Is it obvious that there is some progression of time or physical travel in the text? Why is the author reporting that? Does the author outright claim some truth and tell his readers how to apply that truth to their lives? We have worksheets available at TeachersOfTheBible.org that help you think through the observation phase of your study. The title of this observation worksheet it … wait for it … "observation"! Some things don't have to be difficult. So What?: If you want to know what the author meant, you have to read what the author wrote. That means that you need to be able to understand how people write to communicate. God communicates to us in a language we can understand. So, observing the text is simple. But, it's not easy. It will take work to understand the depths of God's truths contained in His written Word. So What Now?: Will you commit to doing that work so that you will faithfully teach the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth that God has inspired to be written down for His glory and for our benefit?
Why?: How do you study in order to teach the Bible? What?: The goal in studying is to understand what God said to the original recipients through the human author's writing and then to help your learners apply that truth to their lives. An efficient way to do that is a method called inductive Bible study. That could sound a bit complicated, so let me explain and let me start with what NOT to do. I could approach the Bible with the idea that there is no role for physical descendants of Israel in the end times. Then, I could go to Revelation, chapter 7, where it says that 144 thousand were "sealed from every tribe of the sons of Israel" and claim support for my idea because in that list, Dan, one of the sons of Israel is not mentioned and Manasseh, one of Joseph's sons IS. I have brought an idea to Scripture and then looked for evidence to confirm my idea. This would be deductive study and it can be dangerous to start there. If, instead I did inductive study, I would start what the Bible author wrote and then draw my conclusions from that. So, using the same example, I could read Revelation, chapter 7, and wonder why that list of sons doesn't match the original sons listed in Genesis 35. If I looked for other lists, I would find that when 12 tribes are mentioned for purposes of going to war—as occurs at the beginning and ending of the book of Numbers—or in the distribution of land—the tribe of Levi is not included and Joseph's double portion through his two sons is included as in Revelation 7. Then, I could look for an explanation why the list of 12 does not include Dan. I would find that in 1 Kings, chapter 12 and Amos, chapter 8, that Dan loses status before God because of pagan worship and I could wonder if that might explain it. I can't know the actual reason because God has not revealed it. In other words, in doing inductive study, I could go as far as the Bible has revealed and no further without risking false conclusions, making the Bible say something that it doesn't. So What?: The point of all this is not the 12 tribes, important as they may be. The point is that IF I go to the Bible with my conclusions already made, I can twist the meaning of the text to fit what I want using what is technically know as eisegesis, which means "reading into the text." If, instead, I go to the Bible and ask what it has to say and what conclusions may be drawn from that, I am allowing the Bible to be my authority. The technical term for this is exegesis, "reading out of the text" and it is what is used in inductive study. Inductive Bible study allows the author of the Bible to speak through the Bible to tell me the truths contained in the Bible. So What Now?: So what will you do when you approach the Bible in order to teach its truths to others? Will you take all your wisdom to the Bible and find support for it there? Or will you allow the Bible to help you grow in wisdom, never knowing what God's Spirit might illumine your heart and mind to this time through the passage?
Why?: How and why might you teach a lesson using only a case study as your method? What?: A case study is an effective way of helping your learners apply the truth of Scripture to a specific, real-life situation. For example, in teaching 1 John chapter 1, verses 1-4, I could present a case study of a large church in a university town that has a growing disagreement about the historic doctrines of the faith. A growing group claims that doctrines don't matter as long as we all love Jesus. They talk badly about those who hold to what they call "old-fashioned beliefs" and accuse them of dividing the church over doctrine. I could then ask, "How do we handle disagreements like this?" Obviously, presentation of the dilemma answers the Why? question of The Effective Four—Why? What? So What? So What Now? As I transition to the study of the passage, I could share my teaching point from the passage—real joy comes from real fellowship with the real Jesus—and invite my learners to walk through the passage to find a resolution to the problem presented in the case study. As I walk through the What?, I could keep pointing them back to comparisons to the case study to show how the church has dealt with doctrinal problems since the beginning. As I move to the So What? section, I could restate the teaching point—real joy comes from real fellowship with the real Jesus—and then ask how church members might fail to experience that joy. As I move to the So What Now?, I could ask where they personally fail to experience joy and ask them to commit to addressing that specific thing in their church life. So What?: A case study can help your learners turn to God's Word for solutions to their real-life problems. However, there is a strong caution in using case studies. I've seen teachers try to manipulate the truth of the Bible to fit what they thought was a great case study. In doing this, they put the focus on the case study, the illustration, rather than the truth conveyed by the biblical writer. This risks turning the Bible into a self-help book that can be adapted to fit any circumstance. The entirety of God's Word does provide truth for any circumstance, but the particular passage you're teaching may not address the circumstance addressed in the case study. Don't force it. Either choose another case study or choose another passage that directly addresses the dilemma in the case study. So What Now?: The Bible is perhaps the worst self-help book ever written. What it shows is that we cannot help ourselves. We were dead in our trespasses and, unless God intervened, we were not going to have life. Likewise, our minds and our emotions are corrupted by the fall. When you use a case study, will you commit to using the truth of the Bible to help your learners seek God's help rather than trying to solve problems in their own way? Will you commit to abandoning some case studies rather than manipulating the Bible to fit. If you make those commitments, you should be able to use case studies in your teaching when they are helpful.
Why?: If a Bible passage has one timeless truth, why do we need to adapt our lessons for different learners? What?: Contrary to the "my truth"/"your truth" lie in our relativistic culture, there is only THE truth in the Bible. If "our truth" doesn't agree with biblical truth, we are wrong. If we have rightly understood the truth contained in a Bible passage, how can there be different ways of teaching different groups of learners? Let's take a look at the gospel message of the Apostle Paul. When Paul went into synagogues, he taught the Jews about Jesus as their anticipated Messiah. He could do that because he knew what they already knew. Paul was able to begin in the middle of the story because the Jews shared an understanding of the beginning of the story. The presentation changed when he spoke to the Gentiles. In Acts, chapter 17, we see how Paul adapted the same truth to his learners. Instead of beginning in the middle of story, he had to begin in the beginning with creation. The truth did not change, but the message containing the truth was adapted to each group of learners. So What?: What common knowledge do your learners share that only needs a reminder? What parts of the story do they not share in common? So What Now?: Will you get to know your learners? Will you learn what they know and what they don't know so that you can adapt your message of the one truth in a way that connects with where they are in the story?
Why?: 3 points and an illustration? How many points should your Bible lesson have? What?: Pastor and theologian, John Stott, was asked how many points a sermon should have. He responded, "At least one." The same applies to our Bible lessons: they should have at least one point. In fact, often that's all they need—1 point, supported by the passage and then applied to the lives of your learners. With The Effective Four teaching method, you help your learners answer The Effective Four questions: Why? What? So What? So What Now? Why do they need to know the truth? What is the truth of the passage? So what? How might that truth be applied to their lives? So What Now? How will they commit to being transformed by the truth? So What?: You may find a way to include more points in your lesson, but don't forget to include at least one. That point needs to reflect the central truth of the passage. So What Now?: As you teach, will you show them the main point, how the author supports that main point, and how that main point could change their lives? You may want a 2nd and 3rd point and, yes, you may want an illustration. But don't forget the main point that transforms your learners.
What?: 2 Tim, chapter 3, verse 16 says that all Scripture was breathed out by God. The whole Bible, then, has God as its author. But, God used approximately 40 men over fifteen hundred years to write down what we have as the Holy Bible. Those men, writing in their own styles and in their own languages wrote the very words of God. The problem is that we don't have a single original document from any of those authors. So how trustworthy are the Bibles we have? Scholars have been studying that for more than a century. What they've concluded is that we can be certain of more than 99% of all the words written in the original languages that are used to translate the Bible into our modern English. Of the less than 1% of words that are in question, NONE affect any historic Christian doctrine. So What?: So, while scholars can debate the few uncertain words, as teachers of the Bible, we can be certain that what we are teaching is based on the very words God had those men write down so long ago. So What Now?: Rather than spend time questioning the validity of any Bible word, we can spend our time helping our learners apply the Bible, as the Word of God, to their lives. The Bible we have is trustworthy because its author is trustworthy.
Why?: How do you adapt the message the author of Scripture meant for the original hearers to those you are trying to teach? What?: The divine and human authors of Scripture meant to communicate a specific truth to those who received the original writings. That truth was to be applied to their lives in a particular way. But, often, there's a problem in communicating that same truth to a modern audience so that it affects their lives. We're separated from the original recipients of Scripture by time, culture, language, and geography. If that weren't enough, our modern learners vary in physical and spiritual maturity. So, how can you teach a lesson that's true to the truth of the passage yet relevant to the lives of your learners? Well, sometimes the truth applies to the modern learner in exactly the same way it did for the ancient learner. Sometimes it has to be adapted through one or more of the filters of time, culture, language, or geography. Sometimes it has to be adapted because of the physical maturity of the learners— you wouldn't teach the same application for a 5 year old and a 50 year old. Sometimes it has to be adapted to the spiritual maturity of the learners—some are still on milk while others need meat. So What?: In each case, the truth is the same, but the teaching point you will want make will be different. So What Now?: Will you commit to knowing your learners? Knowing what they need right now? And then finding a way to communicate the truth of the passage in way that is likely to be used by the Holy Spirit to transform your learners?
Why?: The Apostle John says we don't need teachers. So, why are you one? What?: In 1 John, chapter 2, verse 27, the Apostle John writes, "As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you don't need anyone to teach you." We need no teacher other than the Holy Spirit living in us. It's the Holy Spirit who is ultimately our teacher and the teacher of our learners. He is the one who revealed God's truth, had it written down, illumines our hearts and minds to that truth, and then applies the truth to the life of every disciple of Jesus. Yet, he uses human teachers in the process. Have you ever wondered Why? I certainly have and I can't find a single passage from Scripture that I can point to that answers the question directly. Instead, looking at all of Scripture, it's clear that everything God does is for His own glory. Somehow, His using us broken people to transform other broken people puts His glory on display in a way that must be greater than if He taught us directly by Himself. So What?: So, if it brought Him more glory to not use human teachers, He could and would do that without us. Instead, He calls us to be teachers so that He can demonstrate His power to earthly and heavenly onlookers. He uses dull tools like us to sharpen one another. And that brings Him great glory. So What Now?: You're a teacher because God made you one. Will you bring glory to God in your teaching by relying on the real teacher—the Holy Spirit? Asking Him to guide you as you prepare your lesson? Asking Him to prepare the hearts of your learners for the lesson? Asking Him to help you teach your learners and then apply the the truths they learn so that they can be more Christlike? God called you to be a teacher to bring glory to Himself, so glorify Him in your teaching.
What?: God is the only perfect teacher. Jesus, God the Son, taught perfectly in His earthly ministry. He sent God, the Holy Spirit to teach until He returns for us. Like Jesus, the Holy Spirit teaches perfectly. To be blunt, you're neither of them. You ARE given as a gift by Jesus to the church. You ARE used by the Holy Spirit to teach, but only as His instrument. And, every instrument could be better…sharper…more effective. So What?: So how do you improve? One way to get better is to record your teaching and then go through the painful process of reviewing your own teaching. Another way is to have your learners critique your teaching. Did they actually understand the truth you were trying to teach them? Were they motivated to be transformed by that truth? You might even invite other teachers or church leaders into your classroom to give you feedback. At TeachersOfTheBible.org, we have a list of questions that are useful in showing you ways you can improve. So What Now?: The question is, "Will you actually try to improve?" Are you willing to receive feedback, even criticism, in the spirit of helping you to be more effective? Every teacher should want to improve. What will you do about it?
Why?: How and why might you teach a lesson using only discussion as your method? What?: There are a number of reasons you might choose discussion as the format for a Bible lesson. The personality of the class, as a whole, may favor discussion. You may want to have a community of believers rely on the Holy Spirit, who indwells them, to teach them more directly. You may want to exploit the learning preferences of every learner in the class using the principles on which The Effective Four questions are based. Those Effective Four are Why? What? So What? So What Now?. If you're using discussion, you need to plan a series of questions that will help your learners engage with the Bible in order to provide direction for the lesson. For example, when teaching 1 John chapter 1, verses 1-4, I draw them in by having them answer a question: "What problems can keep us from having joy as a church body?" After a couple of answers, I point them to the text that provides the answer. Here I share my teaching point: Real joy comes from real fellowship with the real Jesus. My affective aim is that The learner will desire real joy as a member of Christ's body. As I transition from the Why? to the What?, I explain how differences in essential doctrines divide today just like doctrine divided the early church that wrestled over the truth that Jesus is 100% God and 100% man. Then, I walk them through the text asking questions that show them how I came to my teaching point. I spend as much time as necessary for them to see the truth I saw in my study. But, I typically have a time marked on my notes so that we don't run out of time before getting to the final questions—So What? and So What Now?. In asking these transformative questions, I allow them to provide the answers so that they're more likely to commit to being transformed by the truth of the passage. I sometimes have some sort of accountability built in, but sometimes I allow them to suggest ways they would be accountable. Throughout the entire lesson, I am steering them towards the truth of the passage and the application of that truth for their lives. So What?: In the classroom, discussion sometimes looks like the teacher didn't have to do much to prepare the lesson. That is as far from the truth as you can get IF the lesson is intended to transform the learners. As the teacher preparing, you never know what answers you will get to the questions you ask so you have to be prepared for the most likely and be willing to say "I don't know, but I'll get back to you" for the ones you didn't anticipate. You can never be sure how the discussion will unfold. And, you have to keep their transformation in mind as you sometimes force them to move on so that The Effective Four questions—Why? What? So What? So What Now? are answered. Being able to control the discussion takes a lot more preparation than a lecture. So What Now?: Knowing that the Holy Spirit is the primary teacher, will you commit to allowing Him to use you to teach using a discussion format for some of your teaching? It seems risky not knowing the rabbit trails you may discuss, but trusting Him, will you commit to leading discussions with excellence?
Why?: As a teacher, do you ever feel like you are alone? What?: In many teaching ministries, it is easy to feel isolated, to feel alone. We may not meet regularly with other teachers as we plug away week-by-week. If you feel alone, there is good news. It is recorded at the end of Matthew's Gospel. Immediately after giving the Great Commission to His first disciples, in the last words recorded by Matthew, Jesus assures His first disciples, "Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age." The dilemma comes in reading at the end of Luke's Gospel and at the beginning of Acts that Jesus was then taken into heaven. If He promised to be with us and then was taken away, maybe all believers, including teachers, have cause to feel alone. Well, we're not! Jesus promised to send His Holy Spirit to indwell us so that we have God present in us as believers. But, how is that Jesus being with us? Perhaps the answer is the church. Consider that the Spirit unites all believers as one church and that united church is called "the body of Christ" a visible body that we can see in local congregations of that one church. So What?: We can legitimately say that Jesus is physically with us in the local congregation and spiritually with us in the Holy Spirit. We are not alone. So What Now?: As a teacher, when you feel alone, remember that you're not. You have Jesus' promise that He is with all believers until the end of the age.
Why?: Why do you think your teaching is authoritative? What?: Some teachers think their teaching is authoritative because of their position in the church. Others, because they know and communicate the Bible well. Some even think that if they speak in authoritative ways—whatever that is—that their teaching has authority. The truth is that we speak authoritatively when we speak with Jesus' authority. In Matthew chapter 28, verse 18, just before giving the Great Commission to make disciples, the resurrected Jesus said He had been given ALL authority in heaven and on earth. And in that authority, He was sending the church out to make disciples. In other words, Jesus has given us His authority to continue His work of making disciples. So What?: It is Jesus' ministry to make disciples who grow to look more and more like their Savior. He has redeemed them. Through His Spirit, He transforms them. The fact that we are operating on His authority rather than our own should keep us humble as we are used to carry out His work. Our teaching fails when we do it on our own authority. Our teaching succeeds when we rely on the authority of the One who commissioned us in the first place. So What Now?: When you start getting a little full of yourself thinking you are really special as a teacher, will you repent and humbly submit to the One who has real authority and who has sent you to His church with that authority? Only then will your teaching be authoritative.
Why?: Does teaching in the Great Commission apply to every Christian in the same way? What?: At the end of Matthew's gospel, he records Jesus' Great Commission to the church to make disciples by having a heart to reach the lost, baptizing new believers, and teaching all disciples to obey everything Jesus has commanded. That commission for the church applies to every individual believer in the church; we are all to teach. And teachers are to teach. Isn't that the same thing? No! In Ephesians chapter 4, verses 11 to 16, Paul tells us that Jesus gave certain gifts, including teachers, to the church to equip every member for ministry. So, all believers are to teach by modeling the Christian life and passing on God's truth. But, those who are gifted to the church as teachers have a larger responsibility to teach the church so that every believer CAN teach. Although there is certainly some overlap, a simple way to describe the difference is that every believer is to teach in private settings—for example, in the home; but teachers are to teach in public settings—for example, in Sunday school classes. So What?: As teachers we are publicly to teach how all believers can teach privately. So What Now?: Don't be satisfied if your teaching ministry teaches others truth unless you have taught them how to pass on that truth. Teaching them to teach, you will be the gift Jesus intended for you to be when He gave you to His church.
Why?: What does a teaching ministry have to do with baptizing? What?: In the Great Commission recorded in Matthew chapter 28, Jesus commissions His disciples to make disciples. Having a heart to go to the lost, the church is to baptize those who become disciples of Jesus as their first act of obedience as new disciples, confessing to the world the profession of faith in Jesus. As teachers we have an obligation to teach—and to help those we disciple to teach—the full Gospel message. We must tell of the holiness of God and the separation from God that comes because humanity, through our first father, Adam, chose to sin. We must share the Good News that Jesus is the only solution to our separation So What?: If we want to be right with God, we need to be disciples of Jesus. Disciples who make disciples by sharing the Good News presented especially in the Gospels that open the New Testament. So What Now?: As a teacher, being used in a special way by God to make disciples, will you commit to teaching the holiness of God, the brokenness of humanity, and the only solution that makes us right with God, that is Christ Jesus.
Why?: If "Go" is not the Commission, what does "Go, therefore…" have to do with the Great Commission? What?: The Great Commission recorded in Matthew chapter 28, verses 19 and 20 begins with "Go, therefore…" Many focus on the going as if the only way to carry out the Great Commission is to "go on mission" to some other place, near or far. While the Commission does include what we, today, call missions, the "Go" at the beginning is the first explanation of what it means to make disciples. "Go" prompts our hearts to share the Good News of Jesus Christ to the dying world, starting in the home, extending to the local community, and then reaching all the way to the most distant lands. "Go" begins when we become followers of Jesus and ends when we have no breath left in our bodies. So What?: Admittedly, it is easy, as a teacher in the church, to leave evangelism and missions to others. After all, we say, we're doing our part by teaching. But, if we really believe what we teach, we need to model what it means to have a heart to reach the lost and teach the redeemed. So What Now?: Pray that God would give you a heart set on obedience that sees the brokenness of every person so that He might use you to go, therefore and make disciples.
Why?: The Great Commission is recorded at the end of Matthew's Gospel, but what is the commission? What?: In Matthew's Gospel, chapter 28, verses 19 and 20, Matthew records Jesus' Great Commission for the church. Jesus said to His first disciples: "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you." There is only one main verb in the Commission and it is not "go." Instead, it is to make disciples, that is, make disciples of Jesus. So the Great Commission is disciples who make disciples who make disciples… So What?: Is your teaching ministry about making fact-filled fans of your teaching OR about making disciples of Jesus whose hearts desire to be obedient to Jesus by making even more disciples? So What Now?: Commit, today, to make every lesson you teach an exercise in obedience to the Great Commission to make multiplying disciples of our Lord.
Why?: How and why might you teach a lesson using only lecture as your method? What?: There are a number of reasons you might teach using only lecture for a particular lesson. Your time may be very limited and you want control the flow so that you get through the entire lesson. Lecture allows you to do that. Your group of learners may be very large and in a confined space. Lecture allows you teach them where they are. The point is that there ARE legitimate reasons for using lecture as your method. Arguments against a lecture format in a class are typically arguments against the teacher rather than the method. Some people just aren't good lecturers. So how might you lecture? Considering the first four verses of John's first epistle, here's one way I've used lecture to help learners answer The Effective Four questions—Why? What? So What? So What Now? My teaching idea from 1 John, chapter 1, verses 1-4 is that Real joy comes from real fellowship with the real Jesus. My affective aim is that The learner will desire real joy as a member of Christ's body. I draw them in by asking a rhetorical question: "Why can't Christians just get along?" This is my Why? Then as I transition into the text, I explain how doctrine divides today just like doctrine divided the early church that wrestled over the truth that Jesus is 100% God and 100% man. Then I help them answer the What? question; what is the truth in the verses? Here I walk through the verses and show them the teaching idea: Real joy in v. 4 comes from real fellowship in v. 3 with the real Jesus, who is described in the first verses. Then the biggest question: So What? So What difference does that truth make to our life as the church? What might we do to be in fellowship with the real Jesus so that we can experience the joy of His body, the church? I present possibilities that may even raise other options as they think about answering the question. Then I end with the So What Now? I ask them to commit to doing something that had been suggested or something they thought of themselves. Even getting mental agreement by asking "Will you commit?" primes them for transformation. So What?: Teachers are divided arguing for or against lecture in a Bible class. Considering the fact that the central teaching event in the church—the sermon—is typically a lecture format, there seems to be good grounds for having lecture in your skill set. The problem is that not every teacher is a good lecturer. So What Now?: If you're going to use lecture, even occasionally, will you commit to lecturing with excellence? Grab their attention in the first few moments and hold it until you get them to commit to transformation.
Why?: People say we'll have all the answers to our questions when we get to heaven. Will we really? What?: In Ephesians, chapter 2, Paul describes how we're saved by grace through faith. In verse 7, he tells us why. Paul writes, "… so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." How long will it take for Him to show us what Paul describes as "immeasurable riches of his grace"? The answer is, in a word, "forever." Every day we'll learn more of the "immeasurable riches of his grace." I'm reminded of the last stanza of the familiar hymn, Amazing Grace: "When we've been there ten thousand years bright shining as the sun, we've no less days to sing God's praise than when we've first begun." The same will be true a million years later. We'll still be learning about God's grace poured out on us. We'll still be learning more about our Creator, our Savior, our great God as He reveals Himself day-by-day. So What?: We'll never know everything, otherwise we would be God. But, since God has made us in His image, we can know everything He reveals to us. A billion years into our eternal lives, we'll be excited to say, "Lord, we thought we knew you yesterday, but today you have revealed yourself in a new way. You are an awesome God." So What Now?: As Bible teachers, we have the privilege of giving our learners a taste of the learning they will experience every day, forever. We get to show them how great God is in every one of our lessons. Are you… will you be that excited every time you have the privilege of teaching those God has placed under your teaching ministry?
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