Teach Them Diligently-A Study for Bible Class Teachers

In Mark 10, Jesus teaches on marriage. He sees the Pharisees looking for loopholes in the law. Jesus then uses the law to teach his message and uses the whole of scripture to do it. Then, to explain the message he is trying to get across, Jesus uses a narrative from the Old Testament. Finally, when his disciples are still confused, Jesus took time to reteach the lesson to them.

Study Mark 4 with us.  In the Parable of the Sower we learn that people are affected by the seed in different ways. Our job is not to worry about the soil as much as it is to Sow the Seed. In the Parable of the Seed in Mark 4:26-29, the sower doesn't understand how all the growing happens or works. As Bible class teachers, we may not understand or see how we are helping students. Our job is to Sow the Seed. In the Parable of the Mustard Seed, the seed grows into a great tree even though it starts small. Look what we can do if we Sow the Seed.

Jesus used Setting to teach His lesson. Jesus was careful to select the content of His Message and fit it with the context of the lesson. He went where they lived and worked. Think of John the Baptist and Jesus’ Baptism. Think of Peter, Andrew, James, and John and their boat mending their nets as Jesus talked about being fishers of men. Jesus used Visual Aids to enrich His teaching. When he was asked about paying taxes, what did he say? (Matt 22) How did Jesus teach His point about having a Childlike faith (Matt 18:2)? Jesus was Very deliberate with his timing. He allowed the listener to get slightly uncomfortable--Mentally and physically. In Matt 15--the people were hungry but he was teaching them what he could provide for the people. Jesus waited until they were uncomfortable when He stilled the storm at sea in Matthew 8. Jesus used wait time to make the men in John 8 uncomfortable. Jesus used Questioning to help His listeners stay engaged. When He was teaching, He was working together with His learners--They were working side-by-side instead of sit-n-get. Usually, Jesus countered with a question that challenged the listener and caused the listener to reflect on the thinking or think logically through a situation.

Can you have teaching without learning? I would say there is no teaching without learning. As a teacher, we have to be careful not to make the lesson or the class about us. But beyond that, we have to have a way to assess student learning. How can i know if I taught them if I don’t know if they learned it? What if there were no students? Would the class have been the same?

K-W-L is an instructional reading strategy that is used to guide students through a text. Students begin by brainstorming everything they Know about a topic. This information is recorded in the K column of a K-W-L chart. Students then generate a list of questions about what they Want to Know about the topic. These questions are listed in the W column of the chart. During or after reading, students answer the questions that are in the W column. This new information that they have Learned is recorded in the L column of the K-W-L chart.

How did Jesus use parables to reach those who needed the message? How can we teach like the master? What can I do in my own Bible class or personal work to teach using the powerful stories Jesus used?

Jesus was a powerful storyteller. How can we use His style of teaching in our own teaching? What skills do we need to teach like the Master?

This activity helps students organize their thoughts as you study a section of text. Here is an example: SAC the Text Summarize  Retell the story in your own words. Give a name for this parable Analysis Name the characters of this story. How do you think the Jews who heard this message would have received it? Which Jewish sect do you think would have been most offended by this message? Why? Conclusion What was the lesson Jesus was teaching with the parable?

Think of any skill you would like to master—who do you go to in order to learn this skill? Do you want to be a chef, craftsman, or woodworker?If so, you would want to study with a master? Who could give us a better idea of how to teach than Jesus himself? (Jn 7:40-46) What are some things you notice about Jesus’ teaching style? First, Jesus’ teaching was simple. This is not to be confused with simplistic. Sometimes Jesus concealed a point so that the arrogant and self-righteous could not perceive it (Matt 13:10-13). However, a great teacher is one who can take a complex message a present it to the common man so that he can understand. Look at the Parable of the Sower. Jesus was able to take the complex and make it simple for everyone. Jesus’ teaching was also insightful. Look at Jesus’ profound understanding of the scriptures in the situation about the Sadducees. They come to him with a hypothetical discussion about a woman whose husband die. Jesus understands that the problem is not about the marriages of this woman, but of their understanding of the resurrection. He answers their questions with a simple, two-word answer—I AM. We could chalk this up to Jesus’ being deity or we could try to emulate this in our own lives. Meditate on the scriptures and learn the complex messages students need to know from us. Finally, we notice that Jesus’ teaching was penetrating. Jesus threw his words like darts that were to Penetrate the hearts and minds of listeners (Jn 8:1-11) Jesus dealt with the problem of the Pharisees and their arrogance while keeping the law, but Jesus also dealt with the problem of sin with the woman. Teaching must be aimed. There has to be an arrow and someone to receive the arrow. Jesus Knew the Scriptures and had the Right Attitude. How did he handle the issues when Satan tempted him? “It is written…” This shows that if something is right to do, scripture authorizes it. Jesus’ attitude made the difference in his knowledge of scripture. We can have a great knowledge of the word of God without having the right heart about what we study and present to students. Let us work to Teach Like the Master.

Think of any skill you would like to master—who do you go to in order to learn this skill? Maybe you want to be a master chef, a skilled Craftsman, or an excellent woodworker. To learn the skill or trade, you go to a Master Tradesman. Who could give us a better idea of how to teach than Jesus himself?

We need to create a reverence for God in the way we handle God’s word in our class, In the way we treat our students, and by the sternness of our classroom management. How do you teach reverence for God in your class?

What does reverence for God look like in a church? How does this look in a young class, teenage class, or adult class? Reverence is the most important lesson we can teach our students. Listen in as Brett Hogland speaks about how to address this need.

You have been asked to teach—you can do it—study hard and present it. Ephesians 4:14-16 "we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ, from whom the whole body, being fitted and held together by what every joint supplies, according to the proper working of each individual part, causes the growth of the body for the building up of itself in love."

2 Tim 2:15. No matter how good the teacher is, it is of no value if the teacher does not know the information. No matter how well he knows it, it is still useless if he cannot present it to students to add to permanent knowledge. What do you do when you are asked/told to teach? How do you plan for presentations? Follow these steps to plan an effective lesson.

This discussion technique allows students to be actively engaged as they walk throughout the classroom. They work together in small groups to share ideas and respond to meaningful questions, documents, images, problem-solving situations or texts.

How do you plan your lessons? Are they intentional? How does your congregation plan curriculum? is it intentional? Join us as we discuss how to effectively plan lessons.

As a church, if we want to Prime the teaching Pump, we have to be constantly preparing the next generation of teachers. To do so we need quality teaching in the short-term, we need a coordinated approach to our curriculum in the long-term, and we need teacher preparation perpetually. Check out the show notes here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WXqHkF2u7_8bdGUpaYZeMDxcK0W9_JcYq19hYDSEyME/edit?usp=sharing

The beginning of the school year is an exciting time. Buses are arriving, parents are gathering information, teachers are making final preparations--it is exhilarating. For students, particularly those in a new setting, it can be challenging. They are nervous. In his famous teacher training book, The First Days of School, Harry Wong outlined seven things students want to know on the first day of school. As teachers, we must be prepared to answer those questions. ​​ See the full show notes here: youshallteachthemd.wixsite.com/teachthemdiligently/single-post/2018/08/20/7-Things-Students-Want-to-Know-On-the-First-Day

Journaling is a powerful tool to add to your toolkit as you work to engage students in your Bible Class. It allows students to respond in writing to the texts they are reading and opportunities for reflection and critical thinking. Be sure to provide students with a journal or a system for keeping their responses. Show students examples of good responses to text. Then, help students identify aspects of thoughtful reading responses. As you read a portion of text out loud, share a thoughtful response. Discuss with students why it was thoughtful and not shallow. Read another portion of text aloud and have students write a thoughtful response. Share in groups. After reading a text, or listening to one, students use Journal Responses to respond to what was read.

Deut 31:9-13 Do you think God planned for a child of say 21 to have only heard the law and stories of the O.T. 3 times? Of course not. What do we think happened to Israel? They we supposed to hear this law daily from their families and then have it read to them once every 7 years. Deut 6:4-9 The responsibility of teaching the everyday lessons and reinforcing the law was placed on families of Israel Eph 6:4 Who has this responsibility? Who should be conducting the teaching Bible classes are simply the “icing on the cake” for students Parents (particularly fathers) need to make sure children have what they need to excel in God’s kingdom Do we expect children to simply become interested in spiritual things when they are 18? Check out the show notes here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GFdmFERqhUNBeetVE-BWFlzd85Z-CnLSwbSO8Bojt5Q/edit?usp=sharing

In a previous episode, Billy Randolph brought up the question of "Is it the village's job to raise the warrior?" The answer is no. While Bible class teachers play a vital role in teaching children, the task ultimately falls to parents. Join us as Coulter Wickerham discusses Family Worship.

Join me and my special guest as we discuss the power of Children's Bible Drill. We use this tool with our church family to increase Bible knowledge and build leadership. I'm glad to be able to have my son Zeke with me today. Thanks for listening.

Have you ever used an activity in class that engages students on several levels? Try this activity the next time you're teaching Bible Class.

A Child Hangs in the Balance. What are we going to do about it as Bible Class teachers? What are we going to do to involve parents in our classes? Join me as we interview Brother Billy Randolph.

What do you say to someone who says teaching Bible class is too much work? What is our job as Bible class teachers? We hope you enjoy this interview with Billy Randolph.

Billy Randolph joins me for a discussion about a heart issue in Bible Class teaching. What do we say when someone offers these excuses for not teaching?

This is an interview with Jonathan Bragwell. We answer the question--What skills are needed in Bible Class Teachers?

Part II What does it look like? The Knowledge Response looks like this. We read about the Conquering of Jericho. Kids are asked rote memorization of facts. How many times did they march around the city? They know the facts about the story, but they fail to realize that it was God who gave them the city. The judges--we focus on learning the song of the Judges. Students know the order of the Judges, but forget the point that God continued to have to save His people because of their poor choices. The point is that we are teaching the facts of the Bible without teaching them that this was real and that God used real people--We make no application for them. The Relevant Response looks like this. We read the story of the Good Samaritan—hitting the high points of the story. Then, we spend the rest of the class time helping kids recite, “Be kind” as you color a picture of someone who looks like an injured person. What do you think happens once class is over? Each child (happily) runs out o

Use the Turn-N-Talk Activity next time you teach Bible Class.

Today's podcast featured a special guest--my son Ethan. Join us as he talks about what it takes to have a good Bible Class and effective crafts. He also took time to tell his favorite Bible story. Enjoy.

How many have you have ever been concerned about the future of our youth? How many of you have ever worried in the least about the future faithfulness of some young person you know? Some people have noticed that there is a general misuse of time in Bible Classes. Sometimes there is time spent actually teaching the Bible Are we seeking a quick fix? We have decided to use a certain kind of Bible material (Discovering God’s Way, Shaping Hearts for God, etc.) for all our young children classes—it is not the answer. What if we invested more money in our teenage material to help students become more familiar with the Bible story and the plan of salvation—is that the secret? What do you think are the most important goals in a children’s Bible class? The best planned Bible class with the most interesting crafts and activities will not produce the results we want. What do you think is important in a children’s Bible class? We need to return to Basic Bible teaching. Teaching that tells student

The Need for Teachers Note the context of Deut 6:1-9. Moses is saying farewell and is retelling the Israelite story and law to a new generation. What were the Israelites commanded to do? Why? They were commanded to pass on what they knew to other generations. We have a responsibility to pass on what we’ve learned to future generations. We have a great need for teachers. Many people are not willing to teach. Many think they are not able to teach. The purpose of the class will be to train and encourage future teachers. We all have a responsibility to be teachers. Parents must be teaching constantly. As Christians, we should be teaching others. Why do you think the children of Israel served God during the time of Joshua? (Joshua’s Teaching Generation of Judges 2:6-10a) During Joshua’s time, the people of Israel served God. Why? Was it just a coincidence or was Joshua and the elders who served him following the principles set by God to teach future generations? What made the difference

Wait on the response from your students.