Podcasts about tuesday teaching tips

Today, we explore a tip from my friend Stefan Wolmarans. I am paraphrasing a voice note he sent me, but in essence, his point was: "Jesus was very good at telling stories - just look at his parables. Stories stick in the memory when information does not. " Let's dive in and explore why stories matter and how to tell them.   Notes:  https://www.malcolmcox.org/teaching-tip-407-your-voice-matters-part-12-feedback-in-advance-tips-for-new-and-inexperienced-speakers-malcolm-cox-2/ Send questions and comments here ➡️ malcolm@malcolmcox.org Watch This Next:  From 4 years ago -Tuesday Teaching Tip 230 - "How to use stories - "The Heart of Communication", Part 5. https://youtu.be/W1ULxKQxjKI - From 6 years ago - "Why You Need Keynote Stories", https://youtu.be/zr_tE4qirEM?feature=shared - From 7 years ago - Tuesday Teaching Tips, Episode 96 - "How to re-enact a story", https://youtu.be/W9kO12QUlXM - From 7 years ago - Tuesday Teaching Tips, Episode 90 - "What is the difference between an anecdote and a story?" https://youtu.be/MvPvTx3rv0k - 8 years ago - Tuesday Teaching Tip - Anecdotes vs Stories, https://youtu.be/b-3RGi4tTGU Subscribe to my Podcast: https://audioboom.com/channels/4909728.rss Get a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Connect with me! Instagram: (https://instagram.com/malcolmcoxteachingtips) Facebook: (https://www.facebook.com/malcolmccox/) Website: (https://www.malcolmcox.org) Question: How do you feel about telling stories? Why not incorporate a story into your next lesson? Let me know how it goes. I am a qualified solutions-focused coach. You can book a session with me either via the email above or at the website: https://malcolmcoxcoaching.com/ God bless, Malcolm

Welcome to Episode 304, where we dive into a day in the life of a MicroSchool owner on a Tuesday. Discover how this unique day is structured around team collaboration, administrative meetings, and dedicated time for teacher support. Learn how the host has crafted an ideal week that balances productivity and personal time, creating a thriving educational environment. In this episode, the host shares insights on the importance of teamwork, planning, and effective project management. With a focus on maximizing time and minimizing miscommunication, listeners will gain valuable tips to implement in their own schedules. Whether you're a seasoned MicroSchool owner or just starting out, this episode offers inspiration and practical advice to fuel your journey. Tune in to learn more about the MicroSchool Masterminds community, designed to support educators in starting and growing their MicroSchools. Discover how to navigate legalities, optimize marketing strategies, and enhance your educational impact. Join the movement and let your dreams take flight! Microschool Masterminds.  http://teachersletyourlightshine.com/masterminds We also invite you to join your new FAVORITE online community full of resources, templates, videos, LIVE Q and A, Group Coaching and New Monthy Content Centered around your Educational Entrepreneurship Needs! Microschool Masterminds, designed to help you start or grow your micro school by maximizing your time, optimizing your finances, and mastering your marketing. Whether you are a seasoned microschool owner or a teacher with a dream, Microschool Masterminds provides a dedicated space to share resources, collaborate with fellow educators, and access expert guidance. Join us as we embark on this journey together. Your dreams are about to take flight. No more fears, no more hesitations. Microschool Masterminds is here to fuel your journey. It's your time. Your destiny awaits. Let's soar together into a future of limitless possibilities. VELA Organization: https://vela.org/ Join our Mastermind Program! http://www.teachersletyourlightshine.com/masterminds Launch and Scale Your Microschool or Homeschool Hybrid by Maximizing Your Time, Optimizing Your Finances and Mastering Your Marketing! With our program, you'll confidently navigate the journey of starting or growing your educational venture, equipped with the tools and support needed to achieve lasting success! http://www.teachersletyourlightshine.com/masterminds Join Our Facebook Group for  a supportive community and the “best place on the corner of the internet” https://www.facebook.com/groups/teacherletyourlightshine Book a Clarity Coaching Session: http://www.teachersletyourlightshine.com/coaching Get started on your dream school right now! Get all the documents you need to jumpstart, market and enroll students! http://www.teachersletyourlightshine.com/shop   We have step-by-step instructions to help you write powerful marketing brochures, enrollment forms, introductory packets, and so much more! You'll also find easy-to-use templates made to simplify your creation process, as well as beautiful real-life examples used by my micro-school, Lighthouse Learning, to give you creative inspiration when designing your very own forms.  You will be able to seal the deal with peace and clarity when you hand deliver your new handbook and contract.  Tune in to today's episode to find out more and head over to our shop to purchase your documents at http://teachersletyourlightshine.com/shop

Last Sunday we wrapped up our series on 1 Thessalonians. We learned together. How? Do we want to know what people know and are thinking? A preacher and teacher is tasked with creating a learning community - not simply preaching and teaching Ask questions In Matthew 16:13-16, Jesus asks his disciples, "Who do people say the Son of Man is?" and then follows up with the more personal question, "But what about you? Who do you say I am?" This question prompts Peter's confession that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of the living God. Allow silence  “Then Jesus asked them, “Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?” But they remained silent.” (Mark 3:4 NIV11) People need time By remaining silent and allowing others to speak, we create space for them to express themselves fully and to feel heard and understood. People become convinced we want to hear from them Respond positively Takes courage to speak up - honour that Expand where helpful (briefly) Public speaking as a ‘conversation' with your audience Conclusion Your disposition is the most important aspect Did you (preacher/teacher) come to learn today? Will you try this? Why not sign up for AIM: https://www.aimukandireland.com. Send me an email expressing interest if you cannot find what you need on the site.  Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: malcolm@malcolmcox.org.  If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org.  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  Keep calm and carry on teaching. God bless, Malcolm

Last Sunday: Family bereavement Plenty of study, not enough time for prep on the presentation One of my better lessons - at least in the way it was received. Trust the text: Know it thoroughly. Study well in advance. It has power in itself. Trust God: How much do I trust God? Prayer was more important on Sunday morning than technical preparation. Trust congregation: How much do I trust the congregation in their motivation to learn and ability to do so? Conclusion We are creatives - no creation is ever finished Send it out before ‘ready' - who gets to decide what that means anyway? If a sermon is fully ‘finished' it will likely be dead Why not sign up for AIM: https://www.aimukandireland.com. Send me an email expressing interest if you cannot find what you need on the site.  Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: malcolm@malcolmcox.org.  If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org.  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  Keep calm and carry on teaching. God bless, Malcolm

Are we learning from our compliments to help us continue to grow? I share an experience I had this last Sunday. Straight-talking “What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me,' and ‘Where I am, you cannot come'?”” (John 7:36 NIV11) Questions “When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” he asked. “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own children or from others?” “From others,” Peter answered. “Then the children are exempt,” Jesus said to him.” (Matthew 17:25–26 NIV11) Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)  God bless, Malcolm

A summary of my five main convictions on returning from the conference in Oklahoma. 1. Culture 2. Trauma 3. Jesus 4. Mentoring 5. Leadership You can watch live and recorded sessions of the conference by registering here: https://www.teleiosconference.com Leave a message with your response to my thoughts. Why not sign up for the Old Testament Survey module: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/old-testament-survey-aim-uk-ireland-tickets-531954449077 More information about AIM can be found here: https://www.aimukandireland.com. Send me an email expressing interest if you cannot find what you need on the site. Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community. Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: malcolm@malcolmcox.org. If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org. Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review. Keep calm and carry on teaching. God bless, Malcolm

Introduction Last week – Part 1Conference in Oklahoma: https://www.teleiosconference.com/ This week – some of the feedback I have received and reflections Alex Question that always comes to mind for me: “How do we consider this generation in light of their growing up in an age that was completely taken over by the internet? How has that affected them and how do we get them back to Jesus?” We all seek comfort, peace, joy, community, safety, and especially purpose. Showing them the most excellent way is going to be important, but also fully addressing the notions of women's roles in the church and the LGBTQ+ community as both of those are major points for this upcoming generation. Emi Conversational teaching in the round, learning together. “Then he looked at those seated in a circle around him and said, “Here are my mother and my brothers!” (Mark 3:34 NIV11) Jack Read this article again: https://gordonferguson.org/icoc-3-00-by-jim-mccartney/ Draw younger generation into decision-making. Helps ownership. “Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12 NIV11) “Remember, our job is to prepare the child for the path, not the path for the child.”, Generation iY, Dr. Tim Elmore and Dan Cathy Conclusion Read Gordon's article Another conversation with Jack Read the book below What are my blind spots? How adapt teaching? How connect? How help them not to be bored? How help them love the Bible, absorb it and become competent in teaching it. Question: What questions would you suggest I ask at the conference? Why not sign up for the Old Testament Survey module: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/old-testament-survey-aim-uk-ireland-tickets-531954449077 More information about AIM can be found here: https://www.aimukandireland.com. Send me an email expressing interest if you cannot find what you need on the site. Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community. Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: malcolm@malcolmcox.org. If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org. Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review. Keep calm and carry on teaching. God bless, Malcolm

God's message is for all generations ““‘In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.” (Acts 2:17 NIV11) I find it easier to connect with some generations, but harder with others. This is part of the reason I am off to a conference in Oklahoma next week. https://www.teleiosconference.com/  The 2023 conference theme will be “Gen Z: The Ongoing Conversation.” We have gathered thought leaders from different disciplines and different faith traditions to approach this discussion from many lenses, including cultural intelligence, current sociological research, family studies, adolescent development, psychology, youth ministry, and spirituality studies. Our hope is to engage thought leaders, scholars, church leaders, and youth and family ministers as we learn together how to better include and empower Gen Z in our faith communities. “Generation Z, colloquially known as zoomers, is the demographic cohort succeeding Millennials and preceding Generation Alpha. Researchers and popular media use the mid-to-late 1990s as starting birth years and the early 2010s as ending birth years. Most members of Generation Z are children of Generation X.” Wikipedia 2 goals  1. Adapt my speaking 2. Help other people adapt their speaking Paul was good at connecting with younger people, as well as older. “Seated in a window was a young man named Eutychus, who was sinking into a deep sleep as Paul talked on and on. When he was sound asleep, he fell to the ground from the third story and was picked up dead. Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don't be alarmed,” he said. “He's alive!”” (Acts 20:9–10 NIV11) “Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.” (1 Timothy 4:12 NIV11) “When Paul had finished speaking, he knelt down with all of them and prayed. They all wept as they embraced him and kissed him. What grieved them most was his statement that they would never see his face again. Then they accompanied him to the ship.” (Acts 20:36–38 NIV11) When I attend the conference I want to go asking the right questions. What are those questions? Could be: What aspects of speaking are universal to all generations? What aspects of speaking are unique to different generations? How can old people like me connect with Gen Z? Conclusion What questions would you suggest I ask? Why not sign up for the Old Testament Survey module: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/old-testament-survey-aim-uk-ireland-tickets-531954449077 More information about AIM can be found here: https://www.aimukandireland.com. Send me an email expressing interest if you cannot find what you need on the site. Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community. Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: malcolm@malcolmcox.org. If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org. Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review. Keep calm and carry on teaching. God bless, Malcolm

Introduction In my last two sermons for the Watford church of Christ and the Thames Valley churches of Christ I including some vulnerable personal sharing about a recent incident in my life. I noticed it had a profound effect on both groups, even causing some people to cry. Afterwards they came up to me to thank me. I apologised for making them cry, but they thanked me again, saying it was healing. So today I thought I would post a brief recording on how we use such sharing to help people, rather than manipulate them. I assume we are agreed on the value of personal sharing, so I will restrict myself to comments on best practices. “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers and sisters, about the troubles we experienced in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt we had received the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead.” (2 Corinthians 1:8-9 NIV11) 1. Aim to help other people, not yourself The aim is not to cause people to feel something for you as the speaker, but to help them. Sometimes, in our insecurity, we share personally, because we want people to like us Sharing with a group is only helpful if the fact of sharing helps, not when looking for acceptance from the group.  Ask yourself the question, “Am I sharing this because I want people to connect with me, or to connect with God?” 2. Aim to point to God, not to obscure him The personal sharing must connect with scripture, God as father, Jesus or the Holy Spirit. If it's really just about you it will not helping the word of God land in peoples hearts. Ask yourself the question, “In what way is this personal sharing helping people to connect with God?” 3. Aim to inspire, not to shock Be careful about making your stories too emotionally intense, or graphic. If the emotional impact is too high, people find it hard to truly hear what you are saying. They react on an emotional level with your sharing and the point gets lost in all the noise of the emotions. Ask yourself the question, “Will this sharing prevent people from engaging with the point I'm making?” Conclusion Authenticity is "the sharing of self by relating in a natural, sincere, spontaneous, open and genuine manner." I Thought it was just me, Brene Brown “You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness.” (1 Thessalonians 2:5 NIV11) Our aim is authenticity and helpfulness.  Question: What have you found helpful in developing healthy personal sharing? Why not sign up for the Old Testament Survey module: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/old-testament-survey-aim-uk-ireland-tickets-531954449077  More information about AIM can be found here: https://www.aimukandireland.com. Send me an email expressing interest if you cannot find what you need on the site.  Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  Keep calm and carry on teaching. God bless, Malcolm

Introduction Last week I posted on lesson length. A YouTube correspondent asked: “What I find difficult is that there a few people in our church averse to teaching - I'm not speaking of boring facts and dates just lessons that have a bit more background or context than most. And they happen to be in the upper leadership and therefore have an influence on who gets to do the lessons and how often. So, where as a super majority of the church enjoy and find meaning in the lesson, these folks do not. What to do here?” I asked him for more information and he said: I did a lesson called “The Heart to Learn” (audio available) where I communicated that all disciples need to be learning, but that there is a spectrum of those who are heart-driven to those who are mind-driven. Ala 1Cor 12 the body needs its parts and those who may not enjoy teaching as much need to be loving towards those who require it and who would otherwise starve. I guess the lesson didn't work because, while it was well received, no lasting changes occurred. 1. Dialogue with local leadership Where possible  Point to ministries and people who have benefitted “Now in the church at Antioch there were prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen (who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch) and Saul.” (Acts 13:1 NIV11) 2. Could we get….in to teach on this topic? Someone respected Someone with a specialism (Andy B; Rob Payne…) A specialism that is relevant to a clear need in the congregation “For this reason I have sent to you Timothy, my son whom I love, who is faithful in the Lord. He will remind you of my way of life in Christ Jesus, which agrees with what I teach everywhere in every church.” (1 Corinthians 4:17 NIV11) 3. Build your own skills Study - personal & classroom Find a mentor (DJ) Join or create a tribe (Apollos) Become captivating Solicit feedback “After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions.” (Luke 2:46 NIV11) ““I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today.” (Acts 22:3 NIV11) 4. Find a channel Be useful, effective locallye.g. Campus - apologetics for the modern generation Post online Conclusion Be in it for the long haul - change takes time as does maturity “He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ.” (Colossians 1:28 NIV11) Questions: What have you found helpful in building a healthy teaching culture in your congregation?  Why not sign up for the Old Testament Survey module: https://www.aimukandireland.com. Send me an email expressing interest if you cannot find what you need on the site. Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  Keep calm and carry on teaching. God bless, Malcolm

Introduction - I posted my first poll in the community section of my YouTube channel - “What would be your ideal Sunday lesson length - irrespective of teaching style?” - 15 minutes or less - 0 - 15-20 minutes - 13% - 20-25 - 25% - 25-30 - 13% - 30+ - 50% Jesus - Sermon on the Mount and parables.  Lk 15:1-7 - 54 seconds  “Jesus called his disciples to him and said, “I have compassion for these people; they have already been with me three days and have nothing to eat. I do not want to send them away hungry, or they may collapse on the way.”” (Matthew 15:32 NIV11) 1. Long - Develop thinking - Establish a significant point necessary for the congregation - Need the requisite skill 2. Short - Digestible - Attention - Skill Conclusion - Irrespective of length, any lesson can be:     - Memorable      - Meaningful     - Worshipful Questions: What length of lesson is your skill-set best suited to? What is the most helpful lesson length for your regular speaking context?  Why not sign up for the Old Testament Survey module: https://www.aimukandireland.com. Send me an email expressing interest if you cannot find what you need on the site. Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  Keep calm and carry on teaching. God bless, Malcolm

Introduction “My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.” (1 Corinthians 4:4 NIV11) “You know, brothers and sisters, that our visit to you was not without results. We had previously suffered and been treated outrageously in Philippi, as you know, but with the help of our God we dared to tell you his gospel in the face of strong opposition. For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. On the contrary, we speak as those approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please people but God, who tests our hearts. You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness. We were not looking for praise from people, not from you or anyone else, even though as apostles of Christ we could have asserted our authority. Instead, we were like young children among you.” (1 Thessalonians 2:1–7 NIV11) 1. Suffering - If we are not suffering, what does that say about our motives? - Costing more than receive? * ‘The true missionary is not someone specialised in the delivery of the message but someone whose whole being, completely committed to a message which demands all, is communicated to his hearers.' Best, Tyndale Commentary 2. Childlike - Invisible - willing? John the Baptist - me less, him more. - Hero - or host? - Dependant If he was lying the letter would have had the opposite effect. Conclusion “When we process our leadership by our character, the quality of the outcomes will be measured by a thriving culture where people are valued and not used, where the leader is respected and not feared, where a leader is trusted and not doubted, where the moral authority of the leader's life makes others glad to cooperate and achieve, where grace underwrites the administration of the employee handbook, and where the leader's example stimulates those he serves to live and lead as the leader lives and leads.” Redefining Leadership Joseph M. Stowel Why not sign up for the Old Testament Survey module: https://www.aimukandireland.com. Send me an email expressing interest if you cannot find what you need on the site. Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  Keep calm and carry on teaching. God bless, Malcolm

Introduction A helpful commentary for understanding the Old Testament in the New https://www.amazon.co.uk/Commentary-New-Testament-Use-Old/dp/0801026938/ref=sr_1_2?crid=TMLPA3K7HOYT&keywords=commentary+on+the+old+testament+in+the+new+testament&qid=1673354121&sprefix=commentary+on+the+old+testament+in+the+new+testament%2Caps%2C49&sr=8-2 Two examples from one section of 1 Thessalonians chapter 4 “It is God's will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honourable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God; and that in this matter no one should wrong or take advantage of a brother or sister. The Lord will punish all those who commit such sins, as we told you and warned you before. For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life. Therefore, anyone who rejects this instruction does not reject a human being but God, the very God who gives you his Holy Spirit.” (1 Thessalonians 4:3–8 NIV11) Emphasis on holiness 'sanctified' (v3), 'holy' (v4), 'holy' (v7) - emphasis in this section This was how Israel was to stand out among the nations: Exod. 19:5–6 LXX; Deut 26:18-19 LXX; Lev. 11:44 LXX [cf. 11:45; 19:2; 20:7, 26; 22:32. “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.' These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”” (Exodus 19:5–6 NIV11) Paul was clear on this as a Pharisee - 'the separated ones'. Spirit in messianic age Ezek. 36:25-27; 37:6, 14. Link between Spirit's arrival and enabling obedience to God: Jer. 31:31–34 [38:31–34 LXX]; 32:40; 50:5; Isa. 55:3; 59:21). ““As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the LORD. “My Spirit, who is on you, will not depart from you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants—from this time on and forever,” says the LORD.” (Isaiah 59:21 NIV11) Paradoxical and wondrous that Gentiles (not know God, not part of Covenant, given to sexual laxity) now have the Spirit promised to the people of God. They are main beneficiaries of Messianic age. Surprise, surprise! "It seems clear, therefore, that Paul viewed the conversion of Gentiles at Thessalonica as a fulfilment of the eschatological promises made to Israel. The Thessalonian believers were no longer simply “Gentiles who do not know God”; now they were members of the renewed Israel, the covenant people of God." OT in NT Conclusion What resources do you use to make sure you don't read the NT rootless? Why not sign up for the Old Testament Survey module: https://www.aimukandireland.com. Send me an email expressing interest if you cannot find what you need on the site. Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  Keep calm and carry on teaching. God bless, Malcolm

Introduction Studying 1 Thess end 2022. Praying through it. God got my attention focussed on 1 Thess 2:11-12 “For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.” (1 Thessalonians 2:11–12 NIV11) encouraging, comforting and urging were key aspects of Paul's loving teaching How is my blend and balance? 1. Encouraging παρακαλέω   parakaleō   109x   to call for, invite to come, send for, Acts 28:20; to call upon, exhort, admonish, persuade, Lk. 3:18; Acts 2:40; 11:23; to beg, beseech, entreat, implore, Mt. 8:5, 31; 18:29; Mk. 1:40; to animate, encourage, comfort, console, Mt. 2:18; 5:4; 2 Cor. 1:4, 6; pass. to be cheered, comforted, Lk. 16:25; Acts 20:12; 2 Cor. 7:13 → ask; comfort; exhort; implore; summon. “And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.” (Luke 3:18 NIV11) Inspire courage 2. Comforting  παραμυθέομαι   paramytheomai   4x   to exercise a gentle influence by words; to soothe, comfort, console, Jn. 11:19, 31; 1 Thess. 5:14; to cheer, exhort, 1 Thess. 2:12 “And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.” (1 Thessalonians 5:14 NIV11) Convey compassion 3. Urging μαρτύρομαι   martyromai   5x   to call to witness; intrans. to make a solemn affirmation or declaration, Acts 20:26; 26:22; Gal. 5:3; to make a solemn appeal, Eph. 4:17; 1 Thess. 2:12 “So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.” (Ephesians 4:17 NIV11) Take action Conclusion "He exhorted them like a sports coach telling his team how to win; he encouraged them like a friend strengthening someone facing a daunting task; he testified to them like a witness in a court of law." Wright, Everyone.  Sticky label inside Bible, pad and on desk What is your main speaking aspiration for 2023 and how are you going to grow and sustain it? Why not sign up for the church history module: https://www.aimukandireland.com/course/church-history Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  Keep calm and carry on teaching. God bless, Malcolm

Who's advertising strap-line is that?  L'Oreal.  How many of use L'Oreal products? In 1900 a man could divorce his wife for wearing make-up since it was used by prostitutes! £3 billion a year is spent on cosmetics and toiletries every year.  In London £29 million every month is spent on skin care alone! But we're not talking about cosmetics.  We're talking about something more than skin-deep.  We're talking about the awesome love of God! Have you ever thought you weren't worth much to God? If at no other time of the year, at least at Christmas we should be able to believe we are very, very valuable to God.  Let's read from Matthew 1.1-17 Most of us, I think, reckon we're too sinful, messed up and weak to be loved by God.  Yet this seemingly boring list is packed full of evidence we're all valuable and useful to God. V3 Judah was the father of Perez & Zerah – through Tamar (Genesis 38).  Remember the situation with Tamar? To cut a long story short she was Judah's daughter-in-law.  She was lied to by Judah and so dressed up as a prostitute, had sex with her father-in-law and became pregnant by him.  Perez and Zerah were the result – and they're in the line of Jesus.  V5 Rahab was a prostitute (Joshua 2) V5 Ruth was a Moabite (Ruth 1.4).  They were a nation born out of incest when Lot's daughters had sex with their father while he was drunk.  Not the best start to being a nation! V6 Uriah's wife was Bathsheba and was a Gentile.  Not only that but she became David's wife once he had committed adultery with her and bumped off her husband (1 Sam 11).   So Jesus' family tree included mothers whose backgrounds included an amateur prostitute, a professional prostitute, a woman from a nation born out of incest and a woman whose passport into the family was via adultery and murder.  Not a very impressive list?   I believe they are on this list to show us two things: i) God cares about the messed-up and the marginalised ii) God can use anyone to his glory Why not make a resolution?  Ask God to use you in 2023.  And when you ask Him, “Why me? I'm no good!”, you'll hear Him say, “Because you're worth it!” If the nativity, the incarnation and Christmas mean anything they mean we are worth it - to God. Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community. Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: malcolm@malcolmcox.org. If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org. Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review. “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11) God bless, Malcolm PS: You might also be interested in my book: "An elephant's swimming pool", a devotional look at the Gospel of John mccx, Malcolm Cox, Watford, Croxley Green, teaching, preaching, spiritual disciplines, public speaking, corporate worship, Sunday Sample, Corporate Worship Matters, Tuesday Teaching Tips, Quiet Time Coaching, coaching, coaching near me, coach, online coaching, savior, quiet time, devotion, God, Jesus, Pray, prayer, malcolm's, cox, 

Scripture: Revelation 2:18-29 Summary: Use the words of Jesus to the church in Thyatira to help you assess 2022 and gain a vision for 2023 PREPARING FOR 2023     - Not about comparing ourselves with Thyatira. But about using Jesus' approach to help us.     - v18 Note the letter begins with an inspiring picture of Jesus. He is the one able to give us a compelling vision, and carry out out.     - Some questions to ask ourselves personally and in our local groups:  1. What will help you persevere? v25-26         - Hold on, v25         - v26. Does my will to the end: i.e. continue with love, faith, service and repent of immorality and eating food sacrificed to idols         - Where will you get the strength from? 2. Where do you see God's power at work in 2023? v26-27         - May be a shepherd's staff with an iron tip. Referring to: “Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”” (Psalm 2:8–9 NIV11)         - A judgment scene. Shepherd's club for fighting those who threaten the flock.         - Potters guild in the city. Weima, 154 - name of enemy inscribed on pot and broken.          - Where might God's power be at work - in you and through you - in the months ahead? 3. What will convince you to go forth into the year with spiritual confidence? v28         - Jesus ‘replaces' Venus as the morning star, Rev 22:16, 2 Pet 1:19. The morning star is Venus, a symbol of sovereignty and victory. Arises just before the dawn.  Victorious Roman Generals erected temples to Venus.  Jesus is promising victory to those who hold on and remain obedient to what they already know. They will share his victory, his messianic rule.         - Jesus is confident in the church. He is confident in you. "God don't make junk".          - What would living a victorious Christian life look like for you in 2023? Conclusion             - “We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 1:3 NIV11) Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community. Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: malcolm@malcolmcox.org. If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org. Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review. “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11) God bless, Malcolm PS: You might also be interested in my book: "An elephant's swimming pool", a devotional look at the Gospel of John mccx, Malcolm Cox, Watford, Croxley Green, teaching, preaching, spiritual disciplines, public speaking, corporate worship, Sunday Sample, Corporate Worship Matters, Tuesday Teaching Tips, Quiet Time Coaching, coaching, coaching near me, coach, online coaching, savior, quiet time, devotion, God, Jesus, Pray, prayer, malcolm's, cox, 

Scripture: Revelation 2:18-29 Summary: Use the words of Jesus to the church in Thyatira to help you assess 2022 and gain a vision for 2023 Introduction – v18 Note the letter begins with an inspiring picture of Jesus. He is the one able to give us a compelling vision, and carry out out. – Some questions to ask ourselves personally: 1. What will help you persevere? v25-26 – Hold on, v25 – v26. Does my will to the end: i.e. continue with love, faith, service and repent of immorality and eating food sacrificed to idols – Where will you get the strength from to speak with passion and joy? 2. Where do you see God's power at work in 2023? v26-27 May be a shepherd's staff with an iron tip. Referring to: “Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.”” (Psalm 2:8–9 NIV11) A judgment scene. Shepherd's club for fighting those who threaten the flock. Potters guild in the city. Name of enemy inscribed on pot and broken. Where might God's power be at work – in you and through you – in the months ahead? 3. What will convince you to go forth into the year with spiritual confidence? v28 Jesus ‘replaces' Venus as the morning star, Rev 22:16, 2 Pet 1:19. The morning star is Venus, a symbol of sovereignty and victory. Arises just before the dawn.  Victorious Roman Generals erected temples to Venus.  Jesus is promising victory to those who hold on and remain obedient to what they already know. They will share his victory, his messianic rule. Jesus is confident in the church. He is confident in you. “God don't make junk”. What would living a victorious Christian life look like for you in 2023? Conclusion “We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 1:3 NIV11) Why not sign up for the church history module: https://www.aimukandireland.com/course/church-history Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community. Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: malcolm@malcolmcox.org. If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org. Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review. Keep calm and carry on teaching. God bless, Malcolm

Scripture: Revelation 2:18-29 Summary: Use the words of Jesus to the church in Thyatira to help you assess 2022 and gain a vision for 2023 Review 2022     - Not about comparing ourselves with Thyatira. But about using Jesus' approach to help us.     - v18 - Note the letter begins with an inspiring picture of Jesus. His opinion about us is what matters, not the opinions of others, nor our own feelings.      - Some questions to ask ourselves personally and in our local groups:  1. What has gone well? v19         - They prioritise love          - They are growing         - “We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 1:3 NIV11)         - Their love is not intellectual, but practical - Galatians 5:6; Acts 10:38. 2. What needs improvement? What is being tolerated? What sins are apparent? v20-21         - Jezebel: 1 Kings 16:31, 2 Kings 9:22.  The adultery is likely metaphoric as in the OT, Jer 3, Ezek 16, Hos 2, but the immorality is also real.  The worship of idols is replacing the worship of God.           - Who was she?          - 1. Lydia, Acts 16:14-15, 40         - 2. Wife of a church leader in Thyatira         - 3. Local sibyl - pagan prophetess         - 4. Symbolic representative of Thyatiran church         - 5. Prominant woman: claiming to be a prophetess. A charismatic female teacher.         - The baddest of all the bad girls in the Bible!         - eating food             - The trade guild issue. Necessary for networking and acceptance. If you belonged you had to attend. Esp. prominent and numerous in Thyatira. Not only for trade, but some like a club. i. Immorality ii. Compromise with worldliness  3. What will be the consequences if you do not pay attention to the things God has brought to your attention? vv22-24         - “I will kill her children with death”.         - Cannot hide behind Jezebel and blame her.         - ‘hearts and minds' - we know that God knows our hearts and minds, but it is healthy to own up when things ‘at home' are not spiritually healthy before God feels the need to intervene! Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community. Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: malcolm@malcolmcox.org. If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org. Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review. “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11) God bless, Malcolm PS: You might also be interested in my book: "An elephant's swimming pool", a devotional look at the Gospel of John mccx, Malcolm Cox, Watford, Croxley Green, teaching, preaching, spiritual disciplines, public speaking, corporate worship, Sunday Sample, Corporate Worship Matters, Tuesday Teaching Tips, Quiet Time Coaching, coaching, coaching near me, coach, online coaching, savior, quiet time, devotion, God, Jesus, Pray, prayer, malcolm's, cox, 

Scripture: Revelation 2:18-29 Summary: Use the words of Jesus to the church in Thyatira to help you assess 2022 and gain a vision for 2023 Introduction – v18 – Note the letter begins with an inspiring picture of Jesus. His opinion about us is what matters, not the opinions of others, nor our own feelings. We speakers are all about Jesus – not ourselves, but our conduct, thinking and attitude matter. – Some questions to ask ourselves personally: 1. What has gone well? v19 – They prioritise love and are growing – “We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 1:3 NIV11) – What has gone well in your speaking this year? How have you grown? What do other people say? 2. What needs improvement? What is being tolerated? What sins are apparent? v20-21 – Jezebel: 1 Kings 16:31, 2 Kings 9:22. The adultery is likely metaphoric as in the OT, Jer 3, Ezek 16, Hos 2, but the immorality is also real. The worship of idols is replacing the worship of God. – Who was she? – The baddest of all the bad girls in the Bible! – Eating food – The trade guild issue. Necessary for networking and acceptance. If you belonged you had to attend. Esp. prominent and numerous in Thyatira. Not only for trade, but some like a club. Toleration is the bigger problem. What have you ‘tolerated' in your speaking? “For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory.” (1 Thessalonians 2:11–12 NIV11) Have you blended encouragement, comfort and urging? 3. What will be the consequences if you do not pay attention to the things God has brought to your attention? vv22-24 – “I will kill her children with death”. – Cannot hide behind Jezebel and blame her. Are your listeners bored? Are you getting a reaction to your speaking? What will happen if you do not grow? Conclusion Next time – vision for 2023 Why not sign up for the church history module: https://www.aimukandireland.com/course/church-history Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community. Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org). If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/). Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review. Keep calm and carry on teaching. God bless, Malcolm

Truth through personality “In the first place, I ask that men make no reference to my name; let them call themselves Christians, not Lutherans.“ Admonition Against Insurrection (1522) Martin Luther “by any consideration of body or soul you should never say: I am Lutheran, or Papist.” On Receiving Both Kinds in the Sacrament (1522) Martin Luther “Moses said to the LORD, “Pardon your servant, Lord. I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue.” The LORD said to him, “Who gave human beings their mouths? Who makes them deaf or mute? Who gives them sight or makes them blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say.”” (Exodus 4:10–12 NIV11-GK) “Moses was educated in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful in speech and action.” (Acts 7:22 NIV11) Conclusion Be more than your speech, not less. Why not sign up for the church history module: https://www.aimukandireland.com/course/church-history Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  Keep calm and carry on teaching. God bless, Malcolm

I'm in the last stages of preparing for our church history module for AIM UK & Ireland coming this weekend. If you are watching this in time, please feel free to sign up for the classes on the 3rd of December. Even if you're too late for that, you can still sign up for the course and watch the classes online. https://www.aimukandireland.com/course/church-history What does church history have to do with teaching of preaching? Church History helps us separate pragmatism and tradition from core teachings, and thus helps unity and prevents unnecessary division. Let me offer one thought based on the book, “Renewing God's People” by Holloway and Foster.  The churches of Christ have been traditionally non-instrumental. Churches have divided over the issue. Where did this come from? The lack of instruments in the movement was not initially a scriptural issue and was probably more to do with its frontier nature.  “The first recorded instance of an instrument used in worship among the Stone-Campbell churches was in Midway, Kentucky, in 1859. The minister, L.L. Pinkerton (1812 to 1875), brought in a melodeon to help singing that was so bad it "scared even the rats from worship."" p93.  Instruments began to be used after the Civil war, mostly in the North. The North justified them on the grounds of appealing to a new generation of worshippers and to help singing. The South opposed them on the grounds of waste when southerners were starving, and an accommodation to culture.  Why was this issue so much more divisive than others? Perhaps because it was so visible. Did it need to divide people? We may have preferences for singing with or without instruments. Personally I like a blend of both. However, I cannot justify one position over the other from Scripture - nor do I feel the need to do so.  Conclusion The application to preaching and teaching? It is helpful to see an example of how a practice (non-instrumental worship) developed as a practical outworking of circumstances, was challenged by new circumstances (greater wealth and desire to appeal to the culture) and was given theological justification after the fact.  Do we have practices that we can ‘justify' from Scripture and which separate us from other Christians, but which have their origins in pragmatism, became established tradition and acquired theological justification? It must never be that a preacher or teacher presents a pragmatic solution as a Biblical imperative.  Why not sign up for the church history module: https://www.aimukandireland.com/course/church-history Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  Keep calm and carry on teaching. God bless, Malcolm

Is the goal of relevancy necessary, helpful, or a curse? Today I offer some thoughts on sermons and relevancy prompted by the book, “The Givenness of Things”, by Marilynne Robinson. We speak of the sacred “My tradition places great importance on the sermon, and I go in hopes of hearing something that acknowledges this deep old human intuition, this sense of the sacred. Often I don't hear any such thing, but sometimes, more remarkably, I do. A good sermon is a pure, rare, strangely unworldly gift.” 141 The Western environment in which I live over-elevates the solving of mystery which leads to an impoverishment of our spirits. I am glad the mystery of what causes pneumonia has been solved. But in our preaching God is someone more to be described than explained.  We speak of life and death “My church is across the street from a university, where good souls teach with all sincerity – the factually true, insofar as this can really be known; the history of nations, insofar as this can be faithfully reported; the qualities of an art, insofar as they can be put into words. But to speak in one's own person and voice to others who listen from the thick of their endlessly various situations, about what truly are or ought to be matters of life and death, this is a singular thing. For this we come to church.” 146 What do the scientific and historical facts point to? What do the artistic qualities reach for and reflect? It is of this that we speak. Matters of life and death.  Conclusion “Day-old journalism is used for wrapping fish. But hymnals and Bibles are costly and durable.” 150 The challenge for speakers is to be relevant without being captured by the need to be relevant. Jesus spoke of contemporary issues connected to his audience: “those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem?” (Luke 13:4 NIV11) But, was his goal relevance? The parables describe the Kingdom, but do not explain it - at least not in every detail. They do not answer every question, but stimulate questions.  Perhaps we could look at it like this. We use relevance to demonstrate that God understands and cares. His wisdom, revealed in Christ and the Scriptures is helpful in the here and now. But, the demonstration of relevance is not our goal. Our goal is to reveal the one who is beyond relevance. The one who can never be fully explained, but who can be worshipped, adored, loved.  Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  Keep calm and carry on teaching. God bless, Malcolm

VALUE THE DISCIPLINE OF SHORT LESSONS 1. Shorter is not always better:      - “And with many other words John exhorted the people and proclaimed the good news to them.” (Luke 3:18 NIV11)     - “With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”” (Acts 2:40 NIV11)     - “He traveled through that area, speaking many words of encouragement to the people, and finally arrived in Greece,”(Acts 20:2 NIV11)     - No formula 2. But speakers should master the art of speaking long, medium, short 3. My Format     - Context     - Verse     - Main point     - Illustration     - Application 4. Leave them wanting more 5. My experience     - Hard     - Practice the timing     - People asked me about the next one - were looking forward to it     - Could repeat back to me the main point 6. Conclusion     - Fill the heart/mind, not the time     - Most of the parables are short     - Experiment: how short can you go and still be meaningful? Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  Keep calm and carry on teaching. God bless, Malcolm

QUESTIONS FOR STUDY OF A BIBLICAL TEXT This is the first of three teaching tips on how to dig into a text from a literary perspective.  What is the literal , or narrative, perspective? "The basic method by which we are to study biblical narratives is simple: we are asked to __read__ them!  Most of us have grown up with the Gospels or Old Testament history as isolated stories. We have seldom sat down and simply read them through to catch the drama and power of the stories as they fit together to form a holistic panorama. [[Literary]] critics have developed techniques that will aid us greatly to perform a 'close reading' of the text and to note such features as plot and character tension, point of view, dialogue, narrative time and settings, all of which will enable the reader to detect the flow of the text and therefore the see the hand of God as he has inspired the biblical author to develop his story." Osborne, Grant R., 'The Hermeneutical Spiral' These tips are taken from Marlene Kropf's book, ‘Preparing Sunday Dinner: A Collaborative Approach to Worship and Preaching' (pp. 417-418). You will find similar questions in Clare Miller's book, ‘The Simple Guide to Better Biblical Exegesis'.  PART 3 Focus Questions  14. patterns  Are there unusual patterns? (For example, three times of questioning? Two acts that fail? Four journeys)? 15. Connections  Do any of the above connect with similar things elsewhere in the Bible? 16. Translations  How do you several English versions compare? What does the original Greek or Hebrew say? 17. Parallels  Do parallel accounts differ (for example between the gospels, or Samuel, kings, and chronicles)? 18. Puzzles  What is surprising or does not fit? What questions do I take to the commentaries? 19. Emotions  Do I like this text? Do I not like it? Why? With what feelings am I left? Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  Keep calm and carry on teaching. God bless, Malcolm

QUESTIONS FOR STUDY OF A BIBLICAL TEXT This is the second of three teaching tips on how to dig into a text from a literary perspective.  What is the literal , or narrative, perspective? "The basic method by which we are to study biblical narratives is simple: we are asked to __read__ them!  Most of us have grown up with the Gospels or Old Testament history as isolated stories. We have seldom sat down and simply read them through to catch the drama and power of the stories as they fit together to form a holistic panorama. Literary critics have developed techniques that will aid us greatly to perform a 'close reading' of the text and to note such features as plot and character tension, point of view, dialogue, narrative time and settings, all of which will enable the reader to detect the flow of the text and therefore the see the hand of God as he has inspired the biblical author to develop his story." Osborne, Grant R., 'The Hermeneutical Spiral' These tips are taken from Marlene Kropf's book, ‘Preparing Sunday Dinner: A Collaborative Approach to Worship and Preaching' (pp. 417-418). You will find similar questions in Clare Miller's book, ‘The Simple Guide to Better Biblical Exegesis'.  PART 2 Focus Questions  8. reader identification  With whom in the text do I identify? Why have I made that choice?  9. form What is the form (or genre) of this passage? Is it a song? Letter? Law? Epic? Parable? Saying?  10. function What is the function of this passage in terms of the entire work?  11. structure How could the structure be sketched? Does it build to a climax? Does it have separate parts?  12. style What is distinctive about the author's style? Are there distinctive phrases or key words?  13. power Who has money? Power? Who is poor? Powerless?  Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  Keep calm and carry on teaching. God bless, Malcolm

QUESTIONS FOR STUDY OF A BIBLICAL TEXT This is the first of three teaching tips on how to dig into a text from a literary perspective.  What is the literal , or narrative, perspective? "The basic method by which we are to study biblical narratives is simple: we are asked to __read__ them!  Most of us have grown up with the Gospels or Old Testament history as isolated stories. We have seldom sat down and simply read them through to catch the drama and power of the stories as they fit together to form a holistic panorama. [[Literary]] critics have developed techniques that will aid us greatly to perform a 'close reading' of the text and to note such features as plot and character tension, point of view, dialogue, narrative time and settings, all of which will enable the reader to detect the flow of the text and therefore the see the hand of God as he has inspired the biblical author to develop his story." [[Osborne]], Grant R., '[[The Hermeneutical  These tips are taken from Marlene Kropf's book, ‘Preparing Sunday Dinner: A Collaborative Approach to Worship and Preaching' (pp. 417-418). You will find similar questions in Clare Miller's book, ‘The Simple Guide to Better Biblical Exegesis'.  PART 1 Focus Questions  1. character Who are the main characters? What are they like? How can they be described?  2. plot What happens in this text? Why does it happen? pen? What is the sequence of events?  3. context How does context affect the meaning here? What happened before this section? After?  4. conflict What is the main conflict here? What caused it?  5. resolution What is needed for resolution? Who must do it? Or, if conflict is resolved, will resolution last?  6. author What can be said about the human author or writer? Why was it written?  7. audience For whom is it written? What effect was intended?  Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  Keep calm and carry on teaching. God bless, Malcolm

I am preparing a teaching and preaching series for the Thames Valley and Watford churches. We will go through the first epistle to the Thessalonians starting in January 2023.  One of the first steps I took was to do a word analysis of the book. In my Accordance Bible software I searched for repeated words. I found 89 verses with 1944 total words and 895 different forms of words. The clear and unambiguous focus was God and people. In other words, the God and his relationships as well as the relationship between his people.  Here are the most repeated words: * God - 35; God's - 7 * Lord - 22; Lord's - 2 * Jesus - 16; Son - 1 * sisters - 15; brothers - 13 * Christ - 10 Then the following: - Faith - 8 - Love - 8; loved - 3 - Gospel - 6 What of our ‘epistles', lessons, podcasts, and the like? What are the most repeated words? And why? Have you done an analysis of your most recent lesson? Why not count the most repeated words and see what you find. Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)  God bless, Malcolm

A practical lesson preparation resource list taken from, "Preparing Sunday Dinner: A Collaborative Approach to Worship and Preaching, by Marlene Kropf. Focus Questions  1. God in the text   2. God behind the text 3. What is God's judgment?  4. What change is demanded of humanity?  5. What is the hope  6. Empowerment in the text  7. Empowerment in the larger story  8. Identity  9. Belief  10. Action 11. Christology Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)  God bless, Malcolm

“We know that the law is good if one uses it properly. We also know that the law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious, for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for the sexually immoral, for those practicing homosexuality, for slave traders and liars and perjurers—and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the gospel concerning the glory of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me.”  1 Timothy 1:8–11 NIV11 A brief reflection on the most recent "Christian Doctrines" module of the Athens Institute of Ministry weekend for the UK & Ireland. https://www.aimukandireland.com Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)  God bless, Malcolm

I am back from Tallinn. The “Learning to teach, teaching to learn” conference was inspiring, collegiate and Biblical. What are my reflections?  I will need to keep this report necessarily brief because I'm deep in preparation for the next Athens Institute of Ministry for the UK and Ireland session starting on Saturday 24th September.  You can watch the lessons here: https://tmc.krist.ee/.  Reflections Conference are worth attending - when they have a clear purpose Conference are worth attending - when there is time for meaningful conversations Conference are worth attending - when you have new experiences Conference are worth attending - when you make new friends Conference are worth attending - when you get below the surface Conference are worth attending - when God is the focus Conference are worth attending - when disagreement is possible Resolutions Work harder at getting AIM better known Refocus the Apollos group (perhaps see if we can establish more groups) Have deeper teaching-type conversations with others who are interested in teaching The next AIM module is Christian doctrine. I shall be teaching on Catholicism, the Orthodox church, Protestantism, the prosperity gospel and megachurches. Please pray I do justice to the doctrines of these groups. My terrific teaching colleagues, Douglas Jacoby and Andy Boakye, will be covering other aspects of Christian doctrines. You can find details on the website: https://www.aimukandireland.com/home  Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)  Keep calm and carry on teaching God bless, Malcolm

I am off to Tallinn on Thursday. The “Learning to teach, teaching to learn” conference runs from Thursday to Saturday. Do you attend conferences? Let's consider the example of Jesus. In a sense he created his own conference – at the age of 12. Luke 2:41-50 1. Jesus chooses the best over the good. He ‘should' be considerate of his parents. But he chooses what is best (or, needed as he will put it to Martha later in Luke 10:38-42). He is prepared to be misunderstood and to unintentionally hurt those he loves in order to learn what he needs. 2. Jesus seizes the opportunity. Who knows when he will be in Jerusalem again? We do not know the quality of the teachers in Nazareth, but it is unlikely to have been as good as the teaching in Jerusalem. Jesus made the most of the opportunity to learn while he was in the capital city. 3. Youth is no barrier. He was not intimidated by his elders and those in authority. 4. Listening and asking. Jesus shows a healthy balance of deference and curiosity. 5. Opportunity overcame a lack of resource. We do not know where he stayed, slept, or how he ate. Attending conferences is costly in many different ways. – Your local ministry, friends or family might not understand – You may not appear to have the resources – You might think yourself too old – You might offend people – You will have to make sacrifices – Your ignorance may be exposed But, who knows how many opportunities like this you will ever have? Please pray for me that I will speak in accordance with God's will as I teach on Haggai. When I return from Tallinn I will record a report. You can find out more about the conference here: https://tmc.krist.ee/. Most sessions will be live-streamed. Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community. Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org). If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/). Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review. “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11) Keep calm and carry on teaching God bless, Malcolm

Today a response to a message from a friend based on one of my recent Teaching Tips about communion. “Thank You” Govinda for your well considered thoughts and questions. I cannot address them all in today's post, but I will pick out one point for discussion. “It's been a long time as a church … that we have got onto our knees and focused on the cross… I feel the communion sometimes does not get the reverence it deserves.” My provocative question would be, “Is communion meant to be a time of reverence?” I have been re-reading and taking notes on this excellent book, “Early Christian worship: a basic introduction to ideas and practice” by Paul Bradshaw. He summarises the shifts and developments in practice and theology over the first four centuries. To answer my own question, I'll make a few points. 1. Irreverence is a problem. Paul makes that point loud and clear, “You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons too; you cannot have a part in both the Lord's table and the table of demons.” (1 Corinthians 10:21–22) 2. Remembering Christ means remembering his cross. “And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.”” (Luke 22:19 NIV11) 3. The New Testament gives us no direction about silence, mourning or reflecting on sins of the week. The warning to examine ourselves in 1 Corinthians 11:28 is something to be done before coming to the assembly, not during it. 4. The early church may have been influenced as much by the incident on the road to Emmaus as the upper room. Jesus told his followers to remember him, and the first two disciples to break bread with Jesus after his resurrection recognised (remembered) it was him “when he broke the bread” (Luke 24:35). As Bradshaw notes, ‘Sunday was not just the occasion for a commemoration of a past event – the resurrection – but the celebration of a present experience – communion with the risen Christ.' 77 5. The early church was eschatologically expectant. The Lord's Day was the eighth day – the day of the LORD, the Messianic age, the lead-up to the great banquet. The church came together in expectation of Jesus' return and the full establishment of the Kingdom. The Lord's Supper gathered the people of God around the table to celebrate that immanent reality and strengthen hearts in the time of waiting. For this reason kneeling and fasting were prohibited in the early church on Sundays. Celebration was the tone! When we gather as a Christian community it can, on the right occasion, be healthy to spend some time in reflection, soberness, mourning and lamenting. Whether that should be specifically tied to the communion is another question. The common practices around the idea of being sober at communion are tradition, not biblical command nor precedent. That does not in themselves make it wrong to practice such things, but they are a choice, not a matter or obedience or even ‘best practice'. Jesus instituted a new covenant in his blood, and a new covenant is not a cause for mourning, but a cause for rejoicing. Soberness is not ruled out, but if the Lord's Supper is not a time of celebration we are missing something vital to our spiritual health. The Lord's Supper is one of the most important practices in which we participate as a Christian community, but the number of specific Bible verses on the topic are few. What do you make of this? Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community. Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org). If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/). Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review. “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11) Keep calm and carry on teaching God bless, Malcolm

Tuesday Teaching Tips | Episode 272 | “The Myth About Non-Verbal Communication” The oft-repeated claim is that communication is 7 percent verbal, 38 percent vocal, and 55 percent facial. Is this true? Those statistics come from two studies conducted in 1967. Their conclusions have become accepted orthodoxy, but there are serious methodological limitations to those studies. The author of Communication is 93% Nonverbal: An Urban Legend Proliferates, by David Lapakko (Associate professor at the department of communication studies at Augsburg College, Minneapolis) says, “What that number tells people is to pay little attention to the words they use, because words don't really matter.“* Do words matter? How significant is body language? What do you remember of the body language connected to the following speakers? Martin Luther King Jr's “I have a dream”? Or Churchill's, “We will fight them on the beaches….”, or, Shakespeare/Hamlet's, “To be or not to be”, or, “When you pray, say, “Our Father who art in heaven””? Body language and vocal inflection play a part, there is no doubt about that, but to say that the words themselves are only 7% of the communication is an unsubstantiated claim. Regarding body language: 1. Distractions - nervous ticks; film yourself. 2. Connect with your audience - look up and around, talk to your ‘friends' Regarding words: 1. Have confidence in God's Word - read it clearly and slowly. “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:10–11 NIV11) 2. Choose the words in which you explain your core point carefully. Speak them with conviction. People may only remember that one phrase, but that might be enough.      - “Jesus because thirsty because he was thirsty for our freedom from thirst.” Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)  Keep calm and carry on teaching God bless, Malcolm * https://cornerstone.lib.mnsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1000&context=ctamj

This coming Sunday I am preaching on John 9. The man born blind. Part of my prayer this morning was asking God to show me the meaning of this passage for my own life so that I can live it this week before preaching it on Sunday. Reflecting on a passage is part of preparation. Certainly, there is a place to pull apart the text, to analyse, to exegete and to research content and context. However, another essential and in my experience neglected aspect of preparation is reflection.  In her book “Your MA in theology”, Zoe Bennett comments, “[reflection] takes time and demands attention to what is new to us, rather than a quick jumping to conclusions or hurrying on so fast we miss things.”   Is this what was happening when Paul warned Timothy about those teaching false doctrines? “They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.” (1 Timothy 1:7 NIV11) The word translated “know” (novo - GK) is elsewhere translated "reflect". They have ideas, but their conclusions are so much "meaningless talk" (v6).   That same word is translated "understand" in the following passage: ““When you see ‘the abomination that causes desolation' standing where it does not belong—let the reader understand—then let those who are in Judea flee to the mountains.” (Mark 13:14 NIV11) Jesus urges us to reflect on what he said in order to grasp the meaning of his instruction. The two people reflecting on their experience on the road to Emmaus (Luke 24:32), and Peter reflecting on his experience with Cornelius and the Holy Spirit (Acts 11:16) are further examples of the value of reflecting on teaching and experience.  Returning to Zoe Bennett, she adds: “A former colleague of mine, Brother Patrick Moore, used to say, ‘teaching is the overflow of contemplation'.” This is correct. Certainly we must study a text, but if it has not touched us personally, it is simply a transference of information rather than a life-altering teaching opportunity.   As Paul said to Timothy, “Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.” (2 Timothy 2:7 NIV11) We teach better when we reflect on what we are teaching. Here are three tips for better teaching reflection. After studying a passage: 1. Pray through the passage 2. Ask God to reveal to you the way in which a key theme of the text can be lived by you this week 3. Pay attention to what God reveals, put it into practice and take note of how it effects you. Add the subsequent experience into your lesson as appropriate Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)  Keep calm and carry on teaching God bless, Malcolm

For the last two years I have been combining the sermon and communion. Or more accurately, concluding my sermons with reflections on the Lord's supper.  Why have I done this? What are the benefits and drawbacks? Perhaps you have heard of or seen the so-called ‘sermunion'. On occasion it has been employed to save time. I have heard this approach despised and denigrated as not being a real sermon, or a real communion. Are these criticisms fair?  Today let me offer a few thoughts about benefits and drawbacks. Please tell me what you think. Benefits 1. Avoiding too many ‘lessons' in one service. Sometimes we get three or every four lessons in a service. A welcome ‘lesson', a HOPE talk ‘lesson', a communion ‘lesson', and a sermon - possibly even some of our prayers are more like lessons! The sermon/communion approach reduces the number of ‘lessons' by ensuring that the sermon and Lord's supper have the same theme. This connectedness seems healthy. 2. Moving from the Scriptures to the table seems right. Now we know why we are celebrating, and what we are remembering.  3. Jesus gets the honour, not the preacher. 4. A discipline the speaker. This approach forces me to ask whether Jesus is the point of my lesson? When I prepare the communion conclusion to a sermon it becomes obvious whether the lesson is really about Jesus or not.  5. Keeps focus on Jesus, the cross and the resurrection  6.  Ensures the congregation's focus is on Jesus not themselves as they reflect on the lesson and its application to their lives. Drawbacks 1. Keeps the focus on the one speaker. A separate person sharing their reflections on the Lord's Supper provides a wider variety of voices and perspectives as well as enabling training for more speakers.  2. It could be argued that a separate talk around the Lord's Supper gives it greater prominence. 3. Might not be appropriate after a rousing sermon inspiring us to action. Have you seen this done well? Have you seen it done badly? What is happening in your local congregation and why is it done that way? Remember, the way we do the Lord's Supper and sermons is  attached to our traditions. There's not a great deal of specificity in the New Testament. We have flexibility, but it's important that we do what we do with an intent to glorify God and inspire spiritual maturity in one another. Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)  Keep calm and carry on teaching God bless, Malcolm

In the AIM UK&I community we have been discussing how we approach our study of a passage and prepare it for teaching or preaching. Here is one technique I use. It involves mind mapping. It is the first or second step in my process. The other is well described by Mike Poole, one of our AIM students, “I really liked letting the Bible wash over me that we learned in the NTS course as I found that helpful in understanding the bigger picture.” The third step is to study the passage with the aid of dictionaries, commentaries and similar resources. This step is the ‘pulling-it-apart' phase. Let me demonstrate…..  Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)  Keep calm and carry on teaching God bless, Malcolm

How do we make sure we teach in such a way as to build unity not weaken it? “Thank you” to Tina Poole for your post in the AIM UK & Ireland forum as well as the comments from Geordan, Mike, Charlie, Madalena and Andy B. You have inspired me to make this recording. https://www.aimukandireland.com/ First let us have a look at one of the classic unity passages, then I will offer a few tips. “So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, Teaching, as well as unity, is Christ initiative, not ours. Therefore, we keep Christ at the centre and visible. to equip his people for works of service, For a positive purpose. In other words we're not trying to prove other people wrong so much as help people to be able to do right so that the body of Christ may be built up While this all applies to the church universal, perhaps Paul had in mind the local Ephesian body. Most of the time when we teach it is to help the local body, those present, with only half an eye at most on anyone beyond the local group. If we build up the body in Christ we will build unity until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and Remember it is God's unity (by the Spirit), not ours. Understand what unity is. In other words, not trying to make everybody think the same way about issues that are not core doctrines. become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Maturity is the goal, not conformity. Maturity involves helping people to make their own decisions based on what they trust to be the meaning of Scripture as (hopefully) helpfully explained by you. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. Good teaching inspires congregational members to speak Scripture truth to one another. Good teaching, over time, creates a more Christlike body. From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.” (Ephesians 4:11–16 NIV11) A sign of healthy teaching, over time, is that Congregational members participate in the work of the kingdom with their own motivation, not needing to be chased, or pressed into a mould designed for them by leaders. Tips 1. Run new ideas past a few trusted advisors 2. Ask yourself – in what way will Christ he honoured by what and how I teach today, on this topic, from this passage? 3. Make it your aim to build up, not tear down. Build faith and hope. Will people leave you with greater hope in their hearts? 4. Always aim to accentuate the positive, rather than belabour a negative. 5. Teach to please God, not yourself, not the congregation. 6. Participatory learning may engender unity more than didactic teaching on its own. 7. Don't make methodology a dividing point: “many times huge divisions come between people who can sign the same doctrinal statement but can't agree on the same methodology.” Francis Chan, Until Unity (p199).That will do for today. Much to be said on this topic, but I wonder what you think? What approaches to teaching engender unity, and which ones prevent it? What have you seen done that you might hope I and others would imitate? Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community. Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org). If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/). Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review. “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11) God bless, Malcolm

This week I answer a question from my friend Chen. He is wondering what light Acts 6 sheds on the issue of serving where we are not gifted. 1. Churches always have problems Internal – 5.1ff; External 5:17ff; Internal 6:1ff; External 6:8ff Luke is telling Theophilus, and the Spirit is reminding us that church is messy, but God is at work in it all. 2. Healthy leaders know their limitations Looks like the Apostle had overseen this need up to now, Acts 4:35 Now understand it is beyond them Given the cultural tensions, they may not be the right people to ‘solve' the issue – they are all Jewish, of course 3. Leaders look for solutions Apostles do not indulge in shaming or blaming They set the parameters: full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom They involve the people 4. A Spirit-led church will prioritise those with the need The ‘whole group' (v5), i.e. Jews and Greeks chose the people The men chosen all had Greek names Love and humility is in action 5. Problems need the right kind of person, not the person with the right gifts “Like Samson, you might be extraordinarily gifted. But if you don't develop the character to support your gifts, they will actually become destructive to you. Your shadow mission will win out and your gifts will crush you.” Overcoming Your Shadow Mission, John Ortberg, p50 Nothing said here about their previous experience, gifts, talents, qualifications “evidently refer to guidance by the Holy Spirit and skill in administration and business” Longenecker, Richard N. Acts. EBC But, can we be sure of this? Nothing in the text is explicit Conclusions – The text is sparing in detail. We must be careful regarding the conclusions we draw. – The men may have been the ones trusted to plan a solution for the problem, rather than do the work. They have the ‘responsibility' delegated to them, not the detail. Were they gifted at running the first Christian food bank? We do not know. – The fact that Stephen and Philip appear later (Acts 7 & 8, 21) as preachers/evangelists indicates they were not stuck in one role – Gifts are meant to be exercised, Romans 12:3-8 – But, that does not mean we cannot serve effectively in an area in which we are not gifted – Of course, that is different from being shoe-horned into serving into something necessitated by a narrow church culture – Serving where we are not gifted can be helpful when it: – Develops Christian character – serving in humility and love – Enables us to connect with people in different life circumstances to ourselves – Is temporary – before we do damage to ourselves or others – In a local congregational context the questions we want to ask are: – How much of disaster is it if a need goes unmet? How essential is it to the well-being of church members, the congregation and our impact on the world? – How injurious would it be to someone if we asked them to serve in an area not within their gifts? – In what way might someone, or a group grow in Christlikeness by serving even though it is not within their gifts to do so? Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community. Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org). If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/). Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review. “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11) God bless, Malcolm

This week I respond to a message from Selena… Hello Brother Malcolm, I was just reading Romans chapter 16 NIV. It's missing verse 24 . Do you think this is on purpose or a misprint? Kindly, YLSIC, Selena “At this point, as RSV margin says, ‘Other ancient authorities insert verse 24, The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.' The western text, which lacked the doxology (verses 25–27), brought the letter to an end with this benediction (omitting that in verse 20b). The Byzantine text (followed by the Received Text and AV) took over the western benediction here as well as the earlier one in verse 20b.A few witnesses (codices P 33 104 365 436, with the Syriac Peshitta and Armenian versions, and Ambrosiaster's Latin text) put this benediction after the doxology (as verse 28) and not before it (as verse 24). In its present position the benediction should not be too readily dismissed as unauthentic; if the dox-ology is not original (either absolutely or in its position at the end of chapter 16), the benediction forms a very fitting conclusion to the letter.” Tyndale CommentarySimilar issues can be found with the ending of Mark, in John 8:1-11 and Acts 8:27. The verses are not ‘missing', it is unlikely they were there in the first place. However, they do not contradict anything else the Scriptures teach. Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community. Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org). If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/). Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review. “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11) God bless, Malcolm

Introduction: Attitude is more important than education. We need integrity. Ezra “For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.” (Ezra 7:10 NIV11) Always learning Time  Resources - how much money have you spent on commentaries and Bible dictionaries compared to your television package? Devoted to observance Study to practice, more than to teach  Monday sermon prep because need to live it between then and Sunday Devoted to teaching Not intellectual pursuit  Teach what your study of God's word has inspired you to practice Conclusions What will help you approach your study and teaching of God's word with the greatest integrity? How can you be an ‘Ezra'? “For Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the LORD, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.” (Ezra 7:10 NIV11) Why not sign up for AIM…… https://www.aimukandireland.com/courses  Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)  God bless, Malcolm

Tuesday Teaching Tips | Episode 257 | “The Connection between the Spirit, Unity and Singing” Part 3 Why do we sing? We have been answering the question, "Why do we sing?”. In the last two Teaching Tips I made some comments on Eph 5:18-21 and Col 3:16. Today let's explore a few more thoughts on singing based in 1 Corinthians 14. “What then shall we say, brothers and sisters? When you come together, each of you has a hymn, or a word of instruction, a revelation, a tongue or an interpretation. Everything must be done so that the church may be built up.” 1 Corinthians 14:26 Background The church in Corinth had a lot of problems. They struggled with divisiveness, looseness regarding sin, attempts to put leaders on pedestals, drunkenness during communion, chaotic church services and, overall, a lack of love.  As Paul gets towards the end of his letter he focuses on helping them to change the way they think about their church services.  He hopes that God will be glorified and visitors would have, “the secrets of their hearts are laid bare”, and then they would, “fall down and worship God, exclaiming, “God is really among you!”” 1 Cor 14:25 Much preaching and teaching focuses on the Corinthians' abuse of prophecy and tongue speaking. Not much is said about their singing. It is true that we only have a short mention of this in verse 26. However, I think it's instructional and helpful for us to reflect on. 1. Choosing songs was a Congregational responsibility Paul does not rebuke them for tongue-speaking, bringing a revelation, prophecy or a word of instruction. Neither does he rebuke them for bringing “a hymn”.  Who was bringing these hymns? It is the same people who might also have a revelation of a prophecy.  It looks rather as if they did not have a worship team. At least not in the way we understand it. Perhaps no one chose the songs for that Sunday in advance. Instead, the members contemplated what God was teaching them and showing them during the week and brought songs to the rest of the congregation so that they could sing them  together. Perhaps they were hymns they already knew, perhaps they were hymns they made up. We cannot know the details for sure, and some of this may be cultural and not fully appropriate to our situation. However what I take from this is that the congregation didn't delegate the responsibility for singing to musical specialists. Remember, he does not say ‘each of you worship leaders has a hymn', he says ‘each of you has a hymn' indicating that he is talking to all the members. 2. The Congregation Came to the Gathering Thinking About Songs and Singing It's clear that the congregation sang as a body, and that each member was aware that they potentially had something to contribute. It may not be that every member brought a hymn regularly, but it was a normal part of the church culture that various people would bring hymns. If they were going to do that, it means that they didn't start thinking about singing on Sunday morning. They were thinking about hymns during the week. Imagine if, from Monday to Saturday, you gave time to thinking about the songs we might sing on Sunday. What might happen? Perhaps it would help us to be more fully engaged with the singing when we gather on Sunday morning. What could help us with this?  One way is to incorporate songs into our personal devotional times during the week. You could listen to songs, sing them yourself, or read the words of a song and pray through them. That's rather like praying through a Psalm isn't it? In doing so we will connect our hearts to God and find ways of expressing our love for him in song. In their book “Sing!” Keith and Kristyn Getty say this, “Worship isn't primarily about music, techniques, songs or methodologies. It's about our hearts. It's about what and who we love more than anything.”  If we connect our hearts with God in song during the rest of the week I am certain it will enhance the expression of our joy when we sing on Sunday. Ideas and Questions for Reflection  1. Someone said, “Your voice may not be of professional standard, but it is of confessional standard.” What does that mean to you? 2. God cares that you sing, but he does not care how well you sing. How does that shape the way you think about singing? 3. The Gettys also say, “Christian singing begins with the heart, not on the lips.” What does that mean for you? Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  God bless, Malcolm

Why do we sing? “Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.” Col 3:16 Background The church in Colossae was made up of house churches of around 30-50 people (Philemon 1:2). Many ‘gods' were worshipped in this part of Asia Minor and the Apostle Paul is concerned about syncretism (in this context the blending together of Christian and Pagan worship).  Therefore he centres the letter on the sufficiency of Christ and his unique nature. Read the chapters that come before this one to get a feel for that. Congregation or Individual? Are the instructions about singing aimed at the individual or the congregational? The context is the “therefore” of v12 where he is addressing the Colossians as a body.  The list of positive exhortations is to the congregational community rather than the solo worshipper.  Dwell richly What is the ‘message of Christ'? It is the message that centres on Christ. In other words their fellowship must derive its purpose and strength from him. The Scriptures help the community to centre themselves on Christ. For the message to “dwell richly” means it is ‘in their midst'. It is not a ‘thing' to be dissected, grasped, conceptualised, taught or simply understood, but to be a dynamic experience. See use of same word for ‘richly' in 1 Tim 6:17; Titus 3:6; 2 Peter 1:11.  Paul is urging them to let Christ be centred among them so that he makes a difference to the way they live - vv12-15: compassionate, kind, humble, gentle, patient, bearing, forgiving, loving to unity, peaceable, thankful. The command is to dwell richly (in Christ), so how does singing fit? It is not that we dwell by teaching, admonishing and singing. It is that we decide to dwell with Christ as central, and then we will sing as a result. The “as you” in the NIV is not the best translation. A more accurate reading is to see the singing as the channel through which the centralising of Christ could be expressed.  “Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” NASB Teaching…admonishing: See Acts 20:31; 1 Cor 4:14; 1 Thess 5:12; 2 Thess 3:15; Titus 1:11 With psalms, hymns, spiritual songs How to instruct with a hymn is not clear, but it  fits with 1 Cor 14:26.   “When you assemble, each one has a psalm, has a teaching, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation. Let all things be done for edification.” However, if Paul emphasises teaching by singing it means he thought it important, and observed that it had been neglected (or done unhealthily) in Colossae. Psalm - psalmos NT: Luke 20:42; 24:44; Acts 1:20; 13:33; 1 Cor 14:26; Eph 5:19; Col 3:16. It looks like Paul was not talking about Psalms in a technical sense. Philo & Josephus (first century Jewish writers) saw Psalms in the category of ‘religious song'. Hymn As a noun this is found only in Ephesians & Colossians. As a verb it is in Matt 26:30 (ref to Psalm); Mk 14:26; Act 16:25; Heb 2:12 (Ps 22:22). Jesus and his disciples were ‘hymning”. Songs This word appears with the qualifier ‘spiritual' each time (Rev 5:9; Rev 14:3; 15:3). Perhaps these songs were written by the congregation, or made up on the spot. All the terms above are not sealed categories, but may express emphases.  Singing in your hearts to God Singing directly to God is added to the previous instruction to teach one another through music. We worship God and we instruct one another. With gratitude This Greek word would normally be translated ‘grace'. Thus the phrase could be "in the grace [of God]” or perhaps, “by the grace [of God]. In that case it would be reminding the Colossians of the grace in which they stand and which inspires the singing to come from the heart. Summary 1. Vertical and horizontal directions: Singing is for one another and for God 2. Teaching the faith to one another can and must be done through music 3. Church music should be primarily verbal: The message is more important than the media 4. Christological focus: How much of Christ is in view in our songs? 5. Active participation: Worship is something we do, not something done to us or for us. 6. Rich variety of songs: We need a variety of the old, the new and, especially, the local.  7. Sincerity and devotion: We worship because of who I am, because of who God is, and because of what's in my heart as a result. 8. Understanding God's Grace: As much we teach about music and singing, we must not neglect the teaching about the grace of God. Ideas and Questions for Reflection  Read the whole book of Colossians and reflect on why Paul thinks singing is so important for the Church. What do you think it means for you to ‘teach and admonish' in song? How can you ‘centre' your life on Christ in such a way that it inspires you to sing of God's grace? Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)  God bless, Malcolm

Today we are building on the previous Teaching Tip: Tuesday Teaching Tips | Episode 253 | “What kind of participation are you aiming for?” ‘Lack of participation is a growing concern among pastors and worship leaders. Passivity is a problem. It doesn't have to do with any particular style of worship. We simply fail to design and lead services that invite and even require the engagement of our people.' Constance Cherry, The Worship Architect Perhaps you don't think you have a problem. But have you gone and sat at the back? What measure are you using to assess whether people are truly participating in your teaching and preaching? ‘The large crowd listened to him with delight.' Mark 12:37 Acts 19:8  ‘Paul entered the synagogue and spoke boldly there for three months, arguing persuasively about the kingdom of God.' What we want:  Engagement Activity Involvement Tuning in  Joining in  Taking part  Giving of self Transformation  What we experience: Passivity Boredom Disconnection Performance audience mentality Lack of personal transformation Lack of engagement with the world [worship] ‘is not a presentation or a performance from the front. For the body [of Christ] to function properly it requires that every member give themselves to worship.' Andrew Maries, One Heart One Voice Whose fault is it if people do not take part in worship? Church leader - structure to service; culture in church Worship leader - choice of songs, music, way led Congregation - their responsibility Regular change or not enough change? Tech - screen, PA, barrier? consumer mentality? Which are your responsibility? If you are the designer of the worship experience, a much longer list If you are only the preacher/teacher a shorter list. Participation is not always manifested outwardly. Ultimately, it's the testimony of a transformed life that matters. Overall, I would suggest being less concerned about the immediate impact in the room, but more the medium to long-term impact of the formation of godliness and Christlike engagement with one another in the world. This is about the long-term, not about a short-term fix. We're not looking to whack the knee and look for the reflex response. Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)  God bless, Malcolm

Craig Douglas Erickson: “Liturgical participation and the renewal of the church” “Christian worship is by its very nature participator re-worship… Because all Christians are priests.” 231 But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 1 Pet 2.9 Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Rom 12:1 Are all the worshippers worshiping? How do we know? Trust Holy Spirit Inhabits:  You, however, are not in the realm of the flesh but are in the realm of the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, they do not belong to Christ. Rom 8:9 Active:  And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Cor 3:18 “the experience of Christian worship is most fully accessible only to the illuminated, whose eyes have been opened to the mystery of prayer in the name of Jesus, whose conversion continues to be confirmed for the sanctifying grace and baptism.” 231 Someone might not be a particularly engaged in the building, but you don't know what's going on once they've left.“immediate effectiveness can often be a misleading criterion by which to gauge the degree of participation.” 234 Preparation Prayer for your teaching to be ‘participatory' for the hearers Prayer that you are in the right place Techniques: questions; discussion; relevance; illustrations; media How prevent it becoming manipulative? Can we? Jesus' parables don't give the impression of being made up off the cuff Mission Participation in worship connects us with the one we are worshipping His heart is missionary. Part of the effectiveness of the way that we curate corporate worship is as to whether those with whom we have worshipped or engaged in a missionary sense The purpose of corporate worship is not corporate worship The purpose of corporate worship “..is the glorification of God and equipping of Christians with power, to carry out the mission of the church in the world. The two are inseparable.”232 Barriers to participation Ignorance of Bible Ignorance of why we do what we do Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community. Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org). If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/). Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review. “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11) God bless, Malcolm

Today I answer a question from a friend. “I have a hard time believing that God deserted Jesus when he was on the cross. It seems to contradict Gods very nature. The main reason people say he left Jesus is because of the phrase “my God my God why have you forsaken me “ from Psalms 22. But no one believes that God forsook David, so why do we assume he forsook Jesus?” Let me bring you the views of Jürgen Moltmann. He claimed that if we really believe that Christ was human and God and that God exists in a trinity of persons, then Jesus' ‘suffering' for sins was NOT just the ‘human' Jesus suffering; rather, in Jesus's suffering, the second person of the Trinity, God was also suffering! Thus, God chooses NOT to be aloof from human suffering but rather really takes it on himself. Moltmann would say, if you are really trinitarian, you must believe this. His views received praise and cries of heresy. Consider also Ex 10:21-22 where darkness descending is a sign of God's judgment upon those who reject God. (See Amos 8:9) “Darkness at noon, by its paradoxical nature, was a fitting sign for God the Creator to give to whose who had rejected the light of the world.” Cole, Mark, Tyndale, 325. This is the only time in the Synoptic Gospels where Jesus addresses God without calling him ‘Father'.  “Perhaps this cry tells us less of Jesus' feelings at this point and more of the theological significance of the event, but it is hard to read it and imagine the event without seeing it as a personal statement of anguish caused by the reality of his impending separation from the Father.” (Hurtado, 268) This is not a cry of nihilistic despair. Even at this point of anguish Jesus is still talking to God, believing in God and calling on God. Ps 22 is a cry of victory, not hopelessness, so it is reasonable to think that Jesus chose this scripture (as opposed to many that would express greater hopelessness) because of its victorious stance. It was a willing drinking of the cup his Father willed him to drink Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community. Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org). If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/). Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review. “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11) God bless, Malcolm

Registration is now open for the UK and Ireland Athens Institute of Ministry Bible teaching programme. All the information you need can be found here: https://www.aimukandireland.com Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)  God bless, Malcolm

Welcome to today's Teaching Tip. We take a look at a new app I've been using called speechify: www.speechify.com. It's helping me to get truly soaked in the text I will be speaking on. How do you soak yourself in the text so that by the time you speak on it it's almost become part of you? Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)  God bless, Malcolm

A brief report on a truly inspirational conference held in Tallinn, Estonia last week. It was my privilege to not only attend but to teach there. You can find all the lessons at this link: https://www.youtube.com/c/KristlikVabakogudus/ Please add your comments on this week's topic. We learn best when we learn in community.  Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here's the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).  If you'd like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/).  Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review.  “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)  God bless, Malcolm

Introduction "Those who are willing to be vulnerable move among mysteries." Theodore Roethke Parsons, Rob. The Heart of Communication: How to really connect with an audience . John Murray Press. Kindle Edition. We are never speaking to a group. We are speaking to individuals who happened to be making up a group at the time we are speaking to them. Effective public speaking happens when individuals feel connected to you. There is a certain kind of intimacy a speaker can develop with those listening which is almost mystical. I don't believe this can be manufactured as such. At least, not in the spiritual context if we are going to remain sincere. However, there are a number of aspects to consider which can help or hinder our effectiveness. 1. Speak to individuals "..the greatest compliment you can pay another person when you are talking with them is to look in their eyes." Don't stare, but do look into peoples eyes. Just a few seconds is enough. Don't forget the people at the back, on the balcony, or off to the extreme side of the room. Move your body to face people, not just your eyes. If, like me at the moment, you are doing all your speaking on Zoom, bear these points in mind. Look directly into the camera most of the time, not at your picture on screen. Until I got used to this, I put a post-it note at the top of my monitor above the built-in WebCam with a :-) drawn on it. Look away from the camera from time to time. Too much staring in the same direction will be too intense for the people on the receiving end. Arrange your background so that it is not distracting. You cannot create intimacy if there is a mess behind you. Pause from time to time. In the earlier days of speaking online I found myself compelled to keep the flow going. This was motivated by a fear that I would lose people's attention. I've since learned to relax, trust the material and the people listening. Pauses help your audience to maintain their attention. If you can, keep the group you are speaking to visible on screen. 2. Imagine it's a dialogue "...an effective public speaker has to imagine the comments and questions coursing through their listeners’ minds and try to address them." Spend some time before your talk imagining the questions people might have regarding your topic. If you're speaking on prayer, you will need to be aware of the fact that some people in the congregation will have prayed sincerely but not seen their prayers answered. What will you say if you talk about answered prayer, when you are 'hearing' the objections from those who have not seen their prayers answered? It is wise to prepare for this, but also to remain spiritually sensitive during your lesson. The Spirit will speak to you and help you to hear what people are thinking and feeling. "Good public speaking is a two-way conversation with the speaker playing both parts." It's a much healthier perspective to see your talk as a conversation than a monologue. 3. Don't be afraid to be vulnerable ".. it is extremely powerful when a speaker allows an audience to see some inner part of their life; people admire you for your strengths but connect with you in your weaknesses." Vulnerability is a valuable tool, but must be used with sensitivity. Do not use openness about your personal life to make your audience feel sorry for you. Or, even worse, intimidated by you. It will not help those in the congregation if you are the person with the best story or the worst story in the room. Be vulnerable as a way to make your content meaningful, applicable and clearly useful in a personal sense. Your openness will create intimacy, and help people to see you as a human being, not as a "Speaker". Some further observations Intimacy with your audience is largely a function of your sensitivity to them and their needs. If the room is hot or cold, or if they just had lunch - all these things make a difference. Serve your congregation by adjusting your talk to create the best possible intimacy given the circumstances. Don't be put off by extreme reactions. You might have someone scowling at you the whole time. It does not necessarily mean they don't like your talk. The first time I preached in front of my father he sat on the front row and closed his eyes. I thought he was asleep. Afterwards I plucked up the courage to ask him what he thought. It turned out that he was closing his eyes so that he could concentrate better. I was very relieved! Incorporating interaction during your talk can be a way to help create intimacy. Ask a question, get a short conversation going, ask for some feedback while you're speaking. All of this can be useful. However, do not allow one person to dominate. Conclusion Creating intimacy is something Jesus did wonderfully well. People felt he was speaking to them personally. That helps explain the strong reactions people had to him. Some jumping for joy, others wanting to kill him! Creating and sustaining intimacy during a talk is an art more than a science. It's something you learn to do better and better as the years talking in front of people accumulate. Pray and ask God to give you a spirit of sensitivity to help you to grow in awareness of the state of intimacy and to help you develop it. Questions: What in your experience helps create intimacy with an audience? Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community. Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: malcolm@malcolmcox.org. If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org (http://www.malcolmcox.org/) . Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review. “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11) God bless, Malcolm PS: You might also be interested in my book: "An elephant's swimming pool" (https://dqzrr9k4bjpzk.cloudfront.net/images/9167082/379662794.jpg) , a devotional look at the Gospel of John mccx, Malcolm Cox, Watford, Croxley Green, teaching, preaching, spiritual disciplines, public speaking, corporate worship, Sunday Sample, Corporate Worship Matters, Tuesday Teaching Tips, Quiet Time Coaching, coaching, coaching near me, coach, online coaching, savior, quiet time, devotion, God, Jesus, Pray, prayer, malcolm’s, cox,

Introduction "My job is to talk; your job is to listen. If you finish first, please let me know." Harry Herschfield Parsons, Rob. The Heart of Communication: How to really connect with an audience . John Murray Press. Kindle Edition. - How long should a talk be? My word, there is so much conviction around this topic! - I have friends who believe anything longer than 20 minutes is a waste of time. And I have others who believe that most lessons cannot convey appropriate depth without lasting much longer. - Let's see what Rob Parsons has to say about this --- Effectiveness "How long should a sermon or presentation be? The right answer is: as long as it takes to communicate the material effectively." - Much has been written about attention spans, and how short they are these days. In the arena of public speaking it has been claimed that people cannot listen for more than 10 minutes. I gather that the research oft quoted on this statistic is suspect in its rigour. - In any case, differences in culture, context and giftedness preclude setting down hard and fast rules. --- 1. Length and depth - Length and depth or not same thing. One does not depend on the other. The parables of Jesus are remarkably short. - Rob warns against wearing our ability to speak at length as a "badge of honour". Our audience don't care what we think of our abilities, they only care about what they can receive as valuable from us. - Ask your friends what they think of your ability to speak short and long. Ask your congregation what, on average, they find to be the most useful length of lesson. - Some people can hold our attention for a very long time, and others cannot. The key point here is to know yourself and your audience. --- 2. Unforeseen circumstances - Occasionally your talk might be squeezed by circumstances outside your control. - These situations are not an opportunity to say, "Well, I've prepared for 10 hours, you're going to get it all". Instead, they are an opportunity to give the kernel of your talk and trust the Holy Spirit. - Paraphrasing an illustration I heard many years ago, the story is told of a preacher in a rural parish. His congregation were prevented from attending the church service by heavy snow. In fact, only the preacher and one farmer made it to the building. Despite the circumstances, the preacher felt obliged to give that one member the full benefit of his 40 minute oration. Afterwards he chatted to the farmer and asked him what he thought. The farmer said, "I have 30 head of cattle. If only one turns up at feeding time I don't force that one cow to consume the feed for all 30." - Make sure that you can explain your whole sermon in one paragraph. Two benefits accrue from this. Firstly, if push comes to shove, you could give your audience the short version. Second, you enter every speaking situation with greater confidence that you know what your main point is! --- 3.  Know your material - An habitual tendency of mine is to be overly repetitive. There certainly is a place for repetition of themes to help drive them home, but, I am as capable of waffling as the next man. - What is the cure? Perhaps what that famous preacher Spurgeon said to his students: "There is such a thing as having too much to say, and saying it until hearers are sent home loathing rather than longing . . . If you ask me how you may shorten your sermons, I should say study them better. Spend more time in the study that you may need less in the pulpit." - Do you know your material? Really know it? --- Conclusion - Jesus spoke short and long, as did Paul, “On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul began talking to them, intending to leave the next day, and he prolonged his message until midnight” (Acts 20:7 NAS95) - My advice would be this: if you habitually speak short, try speaking longer. If you tend to be long, try speaking shorter. Let's develop the full gamut of competencies to make sure that we are better equipped for whatever circumstances we may find ourselves in. Again, as always, the issue is what our congregations need, not what we feel works for us. Questions: "What is your tendency? Short or long? And why? What are the barriers to speaking shorter or longer?" --- Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community. Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org). If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://[www.malcolmcox.org](http://www.malcolmcox.org/). Please pass the link on, subscribe, leave a review. “Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11) God bless, Malcolm