It All Matters When We’re Teaching the Word of God

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Teaching the Word as a Lesson Worth Teaching
Whether preaching, teaching, or facilitating a small group, we must always remember that we’re teaching the Word of God. Unlike the author of any other book, God has full authority and the power to carry out anything written therein. When we approach the Bible with this mindset, it affects everything we do in the teaching-learning process. We want to make it A Lesson Worth Teaching that is so worth learning.

Curriculum Matters Because It’s God’s Word We’re Teaching

Lesson Preparation Matters Because We’re Teaching the Word of God

  • We will pray that God gives us the understanding we need.

This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words. …(1 Cor. 2:13-16)

  • We will study as one accountable to the Author of the Text, to accurately represent His intent.

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. (2 Tim. 2:15)

  • We will prepare a lesson that accurately and adequately reflects the Author.

Above all, you must understand that no prophecy of Scripture came about by the prophet’s own interpretation of things. For prophecy never had its origin in the human will, but prophets, though human, spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Pet. 1:20-21)

Lesson Presentation Matters Because We Want People to Know “All Scripture is God-breathed”

  • We will pray that God gives us the strength, grace, and wisdom to teach in ways that keep the focus on the Lord Himself.
  • We will make sure students understand it is God’s Word and that He’s the One behind all the stories and teaching therein.

Follow-Up Matters Because We Know God Works Through the Power of His Word

  • We will trust God to continue working in students’ lives as He promised that His Word will not return void (Isa. 55:11) which means we will keep praying.
  • We will do what we can to remind students of the power of God’s Word for their everyday lives which means we will in some way contact students with reminders.
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The Power of God’s Word: Because God Is True to It

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Psalm 119 - Power of God's WordPsalm 119 has long been a meaningful chapter of the Bible for me because in it I find a faithful God who is capable of keeping His Word.

Skim through this psalm with a view to the God behind Scripture.

(The NASB was used for this study.)

How God is True to His Word

God is true to His Word in that He will respond in accordance with His Word and accomplish His purposes.

Remember the word to Your servant, in which You have made me hope. (Ps. 119:49)

My soul weeps because of grief; Strengthen me according to Your word.  (Ps. 119:28)

Let my supplication come before You; Deliver me according to Your word. (Ps. 119:170)

God is true to His Word in that He makes it possible for us to understand and live by it.

Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law.  (Ps. 119:18)

Teach me, O LORD, the way of Your statutes, and I shall observe it to the end.  (Ps. 119:33)

Give me understanding, that I may observe Your law and keep it with all my heart.  (Ps. 119:34)

Make me walk in the path of Your commandments, for I delight in it. (Ps. 119:35)

Incline my heart to Your testimonies … (Ps. 119:36)

Establish Your word to Your servant, as that which produces reverence for You.  (Ps. 119:38)

Establish my footsteps in Your word, and do not let any iniquity have dominion over me. (Ps. 119:133)

Uphold me that I may be safe, that I may have regard for Your statutes continually.  (Ps. 119:117)

Implications for Ministry Workers:

Take God at His Word and pray accordingly. If God establishes a certain way, He will work through it.  — Don’t disregard His design for the Church and ministry just because you can’t see how it will work in your situation.

Interpret your circumstances through His Word. If God is going to provide for you, it will line up with what He has already set forth in His Word.  — Don’t expect Him to do something for you that is not “according to” His Word.

Trust God to help people believe and follow His Word. If God is going to use His Word in people’s lives, He must first enable them to understand. — Don’t rely on your great oratory skills when communicating God’s Word.

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The Power of God’s Word: Because of What It Is

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Psalm 119 - Power of God's Word Psalm 119 has long been a strategic chapter of the Bible for me because it is packed with so much truth about the Word.

Skim through this psalm for descriptive words about Scripture and you will learn much.  (The NASB was used for this study.)

Think through the implications for ministry.

God’s Word is a record of who God is and what He does. — testimony (shows His ways and wonders)

Ministry Workers: Are you pointing people to the God behind all the wonderful Bible stories?  God is the power source behind the parting of the Red Sea, not Moses.  God is the power source behind the slaying of Goliath, not David.  Etc.

God’s Word is a rule for life, a standard to live by. — law, precepts, statutes, commandments, judgments, ordinances, truth

Ministry Workers: Are you remembering that you will be accountable for following God’s ways as recorded in Scripture?  We measure what we do against His Word, not our own or other people’s opinions.

God’s Word is a reliable resource. — truth, righteous, good, faithful, settled in heaven forever, upright, very pure, everlasting

Ministry Workers: Are you lining up what you do with God’s Word rather than the ways of the world or your own thinking?  In the final analysis, only God’s Word is trustworthy, consistent and constant.

With an understanding of what God’s Word is, may our prayer be:

Open my eyes, that I may behold wonderful things from Your law.  (Ps. 119:18)

Make me understand the way of Your precepts, so I will meditate on Your wonders. (Ps. 119:27)

Establish Your word to Your servant, as that which produces reverence for You.  (Ps. 119:38)

And, may our reaction be:

Your testimonies are wonderful; Therefore my soul observes them.  (Ps. 119:129)

More for Church Leaders:  God’s Power for the Church – The Word of God

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Our Beliefs About the Bible Have Implications

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What we believe about the Bible, specifically about its authority and main focus, has implications. As we will see, it affects our personal relationship with the Lord and also has implications for the way we serve.

Our Beliefs about the Bible Affect our Relationship with God

The following issues will affect the kind of relationship we have with God.

The Authority of the Bible – Can the Bible be trusted?

If the Bible truly is inspired by God and can be trusted, then we should find ourselves believing what it says, obeying its precepts, and following the principles laid out in it.

If we think the Bible is not completely God’s Word and cannot be fully trusted, then we have the option of following what it says and can pick and choose what to believe.

Focus & Theme of the Bible – What is the Bible about?

If we think the Bible is a religious book about man’s efforts to reconcile with God, then we will tend to take a more legalistic approach and depend more on ourselves than on Him.  Life will be more centered around us and our accomplishments.

If we see the Bible as a love story about God’s efforts to reach man, then we will better understand grace and trust Him to work for our good even when we don’t understand life’s circumstances.  Life will be centered more around God and His purposes.

What We Believe about the Word Has Implications for Ministry

These same issues will affect the way we serve in our various ministries and how we help other people find God.

The Authority of the Bible – Can the Bible be trusted?

Those sold out to the authority of the Bible have a standard that is reliable and that must be used as a filter in all decisions.  Otherwise, ministry can quickly become everybody doing what is right in their own eyes which can only lead to inconsistencies and ineffectiveness.

Focus & Theme of the Bible – What is the Bible about?

Those seeing the focus of the Bible as God’s working will tend to get beyond the stories and commands to the God of Scripture who is the source and sustainer of life and the Savior of the world. Otherwise ministry could become about helping people to simply know what the Bible says and to follow a bunch of rules and regulations.  We will have religion over relationship.

What Bible Teachers Need to Know About the Bible - Finding God

Click Below to Learn About a Worksheet for Bible Teachers:

What Bible Teachers Need to Know About God’s Word To Help Students Find God in the Scriptures

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If the Bible is God’s Word, Then What?

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Perception of Bible as God's Wordprevious post listed results from a Barna report on how young people today view the Bible differently from other generations.  The fifth point was that they have . . . LESS ENGAGEMENT.

If the Bible is God’s Word, then we should want to be reading and studying the Bible.

If the Bible is not God’s Word, then it doesn’t need to be a priority in our lives.

Failing to engage oneself with God’s Word betrays people’s true heart toward it.  Either they don’t believe it to be true or to be from God or they don’t understand its eternal benefit.  Previous posts looked at its sacredness, accuracy, uniqueness, and origins. Let’s therefore consider some of the benefits:

revives our souls (Ps. 19:7)
makes us wise  (Ps. 19:7)
gives us joy (Ps. 19:8)
helps us see clearly (Ps. 19:8)
prevents us from sinning  (Ps. 119:11)
equips us for good works (2 Tim. 3:16-17)

The reason Scripture is so powerful and life-changing is because of its source.  God-breathed words impart energy, strength, wisdom, joy, light, comfort, peace, grace, and so much more into our lives because HE is all these things.  It’s about Him!

Consistent Bible Engagement Won’t Happen Without the Right Motivation Growing Out of a Belief that it is God’s Word

Have we been communicating the right message of the Bible?

The Bible is about God and His desire to have a relationship with man.  Too often in preaching and teaching we make it about the stories or concepts.  We need to get beyond precepts to the Person.

Have we been communicating the right reason for them to engage?

Give a good reason to study:  not merely something they “should” do … to fulfill a duty, a spiritual discipline;  not merely to learn about the Bible  … to gain knowledge;  but a means of connecting with the living God who loves them and wants their best  … to nurture a relationship.

Have we been communicating the right outcome of engaging in God’s Word?

Will it merely lead to head knowledge or is there more to it?  Have we been showing the life impacting results of God’s Word?  It changes lives.  Here’s a workbook to help teachers work toward this goal:  Teaching for Changed Lives

The last point on the Barna Report is that young people do have a Bible appetite so let’s give them a reason to dig in.

Resources to help communicate how to study the Bible.

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