Teaching To Change Lives

Goofs Glenn Has Made

noreply@blogger.com (Glenn) — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 10:12:00 +0000

I'm sure that God occasionally whispers to us "Don't make me humble you...because I will!"

I share the following "goofs" from my own teaching experience to encourage and (likely) to amuse you. Remember, it's not about us, it's about the message!

(1) I started a class with a stern admonition that I was going to confiscate any cell phones which made noises. Several cell phones had gone off the previous week during class and distracted everyone. "Mute 'em or lose 'em!" I said. People dutifully pulled out phones and put them on mute or turned them off, and I began my hook question to start the lesson. Not sixty seconds went by before the cell phone in my hip holster rang. I had not muted my phone.

(2) My lesson was pretty complicated, using passages from a dozen or so places. I had decided to use thick stock cardboard for markers for each passage, with sequential numbers on them to help me teach through them in the correct order. A friend had suggested thick cardboard because it made easy to turn to the right page and pull them out. I started teaching without the Bible in my hands, and no other notes, confident that my bookmarks would carry the day. When I turned and picked up my Bible, I missed the spine and grabbed the front cover. All the markers fell on the floor. I couldn't remember the order of the verses I had selected, and so wound up teaching something else that week! I told my friend, "Yes, the thick cardboard bookmarks really do come right out."

(3) One time I intended to play a song from Twila Paris from a cassette tape, using a portable "boom box." To this day I still do not know how the "Sing Along with Barney" tape got in the boombox, but it sure was a surprise to my senior citizen class!

(4) I was teaching a biographical view of Abram from Genesis 11-13. I read his name as "Abraham" every time, rather than Abram. Apparently I even explained to my class that "God will give Abraham the name Abraham later one, but he was originally called Abram."

(5) Did you know that coffee cups aren't steady on slanted lecterns? Hmmm? I bet you did. What a mess!

What goofs have you made that you're willing to share with the world?

Could You Teach for Twelve Hours?

noreply@blogger.com (Glenn) — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 10:17:00 +0000

There’s a fascinating vignette in Acts 20. Most people talk about Eutychus, a boy who falls asleep, falls from the window, and is raised to life again. I want you to consider another aspect of the story: pay attention to the time duration.

“7 On the first day of the week we came together to break bread. Paul spoke to the people and, because he intended to leave the next day, kept on talking until midnight. 8 There were many lamps in the upstairs room where we were meeting. 9 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. 10 Paul went down, threw himself on the young man and put his arms around him. “Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “He’s alive!” 11 Then he went upstairs again and broke bread and ate. After talking until daylight, he left. 12 The people took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted.”

They begin with a meal, most likely the evening meal (v7). Paul had plans to leave the next morning, so he taught until midnight (v7). After the event with Eutychus, they had a meal and Paul continued to teach until daylight (v11). The overall time was easily 10-12 hours of teaching and interaction with this group of new believers.

I don’t believe the event was planned this way. I doubt there was a church bulletin announcement listing the times as 6:00pm to 6:00am! I doubt that anyone involved, including Paul, thought during the first meal, “OK, let’s get cracking, there is 10 hours of material to cover!”

I also don’t have an impression here that people left early, drifted away, dwindled down to two fanatic listeners. Paul, and the discussion held the group for many hours. It was meaningful, weighty, engaging. (Ok, one boy went into a deep sleep, but it turned out ok even for him.)

Put yourself into Paul’s situation here. Could you teach and lead discussion for 10-12 hours with an interested group? What would you say? What source material would you use to keep their attention? What tactics would you employ to keep the dialogue moving along constructively, to exhort and encourage the group?

Can you even imagine yourself in this situation? Quite different than a 30 minute Bible study lesson, isn’t it? Instead of focusing on a few verses, this would be like a systematic walk-through of the entire Gospel of Mark, or a long review of the history of the judges and kings leading up to Jesus’ coming.

Can you imagine the people you regularly teach being engaged for this long a period? We’ve trained them to expect much less, haven’t we?

What would it take for you to be prepared to teach and lead discussion like this? Almost certainly you would need a great familiarity with the Bible. You’d need to be practiced with leading dialogue in a desired direction. You would need some teaching endurance power that you might not have today.

Why not work on these things and be prepared?

Are You Being "With"?

noreply@blogger.com (Glenn) — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 10:13:00 +0000

This was the devotion I led at our recent church business meeting. -- Glenn
-=-=-=-=-=-

This ministry is always about people, and always about Jesus, and is larger than any one of us.

‘With’ is an important word, a powerful concept. I’d like you to listen for ‘with’ in these Bible passages:

"Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority to drive out demons." (Mark 3:13-15)

So Jesus chose men to be with him and be his disciples. That “being with Jesus” time had a powerful influence on them:

When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. (Acts 4:13)

The elders have spent some time in the recent months thinking and praying about developing leaders in our congregation – not just for our own boards and teams, but leaders who can influence the world.

We can do leadership development and training the cheap way or the expensive way. The cheap way is to spend about $60,000 and send a bunch of people off to cool-sounding week-long training classes and have 'em come back with certificates. The expensive way is to man up (and lady up) and pour your life into someone by being with them.

Let’s consider some opportunities:

Enormous challenges for teenagers -- they need men and women who will be with them. They need good families. That's why we invest in youth staff and want to be there for parents.

We need to be with our spouse. We need to be with one another as

believers -- this is why we stress small groups!

Thousands of people who live in the neighborhood we live in are desperately lonely. These people need someone to be with them.

There are over a billion souls in unreached people groups who have not yet heard about the God who wants to be with them. That's why we're emphasizing cross-cultural missions and sending people from our fellowship.

And when we grow weary, we will remember that we will be with the

Lord. He is faithful on his part: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

We are told that we will be with Jesus at the end of earth as we know it:

"They will wage war against the Lamb, but the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers.” (Revelation 17:14)

[You can tell the whole arc of the Bible story around the word ‘with’: God created Adam and Eve and was with them. Sin broke that fellowship. God worked out His plan to restore relationship so that through Jesus Christ we can be with Him again.]

Sounds great, doesn't it? Let's be real with one another as brothers and sisters in Christ: it's harder to be with specific, real, imperfect individuals than to talk about it. Much harder. Many times, it is beyond our capacity and our capability. The little committee members in our heads say, “Ok, but let’s go be with somebody besides this guy.”

The open secret is that the power to be with people is our abiding

connection with Jesus: "4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch

cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can

you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches.

Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for

apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he

is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are

gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and

my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for

you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so

prove to be my disciples. 9 As the Father has loved me, so have I

loved you. Abide in my love. 10 If you keep my commandments, you will

abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and

abide in his love. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy

may be in you, and that your joy may be full." (John 15:4-11)

Short Tips on YouTube

noreply@blogger.com (Glenn) — Sun, 29 Jan 2012 11:33:00 +0000

I recently heard from a church in Tennessee that held a Sunday School teacher training time -- they opened up the BibleTeachingCoach YouTube channel and watched a batch of my short teaching tips, discussing how they could apply them in their classes. Great idea! Perhaps you'd like to do the same?

DNA Replication: Awe and Inspiration

noreply@blogger.com (Glenn) — Sat, 21 Jan 2012 10:11:00 +0000

You might find it odd that I'd post a TED video about scientific visualization on a blog for Bible teachers. Many of you know that I earned a Ph.D. in Molecular Biology. I researched DNA replication, which is the focus of this video. I share this because it's beautiful, it should inspire awe, and it's a terrific example of teachers helping people see things they haven't seen before. That's what YOU do as a Bible teacher! Enjoy.

Good Counsel When You're Afraid

noreply@blogger.com (Glenn) — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 10:18:00 +0000

Great Bible teachers often experience fears -- smaller and larger. Here's some excellent advice:

How to Fight Fear from Desiring God on Vimeo.

For the Sake of God's Name

noreply@blogger.com (Glenn) — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 10:11:00 +0000

Justin Taylor shares some great insights on praying and acting in the name of God -- lists several OT and NT passages. This would be an excellent base for a lesson or devotional.

Launch 'Em -- Don't Close 'Em Down

noreply@blogger.com (Glenn) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 10:14:00 +0000

Book recommendation: Boring to Bravo

noreply@blogger.com (Glenn) — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 10:10:00 +0000

I highly recommend Boring to Bravo: Proven Presentation Techniques to Engage, Involve, and Inspire Your Audience to Action, by Kristin Arnold

I have recommended other presentation books in the past, so why do I recommend you study this one? The main reason: the focus on interacting with and engaging your audience. This is an essential skill for presenters and teachers today. Presentations which change minds and lives must be engaging.

Kristin Arnold is a good writer, so you'll enjoy the reading time.

I particularly appreciate her comments about the mindset you need to cultivate in order to engage an audience. The book is written more for professional speakers and trainers, but you'll find most of it applies for small group presentations and teaching times.

If you want to be selective in reading this book, study the chapters on stories, use of humor, illustrationss, interacting with Q&A, and calling for decision/action.

Boring to Bravo delivers the promise implicit in the title. Get it.

Vocal Projection!

noreply@blogger.com (Glenn) — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 10:16:00 +0000

Brian Croft has an excellent blog post on vocal projection for preachers. This applies equally well to teaching the Bible in many settings.

If you want people to understand you -- that would be necessary to teach to change lives! -- then put his recommendations into practice.

Handouts -- Yes, No, How to Use?

noreply@blogger.com (Glenn) — Sun, 08 Jan 2012 10:01:00 +0000

Worship Before You Teach

noreply@blogger.com (Glenn) — Sat, 07 Jan 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Let me stress this to those of you who want to teach the Bible to change lives: worship before you teach.

It's true that our whole lives should be worshipful. (Equally true that they aren't.)

Before you begin teaching a class or leading a small group discussion about God's truth, create some time and space for personal worship. Consciously reconnect with God through praise and celebration! Listen to music, sing songs, pray aloud with hands raised high, whatever you can do, but get your whole mind and heart and body engaged in worship that pleases God.

Having worshipped the living God, your teaching can flow from that. And that's teaching that can change lives!

Ministering to People who have Mental Illness

noreply@blogger.com (Glenn) — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 10:13:00 +0000

Note from Glenn: This is another post by my friend Marda. Great information!

Ministering to People who have Mental Illness

In this country, mental illness is more common than generally believed. Many people suffer with various anxiety disorders and with depression, seasonal affective disorder and other mood disorders. In the last few years the prevalence of diagnosed bipolar disorder (what used to be called manic-depressive illness) has increased. In addition, there has been a movement to become more open about mental illness and to remove some of the stigma that has traditionally been linked with it. Since society in general is becoming more aware of this population it seems reasonable to assume that at some point you will encounter someone with mental illness or at least someone who has close family or friends with mental illness, in church ministry.

Mental illness is, in many ways, an invisible disability since it is often under medical control or is episodic in nature, meaning that sometimes a person will manifest symptoms of the illness and sometimes will not. Exacerbation of symptoms of a mental illness can be brought on by increased stress, need for medication changes and other factors. In this series of articles, I will begin with general comments regarding all mental illness and then go into more specifics on how to deal with various conditions.

First, there are two major views of mental illness. The most commonly practiced one is the medical model, which tends to use drugs as a means of relieving symptoms. In the medical model, mental illness is thought of as a disease like a physical illness. Psychiatrists are medical doctors who generally work within the medical model, working with the patient to find the correct medications to ameliorate the symptoms. In some of these illnesses, such as schizophrenia, schizo-affective disorder and bipolar disorder, where there is clearly chemical imbalance in the brain, medications can be extremely helpful. Sometimes medications will stop working or a new and better medication will come out and those things as well as other factors can necessitate a medication change. In some instances, this needs to be done under medical supervision in a hospital, often in a psychiatric hospital or psychiatric unit of a general hospital. In these days of shrinking insurance coverage, most such hospitalizations will only last a week or two at a time. But if a person misses church and you know they have a mental illness, it is possible that they are being hospitalized.

The most important thing in dealing with hospitalization, taking of medication or other kinds of symptoms of mental illness is that the mental illness is not the person's fault. It is not a simple matter of telling someone to pray more for healing of their illness and have more faith. Telling a schizophrenic person to stop taking their medicine is the same as telling someone to stop taking their blood pressure medicine. You man not notice immediate deterioration but the person is a time bomb waiting to go off and more than likely symptoms will return.

The second model says that mental illness or disorders are caused by other factors such as environment, personality, reaction to stress and so on. The primary treatment modality of these people is psychotherapy, which is often referred to as "talk therapy" though there are many other kinds of therapies and alternative healing methods. In cases of serious mental illness there is often a combination of therapies including medications as well as other treatment approaches.

So what do you do when a person comes into your Bible study class in a clearly manic state or a schizophrenic psychotic episode? Patience is paramount. The person is not likely to just snap out of it. What you can do is ask for compliance with general rules of courtesy and respect. A quiet "Someone else is speaking now and in this class we don't interrupt". Make your statements brief and concrete. Do not challenge a person's fixed delusion. It doesn't work and can only make the person more agitated. If the person continues to be disruptive you might have a designated person to escort him or her from the room and talk to them individually. Some churches train volunteers to do this kind of thing. If they are caring and nonjudgmental, possible guilt and shame can often be avoided.

If the person says they are hearing voices that are telling them to kill themselves or someone else, there are several things you can do. One is to have trained people who can take the person aside and deal with the issue. Such a trained person will ask if they can talk back to the voices and tell them no, they're not going to kill or whatever the voices are demanding. Ask if the voices are in the background or are so loud that they can not be ignored. Generally, the person will say that the voices are distracting and sometimes loud but will often say that they can handle them. If a person seems to be becoming violent and can't be calmed down and if that person appears to be a threat to him/herself or others, it is time to call either the person's psychiatrist, psychologist or social worker or call 911 and explain the nature of the emergency, where it is taking place and so on so that the appropriate personnel can be dispatched. While waiting for help, it is best not to leave the person alone unless you think you are in immediate danger.

Most often this drastic action will not be called for as the person can often function in spite of psychotic symptoms. Sometimes they will be confused and their communication will be unclear. If words are coming out that don't make sense, a condition unofficially referred to as "word salad", it is best not to demand a clearer explanation. Just say something like "thank you for that contribution" and move on and if the problem persists, say something like, "We're discussing something else now so it's time to listen" or "That's interesting. We need to have another person talking now."

What other kinds of manifestations of a mental disorder can happen in a church setting? Since anxiety disorders are so common, I will deal with them next.

One common anxiety disorder is panic disorder. In this disorder, a person can have a panic attack, sometimes with no discernible cause. Again, many anxiety disorders have a biochemical component that is not completely understood. There is increased production of adrenaline which can cause increased heart rate or palpitations, hyperventilation, sweating, trembling, chest pains, gastrointestinal symptoms, fear of dying just to name a few. Panic attacks can be frightening to the person having them and to those watching. They usually peak within ten minutes or so but can sometimes last longer. The best thing to do again is to have someone take the person to a quiet place and calmly reassure them that they are not dying, they are safe, the panic will subside and so on. Then it is important to let the person know that you are not ashamed or condemning of them for having the panic attack.

Another increasingly seen anxiety disorder is posttraumatic stress disorder. This diagnosis was first used when referring to symptoms shown by vets returning from battle who would relive combat experiences in flashbacks as well as being highly anxious or depressed and otherwise having difficulty coping with life. The term was then expanded to include sufferers of all kinds of traumas, from car accidents, natural disasters and acts of terrorism to prolonged and severe physical, sexual or emotional abuse. Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has a wide variety of symptoms. Most common are periods when the person is having difficulty in remaining in reality. They may think they are in the original traumatic situations or they may be overcome with debilitating anxiety. When someone is triggered into re-experiencing a trauma or aspects of it, they often need to be grounded, or reestablished in reality. One way to do this is to have someone, either quietly in the room or in another room, have the sufferer take deep calming breaths, then try to have them describe the room, ask if they know who you are and so on. Sometimes people use things like rubber bands on the wrist that they can snap or ice in the hand, to bring them back to the present. Personally, I don't like either of those. I prefer a reassuring voice telling me who they are and where I am. If I am deeper into an episode, I might need something such as a smell to bring me back. The main thing is to stay calm and patient. These episodes are generally short but can be longer. While you are with the person, ask them to look around the room and describe what's there, have them put their feet flat on the ground (thus the name "grounding") hold onto the chair, etc. and try to get a dialogue going in which you continue to remind them of where they are, what the date and year are, that whatever horrible thing they are experiencing is not happening now and so on. Frequently, a person who has been living with PTSD for a long time will have developed their own coping skills and will be able to ground themselves. Sometimes they will carry a "comfort bag" which will contain items with which the person can self-soothe. So the extreme manifestations will not happen in every case. Again, it is important to assure the person that you don't think any less of them, that you are there to help in any way you can, that God still loves them and that they are a worthwhile person.

After an episode, or before an episode happens if you know about the person's mental disorder, you can ask what you can do to help should symptoms occur. Most people will know and be able to tell you. Remember that you are dealing with another human being, not just a diagnosis. They are not weak. They are not malingering. They are not seeking attention, for the most part. They do need to know God's love because so often they have experienced little love in their lives. Try not to fear them and their conditions. They are children of God, part of his family like you.

Engraved

noreply@blogger.com (Glenn) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 10:22:00 +0000

There are some verses and passages you go back to time and again. Isaiah 49:16 is one of mine:

"See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands"

A few thoughts to encourage you:

God is speaking to his children of Israel, and by extension, we who have been grafted in and adopted as heirs. Think of how sensitive your palms are, and how visible they are to you. They're never more than an arm's length away! "Engraved" suggests permanence and lasting effect. This is not magic marker or ball-point pen scrawling to remind you of something ephemeral. What is engraved? Not a picture of story of my ancestors, but me. What a precious statement from the God of the Universe!

"See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands"

First Day of 2012 -- May I Offend You?

noreply@blogger.com (Glenn) — Sun, 01 Jan 2012 10:20:00 +0000

Happy 2012, dear Bible teachers!

Let me start off the year and risk offending some of you.

Here's my challenge for you: leave the study Bibles and commentaries on your bookshelf.

Go for days and weeks without checking footnotes and commentaries -- simply and prayerfully invest yourself in the Word.

Get a simple Bible, without all the study notes. Read it in depth, read it in breadth. Pray as your read. If you find this difficult, it's a sure sign you need to do this!!

I promise you that you'll learn much more, and be shaped more by God. This pays HUGE dividends in your teaching ability (at least if you want to teach to change lives, not just entertain people).

Let me be clear, ok? I'm not opposed to study Bibles and commentaries. Great Bible teachers use them, but use them as reference tools, not as primary sources. (See my recommended list of Bible study tools.) We have only one primary source: the Word of God itself.

Go ahead, take me up on this challenge. And let me know how it works for you.

How to Teach the Bible with Confidence

noreply@blogger.com (Glenn) — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 10:17:00 +0000

Great conversation with D. A. Carson, Tim Keller, and John Piper talking about teaching the Bible confidently. Worth watching!

How to Read the Whole Bible in 30 Days

noreply@blogger.com (Glenn) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 10:28:00 +0000

Teach the Whole Bible?

noreply@blogger.com (Glenn) — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 10:12:00 +0000

I received an interesting question recently by email: "Mr. Glenn do you teach the whole bible? I was always taught that I should live what I wanted to teach first, is that a factor in teach to change lives?"

Here was my response:

Thanks for your question!

A few things I think we can agree on:
1. The whole Bible is the Word of God, and is for us individually and the Church
2. God can speak through even a verse or one story to transform a person
3. It's part of discipleship to study the whole Bible over a period of years
4. Teachers teach more effectively out of personal understanding and experience

Are teachers limited to teaching only what they've lived or personally
experienced? I don't think so. I've never been to Israel, but use
mapbooks and commentary descriptions to help my students understand
the geography and history of the land and peoples who lived there. I
myself don't struggle with every sin, but struggle with some and can
speak to the transforming power of Christ's love to overcome any sin.

I believe that God puts some things on our hearts because He does want
us to teach those. That can certainly be a factor in your decision
about what to teach. My counsel is to prayerfully ask, "Lord, what
does this class need to learn from You and Your Word?" That's better
than settling first for what I prefer to teach.

Hope this helps.

Teach to change lives,

Glenn

One Secret to Teaching The Same Material Repeatedly

noreply@blogger.com (Glenn) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 10:00:00 +0000

I recently watched a vendor give a presentation, and was very impressed with his delivery style and energy. It was clear that he’d given this presentation many times, but it seemed fresh. Afterwards I asked him how he was able to present the same information over and over again. “It’s not about the material,” he said. “I focus on the fact that I have a new audience.”

If you’re teaching something that you’ve taught before – even many times – there’s a tremendous insight there for you: focus on the new group of people.

Merry Christmas!

noreply@blogger.com (Glenn) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 10:23:00 +0000

The 3650 Challenge -- Not Your Ordinary "Read the Bible in a Year" plan

noreply@blogger.com (Glenn) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 10:11:00 +0000

I commend this challenge to you -- a wonderful opportunity to step up your Bible reading! From Tim Challies:

"...read or listen to 3,650 chapters of the Bible in 2012. .... I plan to use Professor Horner’s Bible Reading System to read the Bible. This system calls for 10 chapters per day, with each chapter being drawn from a different part of the Bible. This means that over the course of 2012 anyone who uses the plan will go through all the Gospels four times, the Pentateuch twice, Paul’s letters 4-5 times each, the Old Testament wisdom literature six times, all the Psalms at least twice, all the Proverbs as well as Acts a dozen times, and all the way through the Old Testament History and Prophetic books about 1.5 times."

Go for it!

Do You Have a Folder Like This?

noreply@blogger.com (Glenn) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 10:06:00 +0000

Need a short devotional? Kevin DeYoung's commentary on the name of Jesus would fit the bill nicely! Great content, easily adaptable to different settings.

Don't need it right now? Print off a copy and file it in a folder named something like "Source Ideas for Devotionals" A few minutes work can put you on a path to having a rich library of ideas.

Add This To Your Library: Better Beginnings

noreply@blogger.com (Glenn) — Mon, 19 Dec 2011 12:25:00 +0000

This is a terrific book that I recommend you add to your library: Better Beginnings.

One of the four best ways to improve your Bible teaching is to strengthen your opening, the hook. I've been studying presentation techniques and strategies for several years now and have never found anything better than this book on the opening.

This book is focused exclusively on better beginnings to speeches and presentations. Intense, practical, imaginative. I read through it quickly once, then turned right around to read it more slowly the next time. I liked it so much I scheduled it for a third read later this month when I have some time off from work.

Though the author is writing to all kinds of presenters, not just "church" people or "religious" settings, nearly everything here will apply whether you're giving sermons, teaching in formal settings, or in a small group study.

There are only two negatives I want to point out. First, it's not a cheap paperback. It's an extremely high-quality hardback, thick paper, gorgeous photos and graphics. Second, it's hard to find. As I write this, it's not available on Amazon. But if you can get your hands on a copy, get it!

Be Bold!

noreply@blogger.com (Glenn) — Sat, 17 Dec 2011 10:11:00 +0000

Here's my challenge for you today:

Be bold in your teaching!

You are teaching from the authoritative Word of the Lord of the Universe (and more). When you read Scripture you read God-breathed truth, not fanciful stories and collected opinions of idiots. Re-set your confidence in Christ, and teach boldly, forcefully, passionately! Let your choice of words, your tone and inflection, your body language accurately reflect the amazing Bible and our beautiful Lord Jesus Christ!

No more mealy-mouthed mumblings that go nowhere. Speak directly into their eyes and hearts, dear teacher.

How to Structure A Bible Lesson

noreply@blogger.com (Glenn) — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 10:40:00 +0000