Teaching: The Importance of Being Biblical
It may sound obvious, but as a teacher of students, it is essential that your teaching remain Bible-centered.
Here at Teen Sunday School Place, you will find that we approach teaching more from a Bible-study angle than we do a topical angle. While there is nothing wrong with topical teaching, getting deep into the Scriptures is an exercise that benefits students no matter where they are in their faith. The Bible addresses topics that teens are thinking about, and more importantly, it tackles those deep issues of faith that students may not be thinking about but need to.
Whether you have in your lesson plan to teach on a particular passage or on a topic, Bible-centered teaching is a must. Here are a few helpful tips to tackle teaching more biblically:
| Don’t be afraid to go deep Students may not seem “into it,” but you are planting seeds that one day will be watered and grow into deep, mature faith. Don’t shy away form long passages of Scripture Sometimes it can seem monotonous to read large chunks of the Bible, but it helps student see the broader context and understand particular verses with that in mind. Keep some study tools handy Have a good concordance and Bible dictionary nearby when you are preparing lessons and teaching them. If you or your group runs across something that’s confusing, look it up. Good tools go a long way in bringing God’s word to life. If you don’t know the answer to a Bible question that your student asks, just tell them you don’t know This helps keep things Bible centered. When we try to manufacture answers that may or may not be true, we are really just being me-centered and trying to be a know-it-all. It’s okay not to know. It’s even better to discover the answer alongside your students. Encourage self-feeding Have students read your lesson Scripture in the week that leads up to your meeting. If you’re studying a book of the Bible in a series, encourage students to read the book with you. Perhaps you can even organize a reading schedule for the group as you go through the series. Use memory work in your teaching Take time during your lesson to allow students to begin to memorize. |
As you teach in a Bible-centered way, you are growing in your students a loyalty to the Bible. They might complain at the time about having more fun or always having to read—when I was in junior high, my Bible study leaders gave homework!—but in the long run you are doing them good!
Don’t avoid topical teaching, but always be true to the text. Don’t force your topic upon a particular Scripture. Say what the text says. In doing so, you are approaching the topic from a biblical perspective that is both God honoring and effective.