teachingresources2010

XSI July 2010

contents
1. Teach TEMPLATE expanded 2010 Johnson .............. 3 2. Focus on Rocks Johnson ........................................... 7 3. 7 Laws of Bible teaching Wilkinson ......................... 37 4. The art of effective preaching Ayer .......................... 39 5. Philosophy of Bible learning Bair............................ 46 6. Bible teaching for students McCallum ..................... 47 7. Characteristics of teachers Lambert ........................ 49 8. Preparing a lesson Lambert ...................................... 50 9. Preparing first teachings DeLashmutt ..................... 51 10. Helping students prepare teachings Johnson .... 52 11. Teaching Dos and Donts DeLashmutt ................ 53 12. High school home church teaching Hale ............ 55 13. Teaching techniques for HS Rochford ................. 58 14. Discussion question template Scott Risley ........ 59 15. What about boys? Dr. Dan Hogins ....................... 61 16. Temperamental teaching sins Johnson ............... 65 17. Teaching feedback form Johnson ........................ 66

Title
For meeting date Main point: Intro

aim for no more than one quarter page of notes . . . any more than that and you run the risk of teaching notes not people

Teach TEMPLATE expanded 2010

Text

App

aim for no more than one quarter page of notes, any more than that and you are teaching notes not people

Inductive worksheet explanation

Passage:
Context Before: Summarize the main point of the preceding paragraph After: Summarize the main point of the following paragraph Thought Development (outline) Do a detailed outline of the thought-flow of the text. Look carefully at the grammar to find the MAIN POINT and SUPPORTING POINTS. This is where a lot of the time is spent. Be careful to stay within the text

Title:
Structure Remind yourself of the big picture. How does this passage fit in the argument of the book? Based on the context, what do you expect this paragraph to be about? Character Development Author What do you learn about the author in this paragraph? General summaries are good here since the book overview has this in detail.

Audience What do you learn about the audience in this paragraph?

3rd party What do you learn about the 3rd party in this paragraph?

Main Point (argument) Summarize the thought-flow Include MAIN POINT and main SUBPOINTS only

Theology 1 Historical reading Identify and define key and unfamiliar words, customs & institutions.

Theology 2 Literary reading How do themes of the book or technical terms relate to the text? How does the passage fit into the argument of the section in which it is located?

Theology 3 Canonical reading Understand the passage in light of antecedent or informing theology rooted in OT (note how OT texts are used) Contrast with other passages that teach the same topic

Application 1 original audience What did the author intend his audience to do in light of this passage? How should it have effected their actions, convictions or thinking?

Application 2 now How is this passage relevant to your actions, convictions and thinking?

Comment Are there other issues that are worth commenting on (illustrations, personal examples, teachings that apply, etc.)?

Inductive worksheet
Passage: Title:
Setting Character Development Author Audience rd 3 party Theology 1 Historical reading Theology 3 Canonical reading Application 2 now Context Before: After: Thought Development (outline)

Main Point Theology 2 Literary reading Application 1 original audience Comment

Scharfs Interrogation questions 1. What is the text functionally? 2. What is the subject of this passage? 3. What is the author saying about this subject? 4. What responses might the Holy Spirit want from believing readers of the text? 5. How does this passage elicit the intended response? 6. How does this passage contribute to the larger picture, the drama of redemption? Antithesis IDEAS

Illustration IDEAS

Application IDEAS

Attention What question am I answering? How can I get students to have the right question? What tension will my message resolve? How can I get students to feel that tension? What mystery does this message solve? How can I make students want a solution? How can I add the unexpected? How can I help them remember the main point? Prophetic What are the biggest issues the audience is facing right now? What is their central problem? How do they need to be comforted and encouraged? Structure (Scharf) Proposition (main point of the passage): Thrust (your main point): Organization sentence (short sentence that defines thought-flow):

FOCUS ON ROCKS:
TEACHING THE BIBLE TO JUNIOR HIGH STUDENTS
Marc Johnson March 10, 2007 Updated July, 2008

VOMITORY ORATORY
Boring people with the Bible is a sin. The Bible is the best book. It has dozens of compelling characters. It touches on the most important issues of human experience. Not only does it have great examples of many kinds of literature, its author is God himself. The Bible has inspired men and women throughout history to make incredible, heroic sacrifices. It has shaped our language and traditions. In and through the Bible God speaks. When you look into the Bible it looks back into you. It exposes what is really going on in your soul. The Bible is amazing. Boring people by teaching the Bible poorly is a tragic contradiction of reality. It is a sinespecially with students. Unfortunately, one of the main complaints junior high students have about Bible studies is that they are mind-numbingly boring, drool-inducing vomitory oratory: spewed words that cause students to want to blow chunks. I remember the vivid, nauseating shock of watching the clock during a bad Sunday School teaching and realizing that the teacher was not even close to being donethe sick visceral horror as the second hand dragged across the clock face. Howard Hendricks, pastor, professor, author, and excellent communicator, attacks this issue, too:
I dont mean to be cruel but Im compelled to be honest: If all those involved in Christian teaching had to become salesmen and saleswomen to make a living, most of them would starve to death. Were teaching the most exciting truth in the entire worldeternal truthand doing it as if it were cold mashed potatoes.1

I never studied the Bible on my own when I was young. Why would I? I was convinced that it was boring. Plus, I assumed I already knew it all because I could answer the trivia questions the teachers would ask. I felt like I had heard it all before. I compensated for boredom by getting in trouble. Heck, at least then I wasnt bored!

Howard Hendricks, Teaching to Change Lives. (Sisters: Multnomah, 1987), 70

Boring kids with the Bible is tragic because its message is so compelling that thousands have chosen to suffer and die for it. It contains the greatest news ever told to humans. It has the power to expose our innermost secrets and transform our thinking. Boring students with this message is a gross misrepresentation of the Word and of its author. Much Bible teaching is ineffective because it is boring, and therefore irrelevant. These are serious problems. Boring Bible teaching runs the risk of inoculating students against the Truth. We must do better. And it is possible. I know the repulsiveness of bad Bible teaching, but I also know the soul-gripping power of the Bible taught well. When the Bible is taught effectively, students experience God speaking directly to them, like there is no one else in the room. When that happened to me, the only thing that made sense was for me to give my life over to God. I was deeply impacted in a lasting way by the people in my life that effectively taught the Bible. As student workers, we need to learn to give consistently high quality teachings from Gods Word. Bible teaching is an essential part of accomplishing our stated mission here at Xenos Christian Fellowship. Our goal in student ministries is twofold; we want to reach non-Christian students for Christ and raise Christian students into powerful workers and leaders for Christs church. Our vision is to see clusters of students raised up to lead home churches and to become key leaders in student ministries, urban ministry and world missions. For this to happen, we need to do much more than merely entertain junior high students; we must be intentional about our training. Therefore, we have four strategic priorities: Bible teaching Students need to have their minds transformed by the Word of God so they learn to think the way God thinks. Evangelism Students need to learn to love those who do not know Christ and be equipped to effectively share the Good News. Fellowship Students need to develop deep, long-term friendships with other students that are committed to following the Lord. Student ownership Students need to start using their gifts to serve. Bible teaching plays a critical role in addressing all of these priorities. It provides an authoritative direction for what we are trying to do and gives boundaries for acceptable 9

practices. All evangelical movements have prioritized Bible teaching. Historical examples include Hus, Wycliffe, Luther, Wesley, Edwards and many others. Our movement is no different. As student workers we should aim to excel at communicating biblical truth to junior high students. But how can we do that? What are the most effective strategies for teaching the Bible to junior high students?

HAVE A MAIN POINT!

If we are going to teach the Bible, then we should teach the Bible. If we believe the Bible is authoritative, it should dictate the content and method of our teaching. We should emphasize what it emphasizes. We should argue how it argues. We should follow its thoughtprogression. Bottom line, we should teach what and how the Bible teaches. How did biblical authors present their material? Bible authors had a main point. When they mention their writing methods, it is clear they had a main point. And they were careful to communicate it as clearly as possible to their audience. Luke explains that he carefully investigated everything about Jesus from the beginning and tried to write it out in an orderly way. His stated purpose was that Theophilus, whether that is a group or individual, would know how certain the teaching about Jesus was (Luke 1:1-4). John plainly states the main point of his books. In John 20:31, he says, these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.2 In 1 John 5:13 he says he wrote his eyewitness testimony, to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life. Inspired authors carefully selected and presented their material to prove their main point. Paul also plainly structures many of his books around a central point. Ephesians is a good example. In the first three chapters he describes the incredible things God has done for
2

The Holy Bible: New International Version (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984)

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those that have come to know Christ. In 4:1 he says, As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Almost everything in the following three chapters expands practically on this subject: how to live a worthy life. That is the main point of the book. It would be strange to study the argument of a Bible book if the author was not trying to make an argument. It is not surprising that Biblical authors had main points. At the time, writing was expensive and time consuming; it was very different from modern communication. It would not make much sense to do an in-depth academic study of a students email history. Since email is so easy to create, there is very little thought given to syntax, grammar, context and clear communication. As in the example below, a lot of email communication is made up of bursts of shorthand expression.
-----Original Message----From: randomstudent [mailto:fuzzilogic@crapmail.com] Sent: March 06, 2007 4:22 PM To: someoneelse@poopyscraps.com Subject: RE: RE: RE: RE: heckfire omg! lol!!! how ru? watch out!! wizzle the bizzle!! Ha ha. g2g brb <3 u!!! Rs-FuZzI!!

Biblical writing is very different. The authors realized they were communicating a profound message from God (Gal. 1:11-12; 2 Pet. 2:12-21). They were extremely careful about what they said and how they said it. That is why we are justified to study the Bible at a deep level. The authors themselves intended this. If the authors had a main point and were careful about how they expressed it, we should be careful how we express it, too. Furthermore, since the authors were inspired by the Holy Spirit to write their text, as we understand the thoughtprogression of the authors we are getting a glimpse at the very thoughts of God himself. Therefore, we should seek to understand and communicate the hierarchy of the argument of the biblical text we are teaching. 11

Jesus had a main point in his teaching, most of which was done in parables. Robert Stein says the term parable covers a broad range of meanings in the Bible. Basic to all, however is a comparison of two dissimilar things.3 He concludes that the central point of comparison is what we should emphasize in our interpretation. He offers three principles to correctly interpret Jesus parables:
The principles are: (1) parables are not allegories but instead tend to emphasize one main point, so that parable or details in parables that do not absolutely require an allegorical interpretation ought not to be interpreted allegorically; (2) to understand the original meaning of a parable, we must seek to understand what Jesus meant when he uttered it to his listeners in the first century, i.e., we must seek to understand its meaning in the first Sitz im Leben; and (3) it is important also to understand how the individual Evangelists understood the parable, i.e., we should seek to understand the meaning of the parable in the third Sitz im Leben.4

This means that we should first seek to understand the plainly stated main point in the parable. This involves understanding the plot development of the parable itself and the Gospel authors structural setting or context. To understand a parable we have to find the main point. Once we find the main point we can understand the details in their proper perspective. 5 Most of Jesus parables were intended to teach one main spiritual point. If we try to extend them too far we get ourselves into trouble. Early church fathers extended the meaning of parables allegorically. For example, Origen and Augustine suggested numerous detailed explanations of the details of the parable of the Good Samaritan to show that it teaches the history of salvation. Stein points out that the question of their interpretation is not whether or not it is Christian or even whether or not what they say is true. He says the question is whether their interpretation is what Jesus actually meant when he spoke to his original audience.6 Others in the early church reacted against this type of allegorical interpretation. John Chrysostom, Augustines contemporary, said it was not good to enquire curiously into all

3 4

Robert Stein, A Basic Guide to Interpreting the Bible. (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic. 1994) 140 Robert Stein, The Method and Message of Jesus Teachings. (Philadelphia: Westminster Press) 55 5 This hermeneutic principle is valuable with all communication though it has been attacked by postmodern literary theorists. 6 The Method and Message of Jesus Teaching, 48

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things in parables word by word, but when we have learnt the object for which it was composed, to read this, and not to busy ones self about any thing further. 7 Chrysostoms warnings were not heeded. The church almost universally adopted the allegorical interpretation. During the Reformation a number of interpreters fought against the allegorical interpretation and promoted looking for the plain meaning of the text. Calvin said:
I have no liking for any of these interpretations; but we ought to have a deeper reverence for Scripture than to reckon ourselves at liberty to disguise its natural meaning. And, indeed, any one may see that the curiosity of certain men has led them to contrive these speculations, contrary to the intention of Christ.8

The Bibles authors had a main point; Jesus had a main point. When we are teaching the Bible, we should have a main point. And it should be the same as the main point of the text! If our main point is not the main point of the text we are not teaching the Bible; at best we are teaching systematic theology. At worst we are arrogantly propagating our own ideas. A practical way to emphasize the Bibles thought progression is to identify the passages main point and make it your main teaching point. Furthermore, our teaching outline should be based on the thought-development of the passage itself. One of the biggest problems in our Bible teaching at Xenos is nice point, wrong passage. People often give in to the temptation to use a minor point in a passage as a springboard into a semi-related systematic theology survey. Unfortunately, people start to think the passage under discussion teaches the expanded theological point when it does not. We run the risk of teaching our students to misuse the Bible if we do this consistently. A secondary goal we should have in Bible teaching is to help students gain the tools they need to understand the Bible for themselves. Using the outline of the passage as our teaching outline helps students learn to do that intuitively. Even in topical teachings, which are
7 8

Ibid., 49 John Calvin, Commentary on a harmony of the Evangelists: Matthew, Mark and Luke, trans. By William Pringle. (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1949) 63

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common in student groups, we should try to find a passage that teaches about the topic, and then teach the passage. We need to fight the urge to read our own ideas into the text. Much heresy starts from an inaccurate prioritization of extraneous material. Jesus blasted the Pharisees and teachers of the law for this (Matt. 23). We do not want to strain out the gnat and swallow the camel! In Bible teaching the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing. Winston Churchill once said, If you have an important point to make, dont try to be subtle or clever. Use the pile driver. Hit the point once. Then come back and hit it again. Then hit it a third time; a tremendous whack.9 There are no more important points than the main points of the Bible. Dianna Booher, a communication consultant says: If you can't write your message in a sentence, you can't say it in an hour. Ken Davis, author, comedian and speaker, offers helpful suggestions for delivering clear, understandable teachings in How to Speak to Youth and Keep Them Awake at the Same Time. He provides a systematic method to develop a main point and remove extraneous material that is very practical and useful. However, he does not emphasize the importance of allowing the Bible to dictate the main point. He calls his system the SCORRE method, an acronym that stands for: Subject, Central theme, Objective, Rationale, Resources, and Evaluation Many Bible teachers feel that they have to communicate every insight they received during their many hours of study. This is counter-productive. If you have too much material you will bore students to death. In fact, many times if you present too much material they will remember much less than if you have a single clear main point. In their insightful book, Made to Stick, Chip and Dan Heath give principles for developing sticky ideas, or ones that are remembered and acted on. Principle #1 is Simplicity. They relay a defense lawyers quip that If you argue ten points, even if each is a good point, when they get back to the jury room they

Simpson, James B., Simpsons Contemporary Quotations. (Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1988), #4928

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wont remember any. They then argue that to get to the core of an idea we have to become masters of exclusion.
We must relentlessly prioritize. Saying something short is not the missionsound bites are not the ideal. Proverbs are the ideal. We must create ideas that are both simple and profound. The Golden Rule is the ultimate model of simplicity: a one-sentence statement so profound that an individual could spend a lifetime learning to follow it.10

This is excellent advice. If our students are going to clearly understand, retain and apply the Bibles teaching, we need to help them by distilling the main point from the text and presenting it to them in the simplest way possible. Your main point should be actively stated. As Bible teachers, we are in the business of calling people to respond personally, relationally and volitionally to the Lord. Many times, the main point of the passage is an application point. If your text does not include a command, your main point should be the logically, contextually-mandated application point. If we havent called on students to give themselves to God in new, radical obedience, we havent taught the Bible. Well look into this in more depth later. Everything in your teaching should support the main point. Ruthlessly delete everything that doesnt directly support the main point. This is a hard, painful process. As we study scripture, we are often struck by numerous points. It is tempting to try to cover everything. However, it is unrealistic to be able to relay all we have gained in hours or days of study in 2025 minutes. We must prioritize. Middle school students are young; they dont have to learn every spiritual principle in on teaching. They have plenty of time. If they can learn and apply one point during each teaching, that will be incredible! Think of the cumulative effect of that kind of teaching over a period of years. Doug Pagitt is an author and practitioner within the emergent church movement. Im sympathetic to his complaints about what he calls speaching: the form of preaching thats

10

Chip Heath and Dan Heath, Made to Stick.( New York: Random House, 2007), 16

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hardly distinguishable from a one-way speech.11 He is right when he argues that teaching the Bible is more effective when done within the context of a relationship. However, Im concerned by his apparent lack of concern for the authority of the Bible over our relationships. He says that we should be careful not to use the Bible simply to support our presuppositions. I agree. Emphasizing the main point of the text helps guard against this abuse. He goes on to say that the Bible ought to live as an (emphasis added) authoritative member of our community, one we listen to on all topics of which she (sic) speaks.12 By this he means that we should allow the Bible to speak for itself. According to him, our role as Bible teachers is to preach in a way that opens others to the layers of messages and meaning.13 I partly agree. Hopefully students will want to get into the Bible on their own as a result of our teaching. However, there are times when it is imperative to argue vehemently against error (Gal. 5:12). Not all layers of messages and meaning are equally valid. Other times, if Christians are resistant to following the Lord, we have to urge them to respond (Matt. 18; Eph. 4:1; 2 Tim. 4:1-2). Im interested to know what other authoritative members Pagitt sees in the Christian community. He doesnt say. He does say that when one expert teaches the Bible it reinforces the idea that the hearers are not in a position to speak on how they were implicated by this story.14 Is that really true? Paul the apostle didnt seem to think his teaching was merely an authoritative member of the community. He claimed it was directly from God (Gal. 1:6-12). Jesus claimed that he was God and that his teaching was totally authoritative (Matt. 5). Old Testament prophets said their message was from the Lord. When they taught their authoritative message it didnt kill their audiences desire to learn and communicate on their own. Their teaching stimulated others to spread the message. Teaching was Pauls primary method of spreading the news (2 Tim. 2:1-

11 12

Doug Pagitt, Preaching Re-Imagined. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005), 11 Ibid., 31 13 Ibid., 197 14 Ibid., 31

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2). Throughout history, when leaders have been raised up that teach the Word of God, more are inspired to spread the Gospel. Pagitt is badly mistaken on this point. As Bible teachers, we have a profound privilege and responsibility to communicate Gods Word to our students. When interpreting, we are not at liberty to use creativity. However, there is room for incredible creativity when we try to help our students understand and apply the text.

AIM AT ROCKS
Imagine getting separated from your guide in a foreign country and realizing in the middle of a crowd that the local cuisine refuses to stay trapped in your intestines. You need to find a bathroom right NOW. You learn very quickly how valuable just a few understandable words can be. I have a personal goal to learn the phrase, I have explosive diarrhea, in as many languages as possible. Im currently at 16. We need to speak to students in language they can understand. Having a main point is great but if one doesnt know how to communicate that point to their audience they might as well be speaking a foreign language. How can we connect our main point with junior high students? How do they think and what does it look like to communicate effectively with them? Cognitive development researchers have gained significant insight into the mental processes of adolescents. It will be valuable to look at some of their findings since they have direct implications for selecting the most effective teaching methodology. For decades researchers have tried to find out how kids think. Obviously, normal children think differently than normal adults. Numerous theories have been developed to explain these differences. The most influential researcher in cognitive development is Jean Piaget, who was a constructivist. That means, he believed children construct theories about

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how the world works as they experience it (others argue that children are born with innate knowledge). He described four levels of cognitive ability that he believed were universal and consecutive. Since he believed they happened in order, he assigned age ranges to the categories. The levels he described are sensorimotor (birth to 2 years), pre-operational (2-7), concrete operational (ages 7-11), and formal operational (ages 11-up). In his language, an operation is a logical thought. Laura A. Berk, a child development researcher, states:
Although Piagets description of development is no longer fully accepted, researchers are a long way from consensus on how to modify or replace it . . . Diverse theories and lines of investigation leave research into childrens thinking far more fragmented today than several decades ago, when Piagets theory held sway. But despite intense disagreement on how to characterize cognitive development, researchers continue to draw inspiration from Piagets lifelong quest to understand how children acquire new capacities. His findings have served as the starting point for virtually every major contemporary perspective.15

She goes on to add that Piaget provides a useful road map of cognitive development that is accurate in many respects. Since most cognitive development experts use this terminology, I will use it here. Based on Piagets theory, we should expect to be most effective when we focus our teaching methodology to appeal to formal operational students, since middle school students are typically 11-14 years old. However, that would be a big mistake. Piaget started his age delineation at the first introduction of the new abilities, not once they were mastered and generalized. Piaget argued that around age 11, adolescents start to develop new cognitive abilities. They develop the capacity to think abstractly. He called this new cognitive ability the formal operations stage. Before this stage is reached people tend to think logically only about concrete data. They can think logically but it is generally constrained to sensory data that they have experienced or can easily imagine. If presented with two sticks, a concrete thinker would have no problem deducing that if stick A is longer than stick B, a stick that is longer than
15

Laura A. Berk, Child Development. (Needham Heights: Allyn &Bacon, 2003), 251

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stick A would also be longer than stick B. However, if this same problem was presented to them in a hypothetical situation, (Travis is older than Jen and Jen is older than Marc. Is Travis older than Marc?) they would be hard pressed to find the right answer. Hypothetical and systematic thinking are central aspects of formal operations. A person that has reached formal operational ability is able to systematically evaluate problems to find the best solution. One of the most famous tests of formal operational ability is the combination-of-chemicals problem. In it, subjects are told that if they combine a set of three clear chemicals in the right order and then add a drop of another chemical it will turn yellow. Students that have reached the formal operational stage will systematically attempt to produce all of the different possible combinations. Students that have not reached this stage will randomly combine chemicals and will not try all of the combinations. Believe it or not, this research should profoundly affect how we teach the Bible because many of the concepts and all of the theology in the Bible is abstract. Remember, it is only when a child reaches formal operational ability that they are able to understand abstract concepts on their own. If our audience is not processing information in a formal way, we will have to teach very differently. So, is an audience of junior high students full of formal thinkers? Piaget believed that formal operational ability was universal. This has been hotly debated. The answer is important for Bible teaching methodology. Researchers have found that, in studies of well-educated Americans in their late teens to early twenties, as few as 3040 percent have been able to solve formal operational problems.16 If 60-70 percent of welleducated American adults fail formal operational tests, how much less cognitive maturity can we expect from middle school students? Even during Piagets lifetime the universality of cognitive levels, especially formal operations, was attacked. According to Cole, Piagets own conclusion on the matter was that:
16

Michael and Sheila R. Cole, The Development of Children. (New York: Worth Publishers, 2001), 650.

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All normal people attain the level of formal operations. However, they reach this stage in different areas according to their aptitudes and their professional specializations (advanced studies or different types of apprenticeship for the various trades): the way in which these formal structures are used, however, is not necessarily the same in all cases (1972:10). In other words, a lawyer might think in a formal manner about law cases, and a football coach might use formal thinking to call for particular plays in particular situations, both might fail to use formal reasoning in the combination-ofchemicals task.17

As they mature, adolescents gain cognitive abilities. However, even within individuals these abilities do not develop equally in all areas. Pacific Islanders provide a fascinating case study. When given typical Piagetian tests they fail to demonstrate formal operational ability. However, navigators from the Caroline Islands use a complex system to get from one tiny island to another, dozens of miles away, in small outrigger canoes. When sociologists first tried to understand their navigational system they said the sailors could not talk rationally about it. But they always got to the island they meant to get to. This requires incredible precision, vast star knowledge, and constant estimates of speed . . . or you get lost at sea and die. Later researchers, when they understood the system more thoroughly, found that the system was logical and that the sailors were talking rationally about it. Cole concludes:
These results suggest that formal operational thinking may occur far more widely than the evidence from typical experiments suggests, and that this type of thinking may indeed be universal in human groups. At the same time, the data make it clear that formal operational thinking does not uniformly replace earlier modes of thought. Its use remains highly restricted to contexts in which the individual has had considerable experience.18

This finding is incredibly important for us as we try to develop an effective teaching methodology. Even most adults dont think formally in a generalized way. They only think formally within areas of extensive experience or expertise. If this is true for adults, it is even more true for students. Therefore, we should assume that any group of junior high students is made up almost exclusively of concrete thinkers, especially with regard to biblical content. As a result teachers should communicate abstract truths in a concrete way.

17 18

Ibid., 651 Ibid., 657

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This is nothing new. Great teachers throughout history have illustrated their abstract concepts with concrete examples. This is why proverbs are valued in so many cultures. Proverbs tend to express profound abstract truth in common, concrete language. As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.19 One of the uses Solomon intended for his proverbs was to help the simple become wise.20 Wisdom, in Piagetian terms, is action informed by and consistent with formal operations about lifes problems. Martin Luthers strategy for teaching the young and simple had a major influence on education. Piagets developmental categories allow us to critique Luthers methodology. Luther wrote a special catechism in order to provide young people with theological education. It is called Luthers Shorter Catechism because it is shorter than his long version. The methodology he prescribed in his preface was to have students memorize the theological points in question and answer form word for word by rote. Later, once students had the catechism committed to memory, a teacher would explain the abstract concepts. Most theological literature for children followed this format. It is both good and bad. It is good because it started a movement to educate children theologically. It got the ball rolling and provided a starting point for further iterations. It also focused on what young people could do. Memorizing words on a page is concrete; kids can memorize. However, a highly authoritarian social structure is needed to keep kids involved in the process until they understand and agree with the concepts. The strategy is not used as much today because it is ineffective if students are not obligated to stay and participate. As previously mentioned, Jesus used parables as his main teaching method. Why did Jesus teach in parables? Because parables communicate abstract concepts in everyday, concrete terms. They illustrate a point. They helped his followers understand what he was

19 20

Proverbs 26:11 Proverbs 1:1-7

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saying. Is that the only reason he taught in parables? Stein says, no. He says Jesus also used parables to conceal his teaching from those outside.21 That sounds shocking and wrong . . . maybe even heretical. But Jesus himself says parables conceal the truth (Mark 4:10-12). It makes sense when we consider it more closely. Even when Jesus did use parables to illustrate his points, often his disciples didnt understand (Mark 4:13). This means that the meaning and implication of even Jesus concrete stories were not readily evident even to his original intended audience! It is no surprise, then, that parables concealed the truth to outsiders. If Jesus audience had problems understanding him, what makes us think that our teaching is going to be immediately clear to our students? The disciples regularly had to ask Jesus what the stories meant; they just did not get it. Jesus had to explain in detail for his disciples to understand. It will be no different for us. In order to maximize the effectiveness of our Bible teaching, we need to present biblical material with our audiences developmental level in mind. 22 Junior high students lack life experience and are just starting to gain formal operational ability. We need to spell out both the meaning and implications of the text for them. Presenting abstract propositions is not enough, even if our main point is good. Merely giving good examples is not enough. We have to illustrate abstract principles with concrete examples and then explain the connection between the two. When teaching the Bible to junior high students, we have to aim our teaching at concrete thinkers because the vast majority thinks concretely most of the time.23 Do not think this means we need to dumb down our content. Early adolescents want to be treated more like adults. If we are too simple we come off as patronizing and childish. Instead of dumbing
21 22

The Method and Message of Jesus Teachings, 41 With students, it is easy to mistake formal operational ability for spiritual maturity because formal thinkers have much better insight into theological propositions. 23 Based on cognitive research, I believe all Bible teachings to general audiences ages 7 and up, should be aimed at the concrete operational developmental level. We regularly hear from adult volunteers that are new Christians that they get more out of junior high teachings than ones aimed at adults.

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down the content, we have to get as focused as possible on the main point and get rid of all extraneous material. It isnt about easy words or construction, Its about elegance and prioritization.24 Aiming at the concrete developmental level will also have a major effect on two areas: illustration and application.

Illustration Concrete thinkers have a hard time understanding abstract thoughts, and theological truths are about as abstract as thoughts get. We have a problem. How can we present important, life-changing content about an infinite God to concrete students? Is it even possible for them to understand this stuff? Is it possible to teach them without mass confusion and suffocating boredom? Yes. Yes. Yes. Junior high students can understand abstract concepts about God as long as the information is presented the right way. To connect with students, we must illustrate every abstract point in concrete terms. We have to take our main point all the way to the ground. In other words, we need to help concrete-operational students grasp the abstract concepts in the text using sensory data and common experience. This is challenging but possible. It will demand all of your creativity. And it can be fun. According to the Heath brothers, to make our ideas clear we must explain [them] in terms of human actions, in terms of sensory information.25 They add: Speaking concretely is the only way to ensure that our idea will mean the same thing to everyone in our audience. 26 A concrete example will be helpful here. If one compares Gods justice, mercy and grace using only propositional definitions students will stare blankly at them. Thats if they are good kids. If they are bad kids they will make you pay for boring them. How can we illustrate
24 25

Made to Stick, 30 Made to Stick, 17 26 Ibid., 17

23

justice, mercy and grace concretely? One possibility would be to have a boy (obnoxious if possible) volunteer to come up front. When he comes, throw a hat at him. Then, as he stands there with the hat, explain that if someone steals your hat, they deserve a wedgie. If the boy is paying attention at all hell run away screaming. Typically, the other students will start yelling, Wedgie! Wedgie! The kid will probably throw the hat back at you and complain that it isnt fair (make sure you have the right student for this). At that point you can give him a gift that he doesnt deserve, like candy. After you ask the boy to sit down you can explain how Gods justice is like the wedgie. Stick with me here. Doing something bad (like stealing my hat) demands punishment (the wedgie). Withholding the wedgie is like Gods mercy. The gift is like Gods grace. Is this example concrete? Yes, and it helps define and clarify the abstract concepts in active terms. Though it lacks theological precision, it is fun, memorable and helpful. Literature on teaching youth has always encouraged using objects lessons like this. Well, maybe not exactly like this, but similar. Using the cognitive development framework helps us see why object lessons are effective; it helps concrete thinkers connect with abstract thoughts. It also helps us predict which types of object lessons will connect and which ones will not. Examples that engage students interest and understanding will be more effective than ones that do not. Examples that allow students to participate actively will be more effective. Illustrations must be concrete and be either connected to the students own experiences or easy for them to imagine. Kids have great imaginations so there is a lot of room for creativity. However, no matter how well you share a personal example, they will not care about your mortgage or how you decided to remodel your house. They just arent that concerned about how your spouse upsets you or makes you happy . . . unless it is really out of the ordinary. Use examples they have experience with. Pithy, earthy, common experiences are better: juicy farts, razors in apples, spilling your drink on your pants when you are trying to 24

impress someone, grass stains, drool, hugs. Graphic details add strength: You didnt just accidentally step in dog poop; you felt the steamy brown pudding squeeze through your sandals and gagged. The better you explain your examples the more impact they will have. Biblical authors go to great lengths to illustrate the concepts they are trying to communicate. Consider Jesus examples: logs in eyes, light/darkness, sowing/reaping, animals, family, money. There are numerous illustrations in most biblical genres. These illustrations cover the whole range of human experience. When appropriate, authors used graphic, even crude, illustrations (Isa. 28:8; 30:22; 32:11; 36:12; 60:16; 64:6; 66:11; Eze. 23:17-20; Nah. 3:5; SS 7:7; 8:8; Amos 2:13-16; Mal. 2:3). Stein offers insight on how Jesus found the illustrations and examples he used: As one reads the parables, one is struck by their real-life, down-to-earth character. Behind them lie the everyday experiences that Jesus had as a child, youth, and young man in Nazareth. 27 As Bible teachers, we should seek to follow Christs example here. Keep your eyes open for everyday experiences that communicate biblical truth. Of course, illustrations do not have to be gross; sometimes they should not be. They can be warm, sentimental, scary, funny, happy, sad, etc. The important thing is that they are connected to junior highers life experience and chosen to fit the main point. For junior high audiences, body function examples work well. Bodily functions are universal, and middle schoolers think a LOT about their bodies. If you are talking to a more sophisticated audience, change the analogies and illustrations to fit the audiences world. The key is that stories, examples and illustrations are accessible to the audience. Personal examples are good, especially if they are about when you were their age. Ive been surprised a number of times at how enthralled students are when adults talk about their junior high experiences. Ive had students ask me to repeat stories like this a number of times. Personal
27

The Method and Message of Jesus teaching, 42

25

stories are fun, relational and profoundly engaging. There is something deeply human about sharing our stories. Self-deprecation is good, too. Being honest about your shortcomings engages the students relationally, gives them freedom to be honest with themselves and others, and helps them see the consequences of disobeying God. The bottom line is that illustrations have to have elements that are connected to experiences students have had or can easily imagine having. They need to be explained with enough detail that they get it. Vague notions are not good enough. Your illustrations must support your main point. Avoid the temptation to tell a great story because it is a great story. Let the main point dictate the illustrations you use. If it doesnt support that main point it should not be included in your teaching. Always state the connection between the example and the abstract concept as plainly and explicitly as possible. Using antithesis, or the opposite of your main point, is a powerful tool to develop illustrations. Almost all good teachings develop and fight against the antithesis. Coming up with the antithesis is simple in concept but sometimes hard to implement. Work here is well worth the time. To develop the antithesis, ask yourself these questions: What is likely to happen in students lives if they reject the main point? Who has rejected this point? What is their life like? What consequences have I faced when Ive rejected the main point? Who are contemporary examples that have rejected the main point? Why did they? How has it affected them? Thinking deeply about the antithesis will help you develop a burden for the main point. It stimulates passionate concern for your audience because you better understand the stakes. Having a strong antithesis will help you develop strong illustrations. Biblical authors are often arguing against a person, group or idea that is contrary to Gods direction. Sometimes the level of harshness and violence is shocking (cf. Eze. 23; Matt. 23; 2 Pet. 2; 1 John 2:18ff; etc.). Do not shy away from this kind of conflict. Fight contemporary examples of antitheses to your texts main point. Many of our students are already chasing the worlds values: lust, greed and 26

pride. If they allow themselves to be conformed to the world they will ruin themselves and others. The worst part of following the Lord is seeing people walk away. If we cant muster some angst about that we have no business teaching the Bible. Students like to watch a good fight. They will also remember it. At the very least they wont be bored. Most middle school students lack critical thinking skills. This is partly a developmental issue; critical thinking requires formal operations. If we regularly fight antitheses in our teaching, they will start to pick up on how to think critically themselves. Without a strong antithesis, teachings are often flat and boring even if they are presented clearly. Without a clear antithesis we may never grab a students attention. Thesis/antithesis and black/white thinking is clear and understandable. Dont over qualify your points, especially when fighting the antithesis. It can suck the life and energy right out of your teaching. Fighting the antithesis often gives new insight into the significance of the main point. If our main point is love others, we could fight against indifference. We could say: There are people suffering around you and you dont care. You think you are strong because you are not affected by others suffering. You arent strong; you are just not connecting to reality and you are different than God. Fighting the antithesis clarifies and adds conviction to the point. In her book The Process of Parenting, Jane Brooks says that adolescents increasing ability to reason abstractly doesnt always affect the decisions they make in everyday life. She cites evidence that drivers education does not reduce the number of teenage driving accidents. She says this is due to inaccurate theories adolescents hold that block the reception and retention of new factual data. This can be seen in sexual myths youth believe. Some believe they can only get pregnant if they want to have a child or have sex in certain positions. If a student believes these kinds of myths they will not be as receptive to Gods direction. Brooks says, One must dispel inaccurate theories and then present new facts when the

27

person is receptive and ready to absorb the information.28 She encourages parents to talk about their childs beliefs and underlying assumptions before presenting new facts. This is good advice for Bible teachers, too. When teaching students in group settings we need to anticipate their false beliefs (antitheses) and argue against them. Addressing misconceptions can open students up to the main point. This is similar to Howard Hendricks law of readiness: The teaching-learning process will be most effective when both students and teacher are adequately prepared.29 Thinking through the antithesis helps us create ways to draw students into the content. Using interactive discussion is a good way to draw out experiences students have had that relate to the main point or the antithesis. Senter offers insight on this point:
Following the model of the Western church, youth ministry programmers, whether in weekly meetings or at massive conferences, seem to assume that students are best reached by sitting and listening to others sing and talk about God. The problem with this view is that our young people are often simply consumers of Christian teaching rather than individual, dynamic followers of Jesus Christ. For the gospel to mean anything to an adolescent, he must have the chance to talk about what he feels and discover what he thinks.30

Discussion can be very valuable. Questions should be planned so that the answers help communicate or illustrate the main point. Students have the capacity to bore each other to death during discussion so the teacher needs to keep the discussion moving and focused on the main point to avoid rabbit trails. Ask questions that get kids talking about their experiences relating to the main point (How do you struggle with anger?). Avoid questions that ask kids to recite trivia (Where is this found in the Bible? What does this complex word mean?). Students that are starting to develop abstract thinking abilities are comparing, for the first time, how things are with how they ought to be. They tend to be idealistic, sometimes navely. Their idealism is good and can inspire them to take bold steps of faith. As Bible

28 29

Jane B. Brooks, The Process of Parenting. (Mountain View: Mayfield Publishing, 1999), 291 Teaching to Change Lives, 109 30 Mark Senter, Reaching a Generation for Christ. (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1997), 579

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teachers we should make a point to appeal to their sense of heroism. In the past few years we have seen students learn concern for the poor as a result of good Bible teaching. They have worked hard to raise money for impoverished people across the globe. It has been inspiring to others in the church. Students are often willing to take a chance to try something big for God. We should encourage this in our teaching by painting vivid pictures of what is wrong in the world and how much better things could be if we followed Gods direction. There are countless books and resources on teaching and communication that have great information on how to present material effectively. One area seems to be lacking: emotional communication. Most material encourages teachers to be enthusiastic. That is important, but it is too simplistic. How are we supposed to be enthusiastic about genocide or the plight of the lost, poor, and dying? Enthusiasm is a start, but we need to go further if we are going to communicate our main point clearly. A more complete principle of using emotions in teachings is this: tie your tone to the text. It is important to fit the tone, or emotional output of your presentation, to the content of the text. This includes variations of tone that run the gamut of human emotion. Ive heard some teachers express concern about emotionally manipulating students. That would be bad. However, as long as a proper emotion is tied to the text, it is not hard to avoid emotional manipulation. Without this connection between emotion and content we risk powerfully denying the truth of our words. For example, imagine saying, God is really great, in a stone cold monotone. We have just communicated that God is boring and stupid. Or imagine cracking a joke (even one that is actually funny) while talking about the problem of evil. The delivery just completely contradicts the proposition. Emotion that fits can make the content come alive. Good teachers make people feel things. Great teachers make people feel what they should feel.

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My friends complained for years that I was unemotional. I thought I was strong because I was emotionally stable. Then a friend pointed out that Jesus was overwhelmed by emotion a number of times in the Gospels. He was moved with compassion when he saw the crowds who were like sheep without a shepherd. He was overwhelmed by anger when he cleared the temple. He was overwhelmed by sorrow in the garden of Gethsemane before his arrest. Jesus was deeply emotional. He also expressed his emotions to the point that his close friends, the Gospel writers, knew what he was feeling. He wasnt dominated by his emotions. He felt deeply and responded to life and relationships fully. He inspired deep emotions, too; he was polarizing. We should help students mature emotionally by the way we teach. Be intentional about how you say what you say because emotional expression impacts the content we are communicating. I am not advocating conjuring up melodrama. Students loathe hypocrisy. To make progress in this area, consider adding a reminder next to important points on your notes about what emotion you want to communicate. Fitting emotional output to the content helps students engage, understand, and remember content. When used properly it can also increase the sense of conviction students must feel to take action. Emotional expression is concrete because students experience emotions. In fact, adolescents experience adult-strength emotions without the vocabulary or cognitive processes to fully understand and communicate them. Mature expressions of emotion tied properly to biblical text give students tools and words that enable them to handle emotions wisely. As Bible teachers we need to be committed to maturing in all areas with the Lord, including our emotions, so we can lead our students to do the same. In Summary, since junior high students are concrete thinkers we must communicate the abstract principles in scripture in concrete ways. Use pithy, earthy examples that students have experience with or can easily imagine. Draw these illustrations out from their everyday life experiences. Use object lessons that shed light on the main point. Develop the antithesis 30

and fight against it. Utilize discussion to include students in the learning process. Be intentional about the way you communicate your points. Tie the tone to the text. If you can incorporate these ideas, students will be much more likely to understand and obey Gods Word. Do not use all of these ideas on every teaching. Pick ones that will help the students understand the main poin.

Application In his book Teaching That Makes a Difference, Dan Lambert offers an insightful section on how Jesus would teach teenagers today. One important point he makes is that Jesus would teach so students respond: If your kids file out of class and never think again about what they just discussed, you have failed. If you want to teach to make a difference, then teach as if your teaching makes a difference. Give your students something to do as a result of your lesson.31 He says that teachers, even when they have prepared well and give good insights, often fail to have appropriate application and challenge. He adds, The Christian faith is a practical faith. God wants his truth to make a difference in our lives. As teachers, we need to help teenagers discover how their faith matters.32 He says that if Jesus were teaching youth today he would teach obedience to Gods commands because our ultimate goal as Bible teachers is to see our students submit to God. I dont believe any lesson is complete until students know what to do with it.33 Lambert is right on target here. What a waste to spend hours of time developing an engaging, understandable lesson for our students if they dont take any action in response to it. It is like working hard to cook a great meal and flushing it down the toilet instead of eating it. If we dont call for action we are pumping students up with useless trivia. Without obedient
31 32

Dan Lambert, Teaching That Makes a Difference. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2004), 201 Ibid., 201 33 Ibid., 197

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action, truth is a poison that causes profound arrogance. Without calls for action we are inoculating students against Gods truth. Isaiah needed a face-to-face encounter with God to get him ready for his unresponsive audience. I dont know if I could endure it. The main complaint I hear from junior high students about school is that it is boring. One of the main reasons they think it is boring is because it doesnt seem to have any practical connection to their lives. The Bible has direct, challenging, inspiring application for our lives. You poison our students if we dont call on them to respond in faith. Often teachers expect students to find appropriate application points on their own. Since middle school students are concrete thinkers, they have real difficulty making abstract logical leaps. That means most will have an incredibly difficult time seeing the logical implications of abstract concepts. Until people have extensive experience with the Bible it is unlikely that they will be able to find appropriate application points on their own. Therefore, it is our responsibility as teachers, who have more experience and expertise with spiritual things, to provide logically consistent application steps for our audience. We must do this thinking for them and explain how we identified the application points. Then we have to urge them to take action. I dont mean to downplay the role of the Holy Spirit here at all. He can and does directly challenge the souls of our students. This fact does not in any way relieve us of our responsibility to supply appropriate, specific, concrete application points. It should also be noted that even brilliant abstract thinkers regularly reject Gods leading. We still have to call on students to respond to the Lord in obedience. Doug Pagitt, emergent author and practitioner warns that when communities are convinced they are better off with a unified understanding of God that is best articulated by

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trained presenters, we end up with people who cannot translate what they hear in church to the way they live their lives.34 Tragically, I believe this does happen. People walk away from Bible teachings all of the time without any sense at all of what action they need to take. However, I disagree with Pagitt about the reason this happens. He says recognizing authoritative Bible teachers causes members to be passive. I doubt it. I think it has more to do with Bible teachers failure to help their people connect the dots from the abstract theological concepts in the passage to logical, real-life implications. Recognizing mature believers as real authorities in the church is at the heart of Pauls elder theology (1 Tim. 3; Titus 1). Furthermore, a primary role of elders in the early church was protecting against false teaching (Titus 1:9) and leading the local church (Titus 1:7). It is important that Bible teachers guide their students into the truth. That is why I have argued that following the thought-flow of the passage is essential. We have an incredible responsibility as teachers and we can do real harm if we fail. However, recognizing that mature leaders have authority and expertise in Bible teaching is not the reason people are passive. People remain passive either because their hearts are hardened, they are lazy, or, more likely, because their leaders have failed to call them to inspiring action. I disagree with Pagitt on this point. I think teachers and leaders should actually teach and lead. In order to fulfill our responsibility as Bible teachers, we need to provide at least a few concrete steps students can actually take to apply the main point of the text. However, do not mistake this for mere calls for external compliance. God is not impressed with legalistic posturing. Our emphasis in application should be placed on urging students to draw close to God relationally. Mark Senter says, Teaching on issues is important so that students are guided in what it means to put faith into practice. But the overriding need of us all is a deep, rich, ongoing love relationship with Jesus Christ. Senter supports his conclusion by citing Gal.
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Preaching Re-imagined, 29

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5:22-24; the fruit of the Spirit is a consequence of living by the Spirit. That means that focusing exclusively on moral teaching is ineffective because it is sub-biblical. With middle school students, out teachings must get very concrete, to the point where we offer specific words they can say to God to confess, worship, and make requests. Christian junior high students have the Holy Spirit inside of them and so they want, from the deepest parts of their soul, to connect with and please God. Often they are paralyzed by ignorance because they dont know what to do or say to draw close to God. Without instruction here, they are vulnerable to false teaching, especially legalism and ritualism. It is our responsibility as Bible teachers to give our students practical application steps they can take to draw close to God and respond to him in obedience.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Biblical authors had a main point. If you are teaching the Bible, you should have a main point, and it should be the passages main point. Because the vast majority of junior high students think concretely, you should aim your main point at the concrete-operational developmental level. This means that every point must be illustrated and explained so concrete thinkers can grasp the meaning. It also means that it is our responsibility as teachers to provide appropriate, challenging application for our students. The Bible is powerful. If we can develop skills that help us communicate the Bible clearly to middle school students, their lives will be transformed. We will see many come to know Christ and be raised up to be powerful workers and leaders for Christ. The most effective way to teach the Bible to middle school students is to have a single, actively-stated main point that comes directly from a biblical passage, is well illustrated, includes appropriate, challenging application, and is aimed at the concrete-operational developmental level.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY
Berk, Laura E. Child Development. Needham Heights: Allyn &Bacon, 2003. Brooks, Jane B. The Process of Parenting. Mountain View: Mayfield Publishing, 1999. Calvin, John. Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists: Matthew, Mark and Luke, trans. By William Pringle. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1949. Cole, Michael and Cole, Sheila R. The Development of Children. New York: Worth Publishers, 2001. Davis, Ken. How To Speak To Youth . . . And Keep Them Awake At The Same Time. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1986. Heath, Chip and Heath, Dan. Made to Stick. New York: Random House, 2007 Hendricks, Howard. Teaching That Changes Lives. Sisters: Multnomah Books, 1987. Holy Bible, The: New International Version. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1984 Lambert, Dan. Teaching That Makes A Difference. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2004. McNabb, Bill and Marby, Steve. Teaching The Bible Creatively. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1990. Mueller, Walt. Engaging The Soul Of Youth Culture. Downers Grove: InterVarsity 2006. Pagitt, Doug. Preaching Re-Imagined. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2005. Senter, Mark, Dunn, Richard. Reaching a Generation for Christ: A Comprehensive Guide to Youth Ministry. Chicago: Moody Publishers, 1997. Stein, Robert H. A Basic Guide to Interpreting the Bible: Playing By the Rules. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1994 _________. The Method and Message of Jesus Teaching. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1978. Strunk, William Junior and White, E.B. The Elements Of Style. Needham Heights: Allyn & Bacon, 2000. RELATED WORKS NOT CITED Barna, George. Growing True Disciples. Colorado Springs: WaterBrook Press, 2001. Hull, Bill. The Disciple-Making Church. Grand Rapids: Revell, 1990. Longenecker, Richard N. Patterns Of Discipleship In The New Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996. McCallum, Dennis. The Death Of Truth. Minneapolis: Bethany House, 1996. Rice Wayne, Junior High Ministry. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997. Stone, Douglas and Patton, Bruce and Heen, Seila. Difficult Conversations. New York: Penguin Books, 2000. Stott, John, Between Two Worlds. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1982. Strobel, Lee. Inside The Mind Of Unchurched Harry And Mary. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1993.

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7 Laws of bible teaching

Bruce Wilkinson

1) L: We need to be LEARNER ORIENTED not TEACHER ORIENTED a. Its not about the teacher coming off as grand and deep, its meeting the needs of the audience b. Its not about you, its about them. c. How learner oriented are you? i. If people dont pay attention, youre probably not very learner oriented. ii. The SPEAKER says: You can learn if you want. Its up to you. iii. The TEACHER says: I cant stand for you to come and not learn. d. TO become an excellent teacher i. Learn the Laws ii. Practice the Laws 2) E: Expectation Oriented a. The Difference is in our expectations i. EX: My Fair Lady b. Your expectations affect the behaviors of others (whether stated or not) c. Express that you believe in people i. How do you know that youve done that? When they become greater than you. ii. Jesus expressed great belief in his disciples. 3) A: Application Oriented Dont Make Instruction the End in Itself a. The point of the content is getting you where you want to be. b. The point of instruction is application c. We teach to apply the truth. d. Instruction is a means to something greater! e. A church with too much teaching not enough application i. Immaturity ii. Spiritual Pride f. How application oriented are you? 4) R: Retention Oriented Irreducible Minimum a. Boil things down to their most basic level b. Find the irreducible knowledge, handle things in such a way that other people will be able to handle them easily c. How well do you boil things down to an irreducible minimum. i. People should walk away with a handle on things, understanding things. ii. It is the teachers responsible to make things easier to understand.

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N: Needs Meeting the Needs of the Audience d. Teachers needs: i. Feel good about self ii. People like you iii. Cover material iv. Good outline v. Good stories vi. Good response (laughter, awe) e. Doesnt mean you meet their needs i. EX: K-Mart need lawn mower, they just want to sell you toys. ii. If you dont need a toy, youre not going to care!!! f. People wont come back if their needs arent met. i. What would they teach on? 1. What bothers them in their lives? 2. If you do, theyll come out from the wood works to your class. 3. What would you change about your life? 4. People always did what to you when you were young? 5. If you could do something and not fail, what would you do? 6. If you had a clean slate, and guaranteed success what would you do w/ your life? 7. What is bothering you everyday that God is convicting you on? 8. #1 Problem in your classes 9. Answer these, and you will have eye opening subjects to talk about. ii. Dont get carried away with: 1. Great visuals 2. Insightful clips 3. The needs of your content. 5) E: Equipping Oriented a. Goal is to Equip the Saints 6) R: Remember the Heart of God a. Remember the priority: the Gospel b. The purpose is that you are saving people, and transforming people. Remember, the purpose of teaching is to Change Lives.

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The art of effective preaching

By William Ward Ayer Copied from Biblio Theca Sacra, "The Art of Effective Preaching" -- Vol 124 #493 -- Jan 1967 -- pages 31ff.

I. Overview
In these studies it is my desire to instruct and inspire; to participate meaningfully in the highest of callings, the preaching of the gospel of Christ; and to study changing conditions that call not for a new message, but often for a new approach. I will not try to teach you homiletics. You are better taught in the mechanics of sermon-making than I. But I hope that, speaking out of forty-eight years of preaching ministry as student, pastor, and evangelist, I may challenge your abilities and enrich your experience in proclaiming a living Christ to a dying world. The theme, The Art of Effective Preaching, has been, assigned me and I like it, because effective preaching is certainly greatly needed today. Once the preachers voice was the one most heard and heeded in the land. Today it is often merely another cry in a jumble of voices. The preacher competes with a thousand forces that bid for the mind and heart of the multitude. We no longer ring a church bell and have people crowd into the sanctuary from force of habit, or from a desire to learn what the preacher has to say, or even to be vitally interested in the Word of God. We are reluctant to admit it, yet most preachers are occupied almost solely in helping Gods faithful remnant to grow in grace and in the knowledge of Christ. But the remnant must also be taught to be discerning, to know the signs of the times, and to adapt their lives accordingly.We begin with some definitions of our general topic, The Art of Effective Preaching. The word art may need some defining. For these lectures, art would be systematic application of knowledge or skill to effect a desired result (Webster). Preaching certainly is an art, the highest of the arts, if it adheres to the eternal message of God. Effective preaching means the producing of a desired end by being impressive and efficient (Webster). The day is past when a preacher can stand in the presence of his people and say in effect, Here is Gods Word. Take it or leave it. In the Victorian era, most people instinctively believed the Word of God and believed the minister in his pulpit was Gods special representative and messenger to bring them eternal truth. Millions in todays churches have no such attitude; so the preacher must deeply know the Word of God, be able to rightly divide the word of truth, and have the Holy Spirit-anointing necessary to making that Word spiritually effective. The man behind the sacred desk must have studied to show himself approved unto God as he handles the truth, adapting it to the needs of the day--needs which are basically the same as for all days, but especially for our day when surface situations have been radically changed in a rapidly changing world. Socially, economically, industrially, morally, and religiously, ours is a revolutionary world. Our gospel carries a promise for the life which now is, as well as for the life which is to come; and happy and effective is the minister who knows how to adapt the gospel so that it confronts and encompasses changed conditions, while probing deep into the unchanged in human hearts. To be relevant and yet be geared to Biblical verities is todays sermonic responsibility. As our general theme is Effective Preaching, we emphasize the preaching phase of ministerial responsibility. The whole ministry of the pastor and evangelist is much more, but my observation is that the preaching of the pastor is paramount. It has often been demonstrated 39

that if Gods servant fails in his pulpit ministry, proficiency elsewhere will not compensate for that failure. Preaching is the central exercise of most Protestant church services. The pulpit is to inculcate truth, stir the minds and the spirits of the congregation, and bring them to needful decisions. Preaching is not an end in itself, though there is a tendency in the modern ministry, at least the more cultured clerical set, to make the message a sort of literary masterpiece, ornate with flowery passages, bolstered with poetry and stilted classic illustrations. We need the warning of the old Puritan preacher, who sternly rebuked some of the preachers of his day because of their love for oratorical flights and flowery phrases, which he declared were but the stinking weeds of rhetoric. Paul had a definite end in view when he preached. His Woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel (1 Cor. 9:16) is followed by a recital of the necessity or compulsion laid upon him. He could not glory in the fact that he preached the gospel, because the Lords hand moved him-preaching was inescapable. Paul says, For if I do this thing willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation [stewardship] of the gospel is committed unto me (1 Cor. 9:17). The gospel is the glad evangel, the good news, and the preacher should never make a chore of preaching it. There is a sense in which the minister should be like the race horse at the starting gate--champing at the bit, eager to get into the race, under strong constraint to tell the story.I shall note briefly, without attempt to fully describe, some of the forms of preaching. I speak of three common varieties: the topical, the textual, and the expository. First, topical preaching seems the most prevalent today, and it is deeply effective in our well-read, news-conscious day. With our wide news dissemination, interest in world happenings is universal. Travel and communications have made the world small, and almost everyone now knows with the oft-quoted John Donne that no man is an island. Every bell of doom that rings, rings for each one of us. Forty years ago what happened in Vietnam or in the jungles of Africa was of interest to most Americans only as it affected the missionary program; but now the river of history is so wide and so deep that pollution of a stream in any country affects all of us. Topics that include world affairs attract attention. Second, the textual sermon has always been popular. Yet I feel there is a weakness resident in much of our textual preaching. Few are moved by the man, no matter how clever, who takes a short text and tortures it for a half-hour, often completely oblivious of the context. Why dont you take a larger chunk of Gods word and give us more to chew on? is often the mental query. Third, expository preaching has come into its own among evangelicals. Your president, Dr. Walvoord, is one of the best in the field of exposition. Certainly where the preacher is expository, his people know more of the Word of God than can be gotten from textual or topical preaching. Exposition applied to majestic prophetic passages, and illustrated by national and world affairs, has a double value. It is attractive and enlightening to those interested in world affairs in the light of the eternal and unchangeable truth of the Word of God; and, presented against the background of world transitoriness, it reveals how completely this worlds glory passes. The expository method may be used successfully in interpretive preaching, with which we shall deal later; but we must warn that taking a text to exploit a secular situation is poor homiletics. The church will not prosper through the ministry of the pastor who finds a well publicized world or local situation in the evening newspaper, seeks a text to tie it to a Biblical idea, and preaches the world situation rather than the Word of God. But to me it is sound to relate the times to the warnings of the word, relating the temporal to the eternal in such a way that the temporal is merged with the eternal in the minds of the hearers. 40

II. Motivation
Whatever the sermonic style, the pulpiteer is effective when he has the highest spiritual motive. This includes the conscious call of God to preach. John Henry Jowett declares
Paul had a holy, burning pride in his vocation, leagued with a marvelous humility that the mystic hand of divine ordination had rested upon him.35

Motivation is a popular term, but never more useful than when applied to the call of the ministry. In my travels I have met scores of young men who have been trained for the Christian ministry, but when faced with the hardships and the difficulties of the day, forsook the ministry. Perhaps they had never received a divine call; but if they had, their departure was tragic.

III.Presentation
For sermon effectiveness, bright, intelligent presentation of truth is paramount. The meaning of the Scriptures is often ascertained by the backgrounds and local conditions. If these be well presented, they will give a setting of the text and will take out of the minds of the hearer all sense of disassociation and irrelevancy. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Men are also, basically, the same yesterday, today, and forever. Attractive superficial changes have come to our world, but spiritually it is unchanged and unchanging.

IV.

Argument

Effective also is solid, logical, but not pugnacious, argument. Few realize how often the congregation is in an argumentative mood. Sometimes their minds are assailed by the prevalent attacks upon religion. Many are conscious that there is much questioning of religious doctrines and affairs today. Some church members these days possess a subconscious, insistent protestation, against many spiritual demands. They resent much of the Bible; not a few resent Christ and Christian morals. Effective preaching in these days must give cognizance to these attitudes and argue against them. This Biblically argumentative type of preaching is more needed today than at any time in our history, because of the apostasy that seems to have reached its ultimate in the declaration that God is dead. Young preachers should study the sermons of the late eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. These were times of apostasy and theological debate. You will sense that while people were not as broadly intelligent concerning world affairs as todays audiences, yet they had philosophical depth; and strong arguments were needed to keep them on the gospel road.

V. Polemics
Well documented Christian evidences preached in an attractive way, without bombast, is effective. The pulpit must knock over the religious nonsense older people read in magazine articles and young people often get in schools, universities, on television, and over the radio. Paul tells Timothy to preach the word; be instant [urgent] in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine (2 Tim. 4:2). Remember the Christian life is warfare; often the preacher is the captain of marching spiritual militants. While we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers (Eph. 6:12), and while our weapons are not carnal weapons (wrangling has no place in pulpit ministries), nevertheless the pulpit should often be a battleground of the

35

J. H. Jowett, The Preacher, His Life and Work, p. 21.

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Christian faith; and the man who stands in it must bear the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God. Soft, innocuous preachments do not measure up to our tragic day. Sermons should stabilize listeners to know that Christianity is a virile faith. It does not deal with old wives fables but with eternal certainties. Our people must once again have an unshakable faith so deeply implanted that they can stand up to todays infidelity and refute much of it. The preacher must also build into the lives of his people a faith that can stand against lifes oppositions and be capable of trusting where it cannot trace, believing where it cannot understand; knowing that when events seem stacked against us and the Bible seems untrue because of some recent discovery in science, the child of God can stand fast. For Gods Word, established in heaven, is able to vindicate itself. Therefore let us have some argumentation, says David U. Breed. Suitable argumentation, he insists, is the art of persuasion.36 Great care must be taken not to arouse antagonism by ridicule and sarcasm. Both are effective occasionally. Elijah, Jesus, and John the Baptist used it, as did Sam Jones, Billy Sunday, also Fosdick and Bishop Kennedy. Ours is often a ridiculous age, and occasionally a fool must be answered according to his folly. Some say we must just preach the simple gospel and it will do its work without argument. This is a sweet attitude, but it runs counter to the teachings of Jesus; and of Paul, Peter, James, and John.No, the gospel will not work completely without argument, nor without polemics. Laws govern the minds of men--laws of logic. Paul used them in Galatians and Romans; so did the author of Hebrews; and Peter said that we are to give an answer to everyone that asketh us a reason of the hope that is in us. Christ often argued. One of His best logical arguments is heard in His conflict with the Pharisees (Matt. 12). They accused Him of casting out demons by the power of Beelzebub. Jesus logically argued that a house divided against itself cannot stand, and if Satan was divided his kingdom would be destroyed. Eighteen hundred years later Abraham Lincoln used Christs argument with great effect while pleading for the preservation of the Union. On this subject, T. H. Pattison says: Pictorial though it was, a strain of reasoning ran through the teaching of Jesus.37 The apostles at the beginning preached the gospel argumentatively to the Jews. Both Peter and Stephen argued. The Jews did not like the argument, and they could not answer it; so they stoned Stephen. John A. Broadus, who two generations ago was dean of preaching instructors, said: Every preacher ought to develop and discipline his powers in respect to argument.38 Inescapably, there is too much insipid, apologetic preaching today. G. Campbell Morgan calls it icily nice and splendidly nil. What we need is more two-fisted preaching, not in a pugilistic sense, but in a virile manner. The preacher is effective when, clothed with the righteousness of God, he presents eternal verities with holy boldness. Argumentative preaching must have one immoveable anchor, and that is the authority of the Scriptures. Denial of objective authority is everywhere, both in government and in religion. Satans old lie is present: Yea, hath God said? (Gen. 3:1). Is the Bible authoritative? Do men and nations have a God-designated way to walk? The preacher cannot today sweetly assume that all believe what he does. The minister must in many instances proclaim and establish the basic fact of a divine revelation before he can get the gospel to the people. Therefore, study to present in a pungent manner strong arguments for the validity of the faith.
36 37

Faris D. Whitesell, Power in Expository Preaching, p. 64. Ibid., p. 64. 38 Ibid., p. 65.

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VI.

Illustrations

Effective preaching must have adequate, pungent illustrations. Spurgeon called them windows to let the light into the sermon. Over my long ministry I have discovered this truth. I use many illustrations. I hope they are always apropos. I often meet people who will say: I heard you twenty years ago, and you gave this illustration, and I have never forgotten it. When I asked them if they remembered the truth that went with it, in many instances they did. Suitable illustrations, especially those from ones own experience or the known experiences of others, are of tremendous value. This is especially true in our visually minded day. Millions do little reading. They are always looking, looking at television, at comic books, looking at popular picture magazines, looking at movies. If ever the old Chinese proverb that a picture was worth ten thousand words could be proven true, it is today. In the preaching of the gospel, the painting of word pictures, telling pointed anecdotes, is highly effective. Of course, visual aids are plentiful, but it has still pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. Sometimes the church tries to get away from the preaching, but effective church life demands a man on fire, full of his subject, preaching the gospel. And that gospel must be illustrated; it must live. Folks must see with the eyes of their minds and hearts what the preacher is talking about. I first learned this from listening to Billy Sunday, about whom many of you know very little. I was saved in his great evangelistic campaign in Boston nearly half a century ago. Billy preached often on Bible characters, and made them live. When he preached on Elijah, he did it so vividly that I thought I was looking at Elijah. When he preached on Naaman going down into the dirty Jordan, I suffered all of the agony that Naaman suffered. For nearly an hour Naaman lived in Billy Sunday. And what a master of biting, God-blest sarcasm the evangelist was. Sunday shook the professing church which then had a lot of stuffed shirts in the pulpit and proud, self-satisfied people in the pews, who were enamored of high respectability, while void of spirituality. Much of religion had lost contact with reality. Sin was being perfumed or ignored, and ecclesiastical dignity paraded pompously. Boston was then, as now, Unitarian, Roman Catholic, Christian Science, intellectual and selfsufficient; but God through Billy Sunday shook that city from center to circumference as no city is being shaken today, even though great crowds attend some evangelistic meetings. Whether it is the calloused days in which we live or the inability of the preachers to move and change lives, no one seems to know; yet communities are not shaken and changed as they once were. Sunday could both expound the doctrines of salvation and vividly illustrate them. Illustrations that illustrate are needed, not ones that merely move the emotions. Illustrations are magnifying glasses to make Gods truth stand out in clear perspective. The Bible is its own illustrator, but we need not confine ourselves to the Bible for illustrative material.

VII. Sanctified Imagination

Imagination is one of mans God-given characteristics, and the effective preacher must cultivate it. Imagination manifests godlike capacity. Imagination is what makes the poet different from the prosaic writer, the novelist from the recorder of history, the painter from the photographer. Broad and vivid imagination makes the great musician, and it often makes the interesting preacher, when it is kept under control of the Spirit. In the arts, imagination lifts man from the crowd to do something near to the angel. Imagination is a requisite for greatness in almost any field. The actor who has no imagination gives a sordid performance. It is so with the preacher. John A. Broadus wrote: A preacher 43

without imagination may be loved for his holy goodness, but he will not rule the congregation, nor be a power in the community. A good sermon is weak without imagination.39 It is still true that there are sermons in stones and books in running brooks for the preacher to use imaginatively. Luccock of Yale says, The image-making faculty helps people to see visions.40 But imagination must not be mere fancy. Fancy can be an oratorical rocket trip into outer space, with poor provision for a return to earth. In preaching it can lift folks into the stratosphere and let them come down with a thud. Maclaren, Moody, Sunday, Parker, Spurgeon avoided fancy, but made interesting word pictures of Christs experiences. The characters walked, lived, and breathed. Sermons should be pedestrian, volitant--move about. The mind then becomes a receptive blackboard for imagery. The preacher who began his Christmas sermon with this statement, God walked down the stairs from heaven with a baby in His arms, had sanctified imagination. Somebody tried to console Helen Keller in her blindness. Her reply was: It is not half so bad as having two eyes and not being able to see. Michaelangelo looked at the perfect block of marble, and what did he see? His great sculpture, David. He looked at another and saw Moses, the thunderous figure centuries have praised. For the alert, imaginative preacher, Earths crammed with heaven, and every common bush aflame with God.

VIII. Application
The effective sermon must finally be applied. Learn to preach to the people, rather than before the people. Hints of the final application of the message should be heard early in the sermon. Charles Haddon Spurgeon warned against tacking a spiritual application on the end of a message. Politicians like to get the name of God in the closing paragraph of their speeches. Spurgeon said, Application begins when the sermon begins. Daniel Webster confided: When a man preaches to me, I want him to make it a personal matter. The man in the pulpit must not only confront the audience, he must contact them. Learn to communicate, to relate. Some preachers can stand up before an audience and deliver a finely prepared Biblical sermon and appear utterly indifferent about getting the message across. The preacher differs from the university lecturer, whose students are responsible for getting what he has to say, no matter how he says it. The church congregation must be vitally contacted. The preacher must project, communicate. He must arouse mental and spiritual interest in his audience. He should avoid nebulousness, be careful not to be cloudy, especially not to present clouds without water about which Jude warns. The sermon must be direct. Thou art the man (2 Sam. 12:7) should be the pulpit attitude occasionally. Vance Havner says that our preachers are unwilling or unable to preach like Nathan did to Israels king, pointing to David and saying, Thou art the man. About all they dare do, says Havner, is to wave their hand in that general direction and let it go at that. Billy Sunday was very direct. He preached in such a direct manner that when I first went to hear him, I wondered how he knew I was in the audience. Billy Graham, while preaching to fifty thousand, is still direct in his message. The effective preacher must both bruise and heal. Many preachers of the liberal persuasion are good diagnosticians of the soul but never prescribe a cure. They are like the physician who says, You must realize that you are a sick man, and you ask, But what must I do to get
39 40

J. B. Weatherspoon, On the Preparation and Delivery of Sermons, p. 211. Halford E. Luccock, In the Ministers Workshop, p. 112.

44

well? And the physician replies, I know nothing about your getting well. I just know you are sick, and you ought not to be. Diagnosis without a prescribed cure is not good medicine. Directness and application is the chief ingredient of the evangelistic sermon. For the unsaved must not only be reasoned with regarding sin and righteousness and judgment to come, but they must be signed on the dotted line. The pulpiteer must appeal to reason, and legitimately appeal to the emotions. Many preachers do well with reason and emotion, but fail to appeal effectively to the will. Yet here is where the Holy Spirit works as nowhere else in the sermon. The Spirit of God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance (2 Pet. 3:9). The Spirit pleads along with the preachers appeal. We must always keep in mind that the sermon is not an end in itself, but is a means to an end.Peter revealed that fact on the day of Pentecost. The fisherman-apostle recited a long section of Jewish history, but ended up with a call to repentance and turning to God. I urge adherence to Biblical terminology. Much modern preaching has taken a psychological and sociological turn. It is mysterious and mystical. It sets forth psychiatric ideas, often using the terms of the psychiatrist rather than those of the Christian evangelist. It speaks of repression, fixations, traumas, neuroses, and syndromes, world without end. I claim that in the main these are not terms that the Holy Spirit can use effectively. The Spirits terminology should be followed. For the pagan mind, truth and beauty is its own reward; but for the preacher, a sermon is an instrument of the Holy Spirit for changing men. And the nomenclature of the Spirit is best. Preach the word! Preach it largely in the terms inspired by the Holy Spirit. Depend upon Him who perfectly knows the mind and purposes of God, and the power of God will be upon you and upon the people.

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A philosophy of Bible learning

By Mark Bair 2005 Three Key Goals for our Bible Curriculum: 1. Bring out the conflict, tension, and drama in the Biblical Story 2. Train the students to regularly read the text of the Bible 3. Train the students to be doers of the word, that Bible study is incomplete with action. This is not to suggest that these goals were not there before in our curriculum, but to stress these above all other goals. To impart a huge database of facts, concepts, and memorized verses is not as important and could be counter-productive. The principle shown from church planting movements is that training in obedience and service leads to knowledge, not the other way around. That means that as people act on what they learn, God enlightens them further and creates the need to know more, which in turn is to be acted on. At times in Xenos equipping (both adult and youth), this principle has been overlooked and led to a tendency of some to be merely hearers who delude themselves (James 1:22). Goal #1 Conflict, Tension, and Drama in the Biblical Story I think this will especially help engage our boys. At the macro level, there is always Satans oppositioneither overtly or covertly. At each stage, there is a tension between what is promised and what seems to be preventing it from being realized. There are often dramatic reversals and surprises of how God comes through (the cross being the main example) Goal #2 Train the students to regularly read the text of the Bible In grades 4-8, I think the students should be given sections of the Bible to read and think about at appropriate levels. In their last year, 8th grade, the students will read the entire New Testament during the school year. Goal #3 Train the students to be doers of the word. The student should be asked to respond the readings above with appropriate action. For example, in the 7th and 8th grade, students are asked to reflect this way after they read the Bible:

What is God leading you to do as a result of reading His word and who does it involve? Action will always involve at least one person (a non-Christian, a friend, a family member, or God Himself). In other words, how can you obey/take action on what you read about? When will you obey? My action plan is

46

Bible teaching for students

By Dennis McCallum

Key = generate power!

Flatness is a sinful contradiction if this stuff is so important, why does the teacher not seem to care all that much?

Content:
Depth... Yes, you can go deep! A lot of talk about how xers wont listen to content - not true. Just cant go too long. Dont be too simple; want to be seen and treated as adults. Can really patronize and lose their respect. #1 challenge is to keep from boring them; what a shame to get them to a meeting and then to bore them with Biblical truth! 1, maybe 2 points that you hit hard. Discussion... Discussion can be good, or can be very bad. Students can really bore each other - some discussions just meander or get weird. Need to have couple points in the teaching where you allow students to react & give their opinions, impressions. Question that is really challenging. Dont confuse discussion with recitation: And Jesus said that if our eye causes us to stumble we should what? and they say, gouge it out. This is not discussion and it only appeals to those with some knowledge of the bible - will alienate pagans.

Thesis/Antithesis Teaching
very key at this age to use this method: they like a sense of violence and a good fight; they are hormonal and aggressive enjoy seeing the teacher getting into a fight with someone (the antithesis) got to find an antithesis they can relate to and understand (not neo-orthodoxy)

Delivery
Emotion... They want to feel something while they sit there Some people get into one emotion; need to experience a whole range of emotion during the teaching : anger, humor, intrigue, contempt, awe,... Catch fire and let people watch you burn!

47

Eccentricity is good... Weird figures of speech; strange pronunciations; contorted facial expressions. They really remember these! Physical activity... At certain points in the teaching, need to stimulate them visibly - not just a listening experience. Jumping at a student; waving; one teacher lied down on the ground Physical contact can be good - beating a student on the head as you emphasize a point. Of course, needs to be appropriate. Volume May seem to you like you are shouting, but you need to be loud Not just so others can hear - cant rely on PA for that - there is a sense of urgency and intensity that is communicated through a loud, even strained voice; may need to turn PA down, but dont tell teacher to be more quiet Appearance What looks good to adults may not look good to students; there is a balance here : cant dress like students, youll look stupid to them and everyone else. Look casual. They are intolerant of obesity; you are discredited off the bat if you are too fat to them Humor Of course it is great to get them laughing, but many teachers use humor exclusively. Loses its effect if used too much; again, they need to experience a range of emotion. Illustrations The ones we use are not always appropriate to the age - story about getting frustrated with kids or spouse - they cant relate to that. Need to be earthy (God was in OT, Jesus was) No need to get into profanity Find illustrations that fit into their lives & meet them where they are at (job, car stuff, dealing with parents, friends) Heroic Thinking They are not idealistic, more cynical; they are suspicious of heroes, but still thirst for them Need to play off their loathing of being controlled; the boundaries their peers put on them are the most limiting and frustrating to them - they will rebel against this and be their own person if they have a good reason to. Need to gradually build a thirst for non-conformity Black & White Thinking We as adults know there are usually shades of gray involved with most issues; but when you qualify your points, they lose all their fizz. Lay out teaching in stark, black and white manner - will get more reaction & involvement; qualify later, if needed; every once in awhile youll get a sharp kid who questions you, and then you can qualify your point, but most wont.

1 Cor 2:1-5
Who you are is nearly as important as what you teach. When we compare ourselves to other people, we lose.

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Characteristics of teachers
From Dan Lamberts Teaching That Makes A Difference December 12, 2007 Characteristics of teachers 1. They are given the ability to teach (Ex. 35:34; Matt. 23:34; Eph. 4:11-12) 2. They are filled with the Holy Spirit (Ex. 35:30; Rom. 12:6; 1 Cor. 12-14) 3. They know Gods Word well (Ez. 7:6; Matt. 22:16; Col. 1:28, 3:15; 1 Tim. 1:3-7, 2:7; 2 Tim. 1:13, 2:1-2; Tit. 2:1) 4. Their teaching brings life (Prov. 13:14) 5. They live with integrity (Matt. 22:16; Tit. 2:7) 6. They are not impressed with nor intimidated by the status and positions of individuals (Matt. 22:16) 7. They will face opposition because of their teaching (Matt. 23:34; Acts 4:1-3; Tit. 2:7-8) 8. They understand that their teaching comes from God, not from themselves (John 7:16-18) 9. They are in high demand because they are good teachers (2 Tim. 3:10) Tasks of teachers 1. Teach what Gods Word says (Ex. 18:20; Lev. 10:11; Deut. 6:1) 2. Be an example of how to live (Ex. 18:20; Tit. 2:7) 3. Teach others how to obey God (Ex. 18:20; Deut. 6:1; 1 Sam. 12:23; Matt. 18:20; 1 Tim. 4:6) 4. Teach the younger generations (Deut. 4:9; Tit. 2:1-6) 5. Teach all the time, not just in class (Deut. 11:9; Acts 5:42; 1 Tim. 4:11) 6. Teach even non-Christians so they will come to know God (Ps. 51:13; Acts 17:19-20) 7. Bring out new treasures as well as old = bring excitement (Matt. 13:52) 8. Stir people up (Luke 23:5) 9. Prepare others to do something for the kingdom of God (Eph. 4:11-12) 10. Help make believers complete (Col. 1:28) 11. Confront false teaching (1 Tim. 1:3-7; 2 Tim. 1:13) 12. Look for others who will make great leaders and teachers (2 Tim. 2:2) Warnings to teachers 1. Against being hypocrites (Matt. 23:13,15,25,27,29) 2. Against not really believing what they teach (Matt. 23:13) 3. Against keeping people from entering Gods kingdom (Matt. 23:13) 4. Against leading followers astray (Matt. 23:15) 5. Against emphasizing the wrong beliefs (Matt. 23:16-24) 6. Against emphasizing outward appearances and neglecting the inside (Matt. 23:25-28) 7. Against harshly judging others (Matt. 23:29-32)

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Preparing a Lesson
From Teaching That Makes A Difference by Dan Lambert (pg. 119-136) Introduction It takes work AND dependence on the Spirit to create consistently high quality lessons Step-by-step guide 1. Pray most important step 2. Know your students 3. Know your subject this takes work 4. Write cognitive, affective and action aims (know, feel, do) a. Teachers often skip the affective area (i.e. motivation) b. Goals should be specific, measurable, attainable and challenging 5. Determine a sequence for the lessons a. The key is to let the topics you choose determine the number and sequence of lessons. 6. Write one aim for each lesson a. Remember to balance aims (know, feel, do) 7. Make sure the lesson aims support the unit aims 8. Write your lesson plans a. Gather your resources to learn about the subject b. Determine the form your lesson will take c. Write out the details for each activity d. Read back through your lesson to see if it accomplishes your lesson aim e. Let it sit for a day or so f. Read back through it the day before you teach to make changes and improvements g. Ask yourself, If I am a student in this class, do I enjoy and learn something from this lesson? 9. Pray 10. Teach the lesson Critique Positive Great systematic way of developing a teaching Excellent focus on having ONE MAIN POINT in each teaching Emphasis on being intentional about what you teach Most of the work comes before you write the specific lesson outline Negative Should be more explicitly exegetical (goals & aims should come from the text whenever possible) to make sure we are emphasizing what the Bible emphasizes and not just our own agendas

50

Preparing first teachings

By Gary DeLashmutt and Jeff Butterbaugh At least one month before teaching If youve never carefully studied the passage, perform an inductive study (an inductive overview of the entire book and a specific study of your passage). Identify primary interpretive questions about the passage and attempt to answer them. Remember the iceberg principle--understand the passage to a much greater extent than you actually teach it. Listen to a Central Teaching audiotape of your passage (use the most recent series) and make an outline of the teaching. Identify sections of the tape to omit for a shorter teaching format. You may also need to change the outline and focus to better suit your burden and/or your audience. Develop a burden. Focus on the topics effect on your own life and visualize its effect in the lives of specific individuals in the audience, especially those in your own ministry. Prepare a preliminary teaching outline. Identify personal examples and illustrations you want to include. If the tape has more effective illustrations than you can create, use the tapes. But dont use the teachers personal examples--come up with your own! At least two to three weeks before teaching Meet with an experienced teacher to get feedback on the steps listed above. Iron out any rough spots in your preparation thus far. At least one week before teaching Completely write out your teaching. This will reinforce the coherence of the thought development and expose weak transitions and development. Begin preparing your teaching notes. These notes should be much shorter than your teaching outline--one side of a 5.5 x 8-inch sheet. Meet again with an experienced teacher and give them your teaching. Talking it through once might be sufficient if youve already written out your teaching. Give it to others if you need more practice. In the final week Resist the temptation to make significant changes in your outline. Whittle down your teaching notes as much as possible--your goal should be one small page. Memorize the text of most of your cross-references so you wont have to turn to them during the teaching. Pray through the teaching, pray for the people coming, and trust God to fulfill his role. After the teaching Listen to an audiotape of your teaching and prepare a written self-critique. Seek feedback from other experienced teachers. Feedback should include both positive and critical observations. Pray against Satans accusations. 51

Helping students prepare teachings

Goal: Be prepared and trust God for the results

God Will Use You (2 Cor. 5:17-20)

Have you ever been very impacted by a teaching? Why? What happened? We want to impact people, but how?

Preparation
No substitute for preparation Know passage Study it . . . memorize it. Iceberg principle- Know more than you teach Important to be correct on interpretation Burden/Goal Have a main point! *Know WHY you are there If you dont know where youre going youll never get there. What do you want them to DO? Rambling on about anything/nothing If you cant write it in a sentence you cant say it in an hour. Organization EVERYTHING should support your goal Intro- Grab attention/ introduce topic/develop interest (notice my intro) Plan- organize HOW you will say it Clarity- so they understand WHAT you say
Notes (Plan) Talk to people, not to paper Antithesis- Story time (read poorly) As little notes as possible Antithesis- These notes! Key words to help you remember If you prepare you wont need notes, youll know the material Sacrifice a point or two to communicate Examples/Illustrations/Antithesis Examples/Illustrations- Fun, communicate point, connect with audience, audience feels content Vulnerability- the more open you are the more God can use you People desire reality- especially in our postmodern culture Gods power comes through most clearly in our weakness (2 Cor. 12:9) Antithesis = using the opposite to communicate the idea more clearly

Prayer (Col. 4:2-6; 1 Thess. 5:17) Spiritual Warfare- we have a powerful enemy (Eph 6:13) Spiritual Impact- we want to make a spiritual impact and life change; we need Gods help Very Important- as important as studying . . . dont neglect either Conclusion (1 Pet. 4:11) Be prepared in every way that you can be, by studying and prayer, and trust that God will use your teaching powerfully. As a teacher you are an instrument of the Holy Spirit to change lives.

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Teaching Dos and Donts

From http://www.xenos.org/classes/homiletics/tips.htm

DO'S
In every teaching, you should speak both as a fellow-learner/sinner and as a prophet. Somehow, you should communicate that you have much to learn and a long way to go in your own walk with God. This helps people to identify with you and is a way of communicating Gods grace. But having done this, you also need to boldly proclaim Gods Word and call on people (as Gods mouthpiece) to respond to it. Your use of personal pronouns is important in achieving this balance. "We" and "I" are usually appropriate in speaking as a fellow-learner. "You" is often most appropriate in speaking as Gods spokesperson. Also, you should normally speak as a fellow-learner before speaking as a prophet. Every teaching should include both indicative and imperative points. Indicative-only teachings tend to be theoretical and lack punch. Imperative-only teachings tend to be legalistic because they arent sufficiently grounded in Gods part. If your passage contains only indicatives or imperatives, you will need to supply the complementary portion either by simply explaining it or by reading another passage. Be sensitive to non-Christians and new people. Keep them in mind throughout your preparation primarily in the terms and examples you use. This doesnt mean you can't talk about truths or issues that pertain primarily to Christians; it means you should be understandable and relevant to new people in the way you communicate your points. Anticipate qualifications that need to be made in your teaching. One-sentence qualifications are often needed when making a strong point. It is usually best to make the point strongly first and then qualify it, rather than vice-versa. Beware of over-qualifying which dilutes impact ("death by a thousand qualifications"). If you lose your train of thought during a teaching, it is usually better to go on to the next point instead of backtracking. Anticipate common secular objections, verbalize them and respond to them. These make good antitheses. (EXAMPLE: "victimology" versus Rom. 8:28; 1 Cor. 10:13; Gen. 50:20) Use personal applications. This projects warmth and draws people in. But beware of using them exclusively or even predominantly, because your teaching will come across as self-focused. Mix personal applications with illustrations, contemporary antitheses, etc. Use good illustrations, especially for abstract points. If you cant come up with an effective original illustration, use one that is proven. You may use technical terms (theological, psychological, scientific, etc.), but be sure to define them immediately. Be yourself! God recognizes individual gifting and styles. For example, use your own sense of humor--not someone else's. On the other hand, lean against your temperamental tendency in delivery. For example, if you are passive, you will need to animate to the point that you feel like you are being too extroverted. Have good, clear thought development. Good transitions make it easier to follow your train of thought. The best transitions are brief and tie the next point back into the main theme. If you do have a gospel message, explain how to become a Christian. During this section, resist the tendency to fear boring the Christians present. Also resist the tendency to look only at the new people. Smile, use humor, and warm up to your audience. This helps them relax and relate to you. Explain the subject of your teaching early on--within the first minute. The proper use of slang (i.e., slang that they know and relate to) relaxes your audience. However, the use of slang that they don't know or relate to alienates them. When giving the gospel, power comes from the Word. Therefore, try to include a verse like Revelation 3:20; John 1:12; Ephesians 2:8,9; etc. Make use of vivid imagery and graphic description. Why say "bad" when you can say "unacceptable" or "despicable?" Practice this when talking with people in normal conversations. Throughout your preparation, keep asking yourself, "What is the goal of my teaching? What one thing do I want people to understand and do?" When you teach Christian ethics, remember to communicate that God gives us both the power and the motivation to do his moral will (Phil. 2:13), and that his moral will is for our own good (Deut. 10:12,13; Rom. 12:2b). These truths enable us to teach ethics/imperatives strongly and confidently--which is how they should be taught--without putting people under the law. Have a concise introduction, and get into your text quickly. Once people have already turned to the passage, they will start to read it on their own if you dont guide them into it quickly. Use rhetorical questions when possible. Pause briefly after humor or important statements. This increases impact. Try to work from the text. Arrange your points so that you can refer them back to the text frequently. This is a practical way of standing on the authority of the Word. Also, it is strange to say you are teaching a certain passage, and then not really get into that passage seriously. If you are going to work primarily from other passages, say this in the beginning.

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DON'TS
Unless you are a very experienced teacher, don't tinker with your main outline 24 hours prior to teaching. Youll only get more confused and less confident. Don't say "second Cor" or "first Thes;" say "second Corinthians," etc. Don't refer to temperaments and other Xenos "slang." This has the effect of alienating the new person by making them feel they are outside an inner circle. Don't bore people with the gospel. Be excited! Don't have nebulous applications. They should be specific enough that people can see clearly what it looks like to put the concept into practice. It is better to give a very specific application and say, "There are other ways to apply this truth," than to be overly general. Don't have too much material. A few points that are well developed and applied are far better than many points. Resist the urge to tell everything you know about the passage. Don't over use hand gestures. Don't narrate what you went through as you prepared your teaching: "So I wondered what this word was in the Greek . . ." Tell your audience what you discovered, not what you went through in the process. Dont say, "An example/illustration of this is . . . " Just give your example/illustration. Don't feel compelled to give the whole plan and logic of salvation every teaching, or every time you make an evangelistic point. Avoid using too many biblical references. This dilutes impact and focus. It is usually better to simply refer to a passage and quote it, than to have them turn to that passage--which takes time and distracts people's attention. If you decide its necessary to turn to another text, be sure to give clear directions on how to get there, and then graciously give people the time to find it. Wait for the pages to stop turning. Avoid doing a verse-by-verse commentary. This dilutes impact because there is no clear thesis with application. Avoid overuse of application points. Don't make them the whole teaching. You must ground your application in the theology of the text, or it will come across legalistic. Don't express as a personal opinion what God says in the Word--state it as a fact. In the same way, don't declare as authoritative what is only your opinion--say it is your opinion. Don't act timidly about touchy subjects (e.g., financial giving; homosexuality). Be confident with God's Word in these areas. Don't end declarative statements with a questioning tone in your voice. This dilutes impact. Don't mix corniness with a serious point. Comic relief may be used after making a serious point to give people a breather, but if you get corny while making a serious point, you dilute impact. Don't always address the non-Christian at the end; this is too predictable. Christians (wrongly) will tend to lose interest at this point, knowing that you're winding up, and thus distract the non-Christians. Don't say, "I'm sure you're all familiar with this passage/doctrine . . . " New people are usually unfamiliar with the Bible, and this comment will make them feel even more aware of and intimidated by their ignorance. Don't apologize for your inexperience, lack of full knowledge on a subject, etc. This needlessly erodes your authority. Stand on the authority of Gods Word and trust it to move your audience. Dont turn to another passage but say, "You dont need to turn there." Either quote the passage from memory, or let them turn to it with you. Saying "You dont need to turn there" sounds like you have something to hide.

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High school home church teaching

By Tad Hale This paper provides helpful insights to those charged with teaching high school aged home church meetings. It is not an attempt to cover the much broader topic of homiletics. The intent is to focus on students meeting in a home church context. 1. Teaching the Word is always profitable. (Isaiah 55:11) 2. Teaching the Word forms a strong hub for Christian meetings. (1 Timothy 4:13) 3. While teaching the Word is essential, it is not the most effective aspect of high school ministry. A mistake the church has historically made is to assume proclaiming the Word alone was adequate. At Xenos we hold that, in order to be most effective, all ministry should be done in the context of relationships. Certainly discipleship, by definition, requires relationship. To be most effective, lower-end work (especially evangelism) must be done in the context of a relationship. The high school worker must not fall into the trap of believing teaching the Word will suffice. We are not practitioners caring for a tooth. We are mentors giving away our lives. 4. Expound Gods Word with confidence and authority. Many students are skeptical and are looking to discover any sense of softness. We have good reason to be confident. We are not expressing our opinion; we are proclaiming the inspired word of God. (2 Timothy 3:16) 5. Many high school students have difficulty processing abstract thought. This is largely a developmental issue that improves greatly during the students upper class years. a. Among the best tools to make your teaching more concrete are illustrations and antithesis. Antithesis can be especially effective with students. Its an opportunity to attack the status quo while clarifying the radical. Many times the antithesis is much more concrete than the thesis. (Luke 15 is a classic example of using antithesis to drive home the thesis.) Illustrations are much like paintings, which are carefully crafted to make a point. The artist adds detail, contrast and color to communicate and drive home their perspective. Likewise the most effective teachers will carefully craft their illustrations in order to illuminate the point they are communicating. Jesus utilizes illustrations throughout His teachings (e.g. Luke 6:47 49, John 13). b. Illustrations are great; stories effectively told are even better. High school students love stories. Stories use literary techniques such as intrigue, action, romance and mystery to capture the attention and imagination of your audience. Jesus was a master storyteller who utilized stories to communicate many of His teachings (e.g. Luke 15, Matthew 13, Matthew 21:33-46). Take time to carefully prepare the details of your story . . . remember, when you tell a story you are not painting a picture (illustration) you are painting a mural (something much larger and more detailed). 55

c. Once you have made a point of application it is important to provide an example. Examples not only explain but also provide practical ideas of how to apply a truth. Its best to use examples with which students can relate (Examples from leadership, ministry houses, or marriage will be lost on many students. What is an example they can relate to? Think of their sphere of experience . . . something about their relationship with parents or friends, something about school, something about working at a fast food place, etc.) d. Mix personal and impersonal illustrations, stories and examples. Students place a high value on personal examples (especially those which are humanizing our struggles and failures). However, an overabundance of personal examples may take the focus off God and put the focus on us. We are not there to talk about ourselves. When we do talk about our own experience it is only to illustrate a truth about God. e. It is better to illustrate one point well than to present many points without much development/illustration. We are more interested in clarity than breadth of knowledge. f. If you get the gospel out and make one point that registers with a majority of students, you have had a very successful teaching. 6. The scriptures are alive but we need to be sure that we too are animated when we present Gods truth. It is essential students see our enthusiasm about the scriptures. Pathos helps students become engaged and it underscores points of emphasis. We need to utilize a full range of emotions: humor, satire, anger, sorrow, indignance, etc. Pathos is a communication channel which helps explain points. It also communicates our own, personal response to the situation or issue being described. Dont be afraid to over do it (you wont) . . . yell, pout, cry, mock . . . these will add impact to your words. 7. Students really enjoy humor. Its good to include humor in most (though not all) teachings. Humor can put people at ease and build a momentary sense of connectedness. Be careful though. Humor can be overused. It also can be inappropriately used. Many topics do not lend themselves to humor (death, judgment, etc.) Also, timing is important. If you crack a joke immediately after making a serious point, the joke will rob your point of all its strength. 8. Even our choice of words can animate our teachings. Use strong, evocative, descriptive words such as: radical or sold out not committed, cling to not hold on, gigantic or immense not big, despicable not bad, hate not dislike, despair not give up, worthless not useless, fantastic not good, bitchy not in a bad mood, awesome not great, despise not dislike. Slang is a point of identification that can add life to our teachings. Be careful though, slang has a limited life and after awhile slang words start to loose their punch . . . they become fillers that dont add any real meaning (e.g. really, cool, excellent, etc.)

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Other tip/ideas: 1. Preaching Points a. Put yourself in the students shoes. They are all about rebellion and being radical. Jesus was a radical who actively rebelled against the compromised institutions of His day. Appeal to them that Christ does not want us to settle for the status quo . . . He wants us to make a difference -- to rebel against the American Dream -- to be radicals dedicated to changing the world. b. Students also have a very nave self-righteousness that consistently asks, How dare God? How dare the church? How dare anyone? It can be effective to appeal to this sense of indignance when teaching about Gods judgment or the account of the Flood or Abraham and Isaac. Once you have drawn them out you can effectively teach how fallen we all are. c. It can be effective to end the teaching with a question. Asking students to provide other ways to apply a truth has enhanced many good teachings. A caveat is that we must be careful not to omit application from our teachings. Remember our points of application must be well developed . . . if we count on the sharing portion of the meeting to make and develop points of application we are going to be disappointed. Practically speaking, the teacher needs to be prepared to ask a series of questions to draw out additional points of application. 2. Logistics: a. Home Group teachings should be about 30 minutes long. Especially gifted teachers may be able to go longer but even in this case we need to consider how much high school students are able to digest. b. Maps and diagrams are well received. Often it is best to hand out diagrams to each individual student. c. Students should be compelled to sit up and face the teacher. d. Stand and move around while you teach. Do not sit. e. Involve students by asking them to read passages. If you are going to use a number of passages, pick students ahead of time and ask them to be prepared to read the passage upon request. f. Its best to have the teacher publicly pray before the teaching. The opening prayer sets the tone. After the teaching there will be adequate time for corporate sharing and prayer. 3. Miscellaneous a. If you lose your train of thought during a teaching, it is usually better to go on to the next point instead of backtracking. b. Dont cite too many biblical references . . . each time you ask students to search for a passage is a point of distraction. c. Use pauses and periods of silence to emphasize points. Remember, it may take students longer to understand/absorb a point.

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Teaching techniques for high school

From James Rochford Some high school workers got together and discussed teaching the Bible to students. Here is a summary of what they came up with. HERE IS THE LIST OF TEACHING TECHNIQUES THAT WE CAME UP WITH: 1. Explain the verse before you read it. Never read the verse first and then explain. We think the students zone out unless you've explained what they're reading. 2. Call on students to read. Don't ask, "Who wants to read a passage?" It takes too long. Also, you can use this when someone is being disruptive. You can call on someone eight times in a row if you want and if they keep screwing off. 3. Approach two students before the meeting to get them to answer a discussion question of yours or to pray. Maybe give an example to your own question to help them get the picture. 4. Give the group 5 minutes in the middle of your teaching to look through a passage and draw out whatever you want them to find. Changes up the pace; makes them think. 5. More DISCUSSION, VISUALS, ANALOGIES. Why not use the white board every teaching? It helps draw them back in. 6. Think of a catch phrase for your teaching: Bill Hybels "Just Walk Across the Room." Try and slip it into your teaching at strategic times. 7. If you aren't teaching, try and think up good discussion questions during there teaching to help them out. 8. Better application. Not just Bible, Prayer, Fellowship. 9. Repeat your teaching outline for each stage of the teaching. If you're at the first point explain it. When you get to your second point, explain your first then your second. When you get to your final point, explain all of your points all over again. 10. Strong introductions: Analogy, joke, pop culture. 11. At the end of your teaching, have flexibility with the discussion. Maybe somebody there doesn't want to talk about the topic of your teaching, but maybe they want to talk about something else. Why stop them?

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Discussion question template

Scott Risley Compare and contrast: Reconcile apparent contradictions How is __________ similar to or different from __________________? Whats the difference between _____________ and _____________? Whats the relationship between ___________ and _____________? What do these things have in common? How does this fit in with what we read/said earlier? How do you think _______________ reconciles with ________________? These both sound good. Lets hear more evidence for each. Set up an apparent contradiction in your introduction, and ask the group how it might be resolved Application: Connect abstract concepts with concrete realities How does _____________ illustrate _________________? What would it look like if we applied this in our lives? What would it look like if we had __________ but not ___________? What kind of results would we see if ______________? How might this particular truth apply either to life in general, or to specific situations? Where do you see ______________ play out in this situation? Reaction: Personal opinion and experience Weve covered several important points. What do you think of them so far? Do you agree or disagree with ______________? Why? Are you in favor of ________________? Why/not? What is your reaction to this? What does __________ mean to you? When you think of _____________ what comes to mind? What is your reaction to this statement? (Read a statement from a third party either real or imaginary) Who can share an experience about ___________________? How do we ______________? OR What are some ways that we _____________? What types of things might _____________? (e.g. God call us to do? we need to do in order to forgive?)

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Role play: View from another perspective How might _________ have felt when _____________? How would you feel if you were in _________s shoes? What thoughts and fears might _______________ have had when ______________? How do you think someone from x, y, or z perspective would answer this question? How do you think he might have reconciled __________ with ___________? What advice would you give someone in this situation? Do you think he wanted this to happen? Why? Summarize, draw conclusions, and predict future outcomes What results do you think this attitude might produce? What trend or pattern are you noticing here? What are we to make of this? How did you come to this conclusion? What would our group look like if we really understood this? What themes do you notice in this passages? If you had to summarize this in a single sentence, what would it be? Creative thinking If we were going to construct a definition for _________, what would that need to include? What are some other ways that _________ could have responded here? What benefits or drawbacks do you see for each? What might be some different solutions to this problem? Critique, Analyze or Evaluate Before we reject this perspective, who can share some of its strengths? What are the strengths and weaknesses of this position? What are some problems with that line of reasoning? What do you think of this approach? What are the underlying assumptions here? What are some suggestions that Paul gives in this passage about how to deal with suffering? Present and analyze a complicated ethical situation What are the principles at work here? What effects did this produce? What are some reasons this passage gives for _________? Other Brainstorm and then organize Play devils advocate

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What about boys?

By Dr. Dan Hodgins Boy Statistics: Last year 34 percent of preschool children were expelled; 87 percent were boys 81 percent of children kicked out of school last year were boys Boys are six times more likely to be misdiagnosed with ADD or ADHD Highest usage of ADD medications are in the Midwest By misdiagnosed he means that in a stimulating environment they do well and brain function is normalized Hodgins: Many boys labeled ADHD are highly bored and highly mobile. Boys are four times more likely to be labeled special education Boys are seven times more likely to be labeled with reading or language delays Boys are more likely to complete high school Boys are nine times more likely to be labeled with a behavioral problem Boys are four times more likely to commit suicide Developmental and structural differences In most cases girls brains mature earlier (boys can be 12-18 months behind) It is OK for boys to act a little less mature . . . they are. Girls acquire their complex verbal skills as much as one year earlier The corpus collosum in females is up to 20 percent larger (center of emotion) Boys dont talk about their feelings and are less motivated by compassion Girls take in more sensory data Boys have thicker skulls (literally) Functional differences The resting female brain is more active then the activated male brain Male brains turn on, like a machine to do a task, then go into a pause state When boys are sitting still (i.e. being well-behaved) they are very likely in a pause state and are NOT learning Good teachers help boys stay in an active-learning mode Three things that turn the brain back on . . . incorporate these into learning environment 1. Spinning 2. Jumping 3. Yelling The male brain is overwhelmed by stimulation more quickly Boys have smaller auditory canals than girls Boys respond better to loud noises Talk louder to them Six times more girls sing in tune Males are better than females in bright lights Girls have better long term memory

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Language differences Communication among boys is 55 percent facial expressions, 38 percent voice tone and 7 percent voice alone Lectures are ineffective Showing is better than telling when possible On the average females produce more words than males Girls by age five have 5-7,000 words and boys have 3-5,000 words (adults need about 10K) Girls use words as they learn them Boys work silently Boys work out codes among themselves Boys relate language with action Use of space Boys tend to need more space when they learn Girls usually stay within a confined space Boys build tall and wide Boys move more objects in space Boys tend to be better at spatial relationships Testosterone Preschool boys can have up to five spikes an hour School-age boys can have up to seven spikes an hour Adolescent boys can have up to 10 spikes an hour During a spike, boys either engage in motor activity or get an erection Keep boys moving during learning experiences Feelings and emotions Boys process and release feelings in quick bursts of energy Males are wired to have delayed reactions to problems Boys project emotions to outside space Males feelings are expressed more physically Males can go into a cave state for protection Boys do not talk about their feelings Hodgins made a big point about this Seems like boys need good modeling here

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Bonding and attachment Bonding and attachment must occur before the age of five Roughhousing is essential for bonding We need to allow and facilitate this When girls complain (use complex verbal skills about boys behavior) he says, Get away from them! Youre going to get hurt unless you GET AWAY! He provides space in his classroom for boys to be aggressive Hugging, handshaking, back slapping, punching and pinching are modes of bonding Gun play, sword fighting and kicking games are not violent initiators Bossy kids are healthy kids Give choices that are powerful Dont offer a choice if it isnt real Would you like to sit here or there? vs. Would you like to take your seat now? Learning 98 percent of information we receive leaves within five minutes unless it is: REAL (how to get to the candy store vs. states and capitals) Tied to EMOTION (intentionally communicating emotion in teaching) RELEVANT (tie what they need to what they want) Movable objects are needed Power play Firm adults Time to solve problems Visual guidance Give visual commands Avoid abstractions Rule setting State a rule only if you can enforce it Give real choices Ask: Is it really that bad? State rule if they need it Guidelines for dealing with boys Provide regular opportunities for major motor movement during learning times Minimize rules (i.e. only rule = show respect) Use visual clues (signs, etc.) Give choices that are powerful Talk louder Use reward structures Transition quickly

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Temperamental teaching sins

June 24, 2010 Melancholy Refusal to have a main point Reluctance to get practical Overly complex thought-flow and wording Tries to be DEEP and cover EVERYTHING STRENGTH = Discerning, moved by content Phlegmatic Refusal to speak prophetically (challenge, apply) Boring! Lack of spiritual power Tries to be LIKED STRENGTH = Clear thinking Sanguine Refusal to work hard and suffer to learn and communicate Lack of structure Heat without light Tries to be ENJOYED STRENGTH = Fun and engaging Choleric Refusal to serve and support audience Lack of relational investment leads to dismissal of message Preachy and legalistic Ego involved instead of trusting Gods power Tries to be IMPRESSIVE STRENGTH = Prophetic message

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TIME

TEACHING FEEDBACK
Teacher: ________________________________ Date: _______________________________ Topic: __________________________________ Venue: ______________________________

Start End Total

MAIN POINT =
INTERPRETATION (main point of passage? accurate? context if necessary?):

THOUGHT DEVELOPMENT (emphasize main point? clear? extraneous material?):

ILLUSTRATION (linked to main point? relevant to audience?):

INTRODUCTION (concise? interesting? relevant?):

ANTITHESIS (opposite of main point? relevant to audience & culture?):

APPLICATION (specific? concrete? clear gospel?):

DELIVERY (tone fit content? relational connection? distractions? undefined terms? seeker-sensitive?):

OVERALL

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Feedback by: ______________________