The Basics of Teaching

Good Practice

1. PURPOSEFUL TEACHING
1. Have a Purpose.
1. One of the biggest mistakes of any teacher or preacher is the lack of purpose in their teaching/preaching.
2. Before teaching on any subject matter, the teacher needs to ask the question, “Is there a purpose for teaching this lesson?”
3. Consider the Lord’s teaching in Matthew 6 – Did He have a purpose for teaching these things?
1. On giving (Matthew 6:1-4)
2. On prayer (Matthew 6:5-15)
3. On fasting (Matthew 6:16-18)
2. Know the Purpose.
1. This goes hand in hand with having a purpose. Once you know that you have a purpose for teaching a particular subject, it should immediately follow that you know what the purpose is.
2. If the teacher/preacher does not know the purpose of the lesson, how can the hearer be expected to grasp it?
3. Consider the Lord’s teaching in Matthew 6 – What was the Lord’s purpose in each section?
1. On giving (Matthew 6:1-4)
2. On prayer (Matthew 6:5-15)
3. On fasting (Matthew 6:16-18)
3. Accomplish the Purpose.
1. Once the teacher determines the purpose of the lesson, every effort should be placed into accomplishing the purpose.
2. It will generally take time to determine whether or not the purpose has been accomplished.
3. There are many indicators that people look for in this situation and most of them are faulty.
1. Attention from the hearers
2. Praise from the hearers
3. Immediate action by the hearers
2. RELEVANT TEACHING
1. Teach the Bible.
1. Great teachers/preachers use the Book.
1. The teachers and preachers in the Bible are known for teaching/preaching the words of God.
2. The only source of help that we can truly offer people is to instruct them in what “thus saith the Lord.”
2. The Spirit of God uses the Book.
1. We know from the word of God that the Holy Spirit is the teacher (Nehemiah 9:20; John 14:26; 1 Corinthians 2:13).
2. We know that the Holy Spirit’s weapon of choice is a sword, and that sword is the word of God (Hebrews 4:12; Ephesians 6:17).
3. To use anything else would be like sending a soldier into battle without an offensive weapon and asking him to wipe out an entire army.
2. Make It Relevant.
1. One of the cries of Bible critics is that it is no longer relevant.
2. A great deal of this can be blamed on those who teach and preach the Bible who fail to show the hearers its relevance.
3. The beauty of a Bible written by God is that its use is not limited to the past, present or future, but will in every age be just as useful.
4. Examples
1. Lessons from the storms of life (Matthew 8:23-27; Mark 4:35-41; Luke 8:22-25)
1. The reasons we go through storms
1. God sends storms to draw us close to Him.
2. Satan attacks with the permission of God (Job 1:12; Job 2:6).
3. Troubles are part of life (Job 14:1-2; Job 5:7).
2. Storms give a better revelation of us.
1. The disciples were sailing just fine on their own during the calm – “but as they sailed He fell asleep” (Luke 8:23).
2. The storm came and was causing problems but the disciples were still trying to do it own their own – “they were filled with water” (Luke 8:23).
3. When the waves filled the boat and they were in trouble, they turned to Him – “they came to him” (Luke 8:24).
3. Storms demonstrate the faithfulness of God.
1. When the sea was calm and the disciples were sailing, they gave no thought to the fact that the Lord was keeping the seas calm.
2. When the storm got out of control, the disciples were able to see that Jesus was faithful to calm it.
4. Storms give us a better revelation of Christ.
1. The disciples apparently did not know that the wind and the water had to obey Jesus (Luke 8:25).
2. This showed them a side of Jesus that they could not have seen without the storm.
3. Those who were not in the storm had no idea what Jesus could do.
4. This event proved Jesus Christ to be God (Psalm 65:5-7).
5. This event showed that Jesus comes to the aid of His own – “he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water” (Luke 8:24) (See Psalm 78:65-66) (Daniel 3:23-27).
2. The battle to go forward (Genesis 19:1-16)
1. Reasons for looking back
1. Lot’s childhood
1. Loss of family
1. Father first- Haran (Genesis 11:28)
2. Grandfather next- Terah (Genesis 11:32)
2. Land travelled
1. Ur to Haran (Genesis 11:31)
2. Haran to Canaan (Genesis 12:5)
3. Canaan to Egypt and back (Genesis 12:10; Genesis 13:1)
2. Leaving family
1. Sons (Genesis 19:12)
2. Daughters in his house (Genesis 19:8)
3. Daughters that were married (Genesis 19:14)
4. Sons-in-law (Genesis 19:14)
3. Leaving stability (A position of authority and judgment)
1. Position (Genesis 19:1)
2. Economy (Luke 17:28; Ezekiel 16:49)
4. Leaving comfort
1. Home - It seems that Lot was no longer living out of the tent, but that he had a house.
2. Garden - More than likely Lot and his family had some sort of garden to aid in their food supply.
3. Friends and neighbors - When Lot came out of the door to address the men, he called them brethren.
5. Leaving attraction - Apparently the place where they lived was a beautiful place (Genesis 13:10).
2. Reasons for not looking back
1. God’s word (Genesis 19:17)
2. God’s plan (Genesis 19:22)
3. God’s judgment (Genesis 19:12-13)
3. Results of looking back
1. Judgment (Genesis 19:26)
2. More sin (Genesis 19:31-36)
3. ORGANIZED TEACHING
1. The Use of Outlines
1. Outlines help the teacher to know the focus of the lesson.
2. Outlines help the teacher go in order.
2. Make It Flow.
1. Start somewhere.
2. Move to the next points smoothly.
3. Have a destination.