Encouraging Bible Study Students and Teachers
The Christian walk can be compared to wartime strategy: In a battle, you attempt to sever the supply and communication lines. If you succeed, you will win the battle. How true! The Christian’s supply line is the Word of God and the communication line is Prayer. We are in a spiritual battle and if the enemy can keep us out of Bible study and out of prayer, we will not be effective Christians.
I have discovered there are as many reasons for not reading and studying the Bible as there are people. To some, the Bible is a big, intimidating, dry and boring book. Others believe you must be a great “scholar” or “theologian” before they can undertake a Bible study. The list of excuses goes on. However, the Bible is anything but boring! It is filled with stories of heroes, villains, adventure, romance, of courage and cowardice, powerful leaders and ordinary people. More importantly, the Bible has the answers to life’s most important questions. There is simply no book like it! A book that remains alive and fresh each time you read it! Therefore, as Sunday school teachers, our primary objective should be to eliminate excuses against Bible study and cultivate our student’s ability, excitement and desire for Bible study.
This semester’s Bible study for my class is the exciting Book of Acts. We have learned the history, customs, feasts of Israel and setting of the time so the people, places and events become real to us. Weekly I always point out some little “tidbit”, to spark their desire to dig in deeper on their own and see what God will reveal to them. I then introduce a Bible study tool or technique and demonstrate its use. Ultimately, my desire is that my students are equipped to dig in and find answers for themselves when some question is raised in their mind as they read scripture. Most importantly, I emphasize that we need to let the Bible interpret the Bible and be in prayer so the Holy Spirit can give us wisdom and understanding into the things we read and study. We do not always need to run off to a commentary or to the teacher for the “right” answer. It is much more important to see what God would show us from His Word today.
It seems like churches always suffer from a lack of people who are willing to teach Sunday school. It is so bad that some churches have abandoned this very important ministry. What I would like to share with all who read this essay is the great joy I receive as a teacher when I see the “light go on” in a student when they discover the rich treasure of God’s Word for themselves and God begins working in and through them! Or when I see a new confidence and excitement in someone when they begin to share their own thoughts about what they have studied. How wonderful it is to be able to be part of something significant and eternal in someone’s Christian walk! If we could all understand this joy, no longer would there be a lack of volunteers in our churches and our Sunday school classes would continue grow and multiply as we help equip the saints for the challenges of life.
Submitted by Larry Messer