Bible Study Curriculum- Make It New
In our bible study curriculum class we are working through a study on the fruits of the Spirit. I will be honest. The first thought that came to my mind was, “Hasn’t this been done already?” If we were honest we all have felt this way at one point or another with some study. But this is unfortunate. All scripture is God breathed and is fresh and new each time we read it. We need to view it this way and regardless of the topic we need to find a way to make the truth in it new and fresh for us. We then need to do the same thing for the people in our group who are in the same boat we are. This way you are all continuing to learn and grow and your faith is not becoming stale. Plus, there will be people in your group, new Christians, who these truths literally will be new for and you do not want them to miss out on the joy of hearing them in their full glory. So regardless of the topic, study, learn, and teach it like it is completely brand new.
Bible Study Curriculum- Is It Really A Problem?
As teachers of bible study curriculum we have a lot on our plate. We have things that we must do, things that are expected of us, and things that we would like to and hope to accomplish. Because of all this sometimes we do not accomplish what we expected or what is expected of us. This then leads to frusttration setting in. I have been right there with you. But I have begun to ask myself a question and I want you to begin to ask yourself this question also. Is it really a problem? Here is what I mean. First of all, is the issue really worth being frustrated over. Some things are trivial and not worth stressing out about. The other thing I want you to think about is do you have to be frustrated? For example, I was struggling with doing all my home responsibilities, getting my work out in, taking care of my kids, and taking care of my bible study teaching role and I begin to get frustrated. But then I began to reevaulate and realized that by getting up earlier and being a little more disciplined I could easily get everything done and more. So I encourage you, before you get frustrated or feel you have a problem, think thorugh is there something you can do or a mindset you can change that will make your problem “go away.”
Bible Study Curriculum- Morning People
As teachers of bible study curriculum we are all unique. This includes the fact that some of us are morning people and others are night time people. I have also mentioned before I believe that I am definitely a morning person. I also want to encourage you to be one too. You may think that you cannot or you were not designed to be, but I used to be the same way. It took time and discipline but eventually I changed. The reason I feel that being a morning person is important is because there is something powerful about the sunrise. There is something powerful about getting up in the quiet and seeing the day begin. I cannot begin to tell you the many spiritual insights you can receive and the wonderful conversations you can have with God. Yes you can have these at night too and should, but believe me, there is something powerful about the morning.
Bible Study Curriculum- Staying Connected
One of the keys to being an effective teacher of bible study curriculum is staying connected to people living real life and who have real hurts and needs. Too many teachers, writers, and speakers stay on the stage or in their offices and never actually make contact with people. This removes power and effectiveness from their teaching as they are not able to empathize with those they teach and make sure that they share truth that speaks into the lives of each member of their group. You need to evaluate your life and decide if you are one of these people? Are you out there doing real ministry or are you cooped up in your office or study all day? If you fall into the latter category you need to make this wrong right. Get out there and do actual ministry. Meet people where their needs are. Do what it takes to stay connected to the world around you.
[adultbiblestudycurriculum] Re: Bible Study Curriculum- Putting the Work in
Our new bible study curriculum follow is almost here. It is in the final stages of artwork and packaging and then it will be ready to go. I encourage you to keep checking the site or sign up for our newsletter so that you can be one of the first people to receive a new sample of our study. It is a wonderful eighteen week study about what it truly means to be a follower of Christ. Too many of our churches are full of people who claim to believe in Jesus while not truly following Him. We have been called to lives of obedience and action and I believe this study will begin pushing you and your church in that direction. I am really proud of this study. I also know that if you want your small groups to be challenged, if you want to see your church challenged, see it grow, and see your world changed, this is the study for you.
Bible Study Curriculum- Putting the Work in
As a teacher of bible study curriculum you need to make sure that you are putting the necessary work in for your teaching to be powerful and effective. You want to make sure that you are putting the work in it takes for your group to grow and for the members in your group to experience life change. You also want to put the work in to ensure that the members of your group are taking that life change and sharing it with the world around them so that others can experience life change too. Even if this is a volunteer position for you it does not mean you can play this role half way. That is not Christlike. You need to go all out and above and beyond the call of duty in order to fill this role in a manner that honors God. This means studying as much as needed. This means taking time for prayer. This means getting out and serving with your group and building relationships with them. This means doing whatever it takes to see God’s work done. Do not be a teacher who just shows up and teaches. Be one who plays whatever role is needed for the members of your group to experience life change and become life changers.
Bible Study Curriculum- Band For Your Buck
Most bible study curriculum lessons usually have a single focus that each lesson is geared to sommunicate. This is good because there is only so much that we can communicate in the time that we have and there is only so much that the members of our small group can learn in a given week. But sometimes there are little lessons and extra truths that can and need to be shared in a lesson. Sometimes these will become obvious as you study the lessons. Sometimes they will come up naturally through conversations in the lesson. Either way I encourage you to take the opportunity to teach those little extra lessons and truths so that you and the members of your small group get more bang for your buck out of the the lesson. Plus you will have the opportunity to meet the needs of more people that come and visit your small group.
Bible Study Curriculum- Sunday or Monday Focused?
Most of us teach our bible study curriculum on Sunday mornings. There is nothing wrong with that. My question though is where does that teaching bring the focus of the members of your group to. It is it to Sunday or Monday? Many churches and small groups teach and minister in such a way to make sure that people think their lives are all about being at church and attending and nothing else. So everything they do and say is about coming to church and bringing others to church. There are good important things in that but our lives happen everyday of the week. Therefore truly effective teaching should help people focus on how they can live on Monday morning and beyond. We have to step out and realize that life is not just about coming to church but instead about being the church in our community each and everyday. We need to begin to live this out and then make sure that our teaching follows along accordingly. Then we will be able to see great transformation in our lives, the lives of those we teach, and in our community.
Bible Study Curriculum- Fighting the lull
As teachers of bible study curriculum we have ups and downs just like everyone else. Those downs can especially come this time of year. I am a firm beliver that seasonal effective disorder is a real thing. Ths is the phenomenon where peoples are moods are effected based on the seasons. This is most often talked about in the winter time when people deal with depression like symptoms because of the cold and lack of sunlight. I believe that this also happens in the summer although quite differently. In the summer there is the tendency to want to relax and slow down. There is no room for this in the Christian life though. We must fight through this tendency. Instead we mus pray harder and look for more ways to serve. We must look for accountabillity that will push us to do what we are called to do. I have set this many times recently but it is because I believe it is important. Summer is an opportunity for great things to happen because every day we are given is a gift from God. Let’s make sure we don’t way these days. Do what you must do to fight the lull and live out what you have been called to.
Bible Study Curriculum- Thinking Ahead
When you are teaching bible study curriculum you need to think ahead. Yes we need to live in the moment and enjoy life but we always need to be trying to be visionary and thinking about where God might be leading us and the members of your group. If you merely think about the present you may miss out on the needs of your group. Then when you finally become aware of them it may be too late. There is a delicate balance of course. Again, if you are always thinking ahead as a leader people will eventually get annoyed and exhausted and you might seem distant and disconnected. If you think too much in the present though your ministry might seem irrelevant. So keep a balance but be a visionary leader and think ahead. This way you can truly lead your small group where God wants you to be.
