Friday, November 11, 2011

Bible Study & Teaching Worksheet

Someone said we should treat our Bibles like our cell phones. Just think, we'd carry them around with us everywhere. We'd flip them open throughout the day. We'd use them to receive important messages. We'd feel incomplete without them.

The Bible is a precious gift from God, more valuable than the latest generation smart phone. It is sweeter than honey and more desirable than gold (Psalm 19:10). Yet sadly, many Christians spend little or no time reading their Bibles. How can this be?

Perhaps it's a lack of self-discipline (if that's the case, then try turning off the TV or setting your alarm 15 minutes earlier). But for others, perhaps it's a lack of direction.

I believe there are a lot of Christians (and even teachers) who simply do not know what to study or how to study the Bible. They're intimidated by such a big book written long ago, so they just rely on the Sunday preacher to feed them and get them through the week. They're like grown adults who have a fully stocked kitchen, but since they never learned to cook, they just go out to eat whenever they're hungry.

Let's break this cycle! If you'd like to learn how to study the Bible for yourself, or how to prepare a Bible study to lead others, here is a simple Bible Study & Teaching Worksheet. It explains the Bible Study process in four steps:
  • Supplication - humbly ask God for guidance
  • Observation- carefully examine the text
  • Interpretation - use your own investigative skills plus a few good commentaries
  • Application - use the SPECK method to become a doer of the Word
Plus, here are two more steps for those preparing to teach or preach:
  • Preparation - craft your lesson with good questions and a clear outline
  • Proclamation - engage your audience and speak God's Word with authority
The worksheet spells out all the steps and provides a suggested schedule if you had only four hours to prepare a lesson from start to finish. You can download it here. Hope you find it helpful.
Photo credit: RafeB

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Truth & Grace Memory Books

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A couple weeks ago, I preached from Deuteronomy 6 that we must “teach our children diligently” the gospel of Jesus Christ. We know we have a duty to raise our kids up in the nurture and discipline of the Lord, but let’s face it, we’re not always sure where to start. Plus, life is busy and chaotic.

We won’t ever find extra time to train up our kids spiritually. We must deliberately make time in our family schedule.

One tool that could help you disciple your kids is the Truth & Grace Memory Book series by Founders Press. They are a simple guide for parents with Bible Memory verses, hymns, and catechism questions.

We have used these books some in our own home, and highly recommend them. There are three books in the series…

  • Book 1 – for ages 2 through 4th grade
  • Book 2 – for grades 5 through 8
  • Book 3 – for grade 9 through 12

Best of all, these books have just been released digitally. For a limited time, you can buy them on sale for only $.99 each. The ePUB and mobi editions will integrate seamlessly with your iPad, Kindle, PC, or smartphone so you can take them with you wherever you go.

Here’s the link to the digital editions. Or, the paper edition is still a great buy for only $5.25 here. It’s a small price to pay to make an eternal impact on our children.

New Blog

Today I'm closing up shop and launching a new blog called Pinch of Clay. You can visit it by clicking here . Please stop by and...