Use of these Online Sunday School Lessons:
To
the left are links to online Bible study lesson plans that I have prepared
and will be teaching from. The teaching style used is an interactive or
discussion style. The lesson poses questions which guide the learners to
determine what the Scriptures say, what they mean, and then how it should be
changing their lives. PowerPoint
slides are now available which are designed to visually display the
scripture passages and the discussion questions. These are free Sunday School Lessons which you
may download and use as is or use as a resource to help you in your teaching
ministry.
Each
lesson begins with a "Motivation" or "Hook"
section. This is a question which is usually of the "brain
storming" variety. Its purpose is to get learners thinking along
the line of the lesson topic and to raise interest in the subject. This
section is followed by a "transition" which brings together the
motivation question and announces exactly what the lesson covers.
The
Bible Study portion proceeds through each of the three or four scripture
passages. I am a firm believer that when a Bible lesson is taught or
preached, listener/learners should be looking at three things; what the
Bible says, what it means, and how will they live differently as a result of
the Truth encountered.
These
elements are stressed in the "Let's Teach" online course.
The
"Book"
The
"Look"
The
"Took"
To
that end, I like to use questions which lead the learner through those three
steps. You will notice that for each question stated, a series of
possible answers are given in the lesson. Lawyers know that you should
never ask a question in court for which you do not know the answer and the
same thing applies in this context. The teacher should give some
thought to the kinds of answers he/she is expecting ... all for the purpose
of directing the thinking of the learners.
Generally
the teacher should accept (just about) any answer learners give.
Sometimes hints or guidance can be given as to the direction you are taking
them. My classes often accuse me of giving them "Guess what the
teacher is thinking" questions -- usually they are right. That's
when I give the hints or maybe even end up giving them my answer
Occasionally
a two column table is part of the answers. This is usually a
contrast/comparison exercise. Use your judgment as to when it is
helpful to record answers to questions on a chalkboard or whiteboard or
overhead projector transparency.
The
last portion of the lesson is applications. These are specific actions
which learners might be expected to take as a result of applying that
Sunday's lesson.
Comments on Preparation
I
believe that both cheap hand guns and Bible study lessons which are
"Saturday Night Specials" tend to blow up in your face. A
lesson is intended to communicate Spiritual principles and concepts to
learners. It takes time for these to become absorbed and correctly arranged
in the mind and heart of the teacher who will facilitate that communication.
Thus,
I feel that I must read multiple resources in small increments starting on
Monday or Tuesday. Then when I sit down at the computer to put together
the lesson at the end of the week, I have a much better idea of what the
lesson entails. If you find these lessons useful, I believe you will be
most effective if you spend a little time each day reading and studying the
background material provided for teachers.
Join others for an
interactive teacher training experience entitled "Let's
Teach". View web page lessons and discover new resources