Oct 16, 2020
- Why?: How and why might you teach a lesson using only lecture as your method?
- What?: There are a number of reasons you might teach
using only lecture for a particular lesson. Your time may be very
limited and you want control the flow so that you get through the
entire lesson. Lecture allows you to do that. Your group of
learners may be very large and in a confined space. Lecture allows
you teach them where they are. The point is that there ARE
legitimate reasons for using lecture as your method. Arguments
against a lecture format in a class are typically arguments against
the teacher rather than the method. Some people just aren't good
lecturers. So how might you lecture? Considering the first four
verses of John's first epistle, here's one way I've used lecture to
help learners answer The Effective Four questions—Why?
What? So What? So What Now? My teaching idea from 1 John,
chapter 1, verses 1-4 is that Real joy comes from real fellowship
with the real Jesus. My affective aim is that The learner will
desire real joy as a member of Christ's body.
I draw them in by asking a rhetorical question: "Why can't Christians just get along?" This is my Why? Then as I transition into the text, I explain how doctrine divides today just like doctrine divided the early church that wrestled over the truth that Jesus is 100% God and 100% man.
Then I help them answer the What? question; what is the truth in the verses? Here I walk through the verses and show them the teaching idea: Real joy in v. 4 comes from real fellowship in v. 3 with the real Jesus, who is described in the first verses. Then the biggest question: So What? So What difference does that truth make to our life as the church? What might we do to be in fellowship with the real Jesus so that we can experience the joy of His body, the church? I present possibilities that may even raise other options as they think about answering the question. Then I end with the So What Now? I ask them to commit to doing something that had been suggested or something they thought of themselves. Even getting mental agreement by asking "Will you commit?" primes them for transformation. - So What?: Teachers are divided arguing for or against lecture in a Bible class. Considering the fact that the central teaching event in the church—the sermon—is typically a lecture format, there seems to be good grounds for having lecture in your skill set. The problem is that not every teacher is a good lecturer.
- So What Now?: If you're going to use lecture, even occasionally, will you commit to lecturing with excellence? Grab their attention in the first few moments and hold it until you get them to commit to transformation.