Sep 25, 2020
- Why?: What is the one question that will turn your Bible lesson from informative to transformative?
- What?: Teaching is often considered a process of
instruction in knowledge or training in a new skill. When we teach
the Bible, we want to do more. We want people to be transformed by
the truths they learn from Scripture. Here at Teachers of the
Bible, we promote a 4-step process that is structured around
questions that we label: The Effective Four. The questions
we want to help our learners answer so that they will be
transformed are: Why? What? So What? So What Now?
The one question that advances most teachers from transmitters to transformers, that turns Bible lessons from information to transformation is: So What? We can show them the truth of a Bible passage, then we need to ask So What? In our book—Bible Teaching for Wisdom—we model lesson preparation using the opening verses in 1 John. The truth is summarized: "Real joy comes from real fellowship with the real Jesus." So What? What could the source of real joy mean to our lives today? This week? This year? The question—So What?—transforms the lesson by aiming to transform the learner, by pushing the learner to become wise. - So What?: All 4 of the The Effective Four questions are important to the lesson, but the weakness in many lessons is the one question: So What?
- So What Now?: Will you commit to moving on to that one question, the So What? If you do, your lesson will turn transformative and you will be living out your God-given role as a teacher of His truth.