week on their own. How the Bible is taught in class determines, to a large extent, the degree o f in terest the students will have in the Bible during the week. Suggest that teens look for an swers to questions as they study Bible portions. The fo llow in g questions may be asked when a Bible book is being studied: What can you discover about the author o f this book? Where was the book written? When was the book written? To whom was the book first sent? What problems in the lives of the immediate recipients o f the book made the book necessary? What are the peculiar and re peated words and phrases? What does the book teach about God? What is the main theme o f the book? What are some of the key verses of the book? What are some of the places within the book where major divisions o f thought seem to occur? How would you outline the book? What are some of the outstand ing chapters and paragraphs in the book? In studying a Bible chapter, paragraph in a chapter, or a single verse, the following ques tions may be asked : What is the theme? How may the contents be out lined ? What words and phrases need definition? What differences in wording do you note in other translations? What characters are referred to? What places are referred to? What was the purpose behind the inclusion o f this portion? What conclusions can be gained from this portion regarding what we should believe and how we should live? What do you consider to be the best verse? Are there any commands we should obey?
lum materials for youth which include units of study on Bible books, personalities, and topic prov ide a balanced scriptural diet. Guide youth in following the basic steps of inductive Bible study. Whether the B ib le is studied by books, paragraphs, verses, personalities, or topics, these steps should be followed, usually in this order: Observation — What does the Bible say? Interpretation — What does the Bible mean? Application — What does the Bible mean to me? Each Sunday school lesson should help young people discov er (not just hear, but discover for themselves) what the Bible is saying, how what is said is to be interpreted or understood, and how it relates to their lives. Provide weekly opportunities for Bible study beyond the Sun day school. The study of the Scriptures should be the primary purpose and function of the Sun day school. Of course a number of churches provide other Bible study opportunities for youth to supplement the Sunday school ministry. Many churches have re- leased-time classes once a week during school months for children and early teens. Several denomi nations have produced study ma terials for released-time classes (e.g., the Lutheran Church—Mis souri Synod, and the Southern Baptist Convention). Pastors’ in s t ru c t io n classes (called confirmation classes in Lutheran churches, and communi cants’ or catechism classes in some other churches) usually consist o f a series of studies for junior highs (sometimes juniors and senior highs too) on Satur day mornings or schoolday after noons. The courses may include a survey of Bible doctrines, a sur vey o f biblical history and/or de nominational church history. Midweek services can also give teens additional opportunity to study God’s Word. In an Illinois church, senior
Are there any promises we should claim? Are there any lessons we should remember? What errors o f living should we seek to avoid? Which words and phrases did you like best? Interest youth in studying Bi ble personalities. Young people will discover some answers to life’s problems as they see that Bible characters were confronted with similar problems. They will discover that the Bible does not set forth pat answers for all per sonal problems, but gives time less principles for living. Many of the answers to teen-age prob lems will be found as the. teacher guides the students in the study o f B ib le personalities. When studying a Bible character, en courage teens to look for answers to some of the following ques tions : What is the meaning o f the in dividual’s name? What is the ancestral back ground of this individual? What significant religious and secular crises occurred in his life? What advantages for personal development were enjoyed by this individual ? What traits of character were manifest? What important friends did this individual have? What important influences did this individual exert? What failures and faults oc curred in his life? What one main lesson in his life is of special value to you? What influence did the culture of the day and the location where he lived exert on this person? What important contributions were made by this individual? If this individual were in our present society, what might be his occupational status? Engage youth in studying vari ous topics in the Bible. For ex ample, young people can come to understand more about prayer by studying the prayers recorded in the Bible. Printed Sunday school curricu
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