TIPS ON TEACHING A BIBLE CLASS
Color and Black White: 30 minâtes
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By BERTHA BREEZE
VOICE FROM THE SKY —Black and White only; 20 minutes
Y OUNG people of today! How can we interest them in spiritual things and hold them as active members in the church when th,e world is so alluring and they have but one short span of life to enjoy? The teacher of the college or young married people’s class must realize that she has a most difficult task to accom plish. While the flame of youth cannot be' quenched, if it is turned into the proper channel, linked with the divine power of the Omnipotent, it may burn for God under the power of the Holy Spirit. A harvest of souls can be the result! With this challenge, that the class comprises the future leaders of the church, the teacher has an opportunity that is excelled only by its responsibil ity. Bearing in mind that one cannot lift another above his own level, the teacher must realize that the position calls for more than an elementary knowledge of God’s Word. The Old Tes tament especially may become dull if invariably presented as a series of Biblical events rather than the great theme of God’s redeeming grace. Lack of practical application is fatal. A rea sonable answer to the many questions involved in the study of God’s great plan of the ages assures success in any class, young or old. The lethargy that has lulled the Christian into a complacent indifference is like an ocean voyage on which the passengers have taken for granted that their journey must be one of ease and comfort because of a prepaid ticket. So they relax without the slightest desire to understand the mechanism of the great ship which conveys them and the power by which it is driven. Resting securely in the fact that the captain has accepted them as passengers, they have no sense of responsibility. The great ocean becomes their cradle and they are unaware of the treacherous depths over which they glide. With the crew it is different; while working un der the command of the captain, each has a task which requires more than a mediocre knowledge of the nature of the great ship and the paths of the sea. Co workers with the captain, they become worthy seamen as they study their course and learn to combat the dangers of navigation. Likewise the Christian voyage: Co workers together with Him, we must study to show ourselves approved unto God, workmen who need not to be
ashamed, as we rightly divide the word of truth. Wisdom in dividing the Bible is an essential part of the teacher’s equip ment. Proper division engenders clarity and simplicity in the study of the book which the opponents of truth declare to be incompatible to reason. It magnifies the glorious gospel of the grace of God; it inspires the student’s mind as he sees the revelation from Genesis to Revela tion fall into a vivid picture of grace and redemption, embellished with the love of an understanding God. It creates a desire for personal soul-winning, and as it becomes prolific in effect, the en thusiasm it inspires testifies to its effi ciency. The Holy Spirit and the Word of God work together. If separated, neither can accomplish the Lord’s work. Men may know much Scripture and be unmoved by it. On the other hand, some Chris tians think that a personal and method ical study of the Bible is unimportant. They are among countless numbers of “ spoon-fed” Christians, who have be come ' narrowly moulded into religious customs, having as their only authority the views of others. As the teacher impresses her class with the importance of systematic Bible study, attendance will increase. The stronger the stimulus, the greater the reaction which finally culminates into the response that brings forth fruit for God. Then it is that the Holy Spirit has the freedom to exercise the right that is His. He whose nature is adverse to coercion is willing and able to lead all who will be guided by His infallible hand into a deeper knowledge of God to become stronger in character, power and influence. While the social part of the young people’s class is not to be overlooked, we should be very careful that it does not usurp the spiritual. The program designed for God, if over-seasoned with the ways of the world, becomes negative in its effect. The teacher who would know the joy of winning souls to Christ and of build ing up believers in the faith once deliv ered to the saints, is one who will make Christ the central theme and God’s grace the circumference of his teaching. If we honor God’s Word and teach it unabridged and unadulterated, He will honor our particular church or class and we will have more members than we have room for, and best of all, they will be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.
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