Which Teaching Source Do You Use?

Here is another essay I wrote addressing the four sources of a communicator's message and which one I draw from the most when preparing messages. So my essay makes sense, here is a brief description of each:

1. Tradition: Bible truths
2. Observation: Needs of the students
3. Participation: Experiences of the teacher
4. Inspiration: Direction of the Holy Spirt

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            Of the four sources given: Tradition, Observation, Participation and Inspiration, I tend to use the Observation source the most. I fully believe that any message must contain elements of all these sources but I find myself asking, for the most part, the five questions that Andy Stanley asks in his book Communicating for a Change:

1.     What do they need to know?

2.     Why do they need to know it?

3.     What do they need to do?

4.     Why do they need to do it?

5.     How can I help them remember? (Stanley 2006, 186-190)

I can’t say that have always asked them in the same manner as Stanley does but I almost always start with “What do they need to know?” and “What does God want them to know?” That leads me to the second source that I feel is equally important: Inspiration. Standing up on Sunday morning and preaching a message that we like or are comfortable with may reach and touch the lives of some but how many have we neglected by not searching for what they need and for what God has for them?

I have had the privilege to teach kids at all ages in church. The age group that I feel drawn to is the 4^th – 6^th graders because they are at that age where they are old enough to understand biblical principles and young enough to enact change with little resistance. So I ask myself, “What is it these kids need to know to help them grow?” I kill two birds with one stone here because that question is asked to God; hence, the Inspiration source is tapped from as well.

Teaching a message that challenges someone to change some part of their life is vital and giving them something tangible that they can apply, helps them achieve that goal. That is why it is important to get to know the people you are teaching especially if it is on a recurring basis. Obviously this is difficult to do with a large congregation but still possible at some levels. I have spent time preaching and teaching in adult settings such as Sunday mornings, mid-week studies and youth groups but the majority of messages I prepare are for kids in the aforementioned grades. Getting to know them personally allows me to understand their needs and recognize the areas of their life that God’s Word can help change. By showing an interest in their life also establishes credibility with them because after all, if we don’t really care about them, why are we there?

Earlier I mentioned that Observation and Inspiration were the top two sources in my list but I also have to mention how I use the other two as well. Whatever message I prepare has to be grounded in the Word of God. The Bible is our source of information and a manual for life. Every message and precept taught has to be backed up and supported by God’s Word. The final source, Participation, is important but, in my opinion, needs to be limited when teaching kids because the last thing they want to hear for 30 minutes is “When I was your age…” With adults, it is different because you are sharing a life experience that they may relate to or may be currently experiencing but in my ministry with kids, I use it sparingly. I mostly use it to point out where I failed when I was younger and to illustrate a warning for them to not imitate that behavior.

In conclusion, while each message should draw from all four sources, observing the needs of the students/audience is most important to then be followed up with inspiration from God as to what message He has for them to meet those needs. To repeat the question I asked earlier, “If we don’t really care about them, why are we there?”

Why God Chose Ezra by: Mike Florant

This is an essay I just wrote for school after reading a chapter in a book called Go Make Disciples by Dr. Michael Mitchell
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God chose Ezra to bring spiritual reform to Israel because he “had set his heart to study the Law of the Lord, and to do it and to teach his statutes and rules in Israel.” (Ezra 7:10 English Standard Version).  The preceding verse indicates the result of his devotion was God’s hand being upon him (Mitchell, 2).

Ezra sets an example for all pastors, teachers, leaders and disciples of Christ. As pointed out by Dr. Mitchell, Ezra devoted himself to the study, practice and teaching of God’s Word. The words used for “set his heart” can mean, “to appoint one’s soul.” Ezra knew his purpose was to study, live and teach God’s Law to the point that it was his life’s mission and “soul” purpose. As Matthew Henry stated, “If he was raised up of God, and qualified and inclined to do this, all generations have reason to call him blessed, and to bless God for him” (Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible, Ezra 7:1-10).

Ezra also possessed a reputation among his peers as a student of the Law as evidenced by his commission from King Artaxerxes in Ezra 7 to travel to Israel to be a teacher of God's Word. If we desire to teach God’s Word then we must aspire to live a life that is a reflection of Christ and is proven to represent the principles that we are teaching. Knowledge of God’s Word is not enough; it needs to be visible in our lives (Mitchell, 5). James 1:22 tells us to “be doers of the word, and not merely hearers.” This was a principle that Ezra apparently lived by.

Ezra was chosen not only because he studied God’s Word and made it part of his life, but because he took on the responsibility to teach what he knew (Mitchell, 8). He was obviously a gifted speaker to have preached to and maintained an audience for over half the day as stated in Nehemiah 8. Ezra used the gifts that God had given him to teach God’s Word in a way the people could understand and apply to their lives (Mitchell, 9).

In conclusion, Ezra’s deep devotion to the study of God’s Word, the observance of it in his own life and the desire and dedication to teach others allowed him to be used mightily by God. If we want God to use us in a similar manner then we must apply these same three principles in our lives and follow the example that Ezra has set for us. Proverbs 2 encourages us to have a desire for understanding and to actively search for knowledge. First we must learn it and then apply it so we can “walk in the way of the good and keep to the paths of the righteous” (Proverbs 2:20 ESV). Then we are to take that knowledge and our experiences with Christ to others so they may know and benefit from God’s Word as well.