I have been in conferences with good Sunday School teachers who owned no commentaries and who had no teacher or pupil books. The Bible and their experience was their literature. They are a reminder that the Bible should be our primary textbook. All else is man’s commentary.
In addition to the Bible, I do recommend that teachers gather some teaching resources. I recommend resources like a trusted commentary set, Bible dictionary, Bible concordance, Bible atlas, and a balanced teaching plan offered in most curriculum (literature like that offered by LifeWay Christian Resources). I also recommend having more than one translation of God’s Word.
It is amazing today how many resources are available on the internet. Some are great, some are good, and some are garbage. One that I recently stumbled upon can add to your Bible teaching resource arsenal. It is A Learning Bible Resource from a trusted source, the American Bible Society. According to the website, “These articles are drawn from the American Bible Society’s Learning Bible and will help you learn about the people, places, practices, culture, and beliefs in Biblical times.”
There are articles in the Behind the Stories section that include articles like How the Bible Came to Us, Archaeology and the Bible, After the Exile: God’s People Return to Judea, and The World of Jesus: Peoples, Powers, and Politics. In the People and Nations section, there are articles about Abraham, David, Herod the Great, Pontius Pilate, and many more. In the History and Culture section, there are articles about Agreements (Covenants), Birthright, Moneychanging in the Temple, Temple Offerings, and much more. In addition, there are sections about Geography; Objects, Plants, and Animals; and Ideas and Concepts.
These articles can make enjoyable leisure reading, but they can also add to your study and preparation for your next lesson. Make sure to bookmark the webpage: http://www.bibles.com/brcpages/alearningbible. Have you found other great web or print resources that you’d like to recommend to other teachers, directors, and pastors? Press the comments button below and share the resource name, author, cost (if you remember), and what you like about the resource.
Pray. Study. Give God your best. Be revolutionary!
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