What if the point of last week’s lesson was application? What if the goal of your teaching was that attenders would respond to the lesson? Are you expecting them to return with stories about how they lived out the truth of God’s Word? What would you do differently (in preparation and in presentation)?
Practice does not make perfect. Practice simply makes permanent. But right practice can point toward perfect. When we only talk about application, we apparently don’t really desire lives to change. God does! How can you adjust your preparation so your presentation demonstrates your expectation for application?
Preparation for Application
Picture the point. Listen in the Bible passage for what God is saying to you. What is the lesson about? What is the point or the key truth God is communicating in the assigned passage? How do you need to adjust your life to what God is saying? What do you as teacher and your members need to do as a result?
Practice application. What method could you use that would reinforce the truth and its importance? How could you lead the group to practice even a portion of application during class time? Does this practice have to happen during class time?
Plan accountability. How could you lead them to encourage and challenge one another to obey? Could the group get in pairs and call, email, or text one another during the week? Could you send out a mass text, email, or social media post?
Plan follow up. When you gather again, plan to ask how they did at living out the truth of last week’s lesson. Be prepared to lead off by sharing your experience of obedience. You might seed the process by asking a couple of members to prepare to share their testimony of obedience.
Persistently return. Help your class understand you are serious by planning accountability for every lesson. Ask every week how they did at living it out. Make disciples. Be revolutionary!
Photo by Tyson Dudley on Unsplash
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