Equipping God’s People For Effective Service

Equipping God’s People For Effective Service

....Fulfilling God’s Purpose For Teachers

Teacher Training Lesson Four Phil Benedict

Tahlequah, Oklahoma

United Indian Mission

Greeley, Colorado

Teaching Bible Stories

People love stories and the Bible is full of true stories. Much of the Old Testament, the four gospels, and the book of Acts are stories. These stories are part of the inspired Word of God. They are not included in Scripture by accident. God put them there and He has a purpose for there being included in Scripture. In every story there is some God given truth or truths to be learned or reinforced in our mind. These truths can be applied to our own lives and to the lives of those we teach.

In the teaching program of the church, story telling is probably the primary method of teaching in preschool through the sixth grade. It is still an important method of teaching youth and adults. To be a good teacher of any age group, we need to practice being a good story teller.

Jesus was a master teacher and He was a master story teller. He recognized the value of telling stories to teach spiritual truth. We call his stories parables. There are parables recorded throughout the four gospels.

We are going to listen to a tape on story telling made by Ethel Barrett many years ago. The tape is not good quality so you will need to listen carefully. Following are notes to help you follow what is being said.

Story telling is taking a written story and bringing it to life.

Almost anyone can learn to be a good story teller.

Don’t rely on a gift of gab.

Use expression when telling a story.

Example: Boy quoting the following four lines of poetry from "The Village Blacksmith"

His hair was thick and black and long,

His face was like a tan.

He looks the whole world in the face

For he owes not any man.

People who like people are the best story tellers.

Three ingredients to story telling:

1. You

Kids like attractive people who are alive with life.

Women. Don’t wear a hat when teaching young children. It makes you appear less motherly.

Use good posture, stand or sit up straight.

2. Your story

A. Introduction should not overpower the body of the story. It is a promise of something to look forward to.

B. Dramatize a part of the story. Examples "Holy War" by John Bunyan Elijah

C. Body of story. Begin at the beginning and stop at the end. Tell in an orderly manner after good preparation.

3. Application

May be at the end or woven throughout the story. Be enthusiastic when giving the application. It is the most important part.

When telling a story, be enthuiastic. Enthusiasm is not noise; it is an attitude.

Quiet people can be enthusiastic. Many people will never be reached except by a quiet person.

Don’t just state a fact if you can bring that fact to life.

Example: Russell Conwell practicing his music

Always have the heart of an amateur. Always be thankful you have the privilege of teaching.

Preparing to Teach a Bible Story

Bible stories are a tremendous source of learning and encouragement. We learn much about God. What is He like? How does He act and feel? How can I please Him? How can I help my children to walk with God? Where do I go when I need encouragement?

Here are some suggestions to help you learn from a Bible story.

1. Read the story several times.

2. As you read ask God for understanding and insight.

3. Ask yourself some questions about the story. There are some questions you might want to use in this lesson.

4. Spend some time thinking about the story. This is important. We get so busy we don’t take time to think.

5. Look for things in the story that you need to put into practice.

Questions you can ask about a Bible story. Every question may not be appropriate for every story.

1. Who are the main people in the story?

2. Who were they? A king, a prophet, a soldier, a wife, a husband, a child, others, or ??????.

3. What happened in the story?

4. How did someone trust or obey God?

5. How did someone not trust or not obey God?

6. What were the results?

7. What can we learn about God from this story?

8. What situations do adults face that can be helped by truths learned from this story?

9. What situations do youths face that can be helped by truths learned from this story?

10. What situations do children face that can be helped by truths learned from this story?

11. What encouragement can we get from this story?

12. What kind principles to live by can we find in this story?

13. What is there in this story that I need to put into practice?

When you have progressed this far, now decide which of these Biblical truths need to be emphasized in your class. Remember, we are not telling the story to entertain, but instead to teach Biblical truth.

September, 2003