Teaching Tips

Teaching Tips

Prepare Yourself:

  1. Beg God to guide you by the Holy Spirit.  (John 14:6; 15:26; 16:13-15)  When you find yourself unsure or confused by a passage of Scripture, ask the Holy Spirit for help and keep studying! 
  2. Beg God for an open, soft, and obedient heart.  (John 14:15; 21; 15:10; Matt. 7:24)   Come to your personal study and preparation time committed to obeying and willing to change.  Give the Holy Spirit a teachable heart! 
  3. Beg God for a willingness to persevere, work hard, and use your time wisely in your preparation.  The more time you saturate yourself with a lesson the more the Holy Spirit has time to teach you! (John 5:39; 2 Tim. 2:15)

Prepare Your Material:

  1. Make the lesson a part of you.  Combine the Teachers Edition with other resources to fill your heart and head with the lesson.  Ask God for a passion and burden to communicate truth that others would be challenged and grow in their faith. 
  2. Make full use of Ladies Studying Jesus resources.
    • Copy the student worksheets.  I have found worksheets help listeners stay focused.  They are full of the Scripture being discussed and highlight interesting facts, problematic words, and always include a “Believer’s Application” section. 
    • Copy the student homework. I have found homework help the listeners stay engaged from week to week.  Encourage your listeners to use the homework as part of their personal devotional time.  But be quick to add they should never miss Bible study if their homework is not completed!   Don’t hesitate to adjust the given homework for your group.

Prepare Your Group:

  1. Meet consistently – I have observed the biggest downfall to ladies Bible studies is inconsistency.  Your desire as a teacher should be discipleship.  A consistent, weekly time around the Scripture will be a large part of meeting this goal.  I highly suggest scheduling your Bible study from September through May.  Our study takes off a couple weeks at Christmas, 1 week for Thanksgiving and Spring break.  Lastly, be very slow in canceling Bible study.
  2.  Meet without distractions – I love fellowship but too much food and chit-chat can take away the purpose why you have gathered.  Keep your group focused on Bible study, watch the time, and use it wisely.  Also, we have always tried to provide child-care for small children.  I have used some very sweet homeschooled girls over the years that make helping with the babies their ministry for the Lord each week—and yes, we pay them.
  3. Meet regardless of size – Your goal is not a certain number around your table but being God-lead!  I have found an intimate working of God in a group of 2 or 3.  If half of your group is missing just plan to review a little more next lesson.  If your group grows to 12-15 members, you may consider splitting into two sessions.  In a larger group, I have found my quiet girls never spoke and well-meaning, uninhibited friends taking up teaching time.  
  4. Meet with a schedule in mind –
    • Start on time – even if all your group has not arrived
    • Take prayer requests & lead in prayer
    • Go over Homework – ask for input, occasionally call on those who don’t volunteer their thoughts, reassure those who haven’t completed the homework.
    • Review – take a few minutes to talk through the high points of the last few lessons.  Get everyone’s mind moving together!
    • Teach the Lesson – Highlight the scripture, Jesus’ heart in the setting, the action, and what is being taught by God in the text. 
    • Apply the Lesson – Every lesson should be applied to the listener and challenged to obedience.  This is how Jesus taught; He is our example in discipleship.
    • Close in Prayer – Ask God for the spiritual strength to obey. 
    • Handout and read through the homework.

Our Bible studies last about 1 1/2 hours.  The teaching time is about 1 hour.  

We desire that Ladies Studying Jesus material will assist Bible study leaders to teach the life of Christ more effectively.  Don’t be in a hurry and push through lessons too quickly.  God bless as you seek to “…grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  To Him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.”  II Peter 3:18