Addressing Our Own Depth Issues

A commitment to in-depth Bible study is noticeably absent in way too many of our churches today. This certainly isn’t the case in all situations, and I applaud those with a strong commitment to the Word. However, there are also way too many pastors, Sunday School teachers, and small group leaders who have fallen into the trap of taking God’s Word and packaging it in shallow lessons that leave most learners wanting more. Consequently, many of the people in our churches can’t clearly explain major theological doctrines, let alone the basics of the gospel.

In a spirit of optimism and possible naivety, I believe that very few Bible teachers set out to provide poor teaching. I would imagine that few desire to develop biblically ignorant Christ-followers, and even fewer are deliberately setting out to disseminate false teaching. However, it’s still happening. My hunch is that these things don’t happen out of poor motive, but rather as a result of dismal preparation. If this is the case, we each must look long and hard at our approach to studying His Word and evaluate our possible need to improve it.

We each have a unique approach to learning and teaching the Bible. That’s completely acceptable. God made us different, and thus we have various quirks about the way we interact with Scripture. No matter what your style is, I affirm you if you are studying the Word deeply and communicating it to others effectively.

I do propose, however, that we all need some type of personal, intentional process that directs our times of study. This valuable process is personal because God desires to intimately refine and develop you as a student of the Word. Yet, it’s also intentional in that it provides substance to your times of study and direction to your times of delivery. Most importantly, it keeps you moving forward in your walk with Him.

If you don’t have an existing plan for Bible study and teaching preparation, then I would recommend something similar to the one below. However, if you already have a practice in place, make sure the following elements are involved. If they are missing, immediately begin to work them into your future study.

1. Pray.
2. Read the passage many times.
3. After reading the passage, write down any questions you have regarding key words, unique phrases, historical background, etc.
4. Utilize available “study tools” to work through these questions (i.e. commentaries, Bible dictionaries, etc.).
5. Spend a significant amount of time evaluating how the passage impacts and applies to you personally.
6. Define the key point of the passage.
7. Develop an outline.
8. Spend time developing effective illustrations to support your points.
9. Review your message or lesson from a listener’s perspective.
10. Review. Review. Review.
11. Pray some more.

As you can see, this certainly isn’t a complex process. Nor is it a formal one. It’s not supposed to be. You can add layers of details and personal technique on your own. The point is to establish simple steps in your studying process that position you to experience depth in the Word and enable you to share it effectively with others. Let’s make sure we’re honoring God with the way that we teach His Word!