How is teaching a Biblical perspective like giving a present?
Your
daughter is having her 7th
birthday.
You carefully select her present, one that you know she’ll enjoy. One that says, “I love you.” You put the present in a box, along with the batteries, so she can enjoy it right away.
You wrap her present is special wrapping paper that has characters from Winnie the Pooh on it. She likes Winnie the Pooh. Seeing this paper will make her happy and anticipate the gift. On a bright blue card, you write: “Kim, happy birthday! We love you.—Mom and Dad.” You put the card on the present where she’ll see it, read it, and feel special.
You take the present and put it where she can see it during her birthday dinner. After dinner you give it to her, saying, “Happy birthday, Kim!” You watch as Kim tears open the present and squeals with delight. She gives you a big hug
“Yes,” you say, “I know how to give my daughter a present. But what I want to know is how teaching a biblical perspective is like giving a present.”
Well, let me ask you a question: What difference does it make if you don’t know how to give a present?
Now let me ask you this: What difference does it make if you make teaching a biblical perspective like giving a present?
Bruce Young, MTW
missionary
What does the Christian teacher posses that enables him/her to not only teach and explain truths, but to live out and model solid Biblical values? And how does he train himself/herself to do this? Underlying my question is the conviction that we need to be daily believing in the Gospel of God's grace where we see ourselves to be under God's radical grace. The minute we get away from this, we become judgmental, performance oriented rather than dependent and humble, cold, removed, etc. The more we walk in line with the truth of the Gospel the more the gap is closed.
You carefully select her present, one that you know she’ll enjoy. One that says, “I love you.” You put the present in a box, along with the batteries, so she can enjoy it right away.
You wrap her present is special wrapping paper that has characters from Winnie the Pooh on it. She likes Winnie the Pooh. Seeing this paper will make her happy and anticipate the gift. On a bright blue card, you write: “Kim, happy birthday! We love you.—Mom and Dad.” You put the card on the present where she’ll see it, read it, and feel special.
You take the present and put it where she can see it during her birthday dinner. After dinner you give it to her, saying, “Happy birthday, Kim!” You watch as Kim tears open the present and squeals with delight. She gives you a big hug
“Yes,” you say, “I know how to give my daughter a present. But what I want to know is how teaching a biblical perspective is like giving a present.”
Well, let me ask you a question: What difference does it make if you don’t know how to give a present?
- If you don’t
carefully select a gift?
- If you don’t
include the batteries?
- If you don’t wrap
it?
- If you don’t put a
card on it?
- If you don’t put
it where she can enjoy anticipating it?
- If you don’t watch as she opens it?
Now let me ask you this: What difference does it make if you make teaching a biblical perspective like giving a present?
- If you carefully
select a topic that your students are interested
in?
- If you include
“batteries,” that is, everything your students need
so they can apply the biblical perspective to the
topic?
- If you wrap the
lesson in an intriguing question, a case study, or
a small group discussion?
- If you take 3
steps to increase student anticipation of
understanding and using a biblical perspective?
- If you share with
your students 2 heartfelt reasons why you want them
to apply a biblical perspective to this topic?
- If you take a sincere interest in your students during the lesson?
What does the Christian teacher posses that enables him/her to not only teach and explain truths, but to live out and model solid Biblical values? And how does he train himself/herself to do this? Underlying my question is the conviction that we need to be daily believing in the Gospel of God's grace where we see ourselves to be under God's radical grace. The minute we get away from this, we become judgmental, performance oriented rather than dependent and humble, cold, removed, etc. The more we walk in line with the truth of the Gospel the more the gap is closed.