Tuesday Teaching Tips: Episode 217

““And I remembered the word of the Lord, how He used to say, ‘John baptised with water, but you will be baptised with the Holy Spirit.’” (Acts 11:16 NAS95)

Intro

– Responsibility to teach in a way to help people remember
– Jesus effective at this
– Reading on this topic – how to learn and help others learn
– “Make it Stick”

“Trying to come up with an answer rather than having it presented to you, or trying to solve a problem before being shown the solution, leads to better learning and longer retention of the correct answer or solution, even when your attempted response is wrong, so long as corrective feedback is provided.

Brown, Peter C.. Make It Stick (p. 101). Harvard University Press. Kindle Edition

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1. Set the group a puzzle

– Jesus: “John’s baptism—where did it come from? Was it from heaven, or of human origin?”
They discussed it among themselves and said, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will ask, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’” (Matthew 21:25 NIV11)
– For example, you could set the group this puzzle:
– Consider these two verses in Philippians
– “Therefore I am all the more eager to send him, so that when you see him again you may be glad and I may have less anxiety.” (Philippians 2:28 NIV11)
– “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” (Philippians 4:6 NIV11)
– In the first verse Paul confesses his anxiety. In the second verse he commands his readers not to be anxious. How can we reconcile the two – if we can?
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2. Ask open questions

– Jesus: ““What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?” “The son of David,” they replied.” (Matthew 22:42 NIV11)
– If you were speaking on Luke 7.11-17, you might read,
– “Then he went up and touched the bier they were carrying him on, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, get up!”” (Luke 7:14 NIV11)
– Then ask, “Why do you think Jesus touched the bier?”
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Conclusion

– In this on-line church era the use of breakout rooms is helpful
– Respect the intelligence of your audience
– Remember the value of people learning from each other.
– Reflect that you are not the one with ultimate understanding.
– Next week I will be answering a question from a subscriber about hermeneutics and history
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Please add your comments on this week’s topic. We learn best when we learn in community.

Do you have a question about teaching the Bible? Is it theological, technical, practical? Send me your questions or suggestions. Here’s the email: [malcolm@malcolmcox.org](mailto:malcolm@malcolmcox.org).

If you’d like a copy of my free eBook on spiritual disciplines, “How God grows His people”, sign up at my website: http://www.malcolmcox.org.

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“Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs.” (Psalms 100:2 NIV11)

God bless, Malcolm

PS: You might also be interested in my book: “An elephant’s swimming pool”, a devotional look at the Gospel of John

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