Collecting your thoughts.

Hello Leaders,

I am glad to add another piece to this resource that I hope will benefit you and me both. The Collect Your Thoughts section will be an open discussion of methods you can use to support your lesson from the Explore the Bible or Family Bible Study lessons. I will add my two cents, but please let me encourage you to make comments on the posts, this is where we can discover helpful hints together, or special insights to a passage that could be particularly meaningful.

This Sunday we kick off the new spring units. ETB will be focused in the books of Isaiah and Micah, and FBS will be zeroing in during March on service, particularly Nehemiah’s service.

Here are my thoughts for today; please read, add, and then make a comment:

FBS and ETB
1. Give ample time to set the time/place/background for both studies.
For both units (FBS and ETB) please use whatever maps/timelines that you can access to help the group grasp the time and place of your new Bible study. Imagine sitting down in a movie at the half-way point feeling awkward and out of place, and even forced to ask the question, “So what is happening and who are the characters”. So please take plenty of time today, and in the weeks ahead to make sure everyone is up to speed. Also, never forget that while there could be folks in your class that know more about Bible history than all of us, there is still the hope that for someone, this story is brand new.

Here is one link I found online to an online map of the times. Use something simple like this or a printed timeline as a compass.

FBS
2. Sync up the Nehemiah Study with Does Your Neighbor Know
The FBS Nehemiah study is going to transition so well into our special theme with “Does Your Neighbor Know/PowerUP Your World” beginning March 29th. So be ready from the outset to move this lesson series from head knowlege to the fields. The focus each week until the 29th is perfect! Key word to begin using: Missional, being on a personal mission for the Lord. Nehemiah lived it!

ETB
3. Illustration: Ask the class about job performance reviews. Do they have them or some other type of structure where they are held accountable in a meeting? The ETB Isaiah study for this week reminds me of job performance reviews. Have you had those times where you know you have had to go in for some type of review. Not fun right? These face to face times are a time of account and clarification of what we are supposed to be doing. Somehow with the Lord though, it could get minimized; does He really watch, will He really hold me unto account? Another twist is the age old evil of as I have heard it said (from Facing the Giants) of holding others accountable for their actions while holding myself accountable for my intentions.

Please share your insights, illustration, prop, study aid ideas, action/application thoughts!

Pray the Lord fills you with His Spirit and wisdom as you teach.