Many Important Things I Know About God I Learned In Bible Study
March 18, 2007
By: Sellers S. Crain, Jr.
Some of my earliest memories center around attending Bible study at the Church of Christ near our home. I don't remember too much about the activities we did for our lessons, but I do remember the lessons. The stories of the Creation, Adam & Eve, Cain & Abel, Noah and the Flood, the Tower of Babel, Joseph and his coat of many colors, David & Goliath, Daniel in the Lion's Den, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, Ruth & Naomi, Esther, and Jesus were etched in my memory at a very early age. Though I remember hearing them many times in those early years, I never tired of hearing them. Today, although I am considering older and have been preaching and teaching for over 35 years, these are still among some of my favorite Bible stories.
When I got older and was able to memorize passages from the Bible, one of the methods of Bible school teachers then was to have the students memorize at least one scripture for each class session. Most of the verses I learned then are still retained in my memory. They have served me well in times of need. It was in Bible study that I first learned God's plan of redeeming lost man, which involves hearing the gospel, believing in Jesus as the Son of God, repenting of our sins, being buried with Christ in baptism into His death, and being raised to live a new life in Christ.
In these early Bible study classes, I learned a reverence and love for God and His Holy Word. It was this love that led me to begin teaching Bible classes when I was sixteen and to begin preaching at eighteen. Even today I enjoy studying the Bible. It is exciting for me to discover some point or scripture that I never really noticed before. When I am engaged in teaching a Bible class, it is a thrill to see some student get the truth that I am presenting. You can tell by the expressions on their faces or by the comments they make. It makes my day when a student informs me that because if my Bible class they have been inspired to study God's Word more.
Sometimes I hear it said the "Bible study is just for little children". It is for little children, but it is also for teenagers, and for adults. You never get too old or too smart to not need more knowledge of God's Word. So what if you have heard the same stories over and over again. We eat many of the same foods often, yet never seem to grow tired of their taste. Watching a sports competition results in seeing some of the same plays or moves over and over again, yet we never hear anyone complain about that. People flock to hear singers perform the same songs time after time that made them famous, and those who do still enjoy the show. Hearing God's Word will never be boring to those who love Him and who love the truth He has given us.
As a Bible teacher, never allow your lessons or your presentation to them to become boring. Do not allow yourself to fall into the trap of sitting down for a few minutes Saturday night or Sunday morning to merely quickly glance over the lesson and then to present it to your class. If you do, you are cheating them, but you are cheating yourself even more. You are not just teaching for time but also for eternity. If we Bible class teachers are doing an effective job of presenting our lessons, we are not only imparting facts, we are also helping our students to gain knowledge and wisdom, and we are providing them with applications of God's truth for their own lives. Some of the most influential people in my life have been those who taught me the Bible. I am thankful that I've had an opportunity to tell most of them the impact they made on my life.
"Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth" (2 Timothy 1:25 KJV), was not just written for the benefit of preachers. James wrote, "My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment" (3:1). Teaching God's eternal truths to people is a serious responsibility. It should not be taken lightly. Souls will be lost or saved because of what they have been taught.
Brotherly,
Sellers
