DO YOU LOVE THEM ENOUGH?
INTRODUCTION:
Someone has said, “Children workers are special. Children are special.”
Today, I am talking to a group of special people who have tremendous power in their hands.
Do you remember the question that God asked Moses, “What is that in thine hands?”
So what kind of power is there in the hands of a Sunday School teacher? Your realm of influence reaches into eternity. But, you might ask, “What can I do?”
You can give a child, who lives in a world of hate, an hour of love.
You can make a child, who lives in a dangerous world, feel safe for a few minutes on Sunday.
You can make a child, who feels worthless, feel like he or she is the most important person alive.
You can point a child, who sees no hope and nothing worth living for, toward the ONE who gives life . . .eternal.
But, to do these great things that God wants done in His Kingdom, you must love them.
To all of us, there has been a commission given. It is clearly stated in Matthew 28:18 – 19.
Matthew 28:18 “And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given
unto me in heaven and in earth. 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”
Why Sunday School?
The Church is to carry out the Great Commission:
To reach people.
To teach people.
To care for people.
This is your commission!!!
If I should ask, How many of you love the children that attend your classes?, 100% would raise their hands. You wouldn’t be in this Sunday School session if you didn’t love children.
But, how much do you love them? Just like many other things, we love in varying degrees.
The question here this morning is not, “Do you love them?” The question here this morning is, “Do you love them enough?”
I John 3:16 “Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us:
and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”
Love lived out requires SACRIFICE.
I. DO YOU LOVE THEM ENOUGH . . . TO PRAY?
II. DO YOU LOVE THEM ENOUGH . . . TO PLAN?
III. DO YOU LOVE THEM ENOUGH . . .TO PREPARE?
IV. DO YOU LOVE THEM ENOUGH . . .TO PERFORM?
V. DO YOU LOVE THEM ENOUGH . . . TO PERSIST?
I. DO YOU LOVE THEM ENOUGH . . . TO PRAY?
A. Prayer for self.
1. Pray for a teachable spirit.
2. Pray for the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit in your class.
3. Pray for guidance in lesson preparation.
You will never be able to fight the spiritual battle for others until you learn to be
victorious yourself.
B. Prayer for members of your class.
During the week pray for the children by name. Send a postcard to each child
occasionally saying that, “Today, I prayed for you.”
C. Prayer for prospects.
D. Prayer for lost.
E. Prayer for Fellow Workers.
F. Living Prayer Lesson (Teaching Tips ? http://www.berean.org/bibleteacher/tip.html)
1.If you want to teach your children not only about prayer, but to pray, then you will
have to live a life of prayer yourself in class and out of class.
2. Be sure that prayer has a prominent role in your class or club. Open and close in
prayer, give time during the class for the children to praise, thank and ask God
in prayer.
3. The children will begin to get the idea that prayer is not only something you
believe, but something you do.
II. DO YOU LOVE THEM ENOUGH . . . TO PLAN?
A. Developing An Agenda (Teaching Tips --- http://www.berean.org/bibleteacher/tip.html)
One of the best things you can do to prepare is to write up an agenda for each session. The agenda will include:
1. The main truth to be brought out in each aspect of the session.
2. What you will teach?
3. Who will teach it?
4. How much time will be spent on that item?
Drawing up an agenda will keep you on track and on target. It will give you greater control over the lesson and the class by making you more prepared.
B. When you plan take into account Learning Styles
It is important to remember that different children learn differently.
Children are left out and discipline problems multiplied when different
learning styles aren’t taken into account. Learning styles have been divided
into three major groups:
1. The auditory learner.
a. Listening is the primary, not the only way they learn.
b. It also doesn’t mean that they learn just as well from a monotone voice.
c. Use your voice and other sound effects too. Be creative with anything
that makes noise to enhance your teaching.
2. The visual learner.
a. This person learns by sight. This means visuals are essential.
b. This learner generally cannot learn just by listening, so a lecture
style approach such as most sermons are won’t fly.
c. You will loose their attention and notice that they will most likely
either daydream or disrupt the class.
d. Use gestures and facial expressions that emphasize what you’re
teaching. Acting out a narrative for the class also helps the
visual learner.
3. The kinesthetic learner.
a. This person learns through activity.
b. This is the child that needs to act out the lesson or put it into
practice or he won’t learn.
c. He can actually listen better while he’s doing something with his hands.
While the other learning styles can learn through either listening or
seeing, they learn better by also doing. Plan active participation in your class
for this learner and everyone will have fun.
Remember:
I hear, I forget.
I see, I remember.
I do, I apply.
C. Plan To Teach The Gospel (Teaching Tip – Gospel Checklist)
To make sure that you give a complete teaching of the Gospel in your Bible
lesson, be sure to cover these four basic areas:
1. God Loves You. John 3:16
2. Your Sin Separates You From God. Romans 3:23
3. Jesus Died For Your Sins. Hebrews 9:22
4. Believe In The Lord Jesus And Receive Him To Become God's Child. John 1:12
Keep it simple and relevant to the child. After presenting the plan of salvation, always be sure to invite the children to respond.
III. DO YOU LOVE THEM ENOUGH . . . TO PREPARE?
“Teaching is preparation. Recently I stood with two teachers in a preschool Sunday
school class in my church. A little girl entered the room. One teacher excused herself,
explaining that teaching began when the first pupil arrived. The second teacher said
teaching began when she arrived in the classroom. While both ladies understood the
necessity of preclass preparation, I felt their answer was inadequate. I didn’t correct
them because it would have been embarrassing in the circumstances. But teaching
begins long before anyone arrives in the classroom. A teacher begins to teach when
he or she begins to study and prepare a lesson.” (pg 3)
How to Create and Present High Impact Bible Studies by Elmer Towns
God in the Preparation (Teaching Tips)
Have you ever heard someone express the idea that it doesn’t matter so much if they prepare too much because they feel if they are over-prepared that they won’t be as open to God leading them during the teaching? Usually it is just an excuse for poor preparation. Thorough preparation doesn’t exclude God from the teaching - as long as God is in the preparation. Don’t be afraid to even write out your lesson word for word (it doesn’t mean you will teach from the script.) Just be sure that God is first, central and last in your preparation.
A. Sunday (After teaching the previous Sunday School Lesson) Prepare the Larger Lesson
Ask God to open your eyes to something new and exciting that you have never seen
before in His Word that you can obediently apply to your life and then enthusiastically
teach the children.
B. Monday -- Read the Teacher’s Guide (If one exists.)
Keep His Word central. Prepare from the Bible, not the teacher’s manual. Plan to keep
it prominent in everything you do during the teaching time. Let the children see you
holding God’s Word and reading from it as you teach. God’s Word will always point
to God Himself.
C. Tuesday --- Enrich the Background
D. Wednesday --- Participate in Group Study
E. Thursday --- Arrange Teaching Plan
F. Friday --- Relate the Lesson to Life
G. Saturday --- Engage in Ernest Prayer
H. Sunday --- Direct the Bible Story/Lesson
Keep in mind: “There are two guides in Bible learning: the Holy Spirit and the teacher. This means the human teacher and the Divine Teacher must work together to produce learning when the Bible is taught. They are dual leaders in the learning process.” Elmer Towns
IV. DO YOU LOVE THEM ENOUGH . . . TO PERFORM?
Ever sat in on a lesson that went way too long? The children were squirming. The teacher went on because what he was teaching was so important. If the children aren't paying attention, it doesn't matter how important the lesson is - they are not getting it. I like the old saying that, "You can only take in on one end what you can endure on the other."
(Teaching Tip – Just In Time)
A. Lecture Forum: (Thomas J. Cook)
--Avoid using as sole method. Keep attention span in mind.
--Learn when to lecture.
--Consider alternatives to achieve the same goal.
--Keep lectures short and use sparingly.
B. Questions: (Thomas J. Cook)
--Learn to ask questions.
--Wait for answers to questions.
--Plan answers ahead of time.
--Encourage learners to ask questions.
C. Informal Discussion: (Thomas J. Cook)
--Guide the discussion toward a meaningful goal.
--Focus on learners’ interests and needs.
--Maintain tension between firmness and flexibility.
--Seek to involve everyone in the discussion.
D. Other Methods: (Thomas J. Cook)
--Audio Tape
--Video Tape
--Interview & Report
--Assignment & Report
--Field Trips
--Collage or Poster
The only teaching that is teaching is that which produces desirable changes in the learner. (Thomas J. Cook)
V. DO YOU LOVE THEM ENOUGH . . . TO PERSIST?
A. It will require time.
1. In today’s society, we are busier than we have ever been.
2. You will have to prioritize your time.
3. Make sure you budget time for the most important things.
B. It will require sacrifice.
Luke 9:23 “And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny
himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.”
“It may be a sacrifice to work in Sunday School, but it also may be something you
should do. You may have to deny yourself some other pleasures, but God will reward
you for doing it.” Elmer Towns
C. Sometimes, you will cry.
D. Often, you will laugh.
E. In the end, you will rejoice.
Ray Boltz --- “Thanks”
CONCLUSION:
In closing, if you are experiencing overload from all of the information, techniques, etc. that you have gathered the last couple of days, take it easy. Allow it to sink in deep. Ponder over the sessions. Pray over your thoughts. Pick out one thing that stands out the most to you. Apply it to your regular practice. Continue doing this over the next year that you teach. For sure, don’t try to apply everything the next class you teach. It will result in overload, aggravation, and frustration.
Suggested websites:
http://www.sschool.com/
http://childrensministry.net/
http://www.berean.org/bibleteacher/index.html (http://www.berean.org/bibleteacher/tip.html)
http://www.lifeway.com/index.asp
http://www.elmertowns.com
Love Thy Student (Teaching Tips)
You will have fewer discipline problems and your students will learn more eagerly if you show them that you love them. (And it’s just plain the right thing to do!)
I don't know how many times I have heard Dr. James Dobson on “Focus on the Family” say that children spell love T-I-M-E. So spend more than just the club or class hour with them:
• Sending a birthday card is a simple way to let them know you are thinking of them outside of the time you “have to” in the classroom.
• You may find that taking time to pray with a believing child who has a hard time sitting still will help.
• Calling parents just to say you are happy to have their child in club is sure to make its way back to the child.
