Tuesday’s teaching tip should help all of us to become more effective teachers. The next time you teach, focus on one of the three stages of learning: the Motivation stage. Like the stages of a rocket escaping earth’s gravity, your Bible study has stages that propel it to its conclusion.
Every Bible study has three stages:
- Motivation
- Examination
- Application
Apollo 11 first stage separation
Of the three stages, which would you say is most important? I’d argue that the first stage, Motivation, is the most important. Why? Because if your group members are not motivated and interested in the topic, they will likely not fully engage as you enter the Examination and Application stages.
Carefully plan your opening 5-10 minutes during which you set the stage for learning to take place. Don’t rush into your Bible study too quickly. Here are a few things you can do to motivate your group members to study the topic at hand during the Motivation stage:
- Ask a compelling question that creates group discussion.
- Summarize the last Bible study and connect it to the current one.
- Create buzz groups and assign a question to be answered.
- Connect the Bible study to a current event: local, national, or international.
- Show a video clip that ties to the lesson.
- Invite an expert to share something related to the Bible study.
With a little practice, you’ll soon be taking full advantage of the most important stage of your Bible study, the Motivation stage.
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Ken Braddy 