PREPARATION FOR TEACHING:
One Of The Most Important Jobs You Will Ever Have!


PART THREE – THE IMPORTANCE OF THE BIBLE…


Today, over half of all Christian education that occurs within the church takes place in forms other than Sunday school. It’s true! More people are involved in things like midweek Bible studies, home Bible study groups, youth groups, kid’s clubs and VBS than are involved in Sunday school, But, does that mean that Sunday school is no longer important? Certainly not! There are many important reasons for EVERYONE to be in Sunday school each week. High among these reasons should be that Bible – God’s Word – is being studied and taught.

I recently saw a bumper sticker that showed a picture of a Bible and had these words, “When All Else Fails, Read The Instructions.” Is that what we should do, try everything else and as a last resort turn to the Bible? Shouldn’t seeking God’s help and direction be the very first thing that we do?

The Bible tells us about creation, the fall of man and God’s plan for bringing His Son into the world to become its Savior. It tells us what’s right and what’s wrong. It shows us examples of persons who followed God and those who rejected His leading. And, it shows us Jesus Christ and the Way of Salvation that is available through Him.

It is important for all persons of all ages to read the Bible, as individuals and as families, and then to come together with other persons of similar age and interests to really “dig in” to God’s Word in Sunday school. 

Did you ever receive a love letter from a special someone that you really cared about? What did you do with that letter? Did you quickly glance at it and then throw it away? Of course not! You probably read it and re-read it many times, studying every word and phrase to learn as much as possible about your sweetheart and his or her love for you. In a similar way, the Bible is a “love letter” to us from the one who should be the number one love of your life – Jesus Christ. And, if He is truly number one in your life, won’t you also want to read and re-read His love letter to you – the Bible – to discover everything that you possibly can about Him and His will for you and your life?

The Bible is our “handbook for life” and a roadmap for our daily walk with Jesus Christ. Yes, the Bible is a very old book and there are many things about our modern world and the problems and temptations that we face that are not directly addressed in its pages, but the principles are there! For example, you will not find the word “marijuana” anywhere in the Bible, but you will find many scriptures that tell us that our bodies are God’s temple and direct us to keep our bodies pure and holy for Him. And, true, you won’t find specific directions related to the use of things like computers, the Internet, movies and modern technologies, but applying the simple commandments that Jesus said were most important – 1) “love the Lord your God with all you heart, mind and soul” and 2) “love your neighbor as yourself” – should help each person make the right decision in any situation.

And yes, the Bible isn’t always the easiest of books to read and understand. Many times persons will read the Bible and have questions about the meaning of a passage, or they might even misinterpret what they have read. That is another reason why it is important for people to come together to study the Bible with others in Sunday school.

Why is Sunday school important? Sunday school is important because it is about studying the Bible, God’s Word. And, why is the Bible important? Because the Bible tells us about Jesus Christ and His great love for each of us! That’s a message that everyone needs to hear!


QUESTIONS TO THINK ABOUT…


1. List three different Bible verses or passages that have meant a lot to you throughout your lifetime. What have these passages meant to you or how have they helped you?


2. How can Sunday school teachers help their students learn the importance of the Bible, Bible reading and Bible study?


3. How can Sunday school teacher encourage their students to read and study the Bible on their own?


4. How can we be sure that all of our students understand what they read in the Bible?