Faithful Bible Teaching

Here’s the challenge. If we take the YFC mission seriously we realize that the change that we seek to bring about in young people is of the supernatural variety. Unless we cooperate with the Spirit of God our best efforts to develop lifelong followers of Jesus will fall short.

When it comes to biblical truth, creativity is not nearly as important as discovery. All innovative program methodologies should submit to—and not overshadow—timeless biblical principles. The 5 ESSENTIALS are means to help us be faithful, attentive and responsive to the transforming power of the Holy Spirit in the lives of young people.

ESSENTIAL: Faithful Bible Teaching - We accurately handle biblical truth, regularly coaching kids to apply it in their lives.

Love for young people proves itself in any culture; it has been especially resilient amidst postmodern values. But the youth landscape is characterized by relativism, experientialism, and distrust for sources of authority outside of self. This makes it tricky to navigate contemporary waters while holding fast to another transformational focus: our lives need to be reconfigured around the truth of scripture.

As Jesus concluded his famous sermon on the mountainside, he offered that the way of life he was describing was accessible through a narrow road and small gate. He warned of teachers who would lead us away from the ultimate goal of knowing and doing the will of God. Finally, he used a parable to dramatize that, while difficulties are a certainty in life, persons who build their lives around hearing and practicing Jesus’ words will be able to withstand whatever may come (Matthew 7:13-27). An oft-repeated scriptural truth is anchored here. The Bible must be taught—and learned—for obedience, and not just knowledge (Matthew 28:20; Mark 7:11-13; Luke 8:11-15; 11:28; John 5:36-40; 15:1-11; Philippians 3:15-17; 2 Timothy 3:14-17; Hebrews 5:11-14; James 1:22-25; 1 Peter 1:22-25; 2 Peter 1:3-4).

Many youth workers fall into one of two traps. Entangled by their own formal schooling experiences, some think of Bible teaching as presentation and delivery. Such an approach is often impersonal and content-centered, undercutting the power of God’s word when it is practiced in a real life at a real time and place. Others have so emphasized the social aspects of youth ministry that their sources of wisdom are diffused among student peer discussions, movie or music reviews, or their own advice giving. Unwittingly, they, too, have not appreciated that the Bible is an irreplaceable force for shaping students into dedicated followers of Jesus.

To avoid these errors we ask Youth for Christ staff to accurately handle biblical truth, regularly coaching kids to apply it in their lives. We are asked to be diligent, not just in our study of the Bible, but also in walking with young people, showing them how to make connections between their lives and the Bible.

Real change is a two-way street. Scripture becomes a force for change when it can be lived out in the experiences of young people. Sometimes the exploration begins when the Bible is opened up. Alternately, teens infuse their daily lives with meaning and direction when they subject each experience to the light of God’s word for scrutiny and interpretation by the Holy Spirit. In these cases, the exploration begins when kids open up their lives. Either way, this focus is well established when young people increase the traffic going back and forth between their experiences and God’s word. (Section adapted excerpt from a Christian education book chapter in publication for Zondervan, edited by Dr. Ron Habermas)

Why God’s Word is Bigger Than YFC

When we use God’s Word as Jesus taught we build the Kingdom of God, a guarantee that our work won’t be wasted.

“Go, then to all peoples everywhere and make them my disciples: baptize them in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything I have commanded you. And I will be with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:18-20)

This passage has been earmarked for years as the evangelism text! If we take time to read the verse applying elementary principles of grammar, we can note that the emphasis of the commission is not on the go, but teach them to obey. Other translations read: “Teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you” The word translated for teach is didasko: work with them until they understand for themselves. Science calls this a metacognition; spiritually speaking, it is a revelation. To be a faithful Bible teacher is to realize that everyone born into this world has destiny already etched in his or her heart. When the Word of God goes forth in the power and anointing of God’s Spirit there comes an opportunity for the Spirit to transform the heart and mind of the individual.

When Simon got the revelation of who the Christ was, Jesus’ response to him was: “You are blessed, Simon Son of John, because My Father in heaven has revealed this to you. You did not learn this from any human being.” A teacher is a facilitator of learning not simply an information giver. Much of what we learn is caught, not taught. When we are with young people and speak Truth (John 17:17) we must believe that the Spirit of God will do the teaching.

“But you have received the Holy Spirit, and He lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you all things, and what He teaches is true – it is not a lie. So continue in what He has taught you and continue to live in Christ.” (1John 2:27)

How Faithful Bible Teaching is a Dirt Practical YFC Expectation

If teaching the Bible is important to our jobs, it’s worth being held accountable for how well we’re doing.

Here are the metric standards that we will use to help us achieve the goal of Faithful Bible Teaching. At each ministry site we will ask the following two questions, providing three categories of response for each: In how many different occasions and settings did a leader use the Bible to share part of God’s Story? In how many of those occasions and settings was the story of Jesus’ death & resurrection for our salvation shared? The three categories of settings for which these numbers can be entered are: appointment, small group, and large group. We also ask the following question as a further measurement of Faithful Bible Teaching: How many of the NEW CHRISTIANS from this ministry site have been followed- up with ongoing 3Story relationships emphasizing appropriate biblical learning?

What are some things you can do to make sure you are always improving in Faithful Bible Teaching?

First, YFC staff must be active in daily applying God’s word to their own lives. Faithful Bible teaching for the benefit of others cannot happen until the truth of God is made real for the life experience of the one teaching. The Bible truths become a part of the fabric of a person when the words of God are placed into practical life. Jesus said “everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man…” The emphasis is not on the hearing but the obedience and practice of the word of God. The staff person who practices this type of spiritual application cannot help but place the scriptural truths into almost every ministry opportunity.

Ways to encourage this integration include quality and quantity time with the word of God. A number of ministry centers have a policy of providing one day per quarter for a personal retreat to spend concentrated time in God’s word and prayer. Utilizing the wide range of materials (like the Crossway God’s Story Bible, Nooma DVDs, etc) available is encouraged. But, MOST OF ALL, the opening of God’s word by a genuine, faithful follower of Jesus with a teen in any setting will provide the right environment for God’s Spirit to illuminate His truth into the life of a young person.

Points to Emphasize When Teaching Faithful Bible Teaching

 Why accurately handling biblical truth is first of all a personal competency, revealed in our own knowledge and obedience of God’s Word.  How accurately handling biblical truth is both a value (the discipline to study enough to get it right) and a skill set (how to use tools to interpret Scripture).  How to make it more natural and pervasive—rather than exclusively formal and occasional—for us to regularly coach kids to apply the Bible in their lives.  CORE TEAM: Teach how to best accomplish the metric standards, these are very practical needs about using the Bible in various settings and follow-up.

-written by Rahn, Rochester & Ringenberg (Spring 2007)