How to Get the Most From the Teacher’s Lessons for Children

The Danger of Prepared Lesson Plans

Using prepared lesson plans can be dangerous, if not used properly. The danger arises when the teacher places emphasis first and foremost on the lesson plan and relegates the Bible to second place.

Many teachers may not even be aware of this danger, but it is a threat in churches that provide lesson books for its teachers. The fact that churches and teachers are not aware of this danger makes it even more dangerous. This danger can be observed whenever the teacher prepares the lesson with the wrong text in hand. Ask yourself these questions as you prepare your lesson:

1. Did I read my prepared lesson plan first, then the Bible, if there was time?
2. Did I use the Bible to read scattered Bible references mentioned in the lesson plan rather than read the whole lesson from the Bible?
3. Did I study my lesson plan more than my Bible to get my lesson prepared?

Whenever you do any of the above things, it is wrong, and it must grieve the Spirit of God. It is wrong for several reasons.

First, the wrong textbook is studied most. Whenever the lesson plan is studied more than the Bible, the teacher has substituted the imperfect for the perfect.

No matter how good the lesson plan is, it is imperfect. Untrue statements can be slipped into the lesson plan by mistake by good men, or on purpose by evil men, where they will go undetected, if the Bible is neglected. Only the Bible is perfect. It must remain the chief textbook of the Bible teacher.

Second, the wrong author honored. The human author of the lesson plan is honored above the divine author of the Holy Bible. Our actions speak louder than words. What do you want your actions to say?

Third, if the wrong textbook is studied and the wrong author is honored, then the wrong lesson will be taught. It may be 5% wrong or 90% wrong, but it will be wrong, because the main source of the lesson was wrong.

A teacher will teach that which he has studied. Woe unto the church that has teachers which refuse or neglect to study the Bible first and most in preparing their lessons. There is no way to protect that church from the subtle attacks of Satan. Therefore, the warning is given so that churches and teachers might beware of this danger, a real danger that has corrupted and destroyed tens of thousands of churches. If this warning is heeded, teachers will determine to keep the Bible first and foremost in their preparations and this will be reflected in their teaching.

The Value of Prepared Lesson Plans

What then is the value of prepared lesson plans?

There is at least a four-fold value:

First, it is to help the teacher organize the lesson. These lesson plans will suggest the KEY – HE – SEE – WE – BE plan to organize the lesson. This plan was developed for BIBLE LIGHT lessons. This plan for lesson organization will be explained later.

Second, it is to bring to the teacher’s attention certain Bible facts that might be overlooked. The teacher does not need to use all of these facts, or any of these facts, but they are merely presented for his/her consideration. The teacher may have discovered other facts through independent study of the Bible which are more useful in meeting the needs of his/her class than the ones in the manual. Then by all means the teacher should use those Bible facts.

Third, it is to give the teacher some ideas as to how the lesson might be applied. Application of God’s Word to the students’ hearts is one of the most important aspects of a teacher’s task, and yet it is one of the most neglected. Somehow, teachers feel that their task is completed when their students know the Bible facts and can recite them accurately. However, this is only one third of a teacher’s task. Applying the Word of God to the students’ lives, so that they can see what God wants them to do, is another third of their teaching task.

Fourth, it is to suggest to the teacher some ways that his/her students might act upon the Word as taught in a particular lesson. Students must be challenged to act upon God's Word. The Great Commission of Jesus Christ says that we are to teach believers to observe all things that He has commanded us (Mt 28:20). The words, to observe, mean more than to look at or to notice. They mean to guard with one’s life. We are to guard God’s Word by putting it into our lives, and teachers are to challenge their students to do the same. This is the last third of the teacher’s task.

Summary

In summary, the prepared lesson plan is to help the teacher get organized and to meet the three-fold task of every teacher:

1. to help the students to know certain Bible facts;
2. to show these students how to apply these facts to their lives; and
3. to challenge them to practice these truths from God’s Word every day of their lives.

Read the Bible, First and Most

Read the Bible to put fire into your teaching. To get fired up spiritually, one must go to the Bible. Even though you may not understand everything you read, what you do understand will have special meaning to you. This is of utmost importance to the teacher. When God speaks to your heart from His Word, you will be compelled to teach that truth, and you will teach it with greater conviction and enthusiasm as it gets a greater hold of your life.

Read the Bible first to give more authority to your teaching. The greatest authority of all is God, and when you quote God’s Word, you are supporting your lessons with the greatest authority in the universe. Therefore, read the Bible first. Get first-hand authority from God, Himself. If you read the teacher’s lesson plan first (or some commentary), you are reading second-hand authorities. It is best that God impresses you with His truth first, because first impressions are often lasting impressions, and lasting impressions should be based upon the strongest authority.

Read the Bible most to get deeper insight from God for your teaching. Someone has said, “The Bible sheds a lot of light on commentaries.” There is a place for commentaries and for teacher’s prepared lesson plans, but they must not take the place of the Bible for deep, serious study. A thorough study of the teacher’s lesson plan and a quick scan of God’s Word are unfair to God, unfair to your students and unfair to yourself. Read the Bible most for these five reasons:

1. to get the general idea of the passage;
2. to fix truths in your mind;
3. to correct or reject ideas and thoughts received from human writers that are not in harmony with God’s Word;
4. to discover specific applications of God’s Word for your life and for those students in your class; and
5. to saturate your mind and soul with God’s Word so that it will flow from your heart like a fountain of living water.

Explanation of the KEY – HE – SEE – WE – BE Lesson Plan

This plan for organizing a lesson was designed especially for teachers using the BIBLE LIGHT Sunday School Lessons. The meaning of the words, KEY – HE – SEE – WE – BE, and the purpose for using them, is as follows:

KEY … stands for attention. Gaining the student’s attention is the KEY to successful teaching. The teacher may as well teach an empty classroom as to teach an inattentive class of students. Before anyone can teach the Bible he/she must attract the attention of the students and secure their interest. The teacher must begin with the interests and thoughts of the students as they come into the classroom and skillfully lead them to the Bible lesson. Ideas for doing this are given in each lesson.

HE … stands for authority. This refers to God’s authority as found in His Word. HE has given us principles in His Word that we need to practice. A teacher must determine which of God’s principles needs to be emphasized in each lesson. A suggestion is given in each lesson and is always related to the memory verse which the students are to learn. By this means a student can carry the principle of the lesson in his heart by memorizing the verse that goes with the lesson.

SEE … stands for apperception. Apperception is the student’s grasp of the lesson. The first task of the teacher is to help the student SEE the main Biblical principle of the lesson. The teacher’s lesson may suggest many Biblical principles in each lesson, but one is the main principle. However, the teacher should not feel bound to teach any of these principles. He or she may find better ones in studying the Bible that are more suitable to the needs of the class. Nevertheless, one main principle should be taught from the Bible in each lesson until it is caught by the students.

WE … stands for application. The second task of the teacher is to apply the lesson to the lives of the students. After the lesson the students should be able to specifically say, “This is what WE ought to do to obey God.” The teacher must know the students well enough to make the Bible come alive to them. These lesson plans will suggest many different applications of God’s Word to the students’ lives, but the teacher must select those that best fit students’ needs.

BE … stands for action. The third task of the teacher is to lead the student to BE like Christ, and this task is the most important of all. This is done by helping the students make decisions on the basis of the Bible truth taught in the lesson. The first decision of a student for being like Christ is to receive Christ for salvation. Then there will be many decisions that must be made for growth in Christ’s likeness. These lesson plans will give a suggestion at the end each lesson as to how this might be done.

Explanation of the SEE and WE Organization in the Lesson

It should be noticed that the … SEE and WE parts of the lesson are combined.

• The SEE part deals with Bible facts that the students should know.
• The WE part, which follows, deals with the applications of the lesson.

Under each point of the lesson the facts to know are presented (SEE), and then the application of the lesson is given (WE).

The Teacher’s Task

The task of the teacher is to conform each student to the likeness of Christ. It is not enough to give them Bible facts that they can recite when asked. The higher task of the teacher is to make students that walk like Christ, so how does a teacher do this? Here are the steps to take:

1. Teach Bible facts that they are useful to the student.
2. Help the student see the demands of God on his life.
3. Lead the student to make right decisions and avoid wrong decisions.
4. Invite the student to receive Christ and be born into the family of God.
5. Exemplify the truths of Scripture for the student to grow into Christ’s likeness.

The first goal of a teacher is to see that each student has received Jesus Christ as Savior. A student cannot be like Christ without receiving Christ.

The second goal of a teacher is to see that each student grows in Christ’s likeness. The successful teacher will begin to see the likeness of Christ being formed in the lives of the students.

The Teacher’s Task Diagrammed

How to Prepare a Lesson

As you begin your lesson preparation, we suggest you follow this procedure for good results:

1. Read the lesson from the Bible and make notes that were a blessing to your heart. Always teach from a full heart.
2. Read the lesson from the Bible again and make notes that you believe will be helpful to your students. Some of the notes will be the same as those that blessed you, but remember, your class may have different needs than you, depending on their physical and spiritual maturity.
3. Now you are ready to read the teacher’s lesson plan and other commentaries to gather more facts and applications for your lesson. However, do not feel compelled to use any of the material gathered outside of the Bible. Use them only if they help you to teach God’s Word more effectively.
4. Read the Bible again, one to five times, and let its message fill your heart and mind. Think through the applications as you read the Bible.

Now you are ready to teach without notes or with very little need for them. The less you depend on notes, the better your eye contact with the students will be. It will also give you a greater sense of freedom and you will be more natural in your teaching.

Elementary teachers will usually use the story method to present the lesson. Learn how to tell stories well, and make your applications as you tell the story. Sprinkle in a few questions for student participation before you begin the story and at the end of the story for best results. Build the story toward the climax of the lesson, that is, the main application of the story, and use questions after the story to get the point of the lesson home to the hearts of your students.

How to Get the Most from the Children’s Lessons

The children’s lessons are fun reviews of the lesson that the teacher taught. To help the children find the right answers, Bible verses are usually given with the questions or puzzles.

There are two reviews for each lesson put back-to-back on one sheet of paper. The front page is easier to do; all the children in grades 1–6 should do it. The back page is harder to do; children in grades 4–6 should do both the front and back pages. They can do them in class or after class. If they do them after class, have them bring back their finished lessons the next Sunday for a little reward.

By having both reviews on one sheet, some children in third grade will try to do the lessons on the back page that the older students are doing. This is a way to challenge the more gifted students in third grade.

How to Get the Most From the Teacher’s Lessons for Adults

Good Bible teachers will teach God’s Word with confident passion.

How do they do it? They know the Bible in three ways.

• First, they know the Bible with their minds.
• Second, they know the Bible with their hearts.
• Third, they know the Bible in their lives.

They know the Bible with their minds.

Good Bible teachers diligently study the Bible to know the truth for themselves and for their students. This means they will begin to prepare their lessons at least a week before they teach their students. They need this extra time to give the Holy Spirit time to teach them before they attempt to teach their students. The instruction they receive from the Holy Spirit will give them confidence that they are teaching their students the truth.

They know the Bible with their hearts.

Good Bible teachers are fervent about the truths that the Holy Spirit has taught them. They see the value of these truths and their love for God’s Word is expressed in their lessons. The Bible is not a dead book, but a living book filled with answers for living a successful life. They want their students to receive the benefit from these truths, so they teach the Word of God with a holy passion.

They know the Bible with their lives.

Good Bible teachers have experienced the truths of God’s Word in their own lives. They know the lessons of the Bible work before they teach them to their students. They may not have it perfected, but they are working on it. Their personal experience with God’s Word will give them confidence and zeal when they teach their students. Since it takes time and discipline to live by God’s Word, they see the need to get an early start on preparing their lesson.

This is how these three principles apply to the Bible Light Lessons.

Read the Bible first.

Read the Bible passage for this lesson several times before you read the Study Notes. You need to be taught by the Holy Spirit first. He inspired the writers of the Bible to give you the truth. He will help you to learn truth that will thrill you. Then you will love it and want to live by it. This is the best preparation for teaching the lesson.

Read the Study Notes second.

You may read all of the Study Notes and find some help in them that the Spirit has taught me. Or you may use the Study Notes selectively to see if they shed any light on particular questions that came to your mind as you read the Bible. You will see that the Study Notes are set up so you can find verses and phrases easily. Hopefully, I have commented on the questions that came to your mind. When you read the Notes, seek the Spirit’s wisdom. He may lead you to fully agree with what I have written, partially agree or totally disagree with it. Trust the Holy Spirit to lead you. This will give you confidence and a passion in your heart as you teach.

Consider the lesson plans as suggestions.

I have written the lesson plans that appeal to me, but they may not excite you or they may not fit the needs of your class. If so, make your own lesson plan. The lesson plans are given to help you, not to hinder you.

Our desire is that you be taught by the Spirit so you can teach the Word accurately with confidence and passion. I want the Study Notes and lessons to help you and your students live godly lives.

Roger L. Peterson, Th.D.