One of the hardest things for a teacher (or preacher) to do is to get out of the way in the teaching/preaching event. The aim is to lead hearers/attenders to experience God in Bible study. In order to do so, we must lead them to hear Him, not just us. We must move from serving as teachers of the Word to facilitators of an encounter.
Let me explain what I mean. As Henry Blackaby in Experiencing God points out, God desires a relationship that is real and personal. That goes beyond mere knowledge of the pages of the Bible to a daily encounter with Him. It involves Bible study (listening to God), prayer (talking to God), commitment (agreeing with God), and obedience (walking with God).
Could it be that many are good teachers about God and His Word, but fewer are able to lead learners into His presence, into a personal encounter with God that is transforming? Is it possible that one of the problems is that many teachers have never had that kind of Bible study experience themselves? It is difficult to lead others somewhere we have never been.
How can we lead teachers to understand the difference? How can we lead teachers to move toward serving as facilitators of an encounter? Am I making too much ado about nothing? Over the next few posts, I want to share some ideas, but more importantly I’d love to hear your ideas. I hope the four questions in the posts that follow will challenge you to go deeper in your relationship with God.
I invite you to read Disciple-Making Encounters to gain a greater understanding of why this is important and practical ways to prepare and lead your learners into life-changing encounters with God in His Word. Be revolutionary!
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